Her stomach lurched. She didn’t need a seasoned Marine like Overton to tell her what it meant. If they were spawning, then the survivors wouldn’t just be fighting against an army with a set number of soldiers—they would be fighting against an enemy with the ability to replace its dead. And judging by the radio silence, it sounded like they would be doing so alone.

“What’s the good news?”

“I may have found a way to kill them.”

Overton’s ears perked up immediately. “What do you mean?”

Emanuel rubbed his hands together. “It’s fascinating, actually. Their blood is made up of about 80 percent H2O and 20 percent plasma-like substance. The ions are what charge their shields. I think their shields function sort of like the suit an astronaut wears in space: It protects them from a hostile environment, one I don’t believe they could survive without their defenses.” He paused to check whether Overton and Bouma were following.

“Go on,” Overton growled.

“Yeah, get on with it,” Bouma said. “No need to wait for the slow kids.” He caught a glimpse of Holly smiling at him, and felt his cheeks glow red.

“As I was saying, when they feed or reproduce, their shields drop. Not all the way, just enough so their blood can regenerate. Now, if we can find a way to drop their shields all the way on a massive level, I think we can kill them. Kill all of them.”

“Like some sort of EMP?” Overton asked.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I need to do more research.”

“This should be our number one priority from here on out,” Overton said.

Sophie coughed deeply, interrupting the conversation.

“Are you okay, Dr. Winston? Your heart rate is elevated,” Alexia said. Her hologram emerged over the corner console, and for a split second Sophie thought she saw a flicker of concern cross her face.

“I feel pretty good, considering,” she said, attempting to sit up. The slight movement sent a wave of fatigue through her body. She rested her head back on the pillow. “How long have I been out?”

“Almost five days. Your heart rate was so low when we got you back here that we had no choice but to put you in a cryo chamber. You also had a nasty gash on your side that required Alexia to perform emergency surgery,” Emanuel said. “You look a heck of a lot better now.”

“Did you listen to the message from Dr. Hoffman?” Holly asked.

Sophie reached under the covers of her bed and massaged her injury. The rough surface of what would be a very nasty scar ran from her hip to her belly button.

“Yes, I heard it all.”