Chapter 226
Chapter 226:
Screens shifted to show Junction 17. Nothing seemed wrong at first glance.
“Diagnostic scan,” Hannah commanded. Her fingers flew across her keyboard. “This is exactly how the sabotage started last time.”
On stage, unaware of the potential problem, Camille moved toward her conclusion.
“Today, we activate a system that will power not just our lights and buildings, but our future. Cleaner energy. Lower costs. Greater reliability. The Phoenix Grid will transform how this city functions for generations to come.”
She gestured to the large switch on a podium beside her, symbolic rather than functional, but impressive for the cameras.
“In a moment, we will activate the Phoenix Grid. But first, I want to thank those who made this possible when others tried to ensure it would fail.”
In the control room, alarms began to sound. Hannah’s screen flashed with warning messages.
“Someone’s trying to access Junction 17 remotely,” she announced. “Blocking now.”
Her team worked with frantic precision, cutting off the unauthorized access attempt.
“Firewall—”
“Got it,” Mike said after tense seconds. “They didn’t get through.”
“But they’re still trying,” Hannah noted, watching the attack patterns. “This is sophisticated. Someone really wants to disrupt the launch.”
She touched her earpiece. “Camille, we have an attempted breach. Nothing serious yet, but someone’s definitely trying something.”
On stage, Camille’s expression never changed as she heard Hannah’s warning in her ear. She continued thanking key team members while her mind raced.
“What should we do?” Hannah asked through the earpiece.
Camille made a split-second decision. “Proceed as planned. Don’t let them stop us.”
She looked out at the crowd, at the cameras broadcasting this moment worldwide, and refused to let anything take this triumph from them.
“The time has come,” she announced, moving toward the ceremonial switch. “New York, are you ready for the future?” The crowd roared its approval.
In the control room, Hannah watched the attack intensify. “They’re hitting multiple junctions now. Trying to overwhelm our defenses.”
Her team worked frantically, blocking each attempt. “We’re holding them off, but barely.”
Hannah’s jaw set with determination. “Keep blocking them. Don’t let them through.”
On stage, Camille placed her hand on the ceremonial switch. “Three… two… one!”
She pulled the lever down. For one terrible moment, nothing happened. Camille’s heart stopped.
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