Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 515: drones above the bubble.

Sunshine smiled, the kind of smile that meant a decision had been made long before the question was asked. "I love the enthusiasm doctor, and I really hate to have to let you down, but I have already come up with a name."

The doctor pouted. "What could be better than Sing-a-lixur, Singcredible, Sing....."

"Reddix pills," she said simply, cutting him off before he could come up with new ridiculous names. "Next time, we will use your name."

He nodded, noting down the name of the pills and muttering, "I still think my names were better. What the heck is Reddix?" He busied himself so Sunshine left.

She hummed to herself as she left the lab, a pop song slipping into a cheerful whistle as the early morning air greeted her. It was a great day, and she was in a great mood. With the success of the reddix pills, nothing could ruin the day.

Outside, the compound was already alive_ people jogging, stretching, sparring, laughing, starting their days with purpose. On a whim, she decided to walk. The car could be picked up later by Day.

The walk was enjoyable, until she saw Tracy Kingsley_ someone that she did not want to deal with. Someone that had been looking for her everywhere for a while now.

Sunshine immediately changed direction, executing a smooth, totally-not-suspicious detour. "Nope," she muttered. "Not today."

Unfortunately for her, Tracy Kingsley had the attention span of a heat-seeking missile and the determination of a woman who had been ignored for far too long. "SUNSHINE QUINN!" Tracy called out loudly. So loudly that only a deaf person would be unable to hear.

Sunshine groaned under her breath and picked up her pace.

Tracy screamed the name again, breaking into a run.

"For fuck’s sake," Sunshine squealed and she also started running.

But it was not her lucky day. She met a group of toddlers out for morning stretching class and she was forced to stop. Footsteps closed in and she was captured.

"You’ve been avoiding me!" Tracy accused, grabbing Sunshine’s arm.

"I have been busy," Sunshine shot back quickly. "Saving the world. Again."

"That is what Owen says each time I call your office." Tracy snorted.

"And he is always telling the truth." Sunshine replied hastily, liberated her arm and started jogging.

Tracy crossed her arms and followed her, falling into step beside her. Sunshine found her posture both impressive and deeply concerning.

"You can’t just dodge me forever; we have to talk sometime." Tracy said in a measured voice.

Sunshine sighed, finally stopping and turning to face her. She could not run forever. "Tracy, if this is about the putting me and my husband on those damn posters_ "

"No, it is not," Tracy interrupted.

Sunshine looked keenly at Tracy, her brows knitting together in genuine confusion, "Wait_ if this isn’t about the posters, then why have you been hunting me down like I stole your inheritance?"

Tracy scoffed loudly, planting her hands on her hips. "Because it’s about my business, Sunshine. Shocking, I know. I too cannot believe that I am working now, I mean am allergic to that, but the apocalypse has made paupers of us all."

Sunshine blinked, then pointed at her uncertainly. "Are you talking about the tours and travel thingy? You have the dating agency too and many other potential business propositions. I cannot seem to keep up."

Tracy’s head bobbed so hard Sunshine worried it might detach.

"Forget the latter, it’s the tours and travel business. The guided routes, the safe corridors, the curated experiences, I need more things that will entice people to go to these trips." Tracy said with urgency as if it was the most important thing in the apocalypse. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"_ uh huh? I am listening," Sunshine repeated helpfully.

Tracy inhaled sharply through her nose. "What I am trying to say is that.....I want to expand the tour area."

Sunshine folded her hands like a patient teacher dealing with a particularly loud student. "Expand how?"

Tracy launched into rapid-fire explanation, hands slicing through the air as she spoke about new paths, observation decks, Mist-adjacent zones, old world ruins, controlled exposure experiences, and how people were bored of seeing the same old landmarks.

Sunshine nodded automatically at first, but then her eyes slowly drifted upward toward the bubble overhead, the habit ingrained so deeply that her body reacted before her mind did.

Her smile faded. Her head tilted. "That’s... not right," she voiced to herself.

Tracy kept talking, oblivious. "_and if we don’t grow, stagnation sets in, and then people lose interest and_"

Sunshine squinted. At first it looked like a bird, except birds didn’t move like that anymore, not since the mutations. Then her brain clicked into place with a cold, unpleasant certainty. "That’s not a bird," she whispered.

Tracy finally noticed Sunshine wasn’t responding. "Are you listening? Hello?" She waved both hands in front of Sunshine’s face, nearly smacking her nose.

Sunshine slapped her hands out of the way sharply. "Stop that."

Tracy opened her mouth to protest, then followed Sunshine’s gaze. More shapes appeared beyond the bubble, sleek, metallic, rotating with deliberate precision. "Oh," Tracy breathed. "Oh no. What now?"

The warning alarm screamed to life, a harsh, tearing sound that cut through the morning like a blade.

Zulu’s voice crackled over the radio, her usual cheerful tone replaced by sharp panic. "Attention, attention! Uh_this is not a drill, people. We appear to be under surveillance by foreign drones. I repeat, foreign drones. And—uh_yeah, that’s not good. Assume hostile intent."

Chaos erupted instantly. Soldiers raced to their posts, those on duty and those who were not.

Sunshine spun on her heel and started running. "Move!" she barked, but Tracy grabbed her arm.

"You’re not done answering me!" She demanded.

Sunshine stared at her like she had lost her mind. "Answering what?"

Tracy exhaled reproachfully, as if Sunshine was the unreasonable one. "Can we widen the tour scope?"

Sunshine yanked her arm free. "Do whatever you want as long as it’s safe! That is common sense, woman!"

She took off again as Grayson’s voice came through her comm, tight and controlled. "Sunshine, we’ve got armed individuals outside the Westbrook perimeter. Multiple units. They look organized."

"Of course they are," Sunshine muttered. "If they have drones, they are organized. We have always been expecting an attack from an organized group sooner or later. Who are they?"

"Major Elio is already on it," Grayson responded. "He’s heading to the walls to get eyes on them."

Sunshine rounded a corner and nearly collided with a panicked resident. "God damn it," she snapped as she steadied them. "Inside. Now."

The compound dissolved into motion_ people sprinting, parents scooping up children, doors slamming shut, metal locks clicking into place.

Soldiers moved with practiced efficiency, ushering civilians indoors, shouting calm instructions over the alarm.

Morning routines were abandoned mid-action_ half-packed breakfasts dropped, coffee spilled, shoes left by doorsteps as families barricaded themselves inside. Windows sealed. Shutters drawn.

The sun still shone, mocking the fear spreading beneath it.

Sunshine dialed a number. "Elio, talk to me."

"I see them," Elio replied finally. "Heavily armed. Insignia unknown. They’re not so close to the walls yet."

"Yet," Sunshine echoed grimly.

Before she could say more, a booming voice cut through the air from above the bubble, amplified and arrogant.

"This is Lord Emily Stafford, ruler of King’s Bridge," the voice announced. "I demand to speak to your leader."