CHAPTER 2: “SYSTEM OVERRIDE DETECTED”
Nine minutes later.
The Pentagon went silent.
Every monitor across the facility turned black.
Then white text appeared:
SYSTEM REINITIALIZATION INITIATED
A technician froze.
“What is this”
Another screamed from the control room.
“We’re losing satellite connection!”
The senior director rushed in.
“Reboot the grid!”
The technician shook his head.
“It’s not responding!”
“Why not?”
A pause.
“…Because it’s not us controlling it anymore.”
Across the world, military satellites began shifting positions.
Radar systems stopped responding.
Defense shields entered standby mode.
The senior director’s phone rang.
He answered immediately.
A panicked voice from NORAD shouted:
“Sir, every orbital defense system is being reassigned.”
The director went pale.
“Reassigned to who?”
Silence.
Then the answer came.
“Marcus Hill.”
Everyone in the room stopped moving.
The director laughed nervously.
“The janitor?”
But the screens did not laugh back.
They displayed one word.
AUTHORIZED
Inside the hallway, Marcus paused mid-step.
His mop bucket still in his hand.
A small device in his pocket vibrated.
May you like
He sighed.
“Too early.”
