TB’s Journal – June 6-7

June 6

Nightfall brought a bit of reprieve, but things didn’t stay quiet for long. I got a call from Mr. Krieg of Saeder-Krupp, who was clearly fishing for information about the Lost Continent. I turned him down—selling Aztechnology’s IP isn’t on the table, and it wouldn’t be wise, either. Krieg had better luck with Wizkid, though, who struck a deal to leak data for “fair compensation,” hoping for a bigger payout down the line. Wiz also got a call from Pandora, the AI's interested in island bio-data.

With no better option, I ended up stashing the Nahual stone in my shorts pocket. Risky, considering it was the same artifact that had nearly knocked me out cold yesterday, but I’d rather keep it close than let it out of my sight.

The team set up a tent camp about an hour’s drive from the base, and we gathered there under alien constellations, finally letting our guard down for a moment. I spent some quality time with Halo in her tent, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

That didn’t last. Well after midnight, shadow cats—spectral jaguars that could shift between planes—descended on the camp, turning it into a bloodbath before we could react. Luna was among the dead, her final moments streamed live as one of the cats appeared to devour her spirit.

Vanya and I took out the cats faster than most; with our astral perception, we could see them clearly and hit where it counted. At one point, I found myself holding the pulsing heart of one of those creatures in my hand, and Kate caught the whole thing on stream. Not exactly the low-profile job I’d signed up for. #lowkeycuteadeptguard wasn’t going to be so low-key anymore.

After the dust settled, I made a call, subtly placing the blame on Saavedra. Nothing personal—someone had to answer for this, and it wasn’t going to be me. Zara decided to spare him, though, and declared the expedition finished. Extraction was called in, and we retreated to base to await pickup at dawn.

Luna’s death went viral, and suddenly, she was trending harder than she ever had alive. Her tragic end was rough, but it gave us the perfect cover for pulling out early. Zara wanted the Nahual stone off the island, and Luna’s death made that feasible without raising suspicion.

June 7

The night offered little sleep, but morning came. By 10 a.m., a fleet of choppers arrived, packed with combat and cargo craft filled to capacity with bioroids, military personnel, and gear. The much-talked-about but never-seen Colonel Caldron was with them, and it looked like security on the island had just gotten a serious upgrade. Luckily, we were outbound. Good riddance to the Lost Continent.

After six hours in the air, we touched down in Fiji, then immediately boarded the plane bound for Nusantara. Our early departure gave us a day of downtime in Indonesia—an unexpected chance to regroup.

I pitched a replacement for Luna to management: Carla “Phoenix” St. Clair, the VR star of 2096 who was now in Halo’s shadow. There was plenty of PR fuel in their rivalry, and management seized the opportunity. I reached out to Carla directly, remembering our brief chat back in DC. She was interested, and management handled the rest.

For good measure, I called Evie. I kept it cryptic but insistent, and she relented. I'm going to pop the question and put a ring on that finger but she doesn't get to know that just jet. She agreed, playfully mentioning she hadn’t taken a real break since Hawaii...