The stale air of the SynergyTech server room hummed with the relentless thrum of cooling fans. Rows upon rows of blinking lights painted abstract patterns on the darkened space, a stark contrast to the sleek, minimalist offices upstairs. Ethan, hunched over a console, ignored the discomfort, his focus laser-locked on the cascade of code scrolling across the screen. Olivia, perched nervously beside him, chewed on her thumbnail, the only sound besides the machinery’s drone.