For the first time that night, the hum felt different. Not a threat. A heartbeat.
A red light flashed.
Rohan turned. Mr. Sen, the retired Chief Grid Manager, stood in the doorway, rainwater dripping from his faded windbreaker. Sen had been called "The Ballast" in his day—a term from Chapter 3, meaning a steady, unchanging load that kept the system stable. principles.of.power.system.-.v.k.mehta.