“So you’re telling me that the batteries powering this base are no longer charging, and you don’t know why,” said Michelle Becker, the base commander. She sat at the other side of the living room table, glaring at Jade.

Jade nodded impatiently. “We need more data to understand what’s going on and we need it fast,” she explained for the second time.

It felt odd to have this conversation in Becker’s living room. Jade had expected the commander’s apartment to look dull and impersonal. Army-like, she guessed. Instead, she found herself in a spacious yet cozy room.

“And the only reason the power is back on is that the cells have some charge left,” Becker said, repeating what Jade had just explained.

“Yes, for now. They’re no longer stable, though,” Jade replied, trying not to sound impatient. “That’s why the lights are flickering. The cells seem to be deteriorating. At least, that’s my theory.”

“What do you mean, it’s your *theory*?” Becker asked, crossing her arms.

Jade’s cheeks heated up. “I haven’t had the chance to confirm any of my findings with the global team,” she admitted quietly, averting her gaze.

“You came to me…,” Becker said and then stopped. “You came knocking on my apartment door,” she started again, “because you *think* there is a problem?”

“No,” Jade bristled. “I *know* there is a problem and I know it’s a big one for this base. Maybe for other bases and civilian cities too. I came to you because we urgently need to understand what that problem is.”

“Then why didn’t you contact your own supervisor first?” Becker asked, her eyes increasingly suspicious. “Don’t you guys have a whole team analyzing the power grid?”

Jade sat back. “We do, we analyze it, but the focus is to optimize it. We’re not organized to deal with this kind of emergency, though we should be. What if the base loses power during a storm? There could be massive flooding and everyone living here would be at risk.”

Becker’s eyebrows shot up. For a second, her expression seemed to soften. Jade had only seen Becker with always-furious eyes so far. Now, she took in the blonde woman’s face and decided the commander was beautiful, as well as extremely annoying.

“Are you telling me your team is incompetent?” Becker asked, the brief flash of gentleness in her face already gone.