"Ma'am, Dr. Nick's signal has disappeared. The alien may have discovered something. Also, we've completely lost track of the fighter jet."
An Argus technician reported to Amanda. Her expression was grim. Dr. Egghead was a talent she had personally selected, and she refused to give up on him. "Deploy the satellites and find that jet."
"We already have. The satellites can't find it either."
The technician shook his head. All her subordinates looked at Amanda. The best option now was to ask the Justice League for help, but not one of them dared suggest it.
Amanda knew what they were thinking, but after a moment's hesitation, she still decided against asking the Justice League for help. "Launch a global search for Dr. Nick and that alien. We have to find them, whatever it takes."
Everyone nodded in disappointment. "Yes, ma'am."
Having given her orders, Amanda returned to her office and contacted Flag, an Argus captain—the female archaeologist's boyfriend from the Enchantress incident.
Amanda asked, "Flag, have you brought that starfish under control?"
"The Thinker, that guy with all the lightbulbs on his head, said he needs more time."
Flag shrugged. "I don't know much about science, but he's been studying it for thirty years and still hasn't managed to control it. I wouldn't get my hopes up."
Flag wasn't particularly fond of this assignment. For one thing, the Thinker was a cruel lunatic who experimented on living people.
For another, this country's president was a real piece of work. He treated human lives as worthless and was greedy to the core—no different from America's bureaucrats.
But Flag was a soldier. When orders came from above, he could only obey.
Amanda said, "It has to be brought under control as soon as possible. We need it to deal with aliens."
Flag