"Then get me somewhere the computers don't decide where I go."
"We're doing that."
The vehicle turned south; its route no longer followed the path being generated by the Sloan system.
Maya looked back at the shadow server activity: the contractor session remained open, but its control privileges were now blocked. For the first time since Nathan left the station, the federal team could watch the interference without allowing it to direct the vehicle.
Then, every monitor in the digital evidence office changed at once. A red security banner appeared across the screens: External cyber intrusion response active.
Lena looked at the alert. "I didn't trigger that."
The federal technician checked the command origin. "Neither did we."
Maya turned toward Mercer. He was standing beside the command terminal: his executive account had just activated the department's emergency cyber protocol.
Maya crossed the room and stopped beside the command terminal. "Chief Mercer, step away from the workstation."
Mercer removed his hand from the keyboard. "The department is responding to a cyber intrusion. That protocol exists for exactly this situation."
Lena checked the system status: several active sessions were being terminated automatically; other records were changing classification from verified administrative events to potentially compromised data.
Maya turned to the federal technician: "What is the protocol doing?"
"I'm checking the sequence now."
Mercer spoke before the technician could finish: "It isolates affected systems, resets access sessions, and protects operational data from outside interference."
"That's what it's supposed to do," Lena said.
Mercer looked at her. "What does that mean?"
She opened the protocol configuration. "It's doing more than isolation."
The technician moved to the adjacent terminal and examined the same file. "Administrator histories are being reclassified. Some session relationships are being removed from the active audit chain."
Maya asked, "Removed or deleted?"
"Not fully deleted. The protocol separates them from their original authentication context. If it completes, we may still have the events, but lose the direct link between an action and the administrator account that initiated it."
Mercer pointed toward the network display: "Which is exactly why we need to contain the breach. You already confirmed someone remotely manipulated a federal transport route."
"We confirmed unauthorized commands came through a Sloan administrator channel," Maya said. "We have not confirmed an outside attack."
"What else would you call it?"
"Evidence." Mercer stared at her. Maya continued, "Until we know who issued those commands, you don't get to classify the entire system as externally compromised."
Mercer looked toward Ben, who had entered with a message from dispatch. "Officer Carter, shut down the routing terminal and disconnect from the network."
Ben stopped. Maya did not speak.
Mercer repeated himself: "Close the terminal."