The Artificially Genius Doctor
Become Graduator

The sky of the campus began to darken, illuminated by the street lights that had just lit up. The shadow of the pine trees by the road swayed gently, buffeted by the twilight wind that blew. Dried leaves were scattered from the trees, dancing with the wind, accompanying the steps of students returning to the dormitory.

In one corner of the campus, just below the window of the computer lab room, Rudi swiftly monitored the screen of his laptop. His eyes focused, his right hand moving quickly over the keyboard, typing code after code.

"For God's sake, why is this server so slow today?" muttered Rudi, frustrated.

A notification appears on the screen. Access succeeded. Rudi smiled with satisfaction. However, his smile immediately faded away as the laboratory door suddenly opened. He quickly closed his laptop and hid behind a desk.

"You're sure Rudi's here, Andi?" asked a classmate, Dina, in a low voice. His long black hair was smeared, his face looked solemn.

Andi nodded, "I saw him enter earlier. There's been something weird with him lately."

Dina approached one of the computers and looked at the screen that was still on, "Look at this, Andi. There's someone trying to access the campus's central server."

Rudi held his breath, his heart pounding. His eyes looked at Dina's red shoes, a few inches away from where she was hiding.

Suddenly, the ringing sound of the cell phone distracted them. Andi took her phone out of her pocket, "Sorry, Dina. I have to go now. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

Dina nodded, "Alright, be careful on the way."

After Andi left, Dina returned to the computer, but this time she sat down and started typing something. Rudi, who was afraid of being caught, decided to take the risk. He slowly grabbed his bag and tried to crawl out without Dina seeing.

But just as he was about to reach the door, a piece of paper fell from his bag. Dina heard the sound of falling paper and quickly turned around.

"Who's there?" his yell.

Rudi stood up, with wide eyes and a pale face. "I-I just wanted to take my notes."

Dina approaches, "Rudi, what are you doing here at night?"

Avoiding eye contact with Dina, Rudi said, "As I said, I'm just taking notes."

However, Dina seemed to be in disbelief. "So, you don't know anything about illegal access to campus servers?"

Rudi bit her lip, "Of course not. Why would I do something like that?"

Dina looked at Rudi deeply, trying to read the truth from her eyes. "I hope you're honest, Rudi. Because if it wasn't, the consequences would be terrible."

Rudi gulped, "I promise, Dina."

With her breath still wheezing, Rudi left the laboratory, hoping that Dina would not find any evidence of her activities that night. But as he steps out, a gust of night wind carries the scent of frangipani flowers from the campus garden, reminding him that danger may come from a direction he did not expect.

The morning sky at the university is pink, with a tinge of orange indicating the sun is ready to rise. As the sun rose, the anxiety in Rudi's heart also increased.

Rudi walked towards the library, each step feeling heavy. He could feel the suspicious looks of some of his friends. It was as if there was invisible news spreading its dark secret.

On the way, he meets Elsa in front of the cafeteria. Elsa with her golden brown hair looked anxious. "Rudi," he said in a low tone, "I heard there is an ongoing cybersecurity investigation at the university. We may be in big trouble."

Rudi's eyes grew. "They know?" ask her in panic.

The two of them sat on a park bench, in the shade of a shady tree whose leaves began to turn yellow. Momentarily, the two were immersed in daydreams, each busy with his thoughts.

"The final test is drawing near" said Elsa, shattering the silence, "What are your plans?"

Rudi scratched his head, "I don't know, Elsa. Part of me wants to use our software, but..."

Elsa looked at Rudi, her eyes looking for answers, "But?"

Rudi looked towards the garden, "But another part of me felt this was wrong. I should have trusted my abilities, not constantly relying on external help."

Elsa bit her lip, "You know, maybe it's time we stopped. We've been playing with fire all this time, and I'm afraid we're gonna burn."

The two of them were silent, letting the sounds of nature around and the whispers of the wind be the background of their minds.

Suddenly, Rudi stood up, "I decided. I will face this test with my own abilities. Without the help of software, without hacking. It's time I take responsibility for my actions."

Elsa smiled, "That's a good decision, Rudi."

However, when the exam arrives, Rudi is faced with a decision that is more difficult than he imagined. Question after question seemed difficult, and he felt tempted to use help. However, every time he almost gave up, memories of the conversation with Elsa appeared, reminding him of the decision he had made.

At the end of the exam, Rudi handed over her answer sheet with mixed feelings. He did not know whether he had answered correctly or wrongly, but one thing he did know: he had made an important moral decision in his life.

The sky was clear on graduation day. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers that grew throughout the campus. The sound of applause echoed among the university's old buildings as the graduates walked in rows, dressed in toga with graduation hats. However, behind the joy and celebration, Rudi felt that there was a weight on his chest.

Elsa comes near him, walking next to Rudi. "Congratulations, Doctor Rudi," he said with a wide smile, despite the sadness hidden behind his eyes.

"Thank you," Rudi replied, "I'm not sure if I deserve to be called a doctor."

Elsa patted Rudi's back gently. "You've worked hard for this. Don't let the past haunt you."

Rudi was asked to give a speech. When he climbed onto the podium, his heart skipped a beat. He looked towards his family, who were sitting with proud faces, then at Elsa, who gave him a feisty smile.

In her speech, Rudi spoke about the importance of integrity, learning from mistakes, and how the difficult choices we make can define who we are. He spoke feelingfully, delving deeply into his experience, though not specifically mentioning past events.

"I learned that success achieved in the wrong way never feels right" he said, his eyes glittering, "and that integrity is worth more than any reward or praise."

Aplaus broke the air when Rudi finished speaking. Elsa stood up, giving the loudest applause, her eyes wet with tears.

When the ceremony ended, Rudi was approached by his family, his friends, and even some of the lecturers who congratulated him. But in the midst of the crowd, Rudi felt lonely. He knew that the title he got today came with a price.

On the way home, Rudi and Elsa sit by the campus lake, staring at the sunset. "I'm proud of you" said Elsa, "But I know this isn't the end of our story."

Rudi nodded, "Yes, we have a long way to go. Maybe one day, we can make amends."

Elsa smiled, "I'm sure we can. Together."

And with the shadows of the past haunting her, Rudi knows that the journey to redemption is just beginning.