Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 698: Hearing Watchers talk.

Sunshine didn’t waste time. She upended the velvet bag, letting the animal translators spill onto the glass table. "I need these attached to the Bubble’s interior perimeter. They have a magnetic element, so they’ll snap right onto the structural ribs. We’re starting with Silverdale."

"Silverdale?" one of the pilots asked. "The animal base?"

"That is what she said," Lisha nodded. "No questions.... are you new?"

"I am sorry ma’am....he is new but good," Carson signaled his team.

Within minutes, a swarm of tiny drones took flight, carrying the animal translators toward the lush, green canopy of the Silverdale sector.

Sunshine turned to the System. "Activate those in Silverdale."

[yes host]

The moment the status bar hit 100%, the Command Center erupted_ not with alarms, but with voices. It started as a low murmur and then became a chaotic symphony.

"My nuts! Who moved my nuts?! I’ll kill you, Jekyll!" a high-pitched, scratchy voice screamed over the speakers.

"The sun is warm. I like the sun. I am a very good boy, I deserve a bone." a golden retriever in the residential sector barked, his voice sounding like a particularly happy surfer.

Calls began flooding the switchboard. People were frantic. "Uh, Command? My cat just told me my cooking smells like old gym socks. Is this a new disaster?"

Lisha suppressed a laugh as she answered a call. "Don’t worry, citizen. It’s just a new ’Bio-Linguistic program’ to help us better serve our mutated animal companions. Yes, even the grumpy ones. No, you cannot sue your cat for emotional distress. Just deal with it."

Hades and Sunshine shared a look and a quick high-five. "It really works," Hades grinned.

"We’re just getting started," Sunshine said, her eyes turning cold. She walked behind the pilots, pointing at the map. "Now, plant the rest. I want the chips everywhere our friends love to lounge. Especially near those high-altitude perches where they think they’re invisible. Put those devices all over the bubble shield."

Forty minutes later, the entire base was covered. As the "animal" chatter filled the background. Sunshine sent the drone pilots out and retained the core comms group that worked in the command center.

The system chimed in Sunshine’s head.

[Warning: Unidentified Frequency Detected. How would you like to proceed?]

"I was right, the watchers were listening in on us." Sunshine confirmed.

The room went dead silent. The comms officers stopped typing. Even Hades held his breath. The speakers crackled, and then, a series of cold, detached voices began to filter through. They didn’t sound like animals. They sounded like bored aristocrats watching a bug race.

"The humans at this place are so... annoying," a voice sneered. It sounded like glass scraping against silk.

"Worse than annoying," another replied. "They’re boring. Look at them, hanging bits of plastic and laughing. Do they truly think this upcoming event changes their status as prey?"

"I cannot wait to see the stampede," a third voice whispered, followed by a chilling, wet clicking sound. "The way they scream when they realize they are under attack... it’s the only time they’re interesting. Humans are pitiful creatures. If we had not dropped the prime core here, they would be the worst entertainment we have had since Boulder Creek."

"Don’t remind me of those fools, they ruined everything. The game had barely started before they blew up their world. At least these ones are attached to their planet."

"That bubble is the problem," the first voice grumbled. "It cuts off the fun. We should just pump in toxic gas through the soil and watch them melt. It would save us the walk."

"I blame the purple haired human, Sunshine. Just wait when I get my hands on her. I will turn her into my hound."

Sunshine’s jaw tightened. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the back of a pilot’s chair. "They really hate us, don’t they?"

"This is ridiculous!" Hades muttered, his hand resting on his sidearm. "I won’t let you be turned into a hound."

Sunshine did not have the heart to tell him that if the watchers won, she was not the only one that would be turned into a hound. Many superhumans would suffer such a fate.

The comms officers looked rattled. Sunshine could feel their eyes looking to her for guidance.

Lisha looked at the screen, her face pale. "Sunshine, they’re talking about the carnival. Look at where they’re hovering. They’re watching the training field with so much intensity... it’s like they’re picking out their dinner."

"They want to turn our celebration into a massacre," Sunshine said. "The more we laugh, the more they want to choke us."

The System’s voice chimed. [Host, the signal is stable. I have pinpointed the origin. Do you wish to terminate their signal?]

"Block it for now," Sunshine ordered. "Immediately."

On the monitors, three of the Watchers_ hovering just outside the energy shield_ suddenly flinched. They tapped at their heads, spinning in circles like confused insects.

"What happened?" the silk-voiced Watcher shrieked, though now her voice sounded distorted. "The feed is dead! I can’t hear the monkeys anymore!"

"Commander Pickery! looks like we lost the signal!" another barked.

"Curse this place!" Pink said.

In the Command Center, a cheer went up. One, they had finally identified one watcher by name and that was Pink. Two, they had learned that there was a hierarchy among the watchers, just as they had guessed. But most importantly, they had blocked out their enemies.

Carson punched the air.

"Serves them right!" Lisha added, sticking her tongue out at the screen.

"I can’t believe they’ve been listening to us this whole time," Hades said, shaking his head. "Every meeting, every private moment..."

"Not anymore," Sunshine said firmly. "I blocked the signal."

But the speakers crackled one last time as Commander Pickery stabilized it. "Focus. It doesn’t matter. The plan stays in place. Go tell the Acid Maw Crawlers to get ready. Tomorrow, they attack."

One of the smaller Watchers zipped away into the clouds.

"System," Sunshine said, her voice dropping an octave. "I need everything on Acid Maw Crawlers. Now."

Lisha shuddered, her eyes wide. "Did... did they say Acid Maw...? That doesn’t sound like something that wants a belly rub. It sounds like one of Nimo’s acid grenades, only with feet or wings. "

"I’m on it," Sunshine said, already turning toward the door. "I need to make some research. Lisha, form a team whose sole duty is to listen and keep records. They should be on high alert. If the watchers change the plan, tell me. If they add more, tell me." She looked around the room, raising her voice sternly. "Everyone that works here knows the laws on privacy in the base. I want them followed strictly in this matter. No word about eavesdropping on the watchers goes out. If it does, I will feed the person who can’t keep their mouth shut to the shardlings."