“What did you find?”
“The system just activated Phase Two.”
Silence for a second.
Then Boone’s voice returns, tighter now.
“Wren… what does Phase Two mean?”
I wish I knew.
“I’m trying to figure that out.”
“Try faster.”
“Working on it.”
I set the radio down and start digging deeper into the system.
The backend architecture is enormous.
Layers of protocols buried inside civilian infrastructure databases.
Emergency services.
Transportation routes.
Medical supply chains.
Communication towers.
Every major emergency response system tied into one hidden framework.
And now—
Something inside that framework just woke up.
The map expands again.
A new panel opens on the side of the screen.
ACTIVATION PROTOCOL
My stomach tightens.
“This can’t be good.”
I open the file.
Lines of code scroll down the screen.
Most of it is routing logic.
Resource allocation.
Command hierarchy.
Exactly the kind of structure you’d expect if someone was preparing to coordinate large-scale emergency response.
