Five weeks later...
One week until the invasion.
Christina was waiting for me at the entrance to the research wing, a tablet in one hand and her hair pulled back in the casual style she wore when she was working.
She looked up when I approached and smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Stress.
She'd been running on minimal sleep for the past two weeks, coordinating final preparations across all departments simultaneously.
I could see it in the way she held herself.
"You're on time," she raised an eyebrow in actual surprise.
"You told me this was important."
"It is." She turned and started walking, and I fell into step beside her.
"We've made significant progress on three of the primary systems. They're ready for field testing, which means they're ready for you to test them."
"What changed?"
