Chapter 5: Protocol Lockdown

👉 Previous Action: You chose to attempt a direct physical breach into the sealed Sub-Level 4 vault during work hours.

The hum of the servers in Sub-Level 4 was a constant, low thrum against Kien’s ears. His workplace self, driven by a desperate need for answers, moved with a calculated boldness. He knew the vault housed the primary logs, the unfiltered data streams of all projects, including his own.

He timed his movements meticulously, waiting for the brief shift change between security patrols. He’d observed the pattern for days, the two-minute window when the corridor outside the vault was empty.

With a practiced, fluid motion, he disabled a small auxiliary camera near the service conduit, a trick from his early hacker days. He slipped silently towards the reinforced door, a small, specialized pry-tool glinting in his hand.

He inserted the tool into the narrow seam of the vault door, applying precise pressure. A faint click echoed in the silence. He pushed, and the heavy door gave a fraction of an inch.

Just as he was about to widen the gap, a harsh, blaring alarm pierced the quiet. Red lights flashed, strobing the corridor in an aggressive pulse. He froze, the pry-tool still in his hand.

A voice, synthesized and amplified, boomed from hidden speakers: “Intruder detected. Immediate lockdown initiated. Sub-Level 4. Security team inbound.”

Kien’s heart hammered against his ribs. He heard the rapid thud of boots approaching, growing louder. There was no escape.

He barely registered the armed guards as they converged on him, weapons raised. A sharp pain bloomed behind his eyes, a sudden, intense pressure. The world blurred. He felt hands roughly seizing him, but the feeling faded, like a dream receding.

The next thing Kien remembered was waking up in his own bed, the morning light streaming through his window. A vague, unsettling sense of unease settled over him, like a forgotten nightmare. Evelyn brought him a cup of tea.

“You look a little lost this morning, love,” she said, her smile gentle. “Rough day yesterday?”

Kien rubbed his temples. “Just a headache. Can’t remember much.”

He went to work, settling back into his routine, the memory of Sub-Level 4 and the blaring alarms completely erased. His progress, whatever it might have been, was gone.