Rebecca moved closer. "That could belong to Sloan Integrated Systems. They installed network equipment throughout the building."
Maya looked at her. "Do you remember authorizing this room?"
"No."
"Do you remember authorizing your brother's company to build a separate secured space in the basement?"
"I said no."
Mercer stepped in: "Agent Williams, before anyone forces entry into a locked technical area, I want the city attorney notified."
Maya handed him the preservation order she had been carrying. "The federal order covers infrastructure tied to the grant and evidence systems. This cable originates from the department network, and the room is not listed in the city inventory. We're opening it under documented authority."
Mercer read the order but did not argue again.
The technician connected a diagnostic device to the access reader. "There's still power."
"Can you identify the credential system?" Maya asked.
"Yes, it's using the same contractor certificate family we saw upstairs."
"Sloan?"
He nodded.
Rebecca looked at Mercer. "That doesn't mean Calvin built the room."
Maya replied, "No one said it does."
Frank stepped aside while the FBI technician disabled the local lock without altering the network beyond what was necessary to open the door. When the door released, Maya stopped everyone before entry.
"Camera first."
The federal photographer documented the threshold, walls, wiring, and visible equipment. Then Maya entered.
The room contained a full server rack, a dedicated cooling unit, battery backup, and several network appliances. Every device was powered. There were no city asset tags on the rack, no municipal inventory stickers, no equipment numbers matching the department's official server list.
Lena stood in the doorway. "I've never been in here."
Mercer looked at the equipment. "Neither have I."
Maya did not respond.
The technician moved to the rack and examined the active connections. "This isn't abandoned equipment."
"What is it doing?" Maya asked.
"I need to preserve the live state before I answer that."
"Do it read-only."
He nodded and connected a forensic interface.