A Public Challenge In The Ballroom
The decorated officer crossed his arms and tilted his chin toward the woman in the red dress. He offered a dismissive grin as he gestured across the crowded military reception.
His voice carried over the murmuring crowd, questioning the coordinate expert standing nearby. He glanced pointedly at the dark compass tattoo marked on the inside of her wrist.
A junior officer in tan service dress shifted her footing and watched with widened eyes. The room quieted as several uniformed guests turned their heads toward the confrontation.
Crossing To The Screen
The woman tightened her jaw and stepped away from the perimeter tables. She smoothed the dark red fabric of her dress with one hand as she walked.
She moved directly toward the massive digital display that dominated the far wall. The screen projected an expansive satellite scan of dense, forested ridges cut through by winding white roadways.
The officer remained by the banquet table, leaning back onto one heel with folded arms. His lips curled slightly as he tracked her path across the patterned carpet.
High above the floor, crystal chandeliers reflected off the glass panels of the tactical monitor. Several officers moved aside to clear a corridor for her approach.
Reading The Topography
She stopped two feet from the glowing wall and lifted her right arm. The black compass inked beneath her wrist aligned squarely with the map display.
She extended her index finger, pressing it firmly against a jagged crest in the upper quadrant. Her finger traced down a narrow crease in the green terrain.
She stated flatly that the source imagery had been mirrored. Without lowering her arm, she pointed out that the primary access route cut through the opposite ridge.
Behind her, an older general in a black bowtie parted his lips and raised his eyebrows. His shoulders stiffened as he stared directly at the spot her finger indicated.
The officer by the table dropped his folded arms to his sides. The small grin on his face vanished completely as his eyes darted from the screen back to her face.
The Coordinates On Display
At a nearby console, a technician typed rapidly across an illuminated keyboard. The keys registered a sequence of numbers and letters under rapid keystrokes.
The tactical system recalculated the coordinates across the main display. A sharp graphic notification appeared over the mountainous image in bold white capital letters reading EXACT MATCH.
The senior general spun around on his heel, staring out across the reception hall in complete silence as the woman lowered her hand.
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