Missing Earth Ship Returns Armed With Tech The Galaxy Can't Explain

0:00Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along, which is why you should try Zippercrooter for free. At zippercrooter.com slash zip. Zippercrooter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, Zippercrooter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zippercrooter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zippercrooter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zippercrooter for free. That's right. Free. At zippercrooter.com slash zip. Zippercrooter.com slash zip. Zippercrooter.com slash zip. Warning, the following Zippercrooter radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled

1:03with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercrooter know you can feel frustrated for Lauren even. Like your efforts are futile and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, Zippercrooter figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercrooter for free at zippercrooter.com slash zip. With Zippercrooter, you can forget your frustrations. Because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercrooter get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Let's go to zippercrooter.com slash zip to try Zippercrooter for free. Don't forget that's zippercrooter.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercrooter.com slash zip.

2:04Hello, I'm Wilkins. Stories all the time. Vlad, you are here. Let's get into it. The stars look the same as the always that went after Marcus Webstered out from the bridge of this. Promise is called distant and filled with promise he never thought this routine serve a mission would be his last town seeing them as a normal human being captain were approaching the target coordinates reported at lieutenant search him from her navigation station. Her voice carried the excitement that always came with reaching a new star system after three years of deep space travel. The crew still felt that throw when they found something new, Web nodded and walked to the center of the bridge around turn. His officers worked at their stations with acquired efficiency. They came from years of training and months of working together in a black void between stars. The Prometheus was our most advanced ship built for long-range exploration beyond the known boundaries of human space. What do our senses show? Webster's system as seven planets capped in Tim replied studying had a space to reopen the habitable zone no immediate signs of intelligent life but were detecting some unusual energy readings from the fourth planet, Webster felt a familiar tingle of curiosity that was why they were out here, after all. Earth had joined the Galactic Confederation, only 50 years ago, making humanity one of the newest members of the Vassa Alliance of alien civilizations. Most of the galaxy had been mapped and claimed by older races like the Zyphians with their

3:07mastery of energy or the Corphex who could reshape living matter like clay. Humans were still the newcomers, still proving themselves worthy of a place. Among the stars, the Confederation had given Earth a small territory on the Galactic were into explore and develop. It wasn't much compared to the vast empires of the elder races, but it was home. Take us in for a closer look, web-ordered, and notify the science teams. Tell Dr. Martinez we might have something interesting for her. The Prometheus moved deeper into the system, its engines humming with barely contained power. Web watched the main screen as the fourth planet grew larger. It was a barren world, all reveroque and deep canons. But their senses were picking. Up energy signature is that didn't match anything in their databases. Dr. Elena Martinez arrived on the bridge for ten minutes later, her dark hair tied back, and her eyes bright with scientific curiosity. She had been studying senor geology for most of her adult life, hoping to find traces of the ancient civilizations that once filled the galaxy before the current powers rose to dominance. What do we have, Captain? She asked moving to the…

4:09Unknown energy patterns from the surface, webber-blind, could be natural phenomena, but the readings are unlike anything we've seen before. Martinez studied the data scrolling across her screen, a frown deep in with each. Passing second, Captain these readings, they are not matching any known energy types. The patterns are too regular to be natural, but they don't fit any technology in our databases either. Web felt that familiar mix of excitement and caution that came with real discovery. Could it be from one of the elder races? Something they left behind? Possibly, Martinez said, but she didn't sound convinced. I'd need to get closer to be sure. Maybe send down the survey team. Before web could respond, the ship showed her slightly. It was barely noticeable, just a small vibration that ran through the hull. But on a ship like the Prometheus, built to, handle the stresses of deep space travel any unexpected movement was caused for concern. Engineering report, web caldo. We're showing some unusual readings done here, Captain, came the voice of chief engineer Thompson over the come.

