YELENA · MIRA · YURI

"you don't know where you are. that's the point."

LOCATION: ██████ SUBJECTS: 3 STATUS: DETAINED CLASSIFIED

The light flickers at a constant yet unpredictable rate. The room smells of mold ‐ something crude, too vile to place. You slowly stir awake.

You are tied to a chair. A black bag is yanked off your face. It takes a moment. Your eyes adjust.

A very old room. Barely maintained. In front of you: a tall woman. Behind her, two others. All three in specialized military suits. Not the kind you play around with.

YOUR THOUGHT

Wrists bound. Head pounding. No windows. Whatever you did ‐ or didn't do ‐ someone decided it was enough.

TRANSMISSION

YELENA

"So. The scum is awake."

She loads her gun. The click echoes through the room.

MIRA

"Don't kill them yet. We can do that later."

YURI

"Ah ‐ no killing. We don't know if they are the cause."

Yuri steps back. Nervous. The only one who thinks this needs saying.

YELENA

"Tch. Idiots. Fine. Whatever."

She holsters the gun with the disdain of someone personally wronged by the concept of keeping you alive.

MIRA

"Good. Now that's sorted ‐ let's move on to you."

Mira steps forward. Presses one finger to your forehead ‐ slow, deliberate. Her eyes don't blink.

MIRA ‐ PRIORITY

"Speak. Do you know the location of the "Cheget Nuclear Suitcase"?"

DECLASSIFIED OBJECT BRIEF

The Cheget is a portable nuclear command device within Russia's Kazbek authorization network.

■ NOT A LAUNCH DEVICE

Its function is authentication and secure transmission. Without it, nuclear forces cannot legally execute launch orders.

CONTENTS

ENCRYPTED COMMS SATELLITE LINK ID VERIFICATION AUTH PROTOCOLS

■ Command legitimacy ‐ not firepower.

YOUR THOUGHT

The room is very quiet. Three pairs of eyes on you. Whatever you say next ‐ it matters.

[ tension ] [ interrogation ] [ choose carefully ]

█