Kelsey Calise

The Replacement Core

“Core installation complete in 10…9…8…” From his seat in the corner of the room, the Director tensed. The Core Replacement Process, his technicians assured him, was so simple the Core could practically install itself. Still, the Director was anxious. His reputation rode on the success of this process. The entire nation relied on the computing power of the Core and had suffered greatly when the last one unexpectedly expired. The Director had personally overseen the expedited selection of a new Core, a move that had thrown him under harsh public scrutiny. He’d brushed off the dissenters, the angry protestors, knowing that once the system had come back to full power and the nation once again began to flourish, he would be lauded for his decisive actions.