They climbed into the car. Sohel slid into the driver's seat, Naomi settled beside him, and Mitali and Jacob took the back seats. Sohel adjusted the sleek, dark glasses perched on his nose, then started the engine. The soft hum of the car blended with the distant morning bustle outside.
As they pulled onto the road, Sohel glanced sideways and said, "ARIA, is the backup ready?"
A calm, feminine voice responded through the glasses' earpiece, "A 30-man squad from the Bangladesh Army is on standby nearby. Once they receive our signal, they can airdrop in 15 to 20 minutes."
Sohel chuckled softly. "So they won't move until something actually happens?"
"Correct," ARIA replied. "They can't conduct a raid on assumptions alone. They prefer to wait until there's a confirmed trigger."
Naomi smiled and looked at Sohel. "ARIA's been a big help for you, huh?"
"Yeah," Sohel answered. "Annabelle did an incredible job making this."
From the backseat, Mitali's curiosity got the better of her. "Wait... who—or what—is ARIA?"
Jacob laughed, then turned to her. "It's not a who—it's a what. ARIA stands for Assault and Reconnaissance Intelligent Assistant. That's what those glasses are. Annabelle, our tech genius, made them."
Mitali's eyes widened. "Wait, where are your glasses, Naomi? Or Jacob?"
Jacob smirked. "Ours are still prototypes. The one Sohel's wearing is the only functional set Annabelle could make quickly. All the tech and recon features normally come built into our battle helmets. Annabelle crafted this version so Sohel could stay undercover without losing his situational awareness."
"That's seriously next-level tech," Mitali said, impressed.
Sohel cleared his throat, interrupting. "Sorry to break the tech talk, but we're here. Everyone, stay alert."
"Lieutenant," ARIA's voice cut in softly, "should I switch to assault mode?"
Sohel shook his head. "No. Keep recon mode for now."
The car rolled up to the power plant's entrance checkpoint. An armed guard approached Sohel's window.
"Sir, this is KPI property. Please turn around," the guard said firmly.
Sohel smiled slightly and produced a set of laminated IDs from his pocket. "We're engineers sent as backup. You can verify with the office."
The guard took the IDs and disappeared into the guard room. Moments later, he returned, handing them back with a nod. "Your IDs have been verified. You're clear to proceed, Mr. Chowdhury."
Sohel nodded and rolled up the window. They drove through the gates.
Jacob chuckled from the back. "Proxy engineers? Do any of us even know anything about nuclear tech? What was the plan there?"
Sohel glanced in the rearview mirror. "Don't worry. We won't be touching any control panels. But if it comes to that, ARIA's got my back."
"Alright, boss. We're counting on you," Jacob said, still amused.
They reached the parking area and parked. As they stepped out, Sohel noticed three trucks leaving the plant and two cars entering. It was probably routine traffic, but Sohel filed it away in his mind.
They entered the main lobby, where a man in his early fifties, dressed in a crisp black suit, approached them.
"You must be Mr. Chowdhury," the man said with a formal smile.
Sohel nodded. "That's me."
"And your companions?"
"My partner, Naomi Kobayashi, and our assistants, Mitali Roy and Jacob Williams."
"I'm Mahmudul Hasan," the man introduced himself. "I'm overseeing the plant operations today. Mr. Chowdhury, Ms. Kobayashi, if you'll follow me. We're experiencing issues with the backup storage device. Your assistants can wait in the cafeteria."
Mitali glanced at Sohel. He gave her a small nod and said quietly, "Wait in the cafeteria with Jacob. Keep your eyes open."
Sohel turned back to Hasan and said, "Lead the way, Mr. Hasan."
As they walked, Sohel whispered, "ARIA, get me a surveillance UAV in the air."
"I've requested the UAV. It should be operational in about three minutes," ARIA responded.
Hasan led them down a sterile hallway to the storage area. Within thirty minutes, Sohel had the backup system fixed — thanks in no small part to ARIA's real-time data and guidance.
They returned to the cafeteria, Hasan walking alongside them.
"Thank you for your help," Hasan said. "You can grab some food here before heading to your office. It's in the west admin building. Just ask the receptionist; she'll show you the way. I'll call if we need you again."
Hasan turned to leave.
Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the yard. The unmistakable report of an AK-47.
Hasan's body dropped instantly to the floor, lifeless, blood pooling beneath him.
Naomi gasped, and Sohel instinctively reached for his weapon — the mission had just turned deadly.