Gabe was walking from the headquarters cafeteria towards the Command Center on sub-level three. Jacob was following behind him.
"Jacob, have the R&D teams calculated the formula for predicting the event activations?"
"Uh yes, sir," he stumbled out. He was still a bit out of it from their conversation in the cafeteria. "We are able to predict the next activation time with millisecond accuracy. Further data will be necessary if we need more precise predictions."
"That won't be necessary. I want you to compile a list of discoveries and developments the scientists have made since last night. Deliver the report to me once we make it to the Pit."
"Aye, sir. I'll have someone compile it now. It'll be ready once we enter the Command Center."
The rest of the walk and elevator ride were silent. When Gabe reached his seat at the head of the Holo table in the Pit, he was handed a report from one of the female officers of the Command Center staff.
The list of discoveries the R&D teams made over night was quite extensive.
1. The charged atmosphere they felt was not electrical in nature. It was some new form of energy. They knew this because they had tools to measure the ambient charge in the air.
2. The pressure that flattened the crops was not gravitational. The first experiment was to put a gravity measuring tool within the radius of the event and measure when it became active. The result was strange. The device measured normal gravity, but the device was then pressed firmly into the ground. The teams needed to dig it out of the ground after.
3. A crazy scientist risked himself by standing within the range of the event while it activated. His report after surviving revealed a few things. First, the flattening pressure was more like a mental pressure. He had a severe migraine when he returned to the camp with a bloody nose. Second, the black hole-like feature in the center was definitely not an actual black hole. It did not have a gravitational force nor did it suck anything in. This idea was already theorized beforehand, but this confirmed it.
4. A type of radiation similar to Hawking radiation and Cherenkov radiation was detected during events. Hawking radiation is the theoretical radiation that black holes produce. Cherenkov radiation is what makes the cooling pools of nuclear reactors glow blue. Whatever the radiation was, it did not seem to produce the harmful effects that nuclear radiation produces. It was yet to be determined if long term exposure had undetected risks.
5. The event activations last significantly longer near the continuous event then previously predicted. This will result in the continuous event occurring approximately 30 minutes sooner. The continuous event is now predicted to happen at precisely 0830 hours.
6. The predicted maximum effect range, or the area that gets flattened, of the event is 25 feet. The predicted maximum signal interference range of an event is approximately 1 mile.
Gabe slowly read through the list and its coresponding reports. After he finished, he closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. He wanted to try and organize what he learned and think of potential moves from here.
Then Gabe jumped up. It just now clicked that the continuous event timeline was moved up 30 minutes.
"Jacob, what time is it?"
"0812 hours sir."
"Dammit, Jacob, the continuous event moving up half an hour is definitely an urgent report. Why didn't you inform me earlier?"
"Because only Alpha team was affected. The other teams still have at least several hours before their continuous events. Alpha team has already begun preparations to withdraw and will be ready by 0830 hours."
"Ugh, I'm not fully awake yet," Gabe grumbled out. "Of course the teams have already adjusted their schedule."
Gabe realized he got jumpy for no reason. He was embarrassed, too, as the others in the Command Center easily heard his outburst.
"Put the feed from Alpha team up on the Holo projectors. I want to watch them closely," Gabe ordered and Alpha team's cameras were quickly put on.
It was indeed as Jacob said. Most of the scientific equipment had already been packed up. The temporary tents and other tools had also been loaded onto the LMTV. In the bottom right of the Holo, a timer was displayed. It showed a countdown to the next event activation.
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
"Zzzzzz"
Radio static was heard coming from half the cameras. Only those from the comms station were still transmitting.
The event was significantly more violent than the last time Gabe had seen one. As the report said, a radius of 25 feet around the center was depressed into a small crater. Large clumps of soil were lifted into the air, and huge bolts of electricity arced crazily around.
The event lasted a full minute before calming down. The camera feeds from within the interference range came back on. The countdown to the next event also started again.
