Chereads / SHADOW PROTOCOL / Chapter 8 - The Cyber Trap

Chapter 8 - The Cyber Trap

Scene 1: The Briefing

Aaliya stood in front of a digital map in the mission control room, her fingers already itching to get to work.

Major Hamza briefed her swiftly, "The Indian Navy's aircraft carrier is advancing through the Arabian Sea, threatening our trade routes near Gwadar. They're applying pressure to disrupt our economic activities and block shipping lanes."

He pointed at the moving red dot on the screen. "We need you to hack their navigation systems and redirect the carrier toward Chinese waters. If successful, the Chinese Navy will take care of the rest. You'll be working alone from a secure facility, but our backup is standing by if things get out of hand."

Aaliya smirked. "Sounds like fun. I'll make sure their trip takes an unexpected turn."

"Good luck, Aaliya. This mission demands precision—and speed. You have 45 minutes before they cross the critical zone near Gwadar."

Scene 2: The Hack Begins

Aaliya entered a secure underground command center in Karachi, her laptop humming with anticipation. With multiple screens around her, she connected to a satellite link and brought up the Indian Navy's systems. Encrypted firewalls, multi-layered security protocols, and signal jammers—nothing she couldn't handle.

"Alright, boys, let's see what you've got." Her fingers danced over the keyboard as she launched her first cyber attack, probing the carrier's network for vulnerabilities. Every second counted as she bypassed the security walls one by one.

Scene 3: Countermeasures in Play

Suddenly, alarms blared from her screen. The Indian carrier detected her intrusion!

A deep frown formed on Aaliya's brow. "They've activated defense protocols. Smart move."

Undeterred, she quickly launched a decoy program, sending false signals to trick the Indian cyber team. "You'll be chasing shadows now," she whispered, grinning.

The decoys worked—temporarily. With the Indian systems distracted, Aaliya drilled deeper into their network, isolating the navigation controls of the carrier.

"Gotcha!" She bypassed their mainframe, accessing the GPS and course settings.

Scene 4: The Redirect

Aaliya knew she had limited time before her hack was detected. Working swiftly, she altered the ship's coordinates, setting a new route—straight into Chinese waters.

She smiled wickedly. "Enjoy the scenic route, boys."

Before the Indian crew could react, the carrier's systems confirmed the new heading: China's maritime territory.

To further cement the confusion, she disabled their communication with the fleet headquarters, ensuring the crew had no way to call for help.

"Now all that's left is to watch the fun unfold," Aaliya muttered to herself.

Scene 5: The Counterattack

Just as she leaned back in her chair, satisfied, an alert flashed on her monitor.

"The Indian cyber unit is countering—they're trying to reverse the route!"

Aaliya's adrenaline surged. "Not so fast."

She launched a malware virus into their system, forcing their servers to reboot. For three minutes, the Indian carrier would be completely blind, with no control over their systems.

"That's all the time I need." She re-entered the network and locked the navigation settings, making it impossible for the Indian crew to change course.

Scene 6: A Warm Chinese Welcome

Aaliya watched the live GPS feed on her screen. The Indian carrier was now deep in Chinese-controlled waters, completely unaware of what awaited them.

Her earpiece buzzed. Major Hamza's voice came through. "Aaliya, status?"

"The carrier is heading straight into China's hands. I've disabled their comms. They won't even realize where they are until it's too late."

Hamza chuckled. "Good work. The Chinese Navy just confirmed they're waiting for them—guns at the ready."

Aaliya grinned. "Looks like the Indians are going to get a welcome they weren't expecting."

Scene 7: Mission Complete

The screens around Aaliya showed the carrier's slow movement into Chinese waters. Moments later, Chinese naval ships surrounded the Indian carrier, blocking its escape. There was no fight—the Indian crew had no choice but to surrender.

Aaliya leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile. "Mission accomplished."

Hamza's voice came through again. "You just saved Gwadar and our trade routes. Excellent work."

Aaliya laughed softly. "All in a day's work, Major. If they come back, we'll just send them on another 'vacation.'"

Scene 8: The Aftermath

As Aaliya shut down her systems, she couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. Cyber warfare wasn't just about keystrokes—it was a battlefield of its own, where every second counted.

She stood up, stretching her arms. "Let me know if the Indians need another geography lesson."

Hamza's voice came over the comm, full of appreciation. "Rest up, Aaliya. You've earned it."

With a satisfied sigh, Aaliya exited the command center, leaving behind nothing but a trace of digital brilliance.