The air inside the dimly lit control room was heavy with tension. The countdown timer on the massive screen glowed ominously, each passing second hammering into the team's nerves. With only 24 hours left until Orion's ultimate plan came to fruition, every move from here on out was critical.
Rahul studied the digital map spread across the holographic table. "We've managed to delay their timeline," he said, his voice low but firm. "But it's not enough. Orion anticipated our move and created redundancies. We have to think faster than them."
Sana, standing on the other side of the table, crossed her arms. Her gaze was sharp, but there was a glint of something else doubt. "We've been one step behind this whole time. What if this isn't just about the timer? What if Orion is using it to distract us?"
Rahul paused, considering her words. Zara chimed in from her station, fingers flying over her keyboard. "Sana's right. I've been analyzing the data we extracted. The timer might be a smokescreen. There are secondary protocols hidden in the system something called 'Phase Zero.' It's linked to a network we haven't even breached yet."
"Phase Zero?" Rylan frowned. "What does it do?"
Zara's face paled as she scrolled through lines of encrypted code. "It looks like… a global disruption protocol. Power grids, communication lines, even satellites. If this goes off, the world plunges into chaos."
Rahul slammed his fist onto the table. "Then we don't have time to waste. We need to disable the countdown and find this Phase Zero network."
Sana hesitated. "What if we can't do both? We have to prioritize."
The room fell silent as the team exchanged uncertain glances. Evelyn, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up. "We don't have to choose. We split up. Rahul and Zara can handle the countdown. Sana, Rylan, and I will locate and disable Phase Zero."
Rylan raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think we can find it in time?"
Evelyn stared him down. "Because I know where to look."
The room froze. Everyone turned to her. "What do you mean?" Rahul demanded.
Evelyn exhaled slowly. "I've been working against Orion from the inside longer than you realize. Phase Zero was one of their most guarded projects. I didn't have access to all the details, but I know where they kept its core."
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Sana's voice was cold, her trust in Evelyn still fragile.
Evelyn didn't flinch. "Because I didn't know if I could trust you. But now, we don't have a choice."
The plan was hastily put into motion. Rahul and Zara stayed behind in the control room, working feverishly to hack into the countdown system. Meanwhile, Sana, Evelyn, and Rylan set off in a heavily armored vehicle toward the underground facility where Phase Zero's core was rumored to be housed.
The ride was tense. Rylan kept his hand on his weapon, clearly still unsure about Evelyn's intentions. Sana, sitting beside him, watched Evelyn like a hawk. "If this is a trap…" Sana began, her voice sharp.
Evelyn cut her off. "It's not. You'll see."
Back in the control room, Rahul and Zara hit a wall. "The countdown system has an AI safeguard," Zara said, her voice trembling with frustration. "Every time I try to disable it, the system adapts."
Rahul rubbed his temples, his mind racing. "What if we don't disable it? What if we overload it instead?"
Zara blinked, then a slow smile spread across her face. "That might just work. But it's risky. If we miscalculate, we could trigger the detonation ourselves."
"Do it," Rahul said firmly. "We don't have another option."
Meanwhile, Sana's team arrived at the facility. The entrance was heavily guarded, but Evelyn led them through a hidden passageway. "This used to be an escape route," she explained. "They won't be monitoring it."
Inside, the group found themselves in a labyrinth of corridors. Rylan took point, his weapon drawn, while Sana and Evelyn followed closely behind. The deeper they went, the more evident it became that this was no ordinary facility. Walls were lined with servers humming ominously, and the air was unnaturally cold.
"This is it," Evelyn said, stopping in front of a reinforced door. "The core is in there."
Rylan inspected the door's lock. "It's biometric. Can you bypass it?"
Evelyn nodded. "Give me a minute."
But as she worked on the lock, a low rumbling noise echoed through the facility. Sana tensed. "We're not alone."
From the shadows, armed guards emerged, their weapons trained on the trio. "Drop your weapons!" one of them barked.
Sana and Rylan exchanged a glance. Evelyn froze, her hands still on the lock. "I can open it," she whispered. "But you'll have to buy me time."
Without hesitation, Rylan opened fire, diving behind a server for cover. Sana followed suit, her movements precise and deadly. The guards returned fire, their numbers overwhelming. "Hurry up, Evelyn!" Sana shouted.
"I'm almost there!" Evelyn called back, her fingers flying over the lock's keypad.
Back in the control room, Zara let out a triumphant cry. "We've overloaded the system! The countdown's stopped!"
But Rahul's celebration was cut short when a new alert flashed on the screen. "Zara… what is that?"
Her face fell. "It's a failsafe. If the countdown stops, the system activates Phase Zero automatically."
Rahul's heart sank. "That means Sana's team—"
"They're walking into a trap."
At that moment, in the underground facility, the reinforced door hissed open. Evelyn stepped back, triumphant. "It's done!" she shouted.
But inside the room, instead of the Phase Zero core, they found a massive bomb, its timer synced with the failsafe Rahul and Zara had just triggered. The timer blinked ominously: 00:10:00.
Sana's eyes widened in horror. "It's a setup."
From behind them, the guards regrouped, their weapons raised. The leader smirked. "And you fell for it."
The screen of the bomb lit up, displaying a single word: Orion.
To be continued...