Chapter 32 - The Core Disruption
The heavy industrial buckshot shredded the pressurized return line.
Instead of an explosion, a blinding geyser of superheated water and steam erupted across the ceiling, raining down directly over the open cooling vents of the master server farm.
"No!" Vance screamed, lunging forward.
Sparks detonated in continuous, blinding flashes across the server racks. The emerald green lights turned instantly to violent crimson. Circuit boards hissed and popped as boiling water shorted out the power distribution units.
`CRITICAL HARDWARE FAILURE. DATA TRANSFER INTERRUPTED AT 94%.`
Vance dropped the trocar and fell to his knees in the pool of dirty water, his bare hands frantically clawing at the smoking server chassis, burning his skin on the melting plastic components. "No! My life’s work! The sequence! It's gone! It’s all gone!"
Reynolds and two tactical officers tackled Vance into the sodden debris, wrenching his arms behind his back and forcing him onto his face.
"Arthur Vance, you are under arrest for high treason, conspiracy to commit murder, and biological terrorism," Reynolds barked, driving his knee into Vance's back as the handcuffs clicked shut.
Mercer rushed to the main console, dodging raining drops of boiling condensation. He slammed the master emergency power shutoff switch, cutting the feed completely. The deafening hum of the servers died instantly, leaving only the sound of sizzling metal and Arthur Vance's broken, incoherent weeping.
Olivia leaned against a wooden pillar, completely exhausted. The cold rain and soot trickled down her neck, but for the first time in five harrowing days, she could feel the weight lifting from her chest.
"Is the upload dead?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
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Mercer inspected the scorched motherboard of the primary transmission unit. "Fried to the silicon. The local hard drives are completely melted. The dark-pool syndicates got nothing."
Olivia closed her eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath. "It's finally over."