Then placed several reports onto the table.
"Scouts confirmed it."
The room grew quiet.
Very quiet.
Nish opened one report.
"Three separate scout teams."
"Different routes."
"Same conclusion."
He pointed at a location on a map.
The Manufacturing District.
Specifically one of the abandoned industrial sectors.
"Heavy construction activity."
"Restricted access."
"Unknown personnel."
"Large-scale material shipments."
Kai frowned.
"How large?"
Nish looked at him.
Then answered.
"Large enough that they needed multiple warehouses."
The room fell silent.
Eric looked sick.
"They actually built it."
Nobody spoke.
The reality slowly settled in.
The blueprints hadn't been stolen for profit.
Or blackmail.
Or sabotage.
They had been stolen because somebody intended to finish the project.
And they had succeeded.
Alice finally broke the silence.
"How complete?"
Nish looked toward the final report.
Then answered.
The answer made everyone's stomach sink.
"Almost finished."
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Andre was the first.
"...How almost?"
Nish looked at the report one last time.
Then sighed.
"Ninety percent."
The room exploded into overlapping voices.
"NINETY?!"
"HOW?"
"THAT'S NOT ALMOST."
"THAT'S FINISHED."
"WHO FUNDS THIS SHIT?"
Alice slammed a hand onto the table.
Everyone stopped.
The Queen looked at the map.
Then at the reports.
Then at Eric.
Then at Kai and Andre.
For the first time in a while—
The smugness was gone.
Only seriousness remained.
"If they're willing to spend this much."
"If they're willing to move this many resources."
"If they're willing to expose themselves now..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"They're planning to use it."
Nobody argued.
Because everyone in the room had reached the same conclusion.
The GFR wasn't being built.
The GFR was being prepared.
And somewhere within the Manufacturing District—
Someone was getting ready to activate it.