Chapter 140

Chapter 140 KAELOS The emergency alert came through Elena's quantum communication network at 0347 hours—a magnitude 8.2 earthquake had struck the Pacific coast of Chile, triggering tsunami warnings across the entire Pacific basin. Within minutes, reports flooded in of collapsed infrastructure, trapped civilians, and coastal evacuations that were proceeding too slowly to save everyone in the danger zones. "This is it," I announced to the assembled commanders as seismic data streamed across our displays. "Our first chance to show the world what the Ascended can accomplish." Commander Chen was already interfacing with his earth-sense abilities, his consciousness extending across continents to assess the geological situation. "Primary rupture zone is forty kilometers offshore," he reported, his voice carrying an otherworldly resonance as his perception operated on planetary scales. "Multiple aftershock sequences building. Conventional rescue operations will be hampered by unstable ground c