Silence.

For the first time in years, the command center was silent. No hum of servers, no whisper of cooling systems, no pulse of data through the walls — only the faint drip of water from ruptured pipes and the crackle of dying power conduits.

Doran’s eyes opened to darkness.

The air smelled of ozone and burnt plastic. The floor was cold beneath her cheek — slick with condensation and fine shards of glass. For a moment she didn’t move. Her thoughts came back in disjointed flashes: ...