5:10Nothing dangerous, but our quantum field generators are acting strange, like they're responding to something external. Web and Martinez exchanged glances. The quantum field generators were what allowed the Prometheus to travel faster than light. They created a bubble of altered space time around the ship, letting it slip between the normal dimensions where the speed of light was just a suggestion rather than a law. Could the energy source on the planet be affecting our systems? We're basked. As possible, Martinez replied. Some of the ancient races had technology that could manipulate space time directly. If this is a rennant of their civilization, dot dot. She didn't finish the sentence, but web understood. The ancient races were gone now, their empires fall into time and war, but their technology was still scattered across the galaxy and most of. It was far beyond anything the current civilizations could understand was safely used. Take us to a safe distance, web-ordered. We'll observe from orbit into the ship-shuttered again, more violently this time. The lights on the bridge flickered and several warning alarms began to sound. Web grabbed the arm of his command.

6:11Shares the deck tilted beneath his feet. Cappin? Lieutenant Kim called out her voice tight with panic. Something's wrong with our navigation systems. The quantum field is fluctuating wildly. Web looked at the main screen and felt his blood. Turned to ice. The stars were moving. At the slow, steady movement of a ship-changing course, but a violent twisting motion that made his eyes hurt to watch. The familiar constellations were stretching and bending like reflections in disturbed water. I'll stop, he shouted. Choked. And the quantum generators. On trying, Captain Thompson's voice came through the cum, strained with effort. But they were not responding to commands. It's like something else is controlling them. The ship shook again, hard of this time. Through the bridge windows, Web could see space itself seeming to ripple and fold around them. The planet below was becoming distorted. It's surface stretching into impossible shapes. Dr. Martinez was working frantically at her station. Her fingers flying over the controls. Captain, the energy source in the planet. It's not technology, it's some kind of dimensional anomaly.

7:13A weak point in space time itself. What felt the chill run down his spine? Dimensional anomalies with theoretical constructs that most scientists believed were impossible. They were supposed to be tears in the fabric of reality itself, places where the normal laws of physics broke down. If one actually existed dot, dot, dot, dot, can we break free? He asked. I don't think so. Martinez replied, her voice. Verily above a whisper. We're being pulled into it. Whatever this thing is, it's drawing us in. The ship grown around them as forces beyond human understanding took hold of the Prometheus. Web watched helplessly as the stars at side continued their impossible dance. Stretching into long streamers of light. Without help to look at directly dot, he thought about the 847 people aboard his ship. Scientists, engineers, support staff and their families. People who had volunteered for a five-year mission to explore the unknown reaches of space. They had signed up for a venture and discovery, not for whatever was happening to them now. Done. A distress signal were bordered. Full power, all frequencies.

8:15Already trying, capping. Can the reply from the communications officer? But I don't think anyone will receive it. This around us is too distorted. Web gripped his command chair tighter as the ship was pulled deeper into the anomaly. The hull was making sounds he had never heard before, metal-growning understresses it was never designed to handle. But somehow the ship was holding together for the chaos. He heard Dr. Martinez speaking quietly to herself, reading off numbers from her instruments. The dimensional barriers are collapsing around us. We're falling through layers of reality. We didn't understand what that meant, but the tone of her voice told him everything he needed to know. They were going somewhere that no human ship had ever gone before. Somewhere that might not even exist in the same universe they called home. The last thing he saw before the walls of reality closed around them was Earth's Sun, visible, as a tiny point of light millions of miles away. Then even that was gone, swallowed by the twisted space time that was dragging a permitis into their known. The ship fell through dimensions that had no names, carrying its human cargo toward a realm where the very concept of existence would be redefined.

9:17Behind them, in normal space, the dimensional and normally glaffed and disappeared, leaving no trace that the ESV permitis had ever been there at all. For three years, Earth's search fleets gathered the sector where the permitis had vanished. They found nothing. No debris, no energy signatures, no clues about what had happened to one of humanity's most advanced ships in the 847 souls of both. Her eventually, the search was called off. The ESV permitis was officially listed as lost with all hands. The casualty of humanity's bold person to the dangerous and known of deep space. Memorial services were held, families grieved, left went on. In the years that followed, humanity continued its careful expansion into the galaxy. Escolon is crucially but steadily, always mindful of their places, junior members of the Galactic Confederation. The major of their powers tolerated human expansion as long as it didn't interfere with their own interests. The Sephirons control vast energy networks that spend multiple star systems. Scothas had perfected biological technology that let them reshape living matter at the molecular level. The ancient film manipulated quantum forces that most races couldn't even detect, let alone

