Evelyn nodded immediately. "I am not against that," she said. "The briefings all said the same thing.
The first hour is for orientation. Do not move fast until you know what you are moving toward or away from."
Jace rolled one shoulder and gave a loose shrug. There was no resistance in the gesture. "You just want an excuse to climb," he said. "You do not have to make it sound noble."
Everly's mouth curved slightly at one corner. "Sometimes it is the same thing," she replied. "One just sounds better on paper."
Ethan folded the map back into the token. The hovering display contracted smoothly and slid into the coupler on his band with a faint click.
He glanced over the remaining indicators without stopping on any one of them. Connection stability remained green.
Team vitals held steady. The recall symbol sat inactive in the corner of the interface, unchanged. He let the band dim again.
"Everyone good on supplies?" he asked.
