The New Anchor

The basement of the community center smelled of ozone and damp concrete—a far cry from the sterile, climate-controlled offices Lin Mei had occupied for the last decade. Three hours remained until the zoning vote that would permanently sever the neighborhood from the Clearing House’s reach. Beside her, Hao paced, his eyes fixed on the heavy steel door leading to the service tunnel.

"They won't just watch the vote," Hao said, his voice low. "They’ve lost the ledger, but they still have the keys to the physical infrastructure. If they cut the power to the district servers, the vote fails."

Before Lin Mei could answer, the door shuddered under a rhythmic, metallic impact. A muffled shout echoed from the other side—a demand for entry, laced with the frantic, jagged edge o

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