The following morning the boys meet the girls at the dig site. They pretend to be surprised to see all the electrical crews working at the sub station. They learn that whatever happened caused all the digital clocks in the country to run slow. As this has a major impact on the stock markets, there is widespread panic. Some try to explain it away, while others see it as a omen or even an attack. Conspiracy theories abound.

As the week goes by, they continue to excavate the site. The boys are responsible for the heavy lifting and are tasked with filling in the holes after the research crews have moved on. While they are working, an executive from the power company arrives. He is very eager to shut the site down. It becomes apparent that he was expecting the portal to be revealed and wants to try and harness its power for himself. He wants to become the most powerful man in the world however this will inevitably fail and result in the reset of human society all across the globe.

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