Leon stepped into the command center and immediately slowed. The vast space, usually alive with the hum of operators and flickering displays, was empty. Screens glowed softly in the half-light, but the control stations stood unmanned, their chairs pushed in neatly as though abandoned hours ago.
He took another step, his boots echoing faintly. "Where is everyone?"
Then, without warning, someone was there.
The Governor stood in the center of the room, his back turned. Leon's eyes narrowed. It wasn't that Akira had entered without him noticing; it was as if his very mind had been unable to perceive the man until now, like permission had only just been granted to see him.
Leon's voice, when he spoke, was measured and respectful. "You wanted to see me?"
Akira didn't answer right away. The silence stretched, heavy as the still air. When he finally turned, his gaze carried the weight of a storm.
"Leon," the Governor said, his tone grave. "We no longer have enough time."
