Part 19
The flashing red lights of the command center finally shifted back to a soothing, tranquil blue.
Marcus let out a long breath, rubbing his temples to ease the adrenaline headache beginning to form.
He turned around in his chair just as the heavy, soundproof door to the command center hissed open.
Zoe stood in the doorway, clutching her teddy bear, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Daddy?" she mumbled. "Why were the lights red?"
Marcus’s heart melted instantly, and all the cold calculation of the digital warlord vanished from his face.
"It was just a computer glitch, princess," he said softly, walking over and kneeling down to her level. "Everything is fixed now."
He picked her up, settling her on his hip as he walked her over to the massive screens.
"What were you doing?" she asked, pointing at the scrolling lines of code that looked like falling rain.
Marcus paused, thinking about how to explain the ruthless corporate war he had just waged to a child.
"Do you remember what happened at the hotel yesterday?" Marcus asked gently.
Zoe nodded slowly. "The mean men were being bad to the nice lady at the desk."
"Exactly," Marcus smiled. "And I told them they couldn't work there anymore because we have to be kind to people."
"But sometimes," Marcus continued, looking at the screens, "the mean men try to take things that don't belong to them, even when they run away."
"So what do you do?" Zoe asked, her large eyes filled with curiosity.
"I build fences," Marcus said simply, tapping a key to bring up a beautiful, glowing 3D globe on the screen.
"I use these computers to build big, invisible fences to protect the people who can't protect themselves."
Zoe watched the globe spin, mesmerized by the glowing blue lights connecting different countries.
"Are you a superhero, Daddy?" she whispered in awe.
Marcus laughed, a genuine, warm sound that filled the massive room.
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"No, baby," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm just a dad who wants to make sure the world is safe enough for you to grow up in."
"Now, let's get you back to bed before Thomas catches us down here and scolds us both."
