Derek's monitors flashed red at 2:17 AM.
Ethan was already awake. He'd been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the community at rest. The peace still felt foreign. Like a borrowed coat that didn't quite fit.
He was out of bed before Nora stirred. His feet hit the cold floor. He grabbed his jacket.
"What is it?" Nora mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Something's wrong. Derek's got a spike."
He ran to the monitoring room.
Derek was hunched over his equipment, his fingers flying across the keyboard. The screens showed a pattern. A Frequency signature. Strong. But intermittent. Like a heartbeat.
"What do you have?"
"Remember the lead from Nevada? It wasn't the only one. There's something else. Bigger. More organized."
"Where?"
Derek pointed to a location o
