Beyond the Celestial Boundaries

The silence in the control room was deafening. The decrypted data Marcus had uncovered scrolled across the monitors, each line of text revealing a deeper level of manipulation than anyone had anticipated. Cynthia felt the weight of it pressing down on her chest—this wasn't just corporate espionage anymore. It was something much worse.

Lena's fingers trembled over the keyboard. "This... this isn't just someone feeding Kane information," she whispered. "Someone's altering our research in real-time. They're redirecting our breakthroughs before we even realize it."

Prometheus clenched his jaw. "Which means every innovation we've made in the last six months—"

"—could already be in their hands," Marla finished grimly. She leaned forward, her sharp gaze locked onto Cynthia. "We need to assume they've anticipated every move we've made so far. The question is, what haven't they accounted for?"

Cynthia exhaled slowly, forcing herself to think past the initial shock. If their work had been compromised all this time, then the only way forward was to outthink their unseen enemy. But how do you fight someone who always seems to be one step ahead?

Marcus broke the silence. "We isolate. We shut down every external connection and go fully offline until we regain control."

Lena shook her head. "That won't be enough. If they have someone physically here, they won't need remote access."

Marla straightened. "Then we force their hand. Set a false lead—one so big they have no choice but to make a move."

A slow smile formed on Prometheus's face. "You're suggesting we bait the real mole out."

Cynthia's mind raced. It was risky, but it was their best shot. "Alright. We plant an announcement—something massive, something too tempting for them to ignore."

Marla nodded. "We make them believe we've cracked the final barrier on the propulsion system."

Lena's eyes widened. "But… we haven't."

Prometheus smirked. "They don't know that."

Cynthia felt a renewed sense of purpose settle over her. This was no longer just about defense—it was about taking back control. If the enemy had been playing them like a game of chess, it was time to turn the board in their favor.

And this time, they would not lose.