Chapter 5 — Private Lucy Reports for Duty
The Grand Tour of Salty HQ** The next morning, Lucy arrived at Salty Base of Operations , which looked—depending on your eyesight—either like: A state-of-the-art tactical HQ or A glorified shed with ambition Salty insisted on the first. The misfits insisted on the second. As Lucy walked through the gates, the entire squad perked up like meerkats on caffeine. Sarah nudged Susan. “She’s here! The new Solider!” “She’s far too pretty for this place,” Susan whispered. WhizzAir Winky ran up first, skidding to a stop. “PRIVATE LUCY, REPORTING FOR… eh… VISITING!” She saluted back dramatically. “Permission to look around?” “Aye, granted,” Salty said, puffing out his chest like a proud rooster. He guided her deeper into the compound. There were half-assembled gadgets, a couple of suspiciously smoking crates, and The Govna arguing with a vending machine about “constitutional snacking rights.” But none of that caught Lucy’s attention. Because suddenly… She saw it ....