After the Knights returned to Sanctuary Isle through the Nexus, they were permitted to shower and change into more comfortable clothing. But while the Knights had an opportune chance to relax, Marcus, Candace, and Orion were left to contemplate the mysterious artifact that Tom had discovered in the Amazon.

The three of them were standing in Sanctuary Isle’s research laboratory. The strange crystal had been handled very delicately with tongs and placed carefully in the scanning equipment. Throughout it all, the crystal never stopped pulsating with its mysterious energy.

Candace sat at a nearby computer terminal, watching the results of the scan go through, while Marcus and Orion stood near the crystal itself, almost mesmerized by its odd behavior. Marcus broke himself from his trance and finally addressed Orion.

“You’ve been here longer than most of us, you ever see anything like this?”

Orion shook his head. “Granted, I normally stay down in the Enclave. But if something like this had cropped up before, I’m pretty sure even I’d have heard about it.”

“The scanners seem just as baffled,” said Candace.

“It’s gotta be connected to the breach, though. Somehow linked with those giant insects. Right?” asked Marcus.

“You’d think, but the tachyonic profile doesn’t match what we recorded when we discovered the breach,” said Candace. “In fact, the particles here seem to have a multitude of provenances and—”

Marcus rubbed his eyes together. “Doc, at the end of the day, I’m little more than a grunt. I don’t understand any of this science speak, so just give me the idiot version.”

Candace stood from her terminal and approached the two men. “Everything that comes from a specific universe belongs in that specific universe, kind of like shared DNA. If a child is given up for adoption, their DNA wouldn’t change—it would still link them to their biological parents. A tachyonic profile works the same way.”

“It identifies which universe birthed us,” said Marcus.

“Exactly. And while we can’t map the Spire, we can use tachyonic profiles to figure out whether something came from our universe or another. But this crystal is odd. It’s like it has hundreds of biological parents.”

“How’s such a thing even possible?” asked Orion, as he scratched his beard.

Candace shrugged. “That’s just the thing—it’s not possible. To answer Marcus’s question earlier, not only has Orion ever seen this, but no one has. At least not as far as the Quantum Group’s records are concerned. We’re swimming in uncharted waters here.”

Marcus turned back to the crystal. “So, what do we do about you?”

“Obviously, we need further analysis. I’m wondering if we shouldn’t try some outside contacts?” asked Candace.

“You can’t show this to anyone outside of Quantum,” said Orion. “Any sort of contact like that risks exposing ourselves to the world.”

Candace gave an incredulous huff. “I think you’re being just a little dramatic. We have safeguards in place to ensure that no sensitive information about Quantum will get out.”

“If you poke the bear while he’s asleep, there’s still a good chance he’ll wake up and kill your ass,” said Orion.

“We have to figure out what this thing is and how it’s tied to that breach.” Candace glanced at Marcus. “What do you think?”

“I think we’ll have to reach out to the Tribunal, see what they say,” said Marcus.

“Color me fuckin’ surprised…” muttered Orion.

Marcus grunted and glared at the old man. “If you’ve got something to say to me, you might as well just come out and say it.”

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“What’s the point? You already know,” said Orion. “You’re nothing but a yes-man. You couldn’t even shit without asking for permission first.”

“I could knock your ancient ass out without asking permission,” said Marcus.

Orion held out his hand and beckoned Marcus forward with a wave of his fingers. “Come on, let’s do it, tough guy.”

Candace moved between the two and held her hands up to both of them. “Can you two at least pretend to have maturity levels higher than teenagers? Marcus is right, we should probably check with the Tribunal before we do anything. I just believe that getting an outside perspective on this is what’s best, but I know that decision’s not mine to make.”

“You two suit yourself. I still think risking exposure is recklessly stupid,” said Orion.

“Good, your position’s been noted. So how about you go back down to your basement already?” asked Marcus.

Orion gave a dismissive wave as he turned to the door. “Fine by me. I’ve got more important work to do, anyway.”

Marcus stared daggers as Orion left the room. “Don’t let us keep you.”

