THE BLACKLIST SYSTEM: REBIRTH OF NOAH VALE

CHAPTER 5 – THE BLACKLIST SYSTEM

"Don't send it."

Noah froze, phone halfway to his ear.

Martha stood in the doorway of his apartment, arms crossed. "You don't need to change the passwords," she said. "It'll just slow things down."

Noah lowered the phone. "Slow what down?"

"Work. Transfers. You know how it is."

He looked at her face. The way she tilted her head. The easy smile. The old Noah would have said okay and moved on.

"I'm changing them," Noah said.

Her smile tightened. "But…why now?"

"Uhmmm…because I want to."

"That's not a good reason."

"It's the only one you're getting."

She moved closer. "You're being paranoid, babe."

"Maybe."

Her eyes dropped to his phone. "Did Mark say something?"

"Nope."

She let out a breath. "Then what's all this about?"

Noah felt the pressure behind his eyes. The system was watching. Always watching.

"I need the passwords back," he said. "All of them."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

Martha stared at him. "You don't trust me anymore?"

He wanted to hold her hands and tell her he trusted her. That she did not need to worry.

But in ten years, she would hand over everything. His passwords. His access. His life.

"I trust myself more," Noah said quietly.

Her face went cold. "Fine."

She pulled out her phone and typed hard. "Done. I've sent them."

The notification came through.

Noah's screen flickered. The system appeared.

MARTHA REED

Status: Neutralized

Threat Level: 0%

REWARD: +10 LIFE POINTS. UNLOCK NEW ABILITIES."

LIFE POINTS: 100/100

The name faded. Gone.

Noah rejoiced. “It worked. It actually worked.”

"What worked?" Martha asked.

He looked up. "Nothing."

"You're lying to me."

"I'm tired. I just need some space."

"Since when?"

"Since now."

She grabbed her bag. Stopped at the door. "Call me when you stop acting crazy."

The door slammed.

Noah stood there, breathing hard. His hands were shaking again.

The overlay pulsed.

NEW THREAT DETECTED.

A name appeared.

JULIAN CROSS

Status: Active

Threat Level: 61%

Noah straightened. "Who is that?"

“NEW VARIABLES GENERATED,” the system replied. “AVOIDANCE OF ONE BETRAYAL CREATES ALTERNATE THREATS.”

“ Great.”

Removing one threat created space for another. The timeline shifted. New variables. New dangers.

"So I fix one problem and get another?" Noah said.

"You're not helping me. You're just keeping score."

THE SYSTEM DOES NOT PROTECT,” it said. “IT TRACKS CONSEQUENCES.”

Noah ran his hands through his hair. His phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Noah typed back. "Who's this?"

The three dots appeared. Disappeared.

Then: "You've been flagged."

His stomach dropped. "By who?"

Nothing.

The overlay flickered red.

**WARNING: DANGER APPROACHING**

**TIME REMAINING: 3 DAYS**

Noah stared. "What danger?"

“SCOPE UNKNOWN,” the system said. “OUTCOME FATAL IN 78% OF TIMELINES.”

"That doesn't help," Noah said.

His phone rang. Mark.

Noah answered. "What?"

"You just locked me out of the system," Mark said.

"I changed my passwords."

"Without telling me?"

"You didn’t need them. Or do you now?"

Silence on the line. Then Mark's voice came back, colder. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"I'm just stating a fact."

"You're making this difficult."

"It already was difficult," Noah said. "I'm just noticing now."

"You're making enemies."

Noah almost laughed. "I already had them."

"You don't understand how things work here."

"I'm learning….and fast."

Mark hung up.

The overlay pulsed.

MARK ELLIS

Threat Level: 68% → 74%

Noah sat on the couch. Every action had a reaction. Every move changed something.

"Tell me about the danger," he said.

The knowledge came. Vague. Three days. Multiple threats. Julian Cross. Linda Cyril. Clara White.

"All of them?" Noah asked.

Maybe. The system didn't know.

"Can I stop it?"

Unknown.

Noah stood. "Then I'll prepare."

A knock at the door.

He went still.

"Maintenance," a voice called. "Just a quick check."

Noah looked through the peephole. A man in a uniform. Tool bag at his feet.

The overlay flickered.

JULIAN CROSS

Current Location: Outside your door

“ CURRENT ACTION: SURVEILLANCE.”

Noah's heart slammed. "That's him?"

“CONFIRMATION: MATCH 92%.”

"I'm busy," Noah called through the door.

The man smiled. "It'll only take a minute."

"Come back later."

The smile dropped. "It's required, sir."

"I said later."

The man's eyes went hard. "Ok..Sir, I'll make a note of that."

He walked away.

Noah backed up until he hit the wall. Slid down. His hands were shaking.

"That was him," he whispered.

The overlay pulsed.

**DANGER WINDOW: ACTIVE**

His phone rang. Linda.

"Yeah?" Noah answered.

"Come to my office," she said. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"A Project.”

"I'm busy."

"Then make time. It's for your own good."

She hung up.

The overlay flickered.

LINDA CYRIL

Threat Level: Rising

Noah stood. Grabbed his jacket.

Three days. Whatever was coming, he had three days.

He opened the door. Checked the hallway. Empty.

The red timer blinked in his vision.

2 DAYS, 23 HOURS

Noah stepped out. His pulse was steady now. His mind was clear.

He didn't know what was coming.

But he knew one thing.

He wasn't going to die again.

Not this time.