Sunshine walked into the Command Center; the tablet clutched in her hand like a precious treasure map. With a quick swipe, she mirrored the map onto the main screen and dimmed the lights. The room bathed in the ominous glow of dozens of red dots.
"What are we looking at?" Lisha sat up. She put her phone to the side after pausing a game. "Mutant beasts?"
"Beacons." Sunshine replied.
Lisha stared at the screen, her face twisting in pure frustration. "Is that freaking Kingsbridge? Are they actually kidding me? We gave them extra rations, medicine, and even free premium heat suits for those that delivered more than five beacons at once, and they still kept the beacons? It's like they're trying to win an award for being the most stubbornly stupid people on earth. A bunch of morons they are, truly stupid."
From a perch near the cooling fan, a voice cracked like dry wood. "The human brain is a fascinatingly low-performance organ. Honestly, I'm shocked they remember to breathe."
