"Do not even joke about that, Arka," Miller shrieked, his voice climbing an octave as the van’s engine gave a high-pitched, agonizing whine that sounded entirely too much like a dying animal. "I have never operated a heavy transport vehicle without a certified supervisor present, let alone on a sheer mountain ledge with zero structural containment protocols!""Relax, Miller, you're ruining the ambiance," Arka laughed, his hands dancing across the steering wheel with casual, terrifying confidence as he whipped the battered van around another punishing hairpin turn. The tires squealed in protest against the sun-baked asphalt, kicking up a miniature avalanche of loose dirt and small stones that vanished silently into the bottomless abyss yawning just inches from the passenger-side door. "Look at the scenery! It's gorgeous. Fresh air, blue sky, absolutely zero quarterly compliance reviews.""Fresh air does not compensate for a complete lack of designated safety barriers," Miller muttered,

"Look at that," Bimo whispered, pulling his head back from the rocky outcrop and wiping a layer of fine, grey mountain dust from his glasses. "Two heavy transport haulers parked chassis-to-chassis right across the tarmac. There is literally zero clearance on either side. Not even a bicycle could slip past without tripping their perimeter sensors.""And look who brought the welcoming committee," Arka muttered, leaning over the steering wheel to squint down through the cracked windshield at the floodlit asphalt below.Parked beside the barricade was a sleek, black corporate command vehicle, its idling engine puffing thin exhaust into the crisp mountain air. Standing right in front of its high-intensity headlights, holding a portable comm-unit to his ear with visible fury, was Regional Vice President Vance. Even from a hundred yards away, the man’s posture radiated pure, unadulterated homicide."Vance looks like he hasn't slept since Sector Four went dark," Bimo observed, a grim satisfac

"Because if your little theatrical performance down there doesn't draw every single one of those guards away from the secondary access road, my bumper is going to be intimately acquainted with solid-welded industrial steel," Arka said, his knuckles turning white as he wrenched the steering wheel to the side."I am fully aware of the physics involved in a high-speed structural collision, Arka," Miller snapped back, his hands shaking violently as he popped the plastic cap off the red emergency flare. "You don't need to illustrate it with your tone of voice. Just make sure you actually stop the van when you pick me up, or I’ll sue your estate for negligence.""Assuming you survive the impact," Bimo added dryly, leaning over the back of the passenger seat to wedge a jammed safety belt into place. "Ready, Miller? Remember your lines: lots of noise, maximum insult, zero hesitation.""I have practiced corporate insubordination for twelve years," Miller muttered, taking a deep, shuddering bre

"I don't care if the perimeter sensors are glitching!" Regional Vice-President Vance’s voice sliced through the cold mountain air, sharp as a rusted scalpel. He paced beside the idling, high-end armored command SUV, his face illuminated by the harsh blue glow of his handheld tablet. "If that secondary gate isn't physically welded shut in five minutes, Ward, I'm going to personally oversee your transfer to a deep-crust mining outpost!""Sir, the automation systems are lagging," Captain Ward replied, sweating despite the chill as he gestured to his armed security detail. "The network lag from Sector Four’s quarantine is—""I don't pay you to give me networking diagnostics!" Vance hissed, slamming the tablet against the hood of the SUV. "I pay you to keep this operation dead quiet! If the regional board gets wind of—"Shhhh-tzt!A violent, blinding hiss cut him off.At the crest of the rocky ridge, a sudden, blinding crimson fire erupted. It wasn't a standard flashlight or a vehicle high

"Level Four Audit Violation! Article Twelve, Section Nine!" Miller’s voice echoed off the jagged canyon walls, carrying a terrifying weight of absolute, manic corporate authority. "You are in direct dereliction of regional asset tracking protocol! I am freezing your operational budget effective immediately, you incompetent buffoon!"Regional Vice-President Vance’s face turned an alarming shade of mottled purple, his fingers twitching violently against the casing of his tactical tablet. "An auditor? Here? Right now? Ward, who authorized an unscheduled audit? Did headquarters send a compliance team behind my back?""Sir, I—I don't know!" Captain Ward stammered, frantically waving his arms at half a dozen heavily armed security guards who were now hesitating on the edge of the pass. "The automated roster didn't flag any arrivals! There shouldn't be anyone within fifty miles of this ridge!""I don't care about the automated roster!" Vance roared, his voice cracking with sudden, unmitigate