James moved purposefully through the dark service corridor, his heightened hearing providing a detailed acoustic map of his surroundings. The gentle hum of electrical conduits guided him leftward as he sought the master control node that powered Verne's composition.
His fingertips trailed along the textured wall, feeling for service panels while his ears registered the subtle changes in pitch that indicated active systems. Each step brought a new layer of sound—the distant murmur of the Summit attendees already experiencing the first subtle effects of Verne's sonic manipulation, the soft whir of ventilation systems, and beneath it all, a distinctive electronic signature he recognized from their earlier analysis.
"Northwest quadrant," he whispered into the communicator at his collar, know
