The Cipher: Locks and Keys

Previously: Pinnochi found himself under suspicion, with Yuri investigating him as a potential traitor. The tension escalated as Pinnochi confronted Yuri, though neither openly accused the other. But as Pinnochi walked away, it became clear that he was playing a deeper game—stealing an access card from Yuri’s desk. As he made his way to the experimental lab to further his mission, he was suddenly intercepted by the imposing figure of Sir Techno, leaving Pinnochi with no easy way out.

Pinnochi’s heart raced. "Tch, I was careless," he muttered to himself. How do I get out of this situation now? The sudden jump from a casual stroll to a direct encounter with Techno felt like a punch to the gut. He needed to act fast.

"Pinnochi." Techno’s voice sliced through his thoughts. The towering figure stared at him, unreadable.

Pinnochi swallowed, his mind scrambling for an excuse. "I was just..." He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then forced a smile, trying to look nonchalant. "I was just taking a stroll and came across the experimental lab. Never been inside before, so I was curious to see what kind of work goes on in there."

Careful, too many words. Pinnochi’s internal alarm blared. His posture remained still, but tension coiled inside him like a spring ready to snap. His eyes flickered nervously, gauging Techno’s reaction.

Did he buy that explanation? he wondered. The silence was crushing. Techno’s gaze remained locked on him, expression hard to read.

After what felt like an eternity, Techno simply nodded. "Very well then," he said, voice devoid of any suspicion. "You may enter."

Pinnochi blinked, startled by the unexpected approval. What? That was easier than I thought. His surprise barely registered on his face, but his fingers twitched involuntarily.

As he followed Techno, Pinnochi’s eyes wandered, trying to avoid further scrutiny. That’s when he noticed it—the strange item in Techno’s hand. His breath caught for a moment, recognition flashing through his mind. No way... is that what I think it is?

He hadn’t seen one of those in years. His father's hands used to hold similar objects back when Pinnochi was just a child.

Techno noticed his sudden attention and raised an eyebrow. "Do you know anything about this, young man?"

Pinnochi froze, the question catching him off guard. He shifted uncomfortably but forced himself to stay calm. "Uh... my father used to bring things like that home all the time," he said, carefully measuring his words. "But I never fully understood what they were."

His mind raced. Was that enough to throw him off?

Pinnochi’s gaze lingered for a moment before he responded, almost in approval. "If I’m not mistaken, that’s a voltage regulator."

Techno hesitated, then nodded, his voice a little more confident this time. "You’re right."

A subtle smile appeared on Techno's face. "Impressive." He opened the door to the experimental lab, the sound of the mechanical lock clicking open echoing in Pinnochi's ears. "Shall we?"

Pinnochi followed him inside, his eyes darting around the room, trying to absorb every detail. This is it... the experimental lab. His senses were heightened, but at the same time, his mind was elsewhere—trapped in the shadows of his past.

The scent of chemicals in the air, the hum of machinery, and the sterile atmosphere of the lab brought memories flooding back—memories Pinnochi had buried deep.

He had been much younger then, barely able to understand the world of technology his father lived in. The lab had a similar smell—the scent of progress, his father used to call it. But to young Pinnochi, it was the smell of distance. His father always brought strange devices home, much like the one Techno held now, but he never explained them. The machines were a barrier, a wall that separated him from a father who was always too busy to talk, too engrossed in his work to see his son watching from the shadows...

Flashback

The sterile smell of the lab faded into the familiar scent of his childhood home—a blend of metal and oil, chemicals and dust. The basement, where his father always toiled away, felt more like a forbidden sanctuary than a part of their house. Pinnochi, just a child back then, would often watch from the doorway, his eyes wide with curiosity and confusion.

“Pinnochi, come back here!” his mother’s voice echoed down the stairs one day as he lingered by the basement door. “Leave your father to his work.”

But Pinnochi couldn’t tear himself away. He didn’t understand why his father always spent so much time down there, locked away from the world. To him, it was like his father was hiding—hiding from him, hiding from his mother, hiding from life itself.

The tension in the house had always been thick, but when his parents finally separated, it snapped like a tight string. His mother called his father’s work an obsession, something that had consumed him. She said she couldn’t stay any longer with a man who seemed more interested in his inventions than in his own family.

Pinnochi was dragged into a courtroom, where his future was decided. "Who would you like to stay with?" the judge asked, his voice monotone, as if the question was as trivial as choosing between two flavors of ice cream.

Pinnochi had made up his mind long before that moment. Deep down, he always wanted to stay with his mother, to escape the cold, distant shadow of his father. But as the words formed on his lips, something else took over. “I want to stay with my dad.”

