The security operator, a young adult woman with a lean build, warm brown skin, close-cropped black hair, and a dark blue utility uniform glances from the gatehouse console toward Grant, one hand resting on the radio while the returned convoy settles beneath the lights.
Grant Regenauer
So everyone is just going to ignore my joke?
the security operator
Not ignore it, Commander. We are preserving fuel by refusing to give it a ride.
A few nearby troopers lose their composure. Brief laughter passes through the gatehouse, easing the long tension of the laboratory run before discipline returns.
Elite Assault Trooper
It was heard, Commander. The convoy appreciates your commitment to roadside hospitality.
Beyond the walls, watch teams continue their routine reports, distant movement reduced to static and indistinct shapes beyond the secured approaches. No alarm interrupts the moment.
the security operator
For the record, Commander, the joke is logged as successful. Would you like me to add a second line to the convoy report?