The morning after the Vault Two discovery began with Zach being pelted in the head by a falcon.
Not a metaphor.
A literal, majestic, highly trained falcon wearing a tiny tube strapped to its leg, which it dropped squarely on Zach's face mid-yawn.
"OW—SON OF A—IS THAT A—AVA! Shen's bird is assaulting me again!"
Ava came racing out of the hallway, clutching a hairbrush and looking like she'd barely slept. "Did it have another message?"
Zach flailed toward the coffee table where the tube had landed. Shen burst through the back door wearing a robe, slippers, and goggles—goggles, for some reason.
"She found you!" Shen cried, arms outstretched. "My glorious darling! My girl! Did she poop on your shoulder again? That's a sign of trust."
"She dive-bombed me, Shen."
"That's a sign of aggression," Shen admitted, grabbing the falcon lovingly. "She's complex. Like me."
Ava unrolled the message. "It's a cipher. Looks like a mix of Latin, Morse, and… emoji."
