When Marcus had finished his explanation of the Quantum Group, its mission, and the Omega Knights, the conference room grew still as the grave. Judging by the looks on the faces of the three new recruits, Tom estimated they understood very little of Marcus’s presentation. He’d felt the same when he sat through this same pitch during his recruitment. It wasn’t every day that someone informed you about the existence of the multiverse and then told you that you had been chosen to defend it.

Alexa looked around the room, the first of the three to show any movement. Finally, she broke the silence with a gentle chuckle and followed it up with, “So, where are the cameras?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Marcus.

“I know a bit when I see one. We get all excited and jazzed up, you tell us it’s all a joke, and then we look stupid on TikTok,” said Alexa. “That’s what we’re dealing with.”

“No bit, it’s real.” Tom felt it was his place to add some level of authority to his statement, so he added, “And it’s not something to enter into lightly.”

“You’re talking about superheroes fighting space monsters,” said Alexa. “If that were real, wouldn’t someone have noticed something by now? How come I’m not seeing this stuff all over CNN?”

“That’s another aspect of the Quantum Group’s mission—we keep these things quiet,” said Marcus.

Alexa shook her head in disbelief. “That’s not even possible.” She held up her smartphone. “Just about everyone all over the planet has access to a camera that’s perpetually connected to the internet, and everyone’s trying to get noticed by sharing something wild or crazy. You really mean to tell me no one’s ever captured one of these things on video?”

“People have also captured Bigfoot on video. How many believed that?” asked Rachel.

“That’s different,” said Alexa.

“Is it?”

Alexa paused and studied Rachel’s expression, waiting for the crack of a smile. When it never came, Alexa felt less confident in her statement. “Wait…is Bigfoot real?”

“These breaches tend to occur in sparsely populated areas,” Marcus interjected. “We don’t actually know why, but our researchers think it’s got something to do with the lack of molecular interference as the dimensions cross. The breaches look for the paths of least resistance. Places with a lot of buildings and people mean a lot more interference.”

“That can’t account for everything. There’s still the chance that something could be caught on camera,” said Olivia.

“You’re right, and we try to deal with that as best we can,” said Marcus. “We use Quantum resources to control the narrative. Scrub social media, convince people it’s all nonsense. Paradoxically, technology is actually making our job a bit simpler. Now that anyone can create videos out of nothing but a text prompt, it’s a lot easier to convince people that if they see a giant monster on YouTube, it’s just a hoax.”

“Doesn’t make any sense,” said Olivia. “Why us? I’m not any kind of fighter and I don’t know anything about multiverses or space aliens. I’m just a student.”

“So was I,” said Tom. “We’ve come from all different walks of life.”

“I understand the confusion. You want to know why out of eight billion people, you were the one chosen,” said Marcus. “And the truth is, we don’t really know. The Omega Force and the Titan spirits are sentient. They choose the potential avatars. Our job is just to monitor those potentials and reach out to them if their number is called up.”

Ethan raised a questioning brow. “Monitor? Care to elaborate?”

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“It’s not like they’ve got hidden cameras on you or anything,” said Rachel. “The Quantum Group keeps an eye out for the people who might need to be called up at some point.”

“And how have you been monitoring us?” asked Ethan.

“Public records, mostly. From the time you’re identified, we keep an eye on where you end up moving and what you do with your life. The Omega Force suggests the potentials, but we make the final decision. For instance, a potential avatar who ends up in prison for murder isn’t someone we’d approach. Or someone who becomes too famous.”

“Okay, so let’s say we say yes to this. What do we get out of it? And how long is it for?” asked Ethan.

“You have to leave behind your life as you know it—at least temporarily—and we’ll provide an explanation for why that is. Research fellowship, Peace Corps, backpacking trip—these are just some examples of cover stories we’ve come up with in the past. All Knights reside at what we call Sanctuary Isle, our base of operations. You’ll draw a salary and your living expenses are paid by the Quantum Group.”