The courtroom fell silent. His mother’s eyes widened in disbelief, her hand flying to her mouth. "No, your honor, he’s been threatened! He doesn't mean that!" she pleaded, but it was too late.

Pinnochi never understood why he said it. Maybe it was the hope that, somehow, his father would become the parent he needed. Maybe it was curiosity, a burning desire to understand the man who had always remained a mystery.

Living with his father was strange, almost like living with a stranger. His father rarely spoke to him. He provided the necessities, food, clothes, shelter—but love? That was an entirely different matter.

One day, after weeks of feeling invisible, Pinnochi’s curiosity won out. He descended the stairs to the basement, his heart pounding with every step. His father, hunched over a table, didn’t even notice him at first.

“What... what are you doing, Father?” Pinnochi stammered, barely able to find his voice.

His father paused, then turned, his eyes flickering with surprise. “Why the sudden interest?” His voice was dry, but there was a warmth to it that Pinnochi hadn’t heard in a long time.

Pinnochi hesitated, but then the words tumbled out in a rush. “It’s just... you’re always so focused on your projects. You forget about me sometimes.” The vulnerability in his own voice startled him.

For the first time in what felt like years, his father smiled and placed a hand on his head. “Once I finish this project... my final project... I promise, I’ll have more time for you.”

Pinnochi’s heart swelled with hope. "Promise?" he whispered, looking up into his father's eyes.

“Promise,” his father replied, his voice soft and reassuring.

From that moment on, things changed. Pinnochi’s father began to teach him about science, about energy, and most importantly, about the project he was working on. It wasn’t just a machine—it was something far greater. His father had a vision: limitless energy, a source of power that could change the world forever.

Pinnochi listened, wide-eyed and eager to learn, absorbing every word his father said. They worked together day and night, their bond growing stronger as they tinkered and built, shaping the future of energy.

One night, they sat on the rooftop of their home, looking up at the stars. Pinnochi, still young but now full of wonder, asked, "If there’s limitless energy, how will it change the world?"

His father gazed at the night sky, his voice filled with conviction. “It will change everything, Pinnochi. Poverty, wars over resources, the constant struggle for power—it could all end. We could create a world where everyone has what they need, where no one suffers.”

Pinnochi’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “I can’t wait until you finish it, Father.”

His father smiled, but behind that smile was a weariness that Pinnochi didn’t recognize at the time.

Years passed, and on Pinnochi’s 11th birthday, they finished the project. The Limitless Energy Machine was complete. To Pinnochi, it felt like the greatest gift in the world.

But that same day, there was a knock at the door.

When Pinnochi opened it, he saw men in suits, their faces stern and unyielding. His father appeared behind him, his face darkening at the sight of the men.

“How may I help you?” his father asked, though the tension in his voice was palpable.

“We believe you are in possession of government property,” one of the men said, stepping forward. “We’re here to search your home.”

His father’s face twisted in anger. “You can’t just barge in here—this is my work!”

The men didn’t listen. They pushed past him, storming the house like locusts, their eyes scanning every inch, every corner. When they reached the basement, one of them called out, “Sir, you need to see this.”

Pinnochi watched in horror as they seized the machine—their machine. "No!" he screamed, rushing forward, but one of the men grabbed him, holding him back.

His father tried to stop them, too, but they were stronger, more ruthless. One of the men sneered. “We can’t let this continue. We’re wiping you both out.”

Pinnochi’s father fell to his knees, pleading. “Take me, but spare my son! He knows nothing—he’s just a boy!”

The man hesitated for a moment, then smiled coldly. “Very well.”

A gunshot rang out, echoing in Pinnochi’s ears. He watched as his father crumpled to the floor, lifeless. In that moment, everything Pinnochi had known—the hope, the love, the future they had built together—was shattered.

He memorized the face of the man who pulled the trigger, his heart filled with vengeance.

Pinnochi blinked, pulling himself back to the present. His breath came in shallow bursts, and his hands were clenched into tight fists. The weight of the past settled heavily on his shoulders.

“Are you alright?” Techno’s voice cut through the haze of memory.

Pinnochi straightened, his expression hardening. “I’m fine.” But deep down, he knew something had shifted. That memory... it stirred something long-buried within him. For a moment, he nearly forgot where he was, lost in the echoes of the past. The pain, the anger—it all came rushing back. His father’s voice, his final moments.

Pinnochi’s heart clenched, reminding him why he was really here. He hadn’t just stumbled into this. He had a purpose—a mission.

He almost smiled, but it was the kind of smile born from a dark resolve.

Not until he made them all pay.