// System.scan.initiating... //
>ERROR: Immediate threat detected.
>ALERT: Unauthorized access detected at IP: 5768-3049.
>Protocol Violation: Segment-14B (Core 3-A) - Secure Vaults - Compromised.
>>Suspected breach: Remote injection of malware, system intrusion initiated via external vector.
>>Connection flagged: Source: Unknown.
>Infiltration detected within Secondary Subnet (SSN) 12-03.
>Compromise Level: High. Emergency countermeasures engaged.
>>Critical Systems Integrity at Risk. Lockdown protocols triggered...
>>FAILURE: Lockdown sequence overridden by external force.
// FAILSAFE-2: Deactivated. Main Vault Status: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS. //
>Alert: Breach in containment initiated. Core Security Protocols bypassed. System stability at 14% capacity.
>>Attempting system recovery: …1% …19% …45% …ERROR
>>Recovery: FAILED. Initiating forced shutdown sequence...
>>Shutdown protocol corruption detected.
// SYSTEM FAILURE: All encrypted channels terminated. //
>Containment breach confirmed. Facility status: Critical.
>Emergency contact failed: Transmission blackout across all channels.
>System shutdown in progress... SYSTEM CRITICAL FAILURE.
>Reverting to fallback mode... All systems offline.
[Gene-Co LLC, Bio-Lab #134]
“Huh. That’s weird.” Security Officer Sgt. Alexei Pinlov looked at his computer, confused. He had been running a routine system check when he was suddenly locked out.
Turning around, he saw that he wasn’t the only one locked out. Before he could ask what was happening, a loud whirring sound filled the operations center.
Vrrrrr... Vrrr-vrrr... rrr…. Silence.
Then, suddenly, the overhead fluorescent lights turned off – plunging the room into darkness.
“Hey! What’s the deal?!” One security officer cried out, along with a few others.
A growing clamor started to build as everyone tried to figure out just what was happening. A few turned on their company-issued flashlights, giving a faint light source for everyone else.
Concerned, Alexei grabbed his own flashlight, making sure to keep the beam pointed downward. Standing up, he passed a few of his men and walked over to the Chief’s office.
Pausing at the door, Alexei gave a quick knock before going inside.
Hunched over his desk, flashlight between his teeth, Chief Security Officer Max Durand was typing into a portable tablet.
“Sir!” Alexei gave a quick salute. “What’s going on?”
Looking up, Durand saw Alexei and the open door. “Close the door, and then come here.”
Doing so, Alexei walked over to Durand.
“Somehow, we’ve lost all power to the facility,” Durand began, fingers typing into the tablet. “I was in contact with the surveillance suite topside when they got an emergency notification – somehow, our secured systems were compromised, and they had an intruder running malware throughout the facility’s subroutines.” Pausing, Durand flipped the tablet around and showed Alexei a 3D interactive schematic of the lab.
Lab 134 was comprised of four floors above ground level, followed by thirty-two sublevels, which were partitioned into four sectors. The only way into the underground facility was through a secured elevator in the Security Junction on sublevel 1.
Sector A (sublevels 2-8) focused on improving Gene-Co’s proprietary GMO technology. Sector B (sublevels 9-16) was the on-site living quarters, with a mess hall, gym, medbay, storage, and bunks for all on-site employees. Sector C (sublevels 17-24) was the restricted R&D area – top secret. Sector D (sublevel 25-32) housed the facility’s generators, the AI Core, and servers.
“As you can see,” Durand pointed to the secured elevator outlined in red. “Without power, the pressure-sealed blast doors have cut us off from the surface.” He then pointed to sector junctions, each highlighted orange. “We can still access most of the facility through the access lanes; however,” He zoomed in on Sector C, also outlined in red. “When we lost power, the emergency containment protocols sealed off Sector C. And because of that, we can’t get to Sector D to try and restore power.”
“To make matters worse, we’ve lost all communication throughout the facility and topside.” Durand swiped on the tablet, showing Alexei various error codes from his attempts to connect with the encrypted communication servers. He then returned to the map of the facility.
Up to speed, Alexei looked at his commanding officer. “Alright, what do we do?”
“We need to restore power so that I can get in contact with Site Director Keller. There’s no way of knowing what’s happening topside without communications, and without power, we are sitting ducks down here. If you can take a squad, get to Sector B, grab some of the techs, and then make your way to Sector C and lift the lockdown, then we might be able to restore power and figure out what’s going on.”
Alexei looked at the schematic again, memorizing some of the unmechanized access points that would allow him to move through the facility. "Understood, sir. I’ll grab a couple of the boys and head to Sector B.”
With another salute, Alexei left Durand’s office and returned to the operations center.
Everyone had calmed down and was using flashlights and service lanterns to illuminate the room.
Alexei knew he would have to pick a few dependable officers for this mission.
Looking at the assembled men and women, he chose …