The emergency klaxons cut through the ship like audio knives, their piercing wail dragging everyone from sleep into immediate alertness. Noah's eyes snapped open, his body rolling off the guest bed before his mind fully processed what was happening. Years of military training had taught him to respond to alarm patterns, and this one screamed danger.
"What the hell?" Sophie's voice carried from the adjoining chamber, followed by the sound of her stumbling around in the dark as emergency lighting bathed everything in harsh red shadows.
Noah grabbed the first clothes he could find, his hands moving automatically to weapon positions that were empty. The Beast Gear suits were in the armory, and their personal equipment was secured in the ship's storage. Whatever was happening, they were facing it in sleeping clothes and bare feet.
