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My image of the Holdfast was formed by the media, most of which focused on the cities, especially Tesla. You’ve no doubt seen the same documentaries: how a plan and $300 billion turned a desert plain into an abnorm Disneyland, filled with broad avenues and public squares, electric cars and genetically engineered trees, water condensers and solar fields, all radiating out from the mirrored castle of Epstein Industries. Even though I knew better, some part of me imagined that not far past the fence line, we would march into this bizarre world.

Instead, I’ve spent most of the morning putting my back to a truck, along with thirty other men, intent on pushing it over a rut—

Which was as far as he’d gotten when they heard the voice of God.

It was sourceless, coming from every direction at once; in front, behind, above, it seemed even to vibrate up through his boots, booming so loud men covered their ears. A crisp female voice reciting a short message that made his bones ache with each reverberating syllable.

ATTENTION.

YOU ARE ON PRIVATE LAND.

YOU ARE NOT LIBERATORS. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED. YOU HAVE BROKEN INTO OUR HOME TO DO US HARM.

WE WILL DEFEND OURSELVES.

LEAVE THE NEW CANAAN HOLDFAST IMMEDIATELY.

THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.

As abruptly as it had started, the voice was gone, leaving no trace but the last word echoing across the plain to the distant mountains.

Everything stopped. The carnival atmosphere evaporated. Men looked at one another, uncertainty in darting eyes. Sheepishly, they took hands from their ears; those who had dropped rose to their feet.

For a moment, Luke found himself wondering how the abnorms had done it. Whether there was some sort of buried audio system that they’d crossed, or planes high above them, or if the Holdfast had found a way to simply beam sound. Then he realized that all of the nearby men were looking at him. A hundred or more, and beyond them, thousands, all waiting to be inspired.

He didn’t have Miller’s gift for speeches. So he did the only thing he could think of. He started walking again.

Ronnie Delgado quickly fell into step, and then others beside him, and then there was a ragged cheer, and someone started yelling, “This! Ends! Now!” They were all picking it up, him included, and the words meant something, one voice shared by a hundred throats, and then a thousand, and then all. They stomped forward, everyone’s step quickening. Vehicles jammed on their horns, blowing a raspberry to Erik Epstein and the abnorms and the new world that had usurped their old one. Luke felt a swelling in his chest and a howl in his heart, and Shakespeare’s words bounced around his brain, We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, all of it backed by the howl of a thousand truck horns—

—which stopped.

All at once. As if a switch had been flipped.

Luke paused. Looked at his watch. The face was blank.

Something caught his eye, a bright spot falling from above. A sort of bird, only it was made of metal and plastic. It was tumbling end over end, and on it he caught the letters CNN just before it collided with the ground.

A newsdrone just fell out of the sky. Which means an EMP. Just like Miller predicted. Which will be followed by—

The world exploded.