Operation: Emerald Link
Can You Find The Path Through The Green-out Before The City Goes Dark?
Mission: Emerald Link
SCROLL TO COMMENCE MISSION ↓
The Briefing
Location: Subterranean Relay, Underneath Ionia Ave
Status: CODE GREEN (CRITICAL)
Laker Operatives, the Irish on Ionia festival has just become the front line of a cyber-insurgency. A rogue engineering cell from Davenport University has deployed a "Green-Out" virus into the Grand Rapids smart-grid. They’ve fragmented the network, turning the festive lights into a chaotic flickering red.
Critical medical transport routes between Flanagan’s Irish Pub and the Emergency Response Zone near the Blue Bridge are being reported as "Disconnected." If we can't verify connectivity through the fragmented mesh network, the city's automated emergency services will stall.
The Crew
- Dr. Nate: The Systems Oracle. He designs the high-level topological maps we use to fight back.
- Kael: The Pulse Hunter. He’s on the ground at Mulligan's Pub, sniffing out raw signal noise in Eastown.
- Zora: The Topology Architect. She visualizes the hidden Adjacency Lists that hold the city together.
The Intel: This is a Path Exists in Graph challenge (LeetCode #1971). We have a list of active fiber-optic links (edges) and a set of landmarks (nodes). We must determine if a valid path still exists between the source node and the destination node.
The Tech Tree
To reconnect the grid, you must synchronize your understanding of connectivity. In an "Easy" mission, we focus on structural intuition over complex optimization.
Tactical Schematics
Our mission relies on the Adjacency List. Unlike a matrix, the list only stores active connections, saving precious memory during a high-latency attack. We will use a Breadth-First Search (BFS) to radiate outward from our source until we hit the target.
The Connectivity Flow
Starter Rig: [GITHUB_REPO_LINK_PENDING]
(Check back in 48 hours for the finalized repository link.)
Field Operations
Task 1: Building the Map
Convert the raw links array into an adjacency_list.
Objective: Ensure every bidirectional fiber link is registered for both nodes.
Task 2: The Visited Shield
Implement a visited set to prevent the "Davenport Loop"—a circular dependency that will trap your algorithm in an infinite cycle.
Task 3: The Pulse Scan (BFS)
Implement the hasPath function using a Queue. Start the pulse at the Ionia Main Stage and search for the Blue Bridge Relay.
Expected Scan:
[STATUS]: PULSE INITIALIZED AT NODE 0 (IONIA)
[DATA]: Scanning 14 neighbors... Visited set expanding.
[INTEL]: Path detected at Depth 4.
Task 4: Stress Test
The Beltline Collective has severed the link at Flanagan’s. Run your scan again. Can you still reach the target?
Task 5: Edge Case Verification
What if the source and destination are the same? Your model must return TRUE instantly.
Task 6: Final Verification
Run the mission against the gr_st_paddys_grid.json dataset.
Expected Scan:
[MISSION RESULT]: PATH VERIFIED
[PATH]: [Ionia -> Flanagan's -> Blue Bridge]
[STATUS]: Smart-grid stabilized. Emergency services ACTIVE.
The 48-Hour Protocol & Debrief
Laker Operatives, the lights are green again, and the music on Ionia hasn't missed a beat.
But stay sharp. The fragmented data packets we recovered from the Mulligan's Pub relay show signatures of a much larger Distributed Systems attack planned for the summer.
The instructor's optimal solution is currently encrypted. It will be released to this terminal in 48 hours. Use this window to refine your mental models.
📻 Radio for Backup
Finding the path through the noise? If the Adjacency List is mapping incorrectly or your BFS is timing out, radio Dr. Nate for a 1:1 Tactical Session. We don't leave Lakers behind.