The president surfaced from a light trance as his MindSys eased him back to full awareness through the application he relied on before high‑pressure moments, and displayed the time across his vision which he had set earlier to 11 p.m.
An hour remained, though he couldn’t shake the feeling the Global Government might come early in an attempt to catch them off guard. His MindSys gave him a faint, instinctive sense of the building and the country beyond — multiple sensory feeds distilled into a single, intuitive awareness. There was still no sound or movement outside.
His door opened slowly, with the light from the corridor spilling into the office. Mart, his chief aide, stepped inside — composed but tight around the eyes. No words were spoken. Mart gave a single, deliberate nod; the president returned it — a quiet acknowledgement that the final remaining staff had departed and only three of them remained: himself, the President, and Rohan, the head of security.
Mart stepped back into the corridor. His footsteps echoed down the hall until the door sealed, and the room sank back into stillness.
The president reached for his glass. Fresh water rose to meet his hand. He took a slow sip, set the glass down, and focused his MindSys on the panel etched into the desk. The wood parted cleanly, revealing a recessed console of buttons.
::lockdown::
One button glowed green. He pressed it. A confirmation prompt flickered across his vision.
::accept::
He didn’t hear the roof plates sliding into place above the atrium dome — only the final, deep metallic clank as the two halves locked together. A faint vibration ran through the floor, as if the building itself had taken a breath.
The building was sealed. Silence settled again.
submitted by /u/everisea
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