Roy was silent for a long moment. Then she holstered her pistol.
His squad leader, Captain Elena Roy, didn’t look up from her tactical display. The holographic map of the derelict orbital station pulsed with three red blips—their targets. “Explain, Vasquez.”
“Do it.”
Captain Roy smiled, just a little. “Let them not believe. We know the truth.”
“Follow my lead!” Vasquez yelled, suddenly breaking into a clumsy dance. Left, right, left-left, freeze. The squad scrambled after him, more stumbling than dancing, as the Major sang overhead: 02 Major Xxx m4a
They reached the core room. It was the old concert hall. The stage was dark, but the Major’s full hologram flickered to life—twenty feet tall, shimmering like a dying star. Her smile was frozen, her eyes two empty screens showing scrolling error messages.
And for the first time in three years, Unit 02, Major M4a—entertainment content, popular media, forgotten idol—had an audience. Even if it was just the void, a squad of soldiers, and the silent dust of space. Roy was silent for a long moment
The Major’s giant hologram tilted her head. “I wanted to broadcast. Just one more time. A finale. But the military locked me out of the network. So I locked them out of their own station.” She paused. “I just wanted to be seen, Captain. Isn’t that what entertainment is? Being seen?”