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           EventhoughspacewasexactlywhatRitawanted,itstillmadeherfeelalone.

           RitawasadmiringthesparklingwatersofthePacificfromherperchintheskylounge.TheonlystructureonFlowerLineBasetallerthanRita’stowerwasanearbyradioantenna.ThetowerwaspracticallybeggingtobethefirsttargetwhentheMimicscameashore.Youcouldonlylaughattheaudacityoflocatinganofficers’loungeinsuchavulnerablelocation.Thiswasthetroublewithcountriesthathadn’tbeeninvadedyet.

           Japanhadlargelymanagedtoescapetheravagesofthewar.IftheislandhadbeenlocatedalittlefurtherfromAsia,itwouldhavebeenreducedtodesertlongago.Ifithadbeenanycloser,theMimicswouldhaveinvadedbeforemovingontothecontinent.ThepeaceJapanenjoyedallcamedowntoluck.

           Theareasetasidefortheofficers’loungewasneedlesslylargeandalmostcompletelyempty.Theviewitaffordedoftheoceanwasfitforafive-starhotel.Bycontrast,theheavydutypipe-framebedthatstoodinthemiddleoftheroomseemedtohavebeenchosenasajoke.

           Ritapressedabutton.Theliquidcrystalembeddedintheblast-resistantglassopacified,obscuringtheview.Shehadchosentheofficers’receptionroomforherquartersbecauseitwasaplacetheothermembersofhersquadweren’tlikelytovisit.Theoperatingsystemsembeddedinthebodiesofhersquadmateshadbeenprogrammedforwar.Theywouldn’tsetfootinabuildingthatmadeforsuchanostentatioustarget.Ritadidn’tcareforitmuchherself.