Vanessa, Adam, the second-in-command of the arcade operation, and the leader of the disabling unit sat inside the control room that had been hastily repurposed after the discovery beneath the arcade.
They were seated around a round metal table, its surface still flickering faintly with residual holographic projections that had yet to be fully shut down.
Outside the room, muted voices bled through the walls, acolytes speaking in hushed tones, some anxious, some outright panicked. The tension in the air was thick enough to taste.
Vanessa was the first to speak.
"It's better we get the full details straight before informing the others," she said calmly. "We don't need unnecessary panic spreading through the ranks."
The leader of the disabling squad lowered his head slightly.
"I apologize, Manager. I should have relayed everything to you first before speaking outside."
Vanessa shook her head.
