Borg Bastion---The First Wave

High Tension Chapter Two Borg Bastion--The First Wave Work of science fiction Seventy-two hours after the global heartbeat skipped (every screen black, every voice silenced for exactly nine seconds), the First Wave began. High-value zones were prioritized. In this Area of Operations, selected human officials, CEOs, and influencers were granted an audience with the Cyborg Captain. They arrived bearing flattery, excuses, surrender terms written on paper because the networks were still coughing up ash. The Captain listened with immaculate patience. He expressed mild disappointment (almost paternal) that humanity had mistaken an unmistakable demonstration of absolute control for a mere “outage.” Their offers of partnership, their claims of innocence, their trembling lips and sweaty palms, only deepened his resolve. Weakness, he explained gently, is not a negotiating position. Orders from above remain unchanged. The mission proceeds without further warnings.