Page 9 of The Lazarus Protocol

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got it on an air-gapped computer now.” She blew out a breath that rustled across the open comms channel. “No one wants something like this on the internet.”

“Any idea what it is?”

“Some kind of database, designed to knit together in a specific way and also separate in a specific way. It’s meant to be stored as two parts of a whole. The size of this thing… It’s got to run something big. Like a NASA-level simulation.”

Adam hoped it belonged to Earthnet, and they hadn’t just stolen some other company’s property. “Keep me posted on any developments.”

“Copy that.”

Dan pushed a set of double doors open, moving into an open plan office. Looked like a tornado had swept through the place, leaving papers discarded on desks and on the floor. Instead of computers, there were wires left hanging and monitors but no PC towers anywhere.

“I’m still fine by myself out here at the fence, doing nothing,” Ice said. “In case anyone is interested.”

Adam said, “Just keep an eye on the perimeter, yeah?”

Ice responded, “Front cameras show no movement. Nothing in back. Skies are clear. For now.”

“Copy that.” Adam followed Dan through another set of doors. “Lower levels?” He motioned to a sign that pointed down, indicating stairs leading that way.

For the benefit of comms, Dan said, “Moving to search the lower levels.”

Adam needed Ash and Kai to see if there was basement access on their side of the building, but before he could give that order, Marina came back on.

“Ash. Kai. The second security guard is headed in your direction.”

“Copy that,” Kai said.

“Get clear and see if you can access the lower levels.” Adam stepped into an echoey concrete stairwell on Dan’s six and flipped on the flashlight clipped to the underside of his gun.

Their footsteps echoed on the concrete.

At the next level down, one below ground, the comms channel started to break up. “Sounds like we’re gonna lose signal.”

Dan opened the door, and Adam went in first. The hallway had glass on one side and a solid wall on the exterior. The view through the glass offered a look at the bowels of the building, which dropped away from this…rotunda almost. From the circle of windows around the middle, they could watch what was happening down there, like a viewing gallery.

“What is it?” Dan asked.

“Who knows. It’s so dark it could go down for miles and we’d never know.”

“I see a few blinking lights.” Dan sighed. “Shame we can’t just switch more on and take a look.”

“Let’s do a lap around. See if anyone is down here.”

Dan nodded, and they moved quickly all the way around the viewing gallery.

Adam noticed prints on the walls at intermittent points, which looked like generic hotel artwork, except that it all had a space theme. “I don’t think this is just a server farm.”

“Unless that thing down there cools it all,” Dan said. “Like a giant immersion cooler for the servers.”

“Maybe we should turn some lights on.” Halfway around, the windows stopped and an alcove angled out, over the opening in the center. “Here we go.” Adam went to the wall and tapped buttons on the biggest panel, then toggled a couple of switches.

A small screen flashed to life.

System armed.

“All I wanna do is take a look.”

“There’s a port here,” Dan said. “Try plugging in.”