“Did it stop?” I asked, my heart stopping.

“The transfer slowed down, but it’s still moving,” Julian said. “Seventy percent.”

Ethan struck the rack again.

One of the hard drives partially popped out of its slot.

He grabbed it with his bare hands and yanked it out, throwing it onto the concrete floor.

He stepped on it, grinding his boot into the metal casing.

“Eighty-five percent,” Julian said.

Ethan reached for another drive in the same rack.

He began pulling cables from the side, trying to sever the power supply entirely.

“Ninety percent,” Julian whispered. “Ten seconds more.”

Ethan found the main power switch at the bottom of the rack.

He reached his hand down toward it.

“Ninety-five,” Julian said.

Ethan’s fingers gripped the switch.

He flipped it down.

The screen displaying the server room feed went completely black.

“No,” I breathed.

The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

Julian stared at his laptop screen.

I couldn’t look.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the worst.

Then, a sharp chime echoed from Julian’s computer.

I opened my eyes.

A green box had appeared on his screen.