The first sign that something was wrong was not an alarm.
It was silence.
Lucia felt it before Elena said a word. The elevator doors opened into the secure residence floor, and the usual low hum of layered security systems seemed thinner. Quieter. As if the building itself were holding its breath.
"Elena," Lucia said softly as she stepped out, "status."
There was a fractional delay.
"Primary systems operational," Elena replied. "However, there is a latency spike in the internal network."
Lucia's pulse shifted, not faster, but sharper. "Define spike."
"A six-point-two second blackout across noncritical surveillance feeds. Occurred four minutes ago."
Lucia stopped walking.
Four minutes ago.
She was still in the hearing chamber then. The ruling had just been delivered.
"Because," she asked.
"Unknown," Elena said. "No external breach signatures detected."
No external breach.
Which meant internal.
