Within the tenebrous confines of the security room Robert Smith awakened with a violent start. His monitor alerted him that the pulsing sinews of two once-vibrant cardiac rhythms had inexplicably drowned into an abyssal chasm of malignant static. Robert’s gaze was transfixed at his monitors, his psyche ensnared in a maelstrom of incredulity.
David and James were consummate professionals well versed in security protocol with every procedure ingrained in their muscle memory. Their equipment was meticulously calibrated to discern the faintest anomaly and acted as a vigilant sentinel that detected any perturbation in their vital signs.
The notion of mechanical failure was inconceivable. Engineered to perfection, the security equipment would not lapse without a tangible cause. Moreover, neither David nor James would violate protocol and remove their gear simultaneously. Robert tapped the nape of his neck and switched to their frequency before inquiring about their status.
“Control center to James and David. Why have you removed your equipment?”
A silence ensued.
“Do you copy? Come in David, James.”
Robert sat upright, his fingers agitatedly drumming the surface of the table as he sifted through the footage from the surveillance apparatus on the 62nd floor.
Two security officers stood in position with their visages displaying an expression of recognition towards an interlocutor whom they frequently conversed with.
However, a macabre event transpired when the footage unveiled an unnerving event. James and David, two exceptionally trained officers, had their life taken by a colleague. He stared blankly, rewinding the footage once, twice, and a third time before switching channels to the security unit.
“Control center to security detail, two confirmed on-site casualties on the 62nd floor, we have a security breach.”
A weary voice responded through the communication channel.
Robert, this is no time to make jokes. It’s 10 and my unit is ready to clock out. Is this another issue with an uncalibrated equipment?”
Roberts fingers flew across his keyboards with a frenzied yet precise choreography. Each keystroke reverberated sharply in the communication channel until a final deliberate strike transmitted the trimmed footage of the incident to security.
A deafening silence ensured. There was a suffocating stillness that devoured even the faintest whisper of noises as Robert waited on a response. For a moment, the atmosphere was dense with a nearly tangible unease until an alert voice broke the hush.
“Remove access rights of controlled entry points for every maintenance member NOW! I’m deploying a unit so make sure every employee on overtime stays put and does not interfere with this operation. Can you identify the perpetrator?”
Robert paced through the entry logs with a growing urgency, scanning each line and timestamp as a cold dread settle within him. To his mounting terror, the sole names recorded above the 60th floor were Anna, Ark, two security personnel, and a few cleaning staff.
He understood that this period marked a transition point for the reassignment of key personnel and security officers. As new cohorts headed up to replace their positions, the upper floors were left vulnerable for a short duration. James and David were scheduled to vacate their posts two minutes prior but had not yet exited through the entry points. A gnawing fear gripped him as he became aware that Annas safety had already been compromised.
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Robert had never entertained the prospect that Ark could be the perpetrator. A researcher defined by his intellect, the mere insinuation of his involvement in such a heinous transgression appeared inconceivable. However, the security footage presented a stark antithesis to the serene methodical persona that Ark had established. Ark projected no discernable trace of martial aptitude, yet his savage disposal of the two security personnel seemed rehearsed, almost as if he repeated the same motion numerous times.
“I believe that Ark is the individual who took the lives of the two security personnel on the 62 floor.”
“Ark? The engineer working on NeuroStream? Look over the footage, do you see any sign of spatial manipulation or otherworldly interference? Is it one of those Enlightened individuals?”
After taking a moment to review the footage, Robert responded.
“There seems to be no indication of enlightened or any otherworldly interference. James and David were simply unprepared to react to his sudden action. Ark always dawned a calm temperament and was quite reserved. I don’t understand what brought upon his violent initiative, it seems so bizarre.”
An incredulous laughter erupted across the channel with its resonance cleaving through the tense exchange like a dissonant tremor.
“So you’re telling me that a researcher, not trained in any tactical capacity, took down TWO security officers that were meticulously conditioned through the academy’s tough programs?”
Robert found himself unable to retort to this remark. The notion that such a claim could hold any truth appeared absurd, yet the incontrovertible evidence presented by the security footage shattered any semblance of doubt.
Without warning, a muffled explosion reverberated across the building and caused it to shudder ever so slightly. A surge of security units flooded the channel moments after the incident.
“Foxtrot 60, 65 to control center, we lost functionality of the traction lifts.”
“Gamma 70, 71, 75 to control center. Our freight elevators are unresponsive, and we are stuck between the 5th and 6th floor.”
Robbert hastily navigated through the diagnostic system but his efforts to repair the malfunction with the elevators were met with futility. He recognized that the signals to the electrical control and drive systems had been severed which rendered the elevators incapacitated.
“We lost signal to the control and drive systems for our traction and freight lifts. I can’t even call the backup power supply because the busway is disconnected. I think our only method of mobility is taking the stairs. How is everyone's status?”
A commanding voice reverberated through the channel.
“All units stay put, there is a technical malfunction with the lifts. Take measures to evacuate but relocate at ground level.”
Robert was abruptly transferred to a private channel where a stern voice resounded.
“I will be dispatching my personal unit, tell every officer to recall to ground floor.”
“Sir, this is first degree homicide on two accounts and a deliberately orchestrated sabotage. We should inform the authorities before this situation escalates”
“Do you understand the implications of our security being compromised? Our investors have financed too much money on this building for our security to fail. What do you think will happen when word spreads that a well-funded and secure institution fails to do its job? What will our shareholders think when we cannot guarantee the protection of confidential research and development? For goodness’s sake we work in military contracting! If this incident is leaked, we lose our integrity, trust, and assets. Keep this situation under control.”
Robert remained silent. He was aware that the ramifications of this incident could impact stability for both his position and the corporation.
Genova was the cornerstone of development in biotechnology fabrication with this branch funded to oversee the protection and research of NeuroStream.
A groundbreaking computational device that was integrated into the spinal cord, NeuroStream functioned as a diminutive and powerful processor. Arks research finalized the product and facilitated an unprecedented increase in societies functionality that drastically amplified productivity and communication. While it ushered in an era of unparalleled efficiency in daily lives, the technology was originally contracted for military application.
Given that he was provided with the latest cutting-edge models as a benefit of his position in Genova, he found it incomprehensible why anyone would seek to undermine the advancement of a product that had so significantly elevated the standard of living for society as a whole.
Robert brushed against the hexagonal implant on his nape and contemplated.
Unable to reconcile that they intended to bury the incident but faced with a profound dissonance within him, he obliged.
“Yes sir.”