“For how long?” asked Olivia.

“That ultimately depends on you,” said Marcus. “Some will only stay a year or a few years, others have stayed on as long as ten years. In most cases, the choice is up to you. And once you complete your tenure, however long that may be, we’ll provide you with a kind of farewell package to help you reintegrate into civilian life.”

“‘In most cases’?” asked Alexa. “Sounds a bit ominous.”

“There have been circumstances where Knights were dismissed from the group. The Omega Force isn’t perfect and some people—though they have the potential—just aren’t cut out for this. A few times it’s been for insubordination or abuse of power. This job can also take a toll on people and there are those who, though they’ve wanted to stay on, just weren’t able to keep up the pace,” said Marcus.

“In all these situations, the person who leaves is still alive,” said Olivia. “You haven’t said anything about the ones who don’t survive.”

Marcus took a breath, but before he could answer, Tom spoke up. “Yes, that’s a possibility. That’s exactly what happened to your predecessors.”

Silence fell over the room. Tom allowed the silence to linger before he continued.

“Like I said, this isn’t something to enter into lightly. It’s dangerous. Probably the most dangerous job you’ll ever do. You may never live to spend any of that money you get paid for this work.”

“Okay, I think that’s all I needed to know…” said Olivia as she stood from the table.

“But,” Tom wasn’t done, “it’s also probably the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do with your life. And I’m not talking about the money or even the power. There’s something to be said for knowing that the world only exists because of the work you’ve done. No one will ever acknowledge it, but you’ll know. And surprisingly, that’s enough.”

“You won’t be alone, either,” said Rachel. “We’re all in this together. We even have retired Knights come in and advise us on occasion.”

Tom looked at Olivia. “Give it a chance. You might be surprised at how much this actually appeals to you.”

Olivia shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m just trying to become a doctor, make some difference in the world.”

“Saving the world is making a difference,” said Rachel.

“Yeah but like I said, I’m no fighter. I don’t even like violence. I get squeamish about stepping on spiders.”

“You’ll go through training. We won’t just drop you in the field without knowing what you’re doing,” said Marcus. “And once you bond with the Omega Force, you’ll be infused with centuries worth of muscle memory. Once you get in the field, it’ll feel like second nature to you.”

“That just creeps me out even more,” said Olivia.

“She brings up a good point,” said Ethan. “What if after all this, we still say no? Then what happens to us?”

“You’ll wake up in your home with no memory that this meeting ever happened,” said Marcus.

“How do you do that? You gonna lobotomize us or something?” asked Alexa.

“We have technology far beyond what’s available to the rest of the world,” said Marcus. “Trust me, it’s completely harmless with no long-term effects.”

“How much time do we have to think this over?” asked Ethan.

“We’ll take you to Sanctuary Isle. Once there, you’ll have twenty-four hours to see what the operation is like, get to ask any questions, and we’ll introduce you to the Titans,” said Marcus. “And if at the end you’re still not interested, then we’ll send you back with no memory. But if you do decide to stay on, that’s when the real fun begins.”

“Can we leave before that? Like, right now?” asked Olivia.

“If you wish,” said Marcus.

Ethan rose from his chair. “Well, you’ve got me curious. And I have some other questions that I’d like answered. So count me in for seeing more.”

Alexa scratched the back of her neck before she slapped the table. “What the hell. I’m up for trying something new. Show me what you got.”

“Excellent.” Marcus turned his attention to Olivia. “Ms. Reyes?”

Olivia chewed on her lower lip while avoiding Marcus’s gaze. “I don’t know how this Omega Force chose me, but I’m pretty sure it chose wrong.” She trailed off, leaving an opening for another sentence. She looked up at Tom. “But I’m willing to learn a little more, I guess.”

“Good. Then we’ll prepare for transport to Sanctuary. Twenty-four hours begins now,” said Marcus.