RONAN Hands came up to cover my face as a long breath slipped out of me. Fingers pressed into my eyes, trying to slow the pounding in my head. Across the table, she shook her head. A few strands of hair broke free from the tight bun she always kept and slid down over her forehead. The movement looked tired, frustrated. "Got to say, it's really getting to me," she said. "You of all people having no idea who's behind this." A weak smirk formed, more reflex than humor. It felt hollow. "Yeah," I said. "Same here." She leaned back slightly, folding her arms. Her eyes stayed on me, searching. "Isn't this supposed to be your area? This is what your whole agency exists for."A slow breath filled my chest, then slipped out through my nose. Words came carefully. "My department handled counter AI," I said. "My team gathered raw data, tracked patterns, and passed everything up the chain." "The people on the top floors were the ones who tried to make sense of it. They connected the dots, read the signs, and decided what it all meant." The last part came out quieter than intended. My gaze dropped to the floor. The interlocking aluminum panels beneath our boots formed a raised surface, keeping sensitive equipment from touching the soil below. Clean. Controlled. Orderly. None of it matched how this felt. After a moment, she looked at me again. Her attention pulled away from the glowing virtual field floating in front of her eyes. "You want to talk to someone about what happened?" she asked, voice softer now. A nod came before I had time to think. "Yeah," I said. "And I already know it's going to cost a month of my pay." A dry breath followed. "I'll probably just push it down for now and wait for it to come back later as a full mental collapse." One eyebrow rose as she studied me. "That a joke?" A shrug answered her. Shoulders felt heavy. "Guess we'll find out." The seat beneath me began to buzz. At first it was faint. Easy to miss. Then the vibration grew stronger, crawling up through the frame and into my spine. My brow tightened. "Do you feel that?" Her mouth opened to answer. The world ended. One second she was sitting there. Solid. Real. The next second, she disappeared in a cloud of red spray.Air ripped sideways like something enormous had slammed through the tent. The desk, the monitors bolted to it, and my own body were thrown as one. The ground rushed up and crushed the breath from my lungs. Everything landed at once. Metal, fabric, and what was left of her came down on top of me. Then silence. Rubble surrounded me. The tent my team had worked to set up was torn apart, its supports twisted and scattered. A sharp ringing filled my ears as I stared up at the open sky, unable to understand what had just happened. Smoke burned my nose. Each breath tasted bitter and hot. Muscles screamed as I forced myself to move. Pain flared everywhere at once. Every cut and bruise announced itself as nerves woke up. The blast had thrown me hard. A young soldier with bright red hair staggered past. His face was pale, eyes wide.The upper half of another man was strapped across his back. Arms were locked around his neck, held tight by a grip that refused to let go even in death. There was nothing left of the rest of the body. Blood dripped steadily, painting a dark trail behind him as he disappeared into the smoke. Eyes blinked hard. Smoke made them burn and water. Turning to the right revealed several army personnel spraying fire retardant onto a burning portable command unit. The structure looked like a cargo container torn from a rail car, its sides blackened and warped by heat. "What happened?" The question came out thin and unsteady. Balance failed. The world tilted and swayed. No one answered. Maybe they did not hear. Maybe they could not. A heavy thump hit the ground nearby.Then another. The earth shook beneath me, like something massive was walking close. Panic surged as my head turned, searching for the source. Nothing came into view. Trying to stand failed. Knees gave out. Face met dirt. Hands pushed again. Strength barely answered. Nausea surged and spilled out onto the debris-strewn ground. The pounding continued, steady and relentless. Fear tightened around my chest. Staying where I was meant dying. Legs finally worked. A stumble turned into a stagger through what remained of the workspace. Broken equipment and torn fabric blurred past. A solid wall stopped me cold. Metal rang as my shoulder slammed into the side of an abandoned military transport. Air pulled at me again. Less violent than before, but strong enough to knock me flat. Another impact followed almost immediately, so close together it felt like a single blow. The word giant flashed through my thoughts. That made no sense. A sharp slap across my own face tried to clear the fog. Pain bloomed, joining everything else. It did not help. Using the transport for support, my body dragged itself upright. One hand stayed pressed to the metal as I moved along its side. Vertigo twisted the world and made each step a fight. The corner came into view. Everything stopped. The giant was real. A massive rectangular machine sat on tank treads, squatting against the ground. A turret mounted on top hurled black disc-shaped objects into the air. Each one shot upward, then screamed away from the camp at impossible speed.Soldiers worked at the rear without pause, pulling empty containers free and slamming new ones into place. The turret rotated. The launcher aligned with my position. Three drones burst out in rapid succession. Fear slammed into my chest, sharp and overwhelming. A scream tore loose as hands flew up to protect my face. The ground hit hard. Breath vanished in a painful rush. Death did not come. Eyes opened. The drones were not meant for me. Rolling onto my side showed their path. The small machines tore through the air toward something much larger overhead. A massive aircraft filled the sky, finishing a banking turn so sharp it would have killed any human pilot. Even limited knowledge was enough to recognize it. A United States Air Force Glaive Combat Drone. The most feared autonomous attack craft ever built. And it was diving straight toward me.