The Armored SUV rolled to a stop at the edge of the cleared lot, and Hans didn't bother getting out right away.
He leaned back instead, one arm draped over the open window, watching Trailblazer One idle at the center of an open ground that had been picked specifically for having nothing on it worth destroying if this went wrong.
"Whenever you're ready, Trailblazer One."
Hans said over the radio.
"Copy that, Commander!" Kessler's voice came back, entirely too cheerful for a man about to test-drive an unproven, unarmed vehicle in the field for the first time.
"Deploying now. Try not to blink."
The PCV shuddered once, then split.
Its wheels locked and rotated outward, splaying into a wide four-point stance as hydraulic legs extended beneath the chassis and drove into the concrete, anchoring the whole vehicle in place with a solid, grinding thunk. A panel along its spine folded open, unfurling a slim antenna array that rose a full meter above the roofline before locking rigid.
