In the control room, Daniel and Claire worked side by side, their focus fixed on the monitors displaying the mob gathering at the perimeter. The hum of machinery and the occasional blip of sensors filled the air. Outside, the cold apocalypse raged, snow swirling in relentless gusts.
Daniel's hands moved deftly across the keyboard, fine-tuning the defenses. His usually unreadable face softened briefly as his gaze shifted to Claire. Her presence was magnetic, commanding even in moments like this. She adjusted the straps on her gloves, flexing her fingers to test their fit.
"I've reinforced the eastern barricades," she said, her tone clipped but warm when she looked at him. "But if they bring explosives…"
"They'll regret it," Daniel interrupted, his voice calm, almost dispassionate. "The traps are calibrated. If they step within fifty feet of the perimeter, they'll set off a cascade."
