… tell me you have a plan."
The AI hesitated.
"…I am attempting to isolate the intrusion."
"That's a no," Elias muttered.
The shadow pressed outward. Alarms screamed as stress fractures rippled across the core's containment field.
Elias made a decision.
"Sentinel," he said quietly, "prepare for manual override."
The AI went silent.
Then—
"…Understood."
The shadow recoiled slightly.
YOU WOULD DESTROY YOURSELF?
Elias smiled thinly. "I've done worse for less."
He slammed his palm onto the override console.
The countdown began.