For a moment, Penelope felt something almost resembling relief.
Authority.
Someone was still trying to maintain order.
Then she noticed the dozen terrified civilians arguing over one another.
"Where are we supposed to go?"
"Is there an evacuation?"
"My husband was bitten!"
"Why isn't anyone answering 911?"
"Are the hospitals open?"
The officers didn't have answers.
Penelope could see it on their faces.
They were just as confused as everyone else.
They simply had uniforms.
Killian drove past without stopping.
Penelope watched the flashing lights disappear behind them.
The government hadn't vanished.
The police hadn't vanished.
The military hadn't vanished.
But the systems connecting all of them were beginning to fracture under the weight of millions of emergencies happening simultaneously.
Nobody knew who was in control.
Nobody knew what tomorrow would look like.
Most people probably still believed someone would fix everything by morning.
Penelope knew better.
