The Reunion

As the Director was briefing Jade about the crowd of scientists in her lab, his phone rang, interrupting him. Jade caught snippets of a frantic conversation on the other end—screams and loud noises that she couldn't fully decipher.

The Director's side of the call was terse but revealing. "Are you sure it's been found? A lord, huh? Can you beat it? Okay, I will leave it to you."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Yeah, she's right here, making great progress... Yes."

Turning back to Jade, he relayed a message with a sense of urgency, "Hey, Jade, you're to meet her at the spot, and don't be late. Get your stuff ready and move quickly. There's a briefing in a few hours. The machine in Brazil has been destroyed, and it'll be some time before we can think about repairs."

Jade, alarmed, pressed for more information. "What do you mean? What happened?"