Dawn broke over the frontier observatory, casting pale gold across shattered glass and rusted metal.
Erin stood by the console, hair damp, eyes clear. “Signal tower's intact. The last relay's still broadcasting."
Ashton leaned in the doorway, arms crossed. “Then the world knows everything."
“Everything that matters."
Carlos emerged from the cellar, carrying two ration kits. “I checked the satellite logs. Tribunal forces confirmed multiple arrests. Whitlock's been stripped of rank. Lia's disappeared."
Erin nodded. “She'll resurface. They always do."
Carlos raised an eyebrow. “And us? We just... what? Vanish?"
Ashton answered, “We finish what we started."
---
They opened Erin's emergency kit—samples, notes, formulas.
Ashton flipped through a journal. “This is your handwriting from
