The Tycoon's Odyssey

Chapter 202: 202:Operation Phantom III

The control room of Indra Base buzzed with activity, its walls lined with screens displaying a mosaic of surveillance feeds, digital maps, and status reports. The dim light from the monitors bathed the room in an eerie glow, casting long, shifting shadows across the walls.

At the center of the room, the command center's large, circular desk was cluttered with a mess of tangled wires and blinking lights, providing a disordered yet crucial view of the base's operations.

Suddenly, the door slammed open with a deafening bang. General Arjun, the highest-ranking officer on the base, stormed in, flanked by a cadre of heavily armed guards. However, amidst them, two guards dressed in black masks emanated a frightening aura.

Arjun's face was contorted in fury as his eyes darted around the room, taking in the scene of disarray.

"What the fuck is going on here?" General Arjun's voice thundered through the room, his frustration palpable. His boots clanged against the metal floor as he stomped forward. "Why is there the sound of gunshots out of nowhere? And if there's an enemy, how the hell did they even get this close without anyone noticing? What are you people doing?"

His shouts cut through the din of the chaotic control room, where the technical team was desperately trying to regain control of the situation. The team was huddled around their consoles, their faces etched with panic and confusion.

"Sir, we don't know anything!" one of the technicians pleaded, their voice trembling. "All the security cameras and systems went down simultaneously. We're blind out there!"

The control room was equipped with an array of sophisticated and cutting-edge military technology designed for monitoring and defense.

The equipment included high-definition surveillance cameras with infrared capabilities, motion detectors, automated threat assessment systems, and an intricate network of communication links.

But now, every single one of these systems was eerily silent. The screens that once displayed live feeds, now flickered with static, while the diagnostic panels flashed error messages and system failures.

The surveillance cameras, mounted in strategic positions around the base, that were designed to provide a 360-degree view of the premises and the motion detectors, crucial for detecting unauthorized movement, had also ceased functioning.

The automated threat assessment systems, which relied on real-time data to identify potential threats, had gone completely offline. Even the communication links, which were supposed to keep the command center in constant contact with the rest of the base personnel, had gone silent, leaving the room in a state of technological paralysis.

In the background, unseen by the scrambling personnel, Aurora, Evan's AI, was already in control.

She had managed to infiltrate the base's systems with ruthless precision, which thanks to her programming, allowed her to exploit vulnerabilities in the base's firewall, a sophisticated defense system that was originally designed by Evan and later on modified by Aurora herself.

By bypassing the base's security protocols, she was able to disable all the monitoring and communication equipment, sowing confusion and creating the perfect conditions for the Hawk's operation.

As Arjun surveyed the scene, his growing sense of desperation was clear after he began to piece together the situation. His expression darkened as the gravity of the breach hit him. The room fell into tense silence as he took a deep breath, and then, with a voice filled with accusation and dread, he shouted, "No, I am damn sure that there's a traitor in our ranks!"

His declaration sent a wave of fear through the control room. The technicians exchanged nervous glances, their earlier screams now overshadowed by the looming threat of betrayal within.

General Arjun's sharp eyes scanned everyone present in the room, his suspicion now directed at his own personnel.

"The enemy knew exactly how to disable our systems," General Arjun continued, his voice cold and sharp. "This level of infiltration could only have been orchestrated with inside knowledge. I want every single one of you to be scrutinized. We need to find out who's responsible for this disaster."

After his outburst, he stopped, considering possible reasons for the sudden attack.

"Why did the other party target this desolate base? We are not even near the border areas… So why?"

At that moment, his eyes widened as a sudden realization hit him.

'Damn! They must be here for that.'

Arjun's gaze darkened as he eyed everyone, suspiciously clouding his mind. He studied everyone around him, his eyes gleaming with a chilling intent.

Fixing his stare on two guards, he ordered, "Take them down...."

"NOOO! Sir, we are innocent..."

The soldiers and everyone in the room turned pale, their voices rising in desperate pleas.

The room was filled with the tense murmur of accusations and denials as the general's words settled in.

Arjun remained unyielding, his cold eyes surveying the chaos.

Turning a blind eye to the pleas and screams of the technicians and soldiers, he looked at his two elite guards, known only as Shadow 1 and Shadow 2. His voice was harsh and final as he issued his order.

"Kill them all," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.

As soon as the command was given, in an instant Shadow 1 and Shadow 2 sprang into action with lightning speed.

Their movements were precise and efficient, and each step was calculated to maximize their effectiveness. The two soldiers burst forward, their weapons drawn and ready.

The control room erupted into chaos as Shadow 1 and Shadow 2 unleashed their ruthless assault.

Screams filled the air as the elite guards moved through the room, cutting down anyone in their path. The technicians and soldiers who had been so recently fraught with fear and confusion were now met with a brutal and merciless end.

Some tried to resist, reaching for weapons or trying to flee, but their efforts were in vain. Within moments, the control room was transformed into a scene of carnage.

The bodies of the fallen lay strewn across the floor, blood pooling in dark patches. The once-bustling control room was now a grim display of death, with the two guards moving methodically through the scene, ensuring that no one was left alive.

_____

Outside the base, the Hawk team had already taken down the base's defenses and began their infiltration. The base, carved into the mountain, loomed ahead. Its entrance was a dark, menacing tunnel that seemed to stretch endlessly into the depths of the rock.

The passage was dimly lit, flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and the faint metallic tang of blood.