Nobody sat.
Nobody joked.
Eric looked nervous.
Which wasn't a good sign.
Nish looked serious.
Which was an even worse sign.
Alice sat on the edge of a table.
"So."
"What exploded?"
Eric swallowed.
"Nothing."
Everyone relaxed.
Then Eric added:
"Yet."
Everyone tensed again.
The engineer unrolled several papers.
Blueprints.
Sketches.
Measurements.
He spread them across a table.
Kai immediately recognized them.
"The stolen blueprints."
Eric nodded.
"The GFR."
Andre raised an eyebrow.
"The what?"
"The Giant Fucking Robot."
Andre nodded.
"Good name."
Nish ignored him.
"Explain."
Eric pointed to the designs.
"It was originally theoretical."
"A ridiculous project."
"Impossible."
"Too expensive."
"Too large."
"Too impractical."
He paused.
Then looked around the room.
"Somebody built it anyway."
Silence.
Nobody liked that sentence.
Eric continued.
"The cultists stole the blueprints."
"I thought I still had time."
"I thought it was just a theft."
"But..."
He looked toward Nish.
The commander nodded.