Chapter Five - The List Behind the Backup Door

Another reached for the emergency manual override like he already knew where it was. Sophie's expression hardened into something close to fear. "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped. "Staying alive," the man with the reflective shield said. "Starting with the people who need it most." "You do not have approval authority." "And do we still have a system that matters?" he shot back. The room went still for half a beat. The underground air was growing heavier, stickier, and every breath was turning into work. People were coughing, panting, sweating so hard their skin looked lacquered. Elliot watched the man's hands. This was not panic theft. It was a takeover by somebody who knew the process well enough to weaponize it.