Page 44 of Blazing Joysticks

He was halfway through his speech when it happened. The lights flickered, then went out completely. A ripple of confused murmurs swept through the crowd.

Keir’s hand went to the comm unit in his ear. “Beck? What’s going on?”

Static crackled for a moment before Beck’s voice came through, tense and urgent. “We’re under attack, boss. Massive cyber assault on all our systems. It’s Obsidian, has to be.”

Keir’s blood ran cold. This was it – Grimes’s endgame. He scanned the darkened room, searching for Cat. He had to get to her, to make sure she was safe.

But before he could move, the emergency generators kicked in, bathing the room in an eerie red glow. And there, on the massive screen behind him, a familiar face appeared.

Jason Grimes, CEO of Obsidian Tech, smiled coldly out at the stunned crowd. “Greetings, Keir,” he drawled. “Thought you’d seen the last of me, didn’t you? But I’m afraid your little Guardian project is about to go up in flames. Along with your entire company.”

Keir’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, rage boiling through his veins. But he forced himself to remain outwardly calm, knowing every eye in the room was on him.

“Jason,” he said evenly, his voice carrying clearly despite the chaos. “I see you’re still resorting to cheap theatrics. Why don’t you come out and face me like a man instead of hiding behind a screen?”

Grimes’s smirk widened. “Oh, I’m quite comfortable where I am, thank you. Besides, I wouldn’t want to miss the show. Your company’s firewalls are crumbling as we speak. Soon, all your precious data – including the Guardian AI – will be mine.”

A ripple of panic went through the crowd. Keir could hear worried whispers and see investors reaching for their phones. But his focus remained on the screen, on the smug face of his enemy.

“You’re wrong, Jason,” Keir said, allowing a hint of a smile to play at his lips. “You may think you have the upper hand, but you’ve underestimated us. As usual.”

He turned slightly, his eyes finding Cat in the wings. She stood tall, her laptop clutched to her chest, a fierce determination in her eyes. Keir gave her a slight nod.

It was time.

When she disappeared from his sight, Keir turned his focus to the comm unit in his ear. He listened as Cat ran into the control, barking orders. “Status report!” he heard her holler to the team set up and ready to go.

He heard Raj, the lead programmer, reply. “It’s bad, boss. They’ve breached our outer defenses. They’re tearing through our secondary firewalls like tissue paper.”

The sound of clicking keys filled his ear as Cat’s fingers flew over her keyboard. “Not for long,” she muttered. “Initiate Phoenix Protocol. Now.”

On the main floor, Keir watched the giant screen intently. Grimes was still monologuing, gloating about his imminent victory. But Keir barely heard him. His entire being was focused on willing Cat to succeed, sending every ounce of his strength and faith to her through their bond.

Suddenly, the screen flickered. Grimes’s face contorted in confusion. “What the... what’s happening?”

Keir allowed himself a predatory grin. “That, Jason, would be the sound of your plans going up in smoke.”

Phoenix Protocol swept through Sharpe Drakon’s systems like wildfire, identifying and isolating the malicious code, then turning it back on itself.

“It’s working,” she breathed into his ear. “My God, it’s actually working!”

Keir grinned. “I never doubted you for a minute, love.”

Her team cheered as the attack was repelled, Obsidian’s own systems now under siege from their redirected malware.

She heard the devilish smile in his mate’s voice. “Let’s see what other nasty surprises you had in store for us, shall we?”

On the main screen, Grimes’s face had gone from smug to panicked. “No, no, no!” he shouted, frantically typing on something off-screen. “This is impossible!”

Keir stepped forward, his voice ringing out clear and strong. “I warned you, Jason. You should have left well enough alone. Now, not only have you failed to breach our defenses, but I believe you’ll find your own systems have been... compromised.”

As if on cue, documents began flashing across the screen. Financial records, email exchanges, detailed plans for corporate espionage and sabotage – all bearing Obsidian Tech’s logo.

The crowd gasped, phones coming out to capture the damning evidence. Keir could see several people who looked like federal agents pushing their way toward the front of the room.

“This isn’t over, Sharpe!” Grimes snarled, his face contorted with rage. “I’ll?—”

The feed cut off abruptly, replaced by the Sharpe Drakon logo. A moment of stunned silence fell over the room.

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