“No, sir. They reported a complete systems blackout before and after the impact. Whatever came down came in fast and close. It almost hit the Teller.”

“Three impacts within fifteen minutes. How fast can we have teams at the sites?”

“We’ve sent seven ships to Santa Fosca, and we’ve ordered the Third Pacific Fleet to Guam to assist in recovery operations.”

“And Lake Superior?”

“The Indomitable is investigating the impact site.”

“I want five other vessels taken from the Containment Line and sent to that site. We have to know more.”

“Yes, sir. At the Guam site, we’ve called in remote subs and a destroyer from the Atlantis settlement to investigate. The Mariana Trench is the deepest trench in the whole Pacific. We’ll try to gain visual contact with whatever came down, unless it was a bomb.”

Jennings pondered that statement. Unless it was a bomb…

“We need to know what we’re dealing with. I want everyone on this, stat. But keep it quiet. We need to know if we’re talking meteors or atomics or…” He drifted off. “Something else.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Contact Satcom. Level three online alert.”

“Yes, sir.”

It would be a long night.

Bad, bad feeling…

the black

OBJECTIVE ONE: DISPATCH SUCCESS QUESTIONABLE.

REPORT.

SUSPECTED LIFEBOAT SURVIVAL.

A SUPPOSITION((?))

PROBABLE SURFACE IMPACT, CREW SURVIVAL.

THEY WILL FALL WITH THE REST.

THEY WILL. PROGRESS((?))

BELT DEPLETION NINETY PERCENT.

DEPARTURE SOON. PLANET HARVEST FOLLOWS((?))

PLANET HARVEST FOLLOWS. UPLOAD FOLLOWS.

joy in the black of hell

AUGMENTATION OF PURPOSE PATTERNS FOLLOWS. SOON.

PURPOSE WILL BE COMPLETED.

COMPLETION IS THE PURPOSE.

knowledge of ancient honor. pleasure

QUERY. ONE BELT REMNANT, ONE BACKWARD((?))