76, 75, 74, 73…
Not even a full minute and a half was the time they had between events now. The whole situation seemed unreal to Gabe.
These phenomena didn't seem to be random. Almost as if they served some sort of purpose. Why would they suddenly start showing up? Why now?
Gabe had no idea, though. It was already a stretch for him to conclude that the events weren't random and fulfilled some sort of purpose. This was the only conclusion his gut let him come to.
Gabe watched the Holo as the teams finished packing everything up. All the tents and sleeping mats that littered the ground before were packed up. The small, portable cooking stations the team used for breakfast were folded up and stored away.
The scientists packed up all of the various instruments and tools they had used during the night.
The only things left out were the cameras that would record the event from up close. If possible, the marines would grab these, too, before leaving.
Besides the cameras, there were a few handheld devices left out. The scientists would use these to get any last minute readings on the anomaly before their departure.
Tensions were high within the team. Even the marines and special forces knew that something extraordinary was happening here. What they didn't know was how dangerous it would be.
There were ten minutes until the continuous event, and Gabe's stomach hurt more and more.
"Something's wrong," he thought to himself. "Jacob," he called out.
"Aye, sir?"
"Contact sub-base KenMarco. I want them ready to receive orders. Contact logistics, too. I want to know if KenMarco has flares and is prepared to use them in accordance with our backup communication system."
KenMarco is the sub-base 8 miles out of Alpha team's location. They passed it on the way in earlier. While KenMarco is called a sub-base, it's really just a small warehouse which serves as a distribution point.
Its primary use is to store and move grain during harvest season. During the rest of the year, its primarily used as a waypoint for those entering Denver. Due to this, there's usually only a skeleton crew managing the base with very little in terms of resources.
"Sir, KenMarco says that they are not our sector and will only listen to orders through their chain of command. Also, an inventory report states that they do not have the flares necessary to work with our backup communication system."
"Get Councilor Sherman on the Holo," Gabe ordered after hearing that
"Putting her on, sir."
"Kid, why are you asking about KenMarco? That's a bit too far from your operation don't you think?" Kelly asked as soon as the call connected.
"My gut is telling me that something we are not expecting is going to happen in 10 minutes during the continuous event."
"You and your damn gut. I've already done enough work for you. I've got other things to worry about," she said. She was about to cut the call when Gabe stopped her.
"Kelly! I've got 34 strong and capable men and women on-site. Are you going to risk the lives of those 34 people, and the lives of those in the sub-base, because you're too impatient to listen to my request?"
Kelly closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"Fine, kid. What do you want?"
"All I need from you is to have a high-priority delivery drone sent to sub-base KenMarco carrying a crate of flares and for you to have your men stationed there listen to our orders."
"That's it?
"That's it."
"Why didn't you say that before? That's easy!" She exclaimed. "One moment," she said and turned to her side. It looked like she did something with her Holo before turning back to Gabe.
"The drone has received its orders. ETA for the drone is 12 minutes."
"Damn," Gabe said to himself. "Thank you, Kelly. I need to go. The continuous event is expected to occur in 9 minutes."
He cut the call and sat in silence. The team will need to handle themselves after the continuous event starts until the flare communication line can be reestablished.
"Jacob, send word to the teams. They need to expect the unexpected. If they are forced to retreat further than the comms station, they are to retreat to sub-base KenMarco."
"Aye, sir. Orders will be sent after this event activation finishes.
"Also, send orders to the comms station. If they are forced to retreat or lose connection, they are to bring as many cameras with them and transmit the moment they reconnect."
"Aye, sir. Message has been received," Jacob declared.
"I've done all I can," Gabe thought. "I hope my worries are for nothing. Emma, please stay safe."
All Gabe could do is watch as connection to team Alpha became more intermittent. Before long, a comms officer in the Pit exclaimed aloud.
"Commander, the continuous event is occurring in 3, 2, 1." A second passed before the feeds from Alpha team disconnected for the last time.
All of the feeds. Including those from the comms station.