Mira didn’t hesitate.

sha256sum --check rhel-8.4-x86_64-dvd.iso.sha256

She wrote a Python script—ugly, but functional—that resumed partial downloads using byte ranges. She split the ISO into 10 MB chunks. For four hours, she babysat the terminal, reconnecting the Wi-Fi every time it died, watching the progress bar crawl like a wounded animal.

The green light on the server flickered once, then held steady. Mira leaned back against the cold concrete wall. The rain had stopped. Through a crack in the boarded window, she saw the first pale light of dawn over the abandoned city.

“Software selection.” She held her breath. “Server with GUI” was not an option. Instead, she chose “Minimal Install” and then, from the available repositories on the ISO, manually added the Compatibility Libraries group.