"It's kind of weird how few people we've seen," Frizz said.
"Mosquitoes, I guess," Aya said. "If we weren't in these suits, we'd have been eaten right now."
"Maybe so. But you'd think anyone planning to nuke the world wouldn't mind using a little bug spray."
Aya remembered what she'd seen from the hovercar lots of inhumans braving the wind and rain, pushing their way through the girders. But on this still night no one was outside. Were they all busy making weapons?
As they neared the darkened building, the lifting drones slowly angled the missile upright again.
Two huge doors swung open, revealing a vast space within. Orange worklights spilled out across the hard-packed dirt.
The drones carried the missile inside.
The three of them floated to the edge of the huge doorway and peered in.
"Nothing but a bunch of parts," Hiro said softly. "No people, as far as I can see."
The doors began to swing closed.
"What do we do?" Frizz asked.
"We have to get a closer look at that thing," Aya said. She crept along behind one slowly closing door, Frizz and Hiro following. They slipped inside just before the doors met, the boom echoing through the building.
"Great," Frizz whispered. "We're stuck in here now."
The missile stood before them, the three lifting drones still attached to it.
Dozens of tiny platforms hovered in the air, like serving drones at a party, but motionless. They carried instruments and tools, electronic parts, and objects that Aya found completely mysterious.
"Shoot those," she told Moggle.
"This must be the next step in the assembly line," Hiro said. "Where they do all the detailed work by hand."
"So where are they?" Frizz asked. "We haven't seen anyone since that last tent."
"I guess that's a little nervous-making," Hiro said.
A hissing noise filled the room.
Frizz nodded. "Definitely nervous-making."
Aya looked upflakes were falling from the sky, like snow, but softly glowing. Near the ceiling a swarm of tiny drones hovered, spraying out gleaming white clouds.
She caught a snowflake, watching it melt into a softly glowing white spot on her palm. Through the sneak-suit glove, she couldn't tell if it was warm or cold.
"Maybe it's some kind of fire-fighting foam," Hiro said.
Aya frowned. "But nothing's on fire."
"Maybe they're really safety conscious," Hiro muttered.
"I don't think it's about safety," Frizz said. "Look at us!"
Aya turned to Frizz, and her eyes widened. Glowing spots had appeared all over his sneak suit.
She watched another flake hit his shoulder, melting into a soft white mark. Luminous flecks covered her own arms.
"You're both totally visible." Hiro looked down at himself. "Me too!"
Frizz shook his head. "They knew we were wearing sneak suits!"
"That means they know where we are " Aya's voice faded. The three lifting drones had drifted away from the missile. They turned as one, floating closer through the air.
Their huge fingers were opening wide
"Moggle," Aya cried. "I need you!"
Hiro was already zooming toward the ceiling. One of the drones swerved to follow him, the other two coming straight for Aya and Frizz.
"Jump!" Frizz grabbed her hand and pushed off hard from the ground.
They shot into the air, spinning wildly around each other, like a pair of hoverballs tied together.
The snow swirled around them in a glowing blizzard.
"Let go now!" Frizz shouted.
His hand slipped from her grasp, and they shot away in opposite directionsthe two drones flew between them, both missing by centimeters.
Tumbling head over heels, Aya saw an expanse of wall coming toward her. She bent her knees, kicking with both feet as hard as she could. The metal boomed and shivered with the impact as she bounced away.
"Moggle, here!" Aya screamed again.
The hovercam twisted through the air below her, its black camo paint speckled with white dots.
It wheeled and turned uncertainly, as if the glowing flakes had affected its vision.
"This way!" she shouted. "Follow my voice!"
A lifting drone was headed toward her, its fingers opening, reaching for her Moggle barreled into Aya like a punch in the stomach, shoving her out of its grasp.
She doubled over with a grunt, arms wrapping around the hovercam, fingers scrambling for purchase on its smooth sides. The giant hand veered to follow, but its bulk was slow-turning, designed for carrying heavy weights, not chasing people.
"Climb! Quick!" Aya cried.
The hovercam obeyed, jerking her up toward the ceiling. The pursuing drones fingers crushed the air beneath her dangling feet.