Speaker 1: Calarogus Shark Media. Welcome to Page your Protocol, Episode five detonation.
Speaker 2: The air in the Nexus control room crackled with tension.
Eli Cohen stood rigid, his eyes fixed on the large
display screen dominating the wall beside him. Dr Rachel Levi's
fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to input the final
activation sequence. General Ben David paced behind them, his face
a mask of grim determination. Status report, Ben David barked,
Young analysts spoke up, her voice, tight with nervous energy. Sir,
we've confirmed that Crescent Shield has distributed the modified pages
to all key personnel. They're preparing for a major operation
in approximately six hours. Ben David nodded. Then we have
no choice. We strike now. He turned to Eli and Rachel.
Are we ready? Eli met Rachel's eyes for a brief moment,
a flicker of doubt passing between them, but there was
no turning back. Now we're ready, Sir, Eli confirmed, Then
do it, Ben David ordered. Rachel took a deep breath
and began typing on the screen. A progress bar appeared,
slowly filling as the activation signal was transmitted in a
hidden bunker deep in Crescent Shield territory, Tarik al Sayed
addressed his assembled lieutenants. The room buzz with anticipation, each
operative clutching one of the new pages. Today we strike
a blow that will shake our enemies to their core,
al said, proclaimed, his voice filled with fervor. With these
secure communications, we will coordinate an attack of unprecedented His
words were cut short by a chorus of beeps as
every pager in the room activated simultaneously. Confused glances were
exchanged as the operatives reached for their devices. In that instant,
chaos irrupted. The first explosion ripped through the bunker, followed
immediately by a cascade of detonations. Screams of pain and
confusion filled the air as smoke and debris clouded the room.
Al Sa'id, thrown to the ground by the initial blast,
struggled to comprehend what was happening. As he staggered to
his feet, he saw his lieutenants lying motionless around him,
their bodies torn apart by the very devices they had
trusted back in the Nexus control room. The initial shock
was giving way to a grim assessment of the operation's success.
Multiple explosions reported across Crescent Shield territory an analyst called
out her voice, shaking. Casualties. Casualties are extensive. Eli felt
his stomach lurch. The operation had been a success, but
the human cost was becoming terrifyingly clear. Sir, another analyst interjected,
we're picking up chatter. Crescent Shield is in disarray. Their
entire command structure has been decimated. Ben David's face remained impassive,
but a glimmer of satisfaction flickered in his eyes, and
their planned operation completely derailed. Sir. They're in full retreat.
As the implications of their actions sank in. Eli caught
Rachel's eye. The weight of what they had done hung
heavy between them. Thousands of miles away, in her CIA office,
Sarah Miller was jolted from her late night analysis by
a flood of urgent alerts. Her computer screen lit up
with reports of explosions across the region. What the hell,
she muttered, quickly scanning the incoming data. As the pattern emerged,
her eyes widened in horrified realization. Oh my god, the pages.
She scrambled for her phone, dialing with shaking fingers. Director Thompson, sir,
you need to see this, it's happening. The pages their
weapons in the streets of cities and towns across Crescent
shield territory. Panic reigned. The sound of explosions echoed through
the air as pages detonated in homes, offices, and public spaces.
Emergency services were overwhelmed, struggling to respond to the sudden
wave of destruction. Amid the chaos, a young Crescent Shield
operative named Farid stumbled through the debris strewn streets, his
mind reeling. He had been on his way to receive
his new pager when the explosions began. Now, as he
witnessed the devastation around him, a chilling realization dawned. His
organization had been infiltrated at the deepest level. Back in
the nexu's control room, the initial shock was giving way
to a grim assessment of the operation's success. Casualties are
estimated in the thousands. An analyst reported solemnly, Crescent Shield's
operational capacity has been reduced by approximately seventy percent. Ben
David nodded, his expression unreadable and civilian casualties. There was
a moment of hesitation before the analyst responded, significant, sir,
We're still gathering data, but early estimates suggest hundreds of
civilian deaths and injuries. Eli felt a wave of nausea
wash over him. This was the cost of victory, a
cost paid in innocent lives. Sir Rachel interrupted, her voice
tight with concern. I'm detecting some anomalies in the detonation pattern.
Some of the explosions they don't match our modified Ben
David's head snapped up, explain. Rachel's fingers flew across her keyboard,
pulling up data on the main screen. There are reports
of explosions in areas where we didn't distribute pages, and
the blast signatures are different, larger, more powerful. A chill
ran down Eli's spine as he remembered the conversation with
Jade in Hong Kong the supply chain. He muttered, we
might not have been the only ones to modify those pages.
As the implications of this new development sank in the
control room erupted into frenzied activity, analysts scrambled to gather
more data, trying to understand the full scope of what
they had unleashed. In Langley, Sarah Miller was briefing a
room full of stunned CIA officials. The pattern is clear,
she explained, pointing to a map covered in red dots.
These explosions are centered around known Crescent Shield locations, but
they're not limited to them. We're seeing civilian casualties across
the region. Director Thompson leaned forward, his face grave, and
you're certain this is connected to the pager shipments you've
been tracking. Sarah nodded without a doubt, Sir, But there's more.
She pulled up another set of data. I found evidence
of a second shipment, walkie talkies distributed to the same region.
If these have been similarly modified, The room fell silent
as the implications sank in. The crisis was far from over.
As dawn broke over the region, the full extent of
the devastation began to come into focus. News outlets around
the world led with stories of the mysterious explosions, speculating
wildly about their cause and origin. In the Nexus control room,
exhaustion had set in, but there was no time for rest.
As Eli, Rachel, and Ben David huddled around a console
reviewing the latest data, a chilling realization dawned. The walkie talkies,
Eli said, his voice hoarse, if they've been modified like
the pagers. Ben David's face hardened then this was just
the first wave. We need to track down every single
one of those devices before they can be activated. As
if in response to his words, an alarm blared through
the control room, an analyst called out panic evident in
his voice, Sir, we're detecting new explosions. It's the walkie
talkies they're detonating. The room fell into stunned silence as
the implications became clear. The operation they had thought was
over was only just beginning. The true test of their
resolve and the full consequences of their actions. In that moment,
as reports of new explosions flooded in and the death
toll continued to rise, Eli Cohen realized that the lines
between victory and catastrophe, between protector and destroyer had blurred
beyond recognition. The storm they had unleashed would reshape the
world in ways they could never have imagined, and somewhere
in the chaos, a single question echoed, where would it end?
Speaker 1: Pager Protocol is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive
producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast
may have been produced with the assistance of AI. This
show is also available commercial free. Check the show notes
for all the links. Calaroga Shark Media