Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Chapter 128
The Phoenix Grid control room hummed with activity. Massive screens displayed real–time data from thousands of connection points throughout the city. Engineers moved between workstations, checking and rechecking every system.
Hannah Zhao stood in the center, tablet in hand displaying the master checklist. Three days until the official launch, and the pressure weighed on her shoulders.
“Junction forty–three, status?” she called.
“All green,” came the response. “Power flow nominal, security protocols active, redundancy systerns standing by.”
Hannah marked it off her list. They had been working for twenty hours straight, methodically testing every component. The sabotaged systems that Walsh had compromised required particularly careful attention.
Camille entered, immaculate in a tailored suit despite the early hour. Only the shadows under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion.
“Progress report?” she asked, moving to Hannah’s side.
“Eighty–seven percent complete,” Hannah replied, handing over her tablet. “Western sector is fully operational. Northern at ninety–three percent. Eastern and southern at eighty–two and seventy–nine.”
“And the corrected systems?”
Hannah lowered her voice. “All fixed. We’ve replaced every component Walsh tampered with, updated all compromised software. The Grid is clean.”
Relief flickered across Camille’s face. “Show me.”
Hannah led her to a workstation where thermal imaging displayed the entire Grid. Each junction point glowed green, power flows represented by pulsing blue lines.
“We’ve triple–checked the western junction,” Hannah explained, zooming in on the area they had deliberately marked as vulnerable in the false information fed to Walsh. “It’s actually our most secure point now. Extra monitoring, independent backup systems, manual override capabilities.”
“And the trackers we embedded in the files Walsh copied?”
“Active. When Rose and Herod access those files, we’ll know exactly where they are.”
A technician approached. “Dr. Zhao? We have an anomaly in junction twenty–nine.”
Hannah frowned. That junction wasn’t among the compromised systems they had identified. “What kind of anomaly?”
“Power fluctuation. Minor, but outside standard parameters.”
They moved quickly to the technician’s station. The monitor showed a slight oscillation in the power flow.
Hannah initiated a diagnostic, watching the progress bar fill. After finding and fixing every sabotaged component, an unexpected anomaly sent warning signals through her system.
The results appeared. Hannah’s shoulders relaxed. “Faulty sensor. The junction itself is fine. The measuring equipment is giving a false reading.”
“Replace it,” Camille instructed.
“Already on it.” Hannah dispatched a maintenance team. “This is why we test repeatedly. Even the best technology occasionally fails.”
They continued through the control room, reviewing data at each station. Hannah watched Camille’s face as they progressed. The project had become more than just a professional achievement, it had become a symbol of her transformation.
“Central server farm status?” Camille asked at the final station.
“All servers running at optimal capacity. Cooling systems maintaining perfect temperature. Backup generators tested and ready. Firewall protections at maximum.”
“Show me the load testing results,” Hannah requested.
Graphs appeared, displaying the Grid’s performance under various stress scenarios. The lines remained steady even at three times the expected maximum load.
“We’ve simulated every possible scenario,” the engineer explained. “Power surges, brownouts, cyber attacks, physical breaches. The Grid maintains stability through all of them.”
“What about the western junction?” Camille asked again. “The false vulnerability we created for Walsh?”
Hannah pulled up the specific diagnostics. “We’ve set up special monitoring. Any attempt to access or manipulate that
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junction will trigger immediate alerts. And we’ve stationed additional security personnel nearby.”
“Run the full system integration test,” Camille instructed. “One final check.”
Hannah initiated the most comprehensive diagnostic–a complete simulation of the Grid’s launch and operation.
The main display changed, showing the entire Grid as one interconnected system. Lights flowed from the central control hub outward, representing power distribution across all sectors.
The room fell silent as everyone watched. One by one, the sectors illuminated, Western. Northern. Eastern, Southern. Each junction point activated in sequence. The display became a web of light, a glowing representation of what would soon power the entire city.
Two minutes later, the final connection point activated. A soft chime sounded.
“System integration test complete,” announced the automated voice. “All systems functioning within optimal parameters. Phoenix Grid ready for full activation.”
Applause broke out among the engineers. Hannah felt a wave of emotion, relief, pride, exhaustion, all mingled together.
Camille didn’t join the celebration immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the display, searching for any imperfection, any vulnerability that Rose might exploit.
“It’s ready,” Hannah said quietly. “We’ve found and fixed everything Walsh sabotaged. The Grid is secure.”
Camille finally looked away from the screens. “Walsh’s information will lead them to the western junction during the launch
ceremony.”
“And we’ll be waiting. Extra guards positioned discreetly. Cameras covering every angle. The moment anyone attempts to access that junction, we’ll have them.”
Something passed across Camille’s face, not doubt, but caution. “Rose won’t give up easily. Even with Walsh’s sabotage neutralized, she’ll find another way to attack.”
“Let her try,” Hannah replied with uncharacteristic fierceness. “This is our creation. We’ve built it to withstand anything she can throw at it.”
Camille nodded, allowing herself a small smile. “You’re right. We’ve done everything possible.*
She turned to address the room. “Excellent work, everyone. The final inspection is complete. The Phoenix Grid is officially ready for launch.”
As the celebration continued, Camille drew Hannah aside. “Have you sent the final report to Victoria?”
“Just now. Full documentation of all the corrected systems, security measures, and test results.”
“Good. These next three days are critical. Maintain twenty–four–hour monitoring. Any anomaly gets immediate attention.”
After Camille left, Hannah returned to her station, reviewing the test results one more time. The data confirmed what she already knew, the Phoenix Grid was ready. Every sabotaged component had been identified and replaced.
Yet as she stared at the pulsing lights representing the city’s new power network, Hannah couldn’t shake a lingering unease. Not about the Grid itself, she was confident in its integrity, but about what Rose might do when she discovered her sabotage had failed.
Hannah shook off the thought. That was Camille’s concern, and Victoria’s. Her job was the Grid itself, and she had done that job perfectly.
Three days until the launch ceremony. Three days until the Phoenix Grid powered up for real. Three days until Camille’s vision became reality.
The Grid would launch as planned. Hannah had made sure of that. Whatever happened next was beyond her control, but this magnificent creation of technology and vision was secured.
Hannah allowed herself a moment of satisfaction as she gazed at the completed Grid display. They had done the impossible despite every attempt to sabotage their work.
The Phoenix Grid, like its namesake, had emerged from the fire stronger than before. In three days, the world would see it rise.
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