CHAPTER 17 – More Than Just Cameras

  The room was tense and quiet as everyone focused on the rge monitor dispying the situation in the Zimmermans’ yard. On one half of the screen, streams from the self-organizing cameras showed the front yard swarming with troops equipped with rifles, helmets, and tactical vests. On the other half, Peter’s fingers darted across the keyboard, expertly navigating through a maze of code as the screen split into quadrants to show the entire perimeter of the Zimmermans’ house. Everyone listened closely to Candy's calm yet somewhat nervous voice through the comms system.

  "Candy, we’re seeing everything happening right now on our end," Peter said sharply.

  "Whatever those cameras see, we see. You ready to start?"

  Candy's voice trembled slightly. "I’m ready, Mister Peter."

  Peter stopped typing for a moment, leaning slightly forward toward the comm microphone.

  "Good. First, take the secure smartphone I gave you. Punch in the following code: 9 7 B 4 X 0...pound key. Then hit 'send.'"

  Candy nervously fumbled with the buttons. "9...7...uh...B...4...X...0...and...pound key...Okay. Sent!"

  "Good," Peter said.

  "Now, things are going to get loud on your end. Find something to cover your ears."

  Candy threw the phone onto the couch, grabbed a cushion, and buried her head underneath it. The team watched on the cameras as two of the hidden units in the front yard suddenly moved, their eerily spider-like legs scuttling at high speed toward the troops. On the screen, the soldiers turned toward the movement, their rifles raised in confusion.

  A soldier stared at the approaching camera.

  "What the hell is that?"

  After the soldier finished his question, a deafening fshbang erupted from the cameras, emitting a sharp, blinding fsh of light and an explosive concussive roar. The command center heard it through their monitors, but the audio filters reduced the intensity on their end. At the Zimmermans’ house, however the bst immediately threw the troops into disarray, all of them recoiling and covering their ears in agony. Some dropped their weapons, while others staggered to their knees, the ringing in their ears rendering them unable to communicate through their radios or speak coherently.

  The bst also armed Paul and Linda and temporarily disabled their hearing through a loud ringing in both of their ears. They attempt to communicate with each other.

  Paul yelled. "What the hell was THAT?!"

  Linda grabbed his arm and yelled to her husband. "CANDY! She’s downstairs alone!"

  The two grabbed the ear comms that Peter had given them earlier, spped them in quickly, and raced toward the living room while calling out Candy’s name.

  Paul continued yelling. "Candy! CANDY!"

  They found her crouched behind the couch, still holding the cushion to her ears. She looked up at them, wide-eyed but unharmed, and pointed to her ear comm.

  Candy shouted in relief. "I'm fine!"

  "I’m on the comm with Mister Peter!"

  Paul exhaled sharply, leaning heavily against the wall, while Linda pressed her hands to her chest to calm her racing heart.

  "Paul! Linda! I'm gd you're both up," Peter said over the comm system.

  "As you’ve probably guessed, we’ve got some unwelcome soldiers outside the house. Don’t worry. It’s being handled."

  On the camera feed, the troops in the front yard continued stumbling around, disoriented and helpless to regroup or communicate.

  Ruby was grinning ear-to-ear as she watched the chaos unfold on the screen.

  "Oh man...look at them. They’re like toddlers at a rock concert. That’s just sad."

  Major Amma nodded approvingly.

  "Efficient. A fshbang from a camera? That’s got potential."

  "So... now what?" Henry asked with wide eyes.

  "Do we just let them stumble around like drunks in the dark?"

  Peter turned to the team with a proud grin.

  "That was just the warmup. You notice how their radios are dead? That fsh didn’t just disorient them... it unleashed a highly localized electromagnetic pulse that fried every single one of their devices. Radios, trackers, GPS units, even night vision. They're officially blind, deaf, and dumb at this point."

  Mangino frowned slightly.

  "Wait, if you hit them with an EMP... shouldn't the Zimmermans’ house also be affected? Like...no power, no electronics?"

  Peter grinned as if he’d been expecting this question.

  "Not even close. Every piece of equipment I gave them is enabled with a Faraday patch."

  Chris broke in quickly, proud to demonstrate his understanding.

  "A Faraday patch blocks electromagnetic waves, protecting the equipment inside. Uncle Peter basically wrapped their electronics in an invisible shield."

  However, Henry was still confused.

  "Okay, but what about the other equipment in the house? The stuff without these patches?"

  "Ah, that’s the beauty of these cameras," Peter replied proudly.

