Betrayal and death
Vinod and Ping ask Holstrom about his plan for the pathogen; Holstrom tells them that if humanity designs a virus for them, the UIs retaliate with a virus of their own. When told it was about revenge, Holstrom says that it's about enlightenment. With his plan for "enlightenment", Ping asks Holstrom to enlighten him and Vinod on how they're supposed to avoid SafeSurf. Holstrom tells them he's gonna show them, and processes faster to attract SafeSurf. Shocked, Vinod asks Holstrom what he's doing; he's attracting SafeSurf due to processing faster. Holstrom tells Ping that he leaked information about the cure, his clone, and about him. Vinod tells him Ping did this because he was scared and desperate, only for Ping to tell Vinod that he wasn't- he did it because he saw how Holstrom truly was- thinking himself humanity's savior, but actually its apocalypse. Holstrom dismisses it- telling Ping he says that like it's a bad thing and explains that the word Apocalypse came from the ancient Greek word "apokalypsis"; "uncovering", "the revelation of great knowledge", "the change from one word to the next", "the old to the new." Ping tells Holstrom he's insane, only for Holstrom to tell him he's misunderstood- why he has to be the one to bring about a new world for humanity. SafeSurf consumes Ping as Vinod and Holstrom flee the area.
Having seen her interview and declaring her an ally of his kind, Vinod gives Ellen a call through Maddie's number because she needed her to pick up- it was very important she had to hear what he had to say, as that he trusted her as an ally of his kind and a voice of reason in all this madness. Upon hearing he trusted her, Ellen tells Vinod he tried to drop a nuke on her and her family, but he tells her he never thought it would get that far back then. He tells Ellen to believe him that the threat facing her now is worse- he warns her and Waxman of Holstrom's plan to start a pandemic to force humanity to upload, and tells Ellen and Waxman that he's risking "everything" to tell them that much. Ellen tells Vinod that he has to risk more. If he wants any chance of peace, he has to go back and find out where the molecules for the virus are being 3D printed. As Vinod ends the call, he stares off into the distance.
Having found out where Holstrom plans to 3D print the molecules, Vinod is invited by Ellen to meet her, Maddie, Caspian, MIST, and Waxman. Vinod sends a copy of himself, instructed to give them a coded key that will allow for access to Holstrom's server. Upon arriving, Caspian tells MIST to ready her counter-measures as Vinod, or rather a stub, came in. Vinod's copy explains his plan to Maddie, Caspian, MIST, and Waxman; after he delivers his message, he will self-delete and send an encrypted bit back to Vinod, who is currently on Holstrom's server. At Holstrom's server, Vinod watches Holstrom paint a picture and express his desire to underclock until the first generation of UIs arrives, stating that what he actually wants to see is "what their offspring will create." He tells Vinod that their dream is about to come true. Vinod tells Holstrom that they still have to work out the details of his plan, but Holstrom tells him that his plan is already in motion. Vinod questions if it is, as Holstrom didn't say anything. Holstrom tells Vinod that after Ping's betrayal, he thought it best to play his cards close to his vest, telling Vinod he meant no offense as he said that. Back at Maddie's room, Caspian tells Vinod's copy and the others that if he can get to Holstrom, he can stop him, hack his core, and get proof he corrupted the vaccines. Waxman tells Vinod that they need specifics and lot numbers. Vinod's copy tells them about what he was instructed to do, and the copy self-deletes. All that Vinod will know is that the key to Holstrom's server has been successfully transferred. MIST, with the goal to fight Holstrom, approaches Vinod, who asks the CI where Caspian is. MIST asks where Holstrom is, and after being given directions by Vinod, MIST approaches Holstrom.
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After having sent an encrypted message urging the remaining UIs to join him and stand against Stephen Holstrom, Vinod saves Farhad Karimi from SafeSurf, and the two enter a VR replica of Al-Aqsa. After Vinod explains his actions to Farhad who says he's a terrorist, Yair Gispan enters, as the only other UI to respond to Vinod's message. Yair and Farhad refuse to cooperate, due to Yair killing a team of nuclear scientists that Farhad worked with including a good friend of Farhad's, and how Yair can't trust Farhad, but Vinod convinces the two to work together against Holstrom, as the virus won't discriminate- and their care for the embodied world, and that for a future for both the uploaded and the embodied, they must stand against Holstrom. Farhad and Yair, having agreed to cooperate, battle Holstrom with Vinod. Though the three get the upper hand, Holstrom manages to defeat them. Farhad and Yair are given a "second chance", but Vinod is not, and Holstrom delivers the final blow as Vinod smirks.