18:00 PM — War Room, MOA Complex
The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of digital overlays and satellite interface displays. A global projection flickered on the central screen—Asia at the center, its major cities outlined in red, yellow, and white. Dozens of red zones marked biohazard conditions. Infected concentrations. Lost regions. All tagged by Overwatch drones over the past six months.
Thomas Estaris sat at the far end of the war table. Rebecca sat on his left. Colonel Sison, Casimiro, and two analysts from the Operations Cell filled out the remaining seats.
"We did it," Sison said, breaking the silence. "Intramuros is gone. The biomass tunnels across Metro Manila are gone. There haven't been any major swarm movements in seventy-two hours."
"And we've finally bought breathing room," Rebecca added. "But we both know it won't last."