  "They also project an invisible Faraday net over the entire house. Everything inside is completely safe... even the stuff not patched. But here’s the kicker..."

  He tapped a key, highlighting the EMP’s restricted effect radius on the screen.

  "The EMP was localized, affecting only the troops’ gear. None of the neighbors’ electronics were even touched. You could call these cameras highly...intelligent, self-aware, even."

  Major Amma leaned back in her chair, visibly impressed.

  "Incredible!"

  "Even I have to say... that’s BRILLIANT," Mangino reluctantly admitted.

  "Wow Mister Peter, you thought of EVERYTHING!" Candy replied over the comm.

  "And we’re just getting started," Peter said, smiling broadly.

  "Candy, are you ready for round two?"

  Candy was excited now, almost giddy.

  "Ready!"

  "Alright. Enter this code: 7 K W 9 3 Z... pound key. Then hit 'send.'"

  Candy inputs the code while Paul and Linda stand by, still clearly rattled but now curious. Back at the command center, the group watches as all seven cameras in the front yard came to life, sending out thin, shimmering beams of concentrated energy. The beams hit the soldiers one by one at lightning speed. The troops colpsed instantly to the ground, paralyzed. Some fell mid-step, others as they reached for their radios, unaware that they'd already been disabled.

  Candy asked over the comm with awe.

  "Whoa...what...what did they do?"

  Ruby snickered.

  "Uncle P, did you just stun gun an entire squad of soldiers using Wi-Fi cameras? That’s new."

  "You could say that," Peter replied with a smirk.

  The team let it sink in, still riveted by what they saw. The once-intimidating military unit now lies motionless in the front yard, their equipment useless, their bodies unresponsive.

  "They didn’t even see it coming," Major Amma said with wonder.

  "That was...surgical."

  "Solid work, Dad," Charlie said.

  "What should we do next?"

  Peter ordered.

  "Reach out to the cleanup team."

  "I want those soldiers picked up and brought here ASAP. Let’s make sure the Old World Order knows their first move was their worst mistake tonight."

  Charlie nodded and grabbed the radio and spoke quickly to the cleanup team.

  "Team Bravo, I’m sending you coordinates. We’ve got paralyzed enemy contact for retrieval. What’s your E.T.A.?"

  "Eight minutes, sir," the man on the radio responded.

  "Perfect," Charlie said with approval.

  "Stand by."

  Peter took the radio from Charlie and spoke firmly.

  "Team Bravo, bring them back to our coordinates as pnned. Move quickly, and don’t leave any trace behind."

  "Roger that, sir," the man on the radio replied.

  Peter said into the comm.

  "Paul! Linda! Do you copy?"

  "We copy alright," Paul responded over the comm.

  "We're also wondering why the hell are a bunch of soldiers lying in front of our house."

  The group in the command center ughed lightly, appreciating the much-needed break in tension.

  "No worries, Paul," Peter assured.

  "We’re cleaning it up as we speak."

  "Probably a good idea for you to get moving, though," Ruby wisely suggested.

  "They’ll send more, and soon."

  Paul and Linda grabbed their go-bags and hustled Candy to the hidden location where Paul stashed their car, leaving their house, prepared for the next move. Back at the command center, Peter leaned back slightly, already moving on to analyzing the next phase.

  "That’s one battle won," Peter said, addressing everyone in the command center.

  "But the war is just getting started."

  The team collectively prepares themselves for what lies ahead.

  Meanwhile, Francine is still isoted, with Patrick asleep in her arms. However, she is fully aware of what just took pce, and she even had to admit to herself that what Peter accomplished was impressive.

  On the monitor, the chaos continued. The spider-like units, designed by Dr. Jennifer Kwan, were proving unexpectedly effective. Peter, watching the feed, grinned.

  "Not bad, Jenny. Those algorithms you developed really paid off."

  Dr. Kwan, perched on the edge of her seat, blushed, a small smile pying on her lips.

  "The real-world application is always more exciting than the simutions, wouldn't you say?" She quickly tapped away at her tablet, analyzing the data streaming in from the cameras.

  "Their radio frequencies are being disrupted, Peter. We’re able to interrupt communications, limiting their ability to call for backup."

  "Excellent," Peter replied.

  "Now, let's see how long they'll be able to function without coordination."

  He turned his attention back to the screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard, adapting the algorithms in real-time based on the soldiers' reactions. Chris and Ruby, meanwhile, were busy calcuting the odds of additional reinforcements arriving, and devising a strategy to minimize the chance of more casualties.