Morning came slowly to Atlas Base.
Nobody had slept much.
The events of the previous night lingered in everyone's minds like an unpleasant dream that refused to fade. The command center lights remained on, coffee cups littered several tables, and several analysts had simply fallen asleep in their chairs before waking up again a few hours later. The giant's image still sat on one of the monitors. Its yellow eyes seemed almost alive despite being nothing more than a frozen frame from the Predator's camera.
Marcus arrived shortly after sunrise carrying a mug of black coffee.
He looked terrible.
Dark circles sat beneath his eyes, and the fatigue on his face was obvious. Yet the first thing he did upon entering the command center was walk toward the monitor and stare at the giant once again.
Elaina noticed immediately.
"You didn't sleep."
Marcus took a sip of coffee.
"Neither did you."
"Fair."
Neither smiled.
The mood in the room remained too heavy.
