The steam rising from the bowl of hot, thick beef stew was the only movement in the perfectly insulated control room. Ethan sat back in his plush leather command chair, the gentle, rhythmic hum of the geothermal air processor keeping the internal climate at a flawless seventy-two degrees. He took a slow, deliberate bite, the rich, savory warmth spreading through his chest, while his eyes remained entirely fixed on the bank of ultra-high-definition thermal monitors lining the front wall.
Outside, the world was actively being erased.
The security cameras, protected by special heated lenses, captured a swirling, violent vortex of blinding white frost. The historic blizzard had arrived with an apocalyptic fury, burying the industrial district under three feet of solid ice in less than an hou
