INT. MONITORING STATION - SAME
A man, OBSERVER 1, is packed into tight quarters surrounded by computer monitors and dense instrument panels. Another, OBSERVER 2, ducking for the low ceiling, squeezes into the spot beside him carrying two coffees and hands him one. The instrumentation reflects off the large glasses on their dimly lit faces as they sip their coffee.
OBSERVER 1
Whoa—I’ve got a massive decoherence spike in grid 36-76.
OBSERVER 2
How big? I’ve got a spike on all 12 of our targets as well. I wouldn’t call it massive.
Observer 1 removes a small calculator and a pencil from his breast pocket and begins scribbling in a yellow pad notebook that had been resting on the console next to him and checking his math on the calculator.
OBSERVER 1
Looks like… level 4.
OBSERVER 2
Shit. How many sources?
OBSERVER 1
Just one.
Observer 2 performs the same action, working out his own calculations.
OBSERVER 2
That’s almost 50 times the magnitude that these guys have ever produced… It looks like there’s a power outage in that whole area. You don’t think a transformer blowing could disrupt the coherence field like that?
OBSERVER 1
Definitely not. And the spike happened well after the power went out. And look at the levels since—we’ve got an ongoing event.
OBSERVER 2
Well, look at this—all 12 have converged and are moving together now.
OBSERVER 1
Where are they headed?
Observer 2 gets out a map and unfolds it, flattening it over the console and filling the cramped space around him. He flips some switches overhead and copies the numbers that appear on the neon red segmented VFD display. Then, using a parallel ruler, he draws a line with his pencil.
OBSERVER 2
They’re on a line heading straight for your new source.
Written by a human without AI. Cover image made with Midjourney.
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