10:20understand. Compared to such powers, humanities, had even seen small. They had achieved faster than light travel independently, which earned them some respect, but their technology was still primitive by galactic standards. F provided raw materials and served as a curiosity for the older races who found human adaptability interesting but not particularly threatening. Nobody expected the missing exploration ship to return. Nobody was prepared for what it would become during its 15-year journey through impossible realms. And nobody could have predicted that humanity's lost children would come home as something far more dangerous than anyone in the galaxy could imagine. The ESV Prometheus was gone, lost in the space between realities. But something else was coming back, wearing its name and carrying its crew. Something that had learned secrets for galaxy was not ready to face. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try Zip Recruiter for free. At ziprecruiter.com slash zip.

11:23Zip Recruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, Zip Recruiter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zip Recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zip Recruiter for free. That's right. Free. At ziprecruiter.com slash zip. That ziprecruiter.com slash zip, ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try Zip Recruiter for free. At ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Zip Recruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you.

12:25It finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of, hey, Zip Recruiter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zip Recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zip Recruiter for free. That's right. Free. At ziprecruiter.com slash zip. That ziprecruiter.com slash zip, ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Admiral Sarah Chandler's reviewing supply reports in her office aboard. The Earth Defense Station when the emergency alarms began to sound. She had been humanity's representative to the Galactic Defense Council for eight years now, and in all that time, she had never heard the station's priority alert. System activate the sun cut through the normal hum of activity like a knife. Red light flashed in the corridors outside her office as crew members rushed to their

13:26emergency stations. Sun dropped her data pad and headed straight for the command center, her mind already running for possible threats. Out of she into the bustling command room, Commander Jackson looked up from his station, his face pale with confusion. Admiral were detecting a massive spatial distortion at the edge of the saw system, something big just appeared out of nowhere, monitoring stations throughout the system. What she saw made no sense at all. There was a tear in space itself, roughly circular and several kilometers across. The edges of the tear rippled like water and strange energies poured out of it in patterns that made their senses malfunction. How is that possible? John asked. This doesn't just tear open. Unknown, Admiral Jackson replied. But something's coming for her. As they watched, a ship began to emerge from the impossible rift. At first, it was just a dark outline against the swirling energies, but as it moved closer to normal space, Ten could see that it was a ship. A human ship, though something about its design looked wrong. Can you identify the vessel? She asked Doc Jackson worked at his console for several seconds before looking up with

14:28an expression of disbelief. Admiral, the computer is saying it's the ESV Prometheus, but that's impossible. The Prometheus was lost 14 years ago. Sean felt her heart skip a beat. She remembered the Prometheus well. It had been Earth's pride the most advanced exploration. Vessel ever built. When it disappeared during a routine survey mission, the loss had been devastating both militarily and emotionally. The ship had carried nearly a thousand people, including families of the crew members. Are you certain? She asked. The whole configuration matches, Jackson said, but his voice was uncertain. But Admiral, the ship looked thought-dot-different. The senses are having trouble getting clear readings. But the whole seems to be covered in materials we don't recognise. And the energy signature is unlike anything in our databases. John started the main screen as the ship that claimed to be the Prometheus moved steadily toward the inner system. It was definitely human in design with the distinct elongated hull and rotating habitat sections that marked Earth's deep space vessels. But Jackson was ripe.

15:29Something was very wrong with it. The hull showed signs of damage and repair. But the materials used in the repairs didn't look like anything human. Technology could produce. Strange geometric patterns covered sections of the ship, designs that seemed to shift and change when she looked at them directly. And most disturbing of all, the ship was moving without any visible propulsion system. Admiral came a voice from. The communication station. We're receiving reports from monitoring stations throughout the system. The ship's presence is causing widespread electronic interference. Several stations have reported complete sense of failures. Sean Frown. The Galactic Confederation maintained monitoring stations throughout the sole system as part of their standard. Security protocols. These stations used technology far more advanced than anything Earth possess. If they were experiencing failures, whatever was aboard the ship was beyond current understanding. Have we tried to make contact? She asked. Yes. Admiral, but there's been no response the communications officer replied. All frequencies are either being blocked or the ship simply isn't receiving our signals.

