10:25 A.M.

10:25 A.M.

 

Panic was spreading outside the Moon Temple.

At exactly ten, emergency shutters had slammed down over not just the main doors but every employee entrance as well. And these were heavy-duty security shutters. Fortunately, nobody got trapped under them or injured when they came down, but the staff inside and the hundred or so customers who’d been let in were cut off from the outside world.

“What happened?”

“Some sort of error in the security system?”

Nearly half an hour later, contact had easily been established with those inside by using the intercom system and by calling the guests who had cell phones. While they certainly couldn’t get out, no other major problems had occurred. Authorities were asking the visitors to gather on the lower levels, just in case.

However, the power was out. It seemed the computer had thought it was being hacked, and unexpectedly decided to activate emergency measures. But it seemed unlikely there was any industrial espionage going on, since none of the systems in the Moon Temple had any data worth going after.

“Unless they’re just doing this for the thrill of it?”

“What kind of asshole would do that?”

The building was scheduled for demolition anyway, so they considered busting through the shutters, but given the cost of refunding the entrance tickets and leasing fees on the equipment needed for that, the staff and the police were leaning towards waiting for the security system to sort itself out. This event was so poorly structured that even in an emergency like this, it wasn’t clear who had the authority to make that call.

The rain was getting stronger and the wind was picking up.