The lab smelled of sterilized metal and stale air, a far cry from the damp, heavy environment outside.
She followed the soldier through reinforced glass doors that slid open with a soft hiss. Inside, the room buzzed with hushed conversations, the clacking of keyboards, and the occasional beeping of machines. Whiteboards covered in hastily scribbled equations and anatomical sketches of the creatures they'd encountered lined the walls. The tension in the room was almost suffocating.
A woman in a fitted lab coat glanced up from a tablet as Zara stepped in. Short-cropped dark hair, sharp eyes that immediately assessed her, and a no-nonsense posture. Definitely a lead researcher.
"Dr. Zara Ashford," the woman said, setting the tablet down and extending a hand. "I'm Dr. Bianca Martez. Welcome to the research sector—though, I doubt you had much of a choice in coming here."
Zara hesitated only a fraction before shaking her hand. "That makes two of us."
