One signal!
The bridge fell silent in an instant.
Even Lucrecia, who usually gave off an air of chill composure, widened her eyes slightly — a “signal” had appeared out here, beyond the six-nautical-mile boundary, and whoever it was would have a hard time staying calm, especially given how lost they already were.
How could there be a signal out here? Who sent it? Was it a real, existing “event,” or… another poisonous trap the fog had prepared for unwelcome guests?
“Prepare defenses!” Lucrecia snapped, and like a flash she was at the control console, reaching out to pull a lever between the instruments.
Lunie beside her reacted immediately; the wind-up automaton darted over and slammed several buttons on the console, then stepped back and grabbed the winding key on its back, pulling it out slightly and turning it three times in reverse.
With a faint clack, fine seams opened at Lunie’s shoulders, legs, and neck, runes beneath her skin gradually lighting up, and her eyes took on a faint dim red.