“Motion sensors in the hangar picked up several entities moving at a high rate of speed several minutes ago,” Alexia replied.

“Wait a second. You were in here not”—Timothy paused to look down at his wristwatch—“Not one minute ago, and you didn’t think to tell me about this situation?”

“Protocol is to inform the team leader first,” Alexia said in her smooth voice.

Timothy put his face into his palms and then yanked it back out, rubbing his twitching eye violently. “What do we do?”

“The Biosphere facility has not been breached, but trajectories put the contacts at the entrance to the facility in three minutes and forty seven seconds.”

Holly reached behind her and pulled Owen toward her side. “We need to hide,” she said, trying not to frighten the boy.

“Like hide and seek? Maybe we should ask Owen here how to play. He seems to be pretty good at it,” Timothy said.

Holly raised her hand. “Stop it! Just stop it! I need you to get it together, Timothy.”

“What do you suggest we do, then?” Timothy replied.

She shook her head. “Where’s Emanuel? Maybe he will have an idea.”

“One moment,” Alexia said, her image flickering over the console. “Dr. Rodriguez is in Biome 1, checking the progress of the seeds.”

“That’s the closest one to the entrance; there’s no way we can get to him in time on foot. Alexia, you have to warn him,” Holly insisted.

The AI’s hologram faded and her voice transferred to the com. “Protocol is to head to the medical ward at the farthest end of the Biosphere. The room can be locked down remotely and has thick concrete and lead walls. It is by far the safest in terms of an emergency situation. However, Dr. Rodriguez is in no condition to cover that distance in the two minutes and thirteen seconds it will take for the contacts to enter the facility.”

“You have to warn him,” Holly pleaded.

“One moment, Dr. Brown,” Alexia said. An instant later her image remerged on the console, her blank robotic expression staring back at them. “I have informed Dr. Rodriguez of the situation and he is taking the appropriate measures. Please make your way to the medical ward immediately.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Timothy said. He hurried past Holly and Owen, hesitating on his way out the door. “Well, what are you waiting for, a formal invitation?”

Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

SERGEANT Overton winced as Sophie massaged a white chemical gel into his open wound.

“This part’s going to hurt,” she said.

He gritted his teeth and, as he waited for the pain to race down his arm, watched the two drones searching the city below. They zigzagged over the empty city streets, scanning for life. Scanning for them.