Freyr nodded hesitantly in response to Nirann. She knew some of this already, but hearing it from the robot didn’t make things any easier. After a few shaky breaths, Freyr closed her eyes. A blurry image of her family entered her mind - they were running down a beach that didn’t exist, away from her. Tears rolled down both her cheeks as the concert boomed around her. Freyr couldn’t hear it anymore, only the sound of her breathing and a high pitched whine in each ear.

Slowly, she raised a hand and tried to wipe her tears. She felt instead an alien, rubbery texture against her face, where the mask had settled in. Reaching around her neck, Freyr pushed the mask up and away, using the back of her arm to dry her face. At the same time, she reached out another hand, searching blindly for Nirann’s.
[hr]
Staring through the spyglass, the spotter up on the raised promenade zoomed in on the woman’s face as she wiped her tears away. The device matched this person to a high value target with a 85% probability. He put his secure phone to one ear, bulky transmitter pointing straight up. “I think I have something. On the beach.”