The focus it took to push her thoughts away from the facility, to deaden the electromagnetic flux that was an integral part of the living world they inhabited, was almost exhausting. It was a sensation, she had to admit, she had never before experienced.

Of course, this was the first time she’d ever quite attempted something to quite this level. The closest she’d ever come before was accidentally blacking out the East Coast in a fit of pique that still was rather embarrassing to recall.

“Everything is a learning experience,” Gaia supposed as she continued to direct her thoughts away from the facility in New Mexico. “The original philosophers were right on that count. Now, if only I can go on learning . . .”

The countdown reached zero, and one very long gun under the command and control of the Earth opened fire.

Shockingly, for those stationed in New Mexico and who were aware of what was coming, nothing exploded.

Nothing local, at least.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

COLONEL MARION GRUMBLED as he made his way through the largely makeshift comm center constructed to facilitate the movements of the special unit and its operations. He knew it had become necessary to use every asset available, but honestly there was no reason to build them their own operations control. That could have been run out of SOCOM, surely.

“What is it, Miss Myriano?” he asked tiredly.

“I called for the general.” Lyssa scowled.

“The general is busy in another part of the facility. You’ll have to make do with me.”

Lyssa scowled at him, then grunted. “Fine. I need authorization to retask.”

Marion blinked, mind reeling incredulously.

Did she just actually ask me for authorization to retask nuclear strikes? Is she insane, or just stupid?

“Miss Myriano, the approved strikes were determined at the highest levels,” he growled. “This is not some game where you can start shooting whatever you feel like because you got a new gun.”

She gave him a dry, almost pitying look, then hit one key on her board. The screen in front of him lit up, and he noted that it was standard imagery from a recon package. He leaned in a bit and shrugged. “You have one Drasin drone soldier out in the middle of nowhere. I fail to see . . .”

Lyssa hit another key and it flashed to infrared, causing him to reel back.

The entire area was crawling with them, so much that at first it looked like one single heat source if not for the scrambling movements he could pick out. Marion paled. “Where is that?”

“That’s an abandoned mine in Kentucky,” she said. “It’s noted for having high concentrations of various rare earth minerals as well as other useful materials.”

“Why is it abandoned?” Marion asked absently as he stared in fascination at the imagery.