Alex felt the pulse in his comm. pad, and pulled it out – it was more data from Hammerson. He exhaled with his eyebrows raised as he looked at the images.

“Eli, sending this through to you. Put it up on screen.”

Eli grabbed the data and pulled it into his device and then opened the image file. There were several shots of Tous and the surrounding geography. The first shot was a surface image taken from a few thousand-foot resolution, then what they sought became clear as the layers were pulled back through stratigraphic imaging.

“Ho-leey fuck,” Casey scoffed.

Below the ancient town was a network of tunnels, like a giant many-armed creature with its head directly below the monolithic dome. A single long tunnel extended out to the desert, to the Kashaf-Roud area.

Sam folded huge arms. “Big network. Going to be a lot of bodies in there.”

“That big, that hidden, definitely something worth protecting.” Eli flipped through the images. “Perfect place to assemble tactical nukes.”

“And reanimate freaking corpses,” Casey added, mouth turned down.

“Then let’s shut ’em down,” Alex said, straightening. “Leave nothing behind. We’re not coming back.”

“I heard that.” Casey clapped once, eager to get going.

The group went out fast, piling into the vehicle with Eli in behind the wheel. They sped along the highway, pulling over on a rise above the small town. Alex stepped out with Sam and Adira.

Sam put a scope to his eye. “All quiet.”

“Above ground.” Alex looked over at the tight cluster of dwellings with the huge dome structure toward its center. “We go in fast. If we encounter aggressive resistance, we remove it.” He turned to nod at Casey, who was leaning out of the car window. She gave him a thumbs up.

“Okay people, let’s suit up.”

The HAWCs removed their clothing, once again pulling on the HAWC armored suits. They checked and then holstered, pocketed, and strapped on their weaponry. Adira and Eli pulled on fatigues and gloves, and also armed themselves, Adira slotting her twin Baraks into her favored v-shape holster at her groin. Throwing spikes and numerous other knives, bombs, and instruments went into various slots and scabbards at her waist.

Sam checked his M203 with the single shot 40mm under-barrel grenade. Sam’s, however, had a modified drum clip attached that held a dozen rounds. He held it up, grinning.

“My All-Areas-Pass.”

Adira frowned. “That dome is over a thousand years old.”

Casey sneered. “Then they better open up when we knock, lady.”

“Communications check.” Alex pushed a small pellet into his ear. The others did the same, and immediately their voices, even whispered, were carried directly onto the occipital bone behind the ear.

“Good.” Alex inhaled the hot, dry air and smiled. “Then let’s go meet the locals.”