You slam your palm onto the panel and rip open the casing with trembling hands. The alarm’s shriek stutters as you yank the wrong ribbon free, then correct course with a frantic second cut. Sparks spit into the stale air, and the duct vibrates like a living thing. For a heartbeat the sound dies, replaced by a cold, electronic silence that feels worse than noise. Far below, the faint footsteps of patrols continue, unaware, but you can hear something else waking up.