It was supposed to be noon.
Yet when sunlight broke through the clouds and fell across the streets outside the mall, it had a blood-red tint. With the hearing amplification provided by his helmet, Soap could even make out distant roars and gunfire.
"Price, there's fighting in the streets farther out," Soap reported at once.
"Copy," Price replied over the internal comms. "Our first priority is to determine whether there are any threats inside the mall. Once it's secure and the ARS 3rd Infantry Company takes over its defense, we'll investigate the surrounding streets."
"Understood."
With clear orders in hand, the five held position and waited patiently for the four Cerberus units to finish scouting.
It did not take long.
The four Cerberus units searched the entire mall, top to bottom. After all, they had been designed and built to provide combat troops with rapid ground reconnaissance.
As they covered every section and passage of the mall, the instruments on their backs recorded all the data. Once the Advance Team set up the Wired Base Station, technicians could retrieve a layout of the mall's interior to help the construction crews plan their renovations.
The final sweep confirmed that there were no threats inside the mall, nor any signs of fighting.
The Wired Base Station had also been set up during the sweep, allowing the entire Advance Team to communicate with the Relic Base in real time. Technicians at the base could now issue detailed orders to the Cerberus units remotely.
Before long, the ARS Third Infantry Company took over defensive duties. The Engineering Department, which had come through the Space Gate with them, would give the mall a thorough "renovation."
Once everything was confirmed, the Cerberus units patrolled the area around the mall while Price led the remaining Advance Team