Chapter 61 - Inside the Iron Mountain
For over a mile, they navigated the damp, echoing concrete labyrinth until they reached a heavy steel pressure door marked with faded military stenciling: SECTOR 4 - RESTRICTED ACCESS.
Julianna stepped up to the exterior emergency maintenance panel beside the door, pulling a specialized hardware bypass tool from her kit and plugging it directly into the analog data port.
"The locking mechanism is mechanical with an electronic relay," Julianna murmured, her fingers dancing over the diagnostic interface. "Give me thirty seconds... bypassing the secondary circuit now."
A heavy, pneumatic clunk echoed down the concrete corridor as the massive steel bolts retracted with a sharp hiss. The door swung inward on oiled hinges, revealing a brightly lit, sterile white hallway lined with humming server racks and active cooling units.
"We're inside the facility," Casey whispered, stepping past the threshold into the warm, sterile air of the active server room.
Suddenly, a series of overhead security cameras swivelled down from their ceiling mounts, locking their red indicator lenses directly onto the group. A synthesized automated voice boomed through the hallway speakers.
WARNING. UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL DETECTED IN SECURED RESEARCH WING. INITIATING LOCKDOWN PROTOCOL IN SIXTY SECONDS.
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"Move!" Dominic yelled, sprinting down the immaculate white corridor toward the central elevator bank at the end of the hall.
They reached the elevator doors just as red emergency strobe lights began to flash overhead. Dominic slammed his fist repeatedly against the call button until the heavy steel doors slid open with a welcoming chime. They piled inside, Julianna frantically pressing the button for the upper surface level where their escape vehicle was parked on the opposite side of the mountain.
