It was supposed to be a routine monitoring shift.
Sitting in the dimly lit interior of the armored surveillance van parked two miles outside the gate's physical perimeter, technical operator Maya rubbed her bloodshot eyes.
She hadn't slept for the last two days. Her desk was a mess of half-empty coffee cups and tangled cables.
She stared blankly at the wall of monitors displaying the stable, three-star energy signatures of the Loop Gate.
A sudden, involuntary shudder ran through her body.
Maya sighed, stretching her stiff arms over her head until her shoulders popped. That was her cue. How long had it been since she actually left this uncomfortable chair to even pee? Twelve hours?
"Eh, there is nothing abnormal here," Maya mumbled to herself, glancing at the steady green lines on the main scanner. "Maybe I will go have some me time."
