CALMAN:SPEED OF THOUGHT

### Chapter 2: Into the Bureau

Calman stood at the entrance to the Central Calculation Bureau’s main server room, a fortress of data and code. The air was electric, buzzing with the hum of overworked processors and the frantic clatter of keyboards. He could feel the tension in every wire, every circuit. This was the battleground, and The Digitus was lurking within the heart of Mathopolis’s digital fortress.

Calman took a deep breath and stepped inside. The room was a labyrinth of towering server racks, each one blinking with activity. Red warning lights cast an eerie glow, illuminating the faces of panicked technicians.

Lisa Ramirez, the chief technician, was hunched over a terminal, her fingers flying across the keyboard. She looked up as Calman approached, her face etched with worry. “Calman, thank goodness you’re here. This is worse than we thought.”

“Worse how?” Calman asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Lisa pointed to a screen filled with lines of corrupted code. “The Digitus isn’t just messing with our systems. He’s embedding traps within the code, algorithms designed to take down everything if we try to fix it.”

Calman’s eyes narrowed. “So it’s a minefield.”

“Exactly,” Lisa said, her voice barely above a whisper. “One wrong move, and we lose everything.”

Calman nodded, his mind racing. He could feel the weight of the city’s fate pressing down on him. “Alright, Lisa. Here’s what we’re going to do. I need you to keep monitoring the systems and flag any new traps The Digitus sets. I’ll work on disarming the existing ones.”

Lisa’s eyes widened. “You’re going to disarm them? One by one?”

“It’s the only way,” Calman replied, his voice filled with determination. “I’ll move fast, but I need you to stay sharp.”

Lisa nodded, her confidence bolstered by Calman’s resolve. “Got it. Let’s do this.”

Calman turned to the nearest terminal, his fingers poised over the keyboard. He could feel the familiar rush of adrenaline, his mind shifting into overdrive. This was what he was made for.

“Here we go,” he muttered, diving into the code.

The room around him seemed to fade away as he focused on the task at hand. His fingers flew across the keys, typing at a speed no ordinary human could match. Each line of code was a puzzle, each corrupted sequence a challenge to be solved. He navigated through the algorithms with precision, disarming traps and restoring order with every keystroke.

“Calman, we’ve got a new trap in Sector 7,” Lisa’s voice crackled over the intercom.

“On it,” Calman replied without missing a beat.

Time seemed to blur as he worked, his mind a whirlwind of calculations and logic. He could feel The Digitus’s presence, a shadowy figure hidden within the code, always one step ahead. But Calman was determined. He wouldn’t let The Digitus win.

“Sector 5 is clear,” he called out. “Moving to Sector 8.”

As he moved deeper into the system, the traps became more complex, more devious. The Digitus was a formidable opponent, his skills rivaling Calman’s own. But Calman had something The Digitus didn’t—heart. He wasn’t just fighting for himself; he was fighting for Mathopolis.

Suddenly, a new alert flashed on his screen. “Warning: Core Breach Imminent.”

“Lisa, talk to me,” Calman shouted, his eyes scanning the code for the source of the breach.

Lisa’s voice was strained. “It’s The Digitus. He’s going for the mainframe. If he breaches the core, it’s all over.”

Calman’s heart pounded. He had to act fast. “Alright, I’m going in.”

He dove into the core’s code, his mind working at lightning speed. The Digitus had left a trail of traps and corrupted data, a gauntlet designed to stop anyone who tried to intervene. But Calman was undeterred.

“Come on, come on,” he muttered, his fingers a blur.

He could see the core’s protective barriers crumbling, the breach imminent. But just as The Digitus was about to deliver the final blow, Calman found the critical line of code. With a swift, precise keystroke, he disarmed the final trap and sealed the breach.

“Core secure,” he called out, his voice filled with relief.

The room erupted in cheers, the tension breaking like a wave. Lisa’s voice came over the intercom, filled with admiration. “You did it, Calman. You saved us.”

Calman allowed himself a small smile. “For now. But The Digitus isn’t done yet. We need to stay vigilant.”

He turned back to the screen, his mind already racing with plans. The battle wasn’t over, but Calman was ready. The Digitus might be a formidable foe, but Calman had the speed of thought on his side.

And he wasn’t about to let Mathopolis fall.

**Two Hours Later**

The Central Calculation Bureau had settled into a tense calm. Technicians worked diligently to secure the systems, but the threat of The Digitus still loomed large. Calman paced back and forth, his mind racing with strategies and contingencies.

Lisa approached him, holding a cup of coffee. “You look like you could use this.”

Calman took the cup gratefully. “Thanks, Lisa. Any new developments?”

Lisa nodded, her expression serious. “We’ve managed to isolate most of the traps, but The Digitus is still out there. We’re picking up faint signals—he’s probing our defenses, looking for another way in.”

Calman took a sip of coffee, his mind working at a frenetic pace. “He’s testing us. Looking for weaknesses.”

“Exactly,” Lisa said. “And we need to be ready.”

Calman’s eyes flicked to the monitors, the lines of code scrolling endlessly. “We need to set a trap of our own.”

Lisa raised an eyebrow. “A trap?”

Calman nodded. “If we can predict his next move, we can lure him into a dead end. Somewhere we control completely. But we need to be smart about it.”

Lisa smiled, her confidence returning. “Alright, let’s give him a taste of his own medicine.”

The two of them worked tirelessly, crafting a digital labyrinth designed to ensnare The Digitus. Calman’s fingers flew over the keyboard, his mind racing to stay one step ahead of his adversary. Every line of code, every algorithm was a piece of the puzzle.

“Calman, he’s making a move,” Lisa said, her voice tense.

Calman’s eyes narrowed. “Stay calm. We’ve got this.”

The room was silent, the air thick with anticipation. The Digitus was closing in, his digital presence growing stronger. Calman’s heart pounded, his mind sharp and focused.

“Here he comes,” Lisa whispered, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Calman watched as The Digitus entered their trap, the code unfolding perfectly. For a moment, everything seemed to hang in the balance. Then, with a final keystroke, Calman sprung the trap.

“We’ve got him,” he said, his voice filled with triumph.

The screens lit up with confirmation—the trap had worked. The Digitus was caught, his access cut off, his plans thwarted.

Lisa let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “We did it.”

Calman allowed himself a small smile. “For now. But The Digitus won’t give up that easily. We need to stay vigilant.”

He turned back to the screen, his mind already racing with plans. The battle wasn’t over, but Calman was ready. The Digitus might be a formidable foe, but Calman had the speed of thought on his side.

And he wasn’t about to let Mathopolis fall.