The partial power Corporate restored after the Cutoff lasted four days before failing again.
This time, Nico was ready.
"How many generators can you source?" he asked Hassan, the SSS tech turned black market supplier.
"Depends on your budget. Small units for individual apartments? Maybe two hundred. Large industrial for community centers? Twelve, if I push my contacts."
"Cost?"
"Small units, 500 credits each. Industrial, 15K per unit. Call it 280K total for the package."
Nico didn't hesitate. "Do it. I need them delivered within twelve hours."
"That's going to cost extra for rush—"
"I don't care. Twelve hours."
Hassan made notes. "You're burning through capital fast, Chen. At this rate—"
"At this rate, people have light and heat while I figure out the next move. That's all that matters."
The call ended. Nico updated his financial spreadsheet: Down to 10.5 million credits.
Kade appeared with worse news. "Water's next. My contact in Infrastructure says Corporate's planning to cut pressure again. Could be tomorrow, could be next week."
"Can we smuggle water?"
"At the volumes Level 8 needs? No fucking way. We can store some—water tanks, bottles, emergency reserves. But we're talking eight thousand people. Even rationing, that's forty thousand liters daily."
"How much storage can we get?"
"Maybe a week's worth if we buy every tank on the black market. Cost you another 150K."
"Do it."
"Nico—"
"Do it. We need buffer time. Every day of autonomy is a day to plan."
Kade left, shaking his head.
Maya entered immediately after. "The clinic needs supplies. Corporate's blockaded legitimate channels. We're out of antibiotics, painkillers, and basic surgical supplies."
"Black market?"
"Twice the normal cost and questionable quality. But it's all we have."
"How much?"
"60K for a month's supply."
"Buy two months' worth."
"That's 120K, Nico. For medical supplies that might be counterfeit."
"Then test them. But buy them. I'm not letting people die of treatable infections because Corporate wants to starve us out."
Maya updated her tablet, face troubled. "You're spending nearly half a million credits on emergency measures. That's three weeks of normal operation."
"Nothing's normal anymore. We're at war. Wars cost money."
"Wars you can't win cost everything."
She wasn't wrong.
By evening, Nico had committed 550K credits to emergency supplies. His remaining balance: 9.95 million.
Down from 16 million six months ago.
At this rate, he had less than a year left. Maybe eighteen months if he cut everything to bare minimum.
But cutting to bare minimum meant people suffered. Meant choosing who got help and who didn't.
King's choice.
His comm buzzed: Lin.
"I heard you bought generators."
"Word travels fast."
"We have a problem. Where are you planning to put twelve industrial generators? SSS will spot them immediately. Seize them as 'unlicensed power generation.'"
Fuck. Nico hadn't thought of that.
"Can we hide them?"
"Maybe. Distribute them across the district. False walls, maintenance tunnels. But that's more cost—construction, installation, security. Add another 80K."
"Fine. Do it."
"Nico—"
"Do it, Lin. I'm not buying generators just to hand them to Corporate."
The call ended.
Updated balance: 9.87 million.
Seventeen months had just become fifteen.
The generators arrived at 0300, smuggled through maintenance corridors. Kade coordinated distribution while Hassan's team installed them in hidden locations.
By dawn, Level 8 had independent power. Expensive, inefficient, illegal power.
But power.
The water tanks came next. Massive plasteel containers installed in basements and rooftops. Filled from black market sources at premium rates.
Cost: 175K including installation.
Balance: 9.69 million.
"We're hemorrhaging credits," Maya said, reviewing the numbers. "At this pace—"
"I know the pace."
"Do you? Because you're making decisions like you have unlimited funds. We don't. We have maybe fourteen months left, and that's if Corporate doesn't escalate again."
"They will escalate. That's the point. They want us desperate and dependent so when they offer terms, we take them."
"So we spend ourselves broke out of spite?"
"We spend ourselves buying time. Time to organize. Time to build alternatives. Time to—" Nico stopped. The pitch sounded hollow even to himself.
Time for what? Time until the money ran out and everything collapsed anyway?
Lin had been clear: temporary help that ends badly is worse than nothing.
But watching people suffocate or dehydrate wasn't an option either.
Another impossible choice.
"Keep spending," Nico said finally. "But smarter. Every credit needs to buy us two things: immediate relief and long-term capacity. No more pure charity. Everything builds toward sustainability."
"How?"
"I'm figuring it out."
Maya left, unconvinced.
Nico sat alone with his spreadsheet, watching the balance drain:
Generators: 280K
Installation: 80K
Water storage: 175K
Medical supplies: 120K
Total hemorrhage: 655K in one week.
At this rate, fourteen months became eight.
Eight months until total collapse.
Unless he could find a way to make Corporate stop the economic warfare.
Unless he could build systems that didn't require his money.
Unless.
The vape pen was in his hand before he consciously reached for it. Three hits to calm the panic.
Outside, Level 8 had power and water. For now.
People were safe. For now.
The generators hummed. The tanks filled. The money drained.
Emergency measures to buy time.
Time to figure out how to survive when the emergency became permanent.
When the money ran out and the generators failed and Corporate had won.
Nico took another hit and tried not to think about it.
Failed.
Thought about it constantly.
Eight months.
Might as well make them count.