The harsh electronic rattle of the military communications radio filled every corner of the vanguard guard post, stripping away the lingering tension of the ideological debate. Delon stood entirely motionless beside the narrow observation slit, his boots pressing into the fine layer of dry masonry dust coating the stone floor plates. The room was tight, structural concrete beams crisscrossing the ceiling to support a massive array of illegal underground signal antennas mounted directly outside. The pungent smell of hot solder, oxidized metal wires, and damp mold from the trench walls created a heavy atmosphere that seemed to press down on his chest.
"The transmission loop is originating from an encrypted corporate relay station near the upper perimeter wall, Mima," Erica said, her finge
