SHADOW DIVISION TRANSPORT DOCK — DAY
(A black INN tactical vehicle screeches to a halt as Steel steps off the platform. Two armed agents approach briskly.)
[Agent Paul]:Agent Steel. Director Connor ordered an immediate transfer.
[Agent Steel] :Yeah, yeah. VIP delivery, right?(gesturing with the case)
(They exchange a look — unsure if he's joking or dangerous. Steel hops into the vehicle. The doors slam.)(gesturing with the case)
INN TRANSPORT VEHICLE — MOVING
(The cityscape of New Atlantis flashes through reinforced windows. Steel sits back, briefcase on his lap. For a split second — the blue flicker pulses again.)
The other agents don't see it.
Steel does.
[Agent Steel]:Still hiding secrets…(quietly to himself)
(He taps the metal once with his thumb. No response.)
INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL NETWORK — SHADOW DIVISION HQ - Time:7:00 am
(The vehicle descends into an underground access ramp. Steel steps out — greeted by towering blast doors, biometric scanners, and rows of agents moving in formation. The facility hums with corporate precision and controlled urgency.)
[comm. voice]:Agent Steel, proceed to Main Operations. Director Connor is waiting.
Steel smirks.
[Agent Steel]:Of course she is.
SHADOW DIVISION HQ / MAIN OPERATIONS FLOOR
(The command floor buzzes with activity. Holograms rotate — tactical reports, mission feeds, intel maps. A dozen agents track data streams. The room quiets slightly as Steel walks in.)
Madison Connor stands at the center of the deck — tablet in hand, expression composed but crisp with irritation. She turns the instant she hears Steel's footsteps.
[Madison Connor]:You took your time.
[Agent Steel]: Traffic.(shrugs)
Madison doesn't smile.She points at the briefcase.
[Madison Connor]:Place it on the analysis table. Tech Division will secure it.
Steel sets the case down. He steps back.
Madison circles him, assessing every bruise, every scuff on his gear.
[Madison Connor]:One moving train, twelve civilian witnesses, three protocol breaches, and a concussion risk.
You have a unique talent for turning a simple retrieval into a regional incident.
[Agent Steel]:But the mission's complete.
Madison exhales sharply — (half frustration, half reluctant acknowledgment)
[Madison Connor]: Shadow Division values results.
But results without discipline?
That's operational debt, Steel. And I don't tolerate debt.
(She taps the case's surface — unaware of the tiny glow hiding beneath the seam.)
[Madison Connor]:Once tech clears it, we'll determine whether your stunt was justified.
Until then, stand by for debrief.
(Her tone softens… slightly.)
[Madison Connor]:And next time, Steel—
follow the damn plan.
(She turns and walks away, issuing rapid-fire orders to her analysts.)
Steel watches her go, then glances back at the case.
For a brief moment — the blue spark flickers again, almost playful.
Steel's expression tightens.
[Agent Steel] :Seriously… (under his breath)
what the hell are you?
The hum of the command floor rising around him, the briefcase sitting ominously under the lights.
SHADOW DIVISION – TECH LAB ALPHA - LATER
(The lab is sterile, humming with holographic scanners and containment panels. Two senior engineers — Dr. Iris Kade and Analyst Dr.Romer — prepare the briefcase for diagnostic entry
Steel leans against the wall, arms folded.
[Dr. IRIS KADE]: Mr. Steel, please maintain a three-meter distance from the device.Standard containment protocol.
[Agent Steel]:Relax, Doc. I'm not here to poke it.
(Romer shoots Steel a nervous glare but continues setting up the analysis frame.)
[Romer]:Director Connor wants a full-spectrum breakdown. Material scan, internal lattice, neural signatures—everything.
(Kade nods, activating the holo scanner. A blue beam sweeps over the surface of the case.)
[Dr. IRIS KADE]:Initial readings normal…Wait— anomaly on the upper seam.Some kind of residual charge.
Steel stiffens just slightly.
[Agent Steel]:Probably from the train cabin's power grid. Those doors spark like crazy.(casually, deflecting)
[Romer]:This is not electrical residue.
It's synthetic neurological energy.
Steel arches an eyebrow.
[Agent Steel]:That doesn't sound like "just a briefcase."
[Romer]:It's emitting patterns… almost like a heartbeat.(uneasy)
SHADOW DIVISION HQ / DIRECTOR'S OFFICE — SAME TIME
(Madison stands before a towering transparent screen, reviewing Steel's body-cam footage and live lab telemetry.)
Her jaw tightens.
[Madison Connor] :That flicker wasn't mechanical (to her self).
What did he bring into my facility?
SYSTEM: ALERT: UNCLASSIFIED NEURAL PULSE DETECTED – TECH LAB ALPHA.
Madison freezes.
Then she moves — fast.
TECH LAB ALPHA
(Steel watches as the containment arms attempt to lift the case,
Suddenly — the blue flicker ignites again, much brighter than before.)
[Romer]:Power spike! The device is reacting!
[Dr. IRIS KADE]:Shut the frame down! Now!
(Steel instinctively steps forward.)
[Agent Steel]:What's it doing?
[Dr. IRIS KADE]:Something it shouldn't be capable of —
It's mapping us. The entire room.
The lights dim.
Every holo-screen displays the same symbol — a circular pattern of blue neural circuitry.
Steel recognizes it immediately.
It's the same glow he saw on the train.
[Agent Steel]:Oh… hell.(low)
The lab door bursts open. Madison enters, striding like a controlled storm.
[Madison Connor]: Report?
[Dr. IRIS KADE]:The briefcase just pinged every device in the lab. It's creating its own network.
[Madison Connor]:And Mr. Steel—(eyes narrowing and looks at him sharply),
—why does every anomaly in this division seem to follow you?
Steel opens his mouth — stops.
He looks at the case.
Another faint flicker pulses along the seam… slower, but deliberate.
Almost like it's listening.
[Agent Steel]:Director…(quietly),I think it knows I touched it.
The room goes silent. Madison absorbs the statement — her expression tightening, calculation forming.
[Madison Connor]:Shut this room down.Full lockdown.
And Steel—
(She steps closer, her voice dropping.)
[Madison Connor]:If that device has imprinted on you…
you may have just activated something none of us are prepared for.
Steel meets her stare.
[Agent Steel] :Then let's be prepared.(steady):
A final pulse of blue light throbs from inside the case.
The lights cut.
Everything plunges to black.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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