The leader had three squads out maintaining a perimeter—the only squad that was going too far for contact was the group he sent to fix comms.

Whipping out his phone, he watched for the cell signal to reach a full bar… but it never did even after waiting a long time.

Annoyed, he called out from his walkie, "Steph, why are comms still down? We're supposed to put up a good show for the whole world!"

There was only silence at the end, and the leader frowned, unsettled.

Steph—the deputy whose t