“Never do!” he shouted back.

The automatic door slid shut behind Orion and Marcus rolled his eyes. “Asshole.”

“Would probably say the same about you. You sure seem to be on a roll with riling people up lately.”

Marcus ignored her comment, turning his attention back to the shard. “Is there anything else you can tell me about this thing?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Could we concentrate on what actually matters here? Such as the potential world-threatening crisis on our hands?”

Candace scoffed. “You don’t know that’s what this is. All we know for sure about this thing is that we know nothing about it.”

“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that when something about a breach is unprecedented, it gives me cause for concern,” said Marcus.

A buzzing noise filled the room, the signal that someone was requesting access to the lab. Candace approached the console and answered the summons with the touch of a button. A holographic screen appeared, showing Rachel’s face.

“Something we can help you with?” asked Candace.

“I was just wondering if you knew anything about that crystal shard.”

Candace muted the microphone and glanced at Marcus. “Should we bring her in?”

Marcus nodded. “Couldn’t hurt to get the input of someone who was there. And she’s far and away the smartest of the group. She might know something we don’t.”

Candace dismissed the screen and hit a switch to unlock the door. With a hiss, the metal door slid to the side and Rachel entered the lab. She was dressed in comfortable clothing, a pair of loose pants and a baggy sweatshirt. Her short hair was damp from a fresh shower.

“How are you feeling?” asked Candace.

“I’m good, but I’m more interested in this thing.”

Rachel walked toward the crystal’s containment unit. She gently placed her fingers on the protective glass and the shard responded to her touch with some changes in its pulsation pattern. Turning from the unit, she cast inquisitive glances at the two senior officers.

“Do you know anything about it?”

Candace explained the bizarre tachyonic profile. Marcus watched Rachel’s face, trying to discern her reaction. Rachel remained stoic, so if she found the explanation confusing, her face showed no indication.

“That’s…odd,” she said once Candace finished.

“You’re telling me.”

“I was wondering if there’s anything you saw in the field that could help us figure out this puzzle,” said Marcus.

Rachel’s head dipped, finger resting on her chin. Her mind focused on the memories of the event. After a few moments, she looked up and met Marcus’s gaze. “There wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary. We fought some monsters, we won, and then Tom told us about this.”

“Is that it?” asked Marcus.

“Yes—no.” Rachel stopped herself when she remembered her experience. “I touched it and…something happened.”

Marcus stepped closer. “What?”

Rachel opened her mouth and then shut her eyes, as if she was frustrated that the words weren’t coming. “I…this is going to sound completely strange.”

“Honey, you’re a superhero who fights giant monsters from other dimensions,” said Candace. “I think we left strange back several exits ago.”

“Fair point,” said Rachel. “Well…if I didn’t know any better, I could’ve sworn the crystal was trying to communicate.”

“Communicate how?” asked Marcus.

“I just saw this flash of images that I couldn’t make sense of.”

Marcus pressed for more information. “What kind of images?”

Rachel shook her head. “I have no idea. They all went by so fast. I remember seeing them, but I can’t remember anything I saw. And I know that sounds weird.”

“Was there anything else?” asked Candace.

“There were all these images and then I was thrown by a discharge of energy. But after that, I could touch the crystal without any problem.”

Marcus and Candace exchanged glances. A silent worry passed between them, both shaken by Rachel’s encounter with the crystal. Yet before either could offer anything else, Rachel had another bombshell.

“Hey, where’s the symbol?”

“Symbol?” asked Candace. “What symbol?”

Rachel tried to look around the shard. “There was this strange symbol in the crystal before. But I don’t see it there now.”

Marcus appeared confused. “I don’t remember seeing any symbol when we brought it in.” He looked at Candace. “How about you?”

Candace stared at Rachel and then looked at the crystal. Finally, she shook her head. “No, I never saw anything. Do you remember what the symbol was?”

Rachel placed her fingers on her forehead. “I mean…kind of?”

“Could you draw it?” asked Marcus.

Rachel shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“I think it’s time you had a meeting with the Tribunal,” said Marcus.