Beijing, China – 02:17 AM
Ethan Pierce moved like a shadow through the dimly lit corridors of the Zhongguancun Research Facility. The heartbeat in his ears was louder than the whisper-quiet footsteps he left on the polished marble floors. The mission was simple on paper—get in, steal the AI, get out—but in reality, it was a suicide run.
The Oracle AI was China's most classified military project, a quantum-based intelligence that could dominate global cyber warfare. If the United States got their hands on it, they could tip the scales of power for decades. If China found out it was missing, war would be inevitable.
Ethan slid past two security cameras, his neural-linked contact lenses feeding him a real-time security grid overlay. He saw their blind spots before they moved, slipping through just in time.
Two minutes. Get to the server. Extract the AI. Go.
The black duffel bag on his shoulder carried a quantum drive—his only means of storing Oracle's vast neural networks. He approached the central server room, a reinforced steel door blocking his path.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a hacked biometric glove. With a deep breath, he pressed it against the scanner. The device mimicked the handprint of a high-level engineer Ethan had "borrowed" from earlier that night.
The scanner blinked green. The door slid open with a soft hiss.
Inside, the room glowed with the eerie blue light of a dozen servers stacked in rows, cables humming with the processing power of a god. Ethan moved quickly, plugging the quantum drive into the mainframe. Lines of code flooded the screen.
TRANSFER IN PROGRESS… 72 SECONDS REMAINING.
He exhaled sharply.
Then—an alert flashed red.
SECURITY BREACH DETECTED.
"Shit."
The doors slammed shut behind him. A mechanical voice echoed over the intercom.
"Unauthorized data transfer detected. Security teams en route."
Ethan yanked the drive free, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Forty seconds before this place was swarming with Chinese Special Forces.
He bolted for the ventilation shaft, just as gunfire erupted outside the server room.
Chapter 2: The Pursuit Begins...