The forest beyond Area 52's settlement wasn't dense, but it was old. Trees spread out with enough space between them that walking didn't require cutting through undergrowth, though the canopy overhead blocked enough sunlight to keep the ground shadowed and cool. Diana led one group of three recruits, Sophie another, and Seraleth took the third. They'd fanned out in a loose formation, close enough to support each other but spread wide enough to cover more ground.
Valencia walked beside Diana, her scanner showing trace readings but nothing substantial yet. The device beeped occasionally, picking up ambient beast energy that could mean anything from a category one herbivore to lingering signatures from something that had passed through days ago.
"This settlement's been out here for what, fifteen years?" Valencia asked, breaking the silence. "And they're just now having serious beast problems?"
