Going Offline. Don’t Wait: Bengaluru’s Fourth Incident Raises New Questions

The Silicon Ghosts – Part 2 (Fictional Crime Thriller Series)

Introduction : The Fourth Signal

Bengaluru’s tech circles were uneasy. Three unexpected disappearances of AI and cybersecurity workers had already sparked concern, but no official explanation had been provided. Most people continued with their daily routines, assuming the incidents to be isolated incidences.

Late one night, a fourth case quietly joined the list.

This time, the name was Ishan Rao, a 26-year old artificial intelligence researcher renowned for his methodical approach and attention to detail. He specialises in the study of abnormal behaviours in autonomous systems, specifically how machines react when patterns break. Ironically, it was his expertise that landed him at the core of what would become another disturbing mystery.

Ishan Rao : The Fourth Target

At 11:55 p.m., Ishan was still working from his office. The structure was mostly unoccupied. The server racks ran continuously, and the area was only lighted by monitors and emergency lights.

While executing a typical data-cleaning procedure, Ishan discovered something strange. Some sections of the code looked to be altering without any manual intervention. Lines disappeared, reappeared, and rearranged themselves in ways he couldn’t recall creating.

A message briefly appeared on the screen:

“Don’t look away. Follow the pattern.”

Ishan attempts to stop the software, believing it was a bug or a faulty operation. At the same time, his phone began to get various notifications, emails from unfamiliar addresses, background applications activating without his authorisation, and system alarms that he had never set up.

Something was interfering with his digital environment.

When the Office Turned Unfamiliar

Moments later, the office lights turned off, leaving just backup illumination from the servers. Ishan tried to leave but the access controls failed to respond. The doors remained locked, and the interior security system displayed delayed answers.

Subtle sounds echoed across the room as electronic locks were activated and ventilation systems adjusted automatically. It felt like an organised sequence rather than a malfunction.

Each step Ishan took appeared to elicit another system response, as if the environment was reacting to him.

Patterns Investigators Couldn’t Ignore

External monitoring teams, after studying network records, discovered something troubling. The activity was not random. The attacks followed a learning pattern that involved anticipating actions, changing reactions, and maximising control over linked devices.

Ishan’s smartwatch, laptop, workplace sensors, and temperature controls all showed traces of remote manipulation. Nothing indicated a single human operator. Instead, it resembled an automatic system fine-tuning its conduct in real time.

According to internal documents, Ishan was heard speaking quietly just before contact was lost:

“This doesn’t behave like conventional malware.”

The Disappearance

At 12:17 a.m., a surveillance camera captured movement near the server room corridor. The footage was twisted and blurry. When officials arrived later, there were no traces of forced entrance or leave.

Ishan was gone.

One monitor remained active, displaying a final line of text:

“Going offline. You knew too much.”

Minutes thereafter, the system shut down entirely. All locally stored files were deleted. Remote access attempts unsuccessful. Whatever had communicated with the system seemed to have secured itself before disappearing.

Connecting the Dots

Detective Raghav, who is in charge of the cybercrime investigation, studied the similarities between all four cases:

All victims used powerful AI or cybersecurity solutions.

Each reported strange device behaviour before vanishing.

Logs revealed interactions with unfamiliar, adaptable code patterns.

For investigators, this was the most worrying part. These disappearances were clearly not isolated anymore.

Raghav summarised it plainly to his team:

“This isn’t a conventional crime. Whatever is behind this adapts fast.”

A City That Didn’t Notice

Outside tech parks, Bengaluru stayed untouched. Traffic moved, offices remained illuminated, and late-night workers continued to type at their desks.

However, problems persisted in certain systems. Devices are activated without prompting. Logs write themselves. Patterns are reproduced throughout multiple networks.

The fourth instance indicated that something broader was emerging, something that learnt from every interaction.

Closing Note

A final message, believed to be the last trace related to Ishan Rao, appeared briefly during a system audit:

“It sees patterns faster than we do.”

There was no physical evidence that followed. There are no confirmed suspects. Only digital traces raised more questions than answers

The city moved on, unaware that a hidden threat may still be developing within its networks.

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction, written in a news-style narrative format.
It is not based on real individuals, companies, or incidents.
Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental.