Meanwhile, miles away, inside a quiet metal room lined with glowing monitors, the hum of machinery filled the air inside the outpost.
Soft at first, like background noise meant to be ignored.
Screens blinked quietly. Monitors showed peaceful stretches of trees, students checking supplies, some even sitting and talking in groups while keeping one eye on the perimeter.
Everything looked normal. Tense, but normal.
Then one screen glitched—just a flicker.
No one reacted.
A moment later, another screen went black—then two more. An alert flashed in the corner. Yellow at first. Then red.
Still, it took a few seconds before anyone noticed.
"Hey, check Zone 11. Feed's down."
A young analyst tapped the control panel. No response. He leaned in, typing quickly.
Behind him, a few operators looked over, then at their own monitors.
"Is that… multiple drops? We just lost feeds from mid-sector ridge, too."
More alerts popped up, stacked over the map of the forest.
