“So send the armed response teams.”

Ren leads a small strike team (4 armed soldiers with modified insect DNA – first glimpse of “Earth-hen” M.O. users). They wear gas masks and bug-jackets – no full roach-mods yet.

Ren meets (30s, tired-eyed geneticist), who designed the M.O. Operation bug-modification technology for Mars missions. She’s guilt-ridden.