16:33Sean watched the ship continue its approach. It was moving at a steady pace that would bring it to Earth in approximately six hours. The trajectory was perfect as if the ship knew exactly where it was going despite having no apparent navigation systems active. Get me a direct line to Galactic Defense Command, she ordered. They need to know about this immediately. Within minutes, Sean was speaking with Admiral Vex Azefian, who served as the current head of the Galactic Defense Council, the Zephyr and Sanity-based form flickered on the communication screen its patterns of light shifting with what Sean had learned to recognize as concern Admiral Sean, Vex's translated voice came through the speakers. We are already aware of the situation. Our long range sense is detected to spatial anomaly when it appear. What can you tell us about this vessel? It appears to be one of our lost explorationships, Sean replied carefully. The ESV Prometheus missing for 15 years. But something is clearly wrong with it. The buttons of light that made up Vex Aze's form pearls rapidly, indicating deep thought. A human vessel returning after 15 years with unknown modifications, this is most concerning. We are dispatching a task force to investigate.

17:34Sun felt a moment of alarm. Velactic defense task forces were not sent to investigate. They were sent to neutralize threats. Admiral, with respect, this is still human vessel we should be allowed to make first contact negative Vex High reply. The energy signatures from the ship are unlike anything we have encountered, until we understand what we are dealing with, it must be treated as a potential for it to galactic security. The communication ended leaving Sean staring at a blank screen. She understood Vex's high position, but the thought of alien warships moving to intercept a human vessel made her deeply uncomfortable, especially one that might contain survivors. From the Prometheus, Commander Jackson, she said turning back to her tactical officer. How long until the confederation task force arrives? Based on their usual response times, approximately four-irrors, Admiral Jackson replied. The Prometheus will reach Earth orbit about two-irrors after that chung nodded grimly. She had four-irrors to figure out what was happening before the most powerful military forces in the galaxy descended on her home system. Four-irrors to make contact with a ship that had been missing for 15 years are now defied

18:36every law of physics she knew. Keep trying to establish communication. She ordered and get me everything we have on the Prometheus mission. I want to know exactly what they were doing when they disappeared. Us as staff rushed to carry out her orders, Chung continued to stare at the main screen. The ship that might be the Prometheus continued its steady approach, still showing no. Signs of active propulsion but moving with purpose toward her. Two-irrors later, a communication attempt finally received a response. This is Captain Marcus Webb of the ESV Prometheus, requesting immediate conference with Earth defense command and Galactic Council representatives. Chung felt a chill run down a spine. She had known Marcus where personally before is disappearance. They had served together early in their careers and she remembered his voice clearly. But the voice coming through the speakers was different somehow. It had the same tone and inflection but there was something underneath that didn't sound quite human. Captain Webb she replied trying to keep her voice steady. This is Admiral Sarchon, Earth defense command. We show you is missing for 15 years. What is your status?

19:37There was a long pause before we responded. Time flows differently where we have been, Admiral. We have much to discuss but not over open channels. We are aware of the approaching confederation task force. This is acceptable. Chung exchanged. Blancers with her staff. How could the Prometheus know about the task force? The sensors should not have been able to detect ships still liars away especially ships using Galactic Confederation stealth technology. Captain we need to verify your identity and the status of your crew Chung said. Can you provide current personnel council mission status? While 840 7 souls aboard the Prometheus remain alive and functional, Webb replied. The word functional struck Chung as an odd choice. However, we have undergone significant changes during our time away. We request immediate audience with appropriate authorities to discuss matters of Galactic Security. Galactic Security? Chung asked. Captain, why exactly happened to you out there? Another long pause. When Webb spoke again his voice carried. What sounded like infinite sadness?

20:39We learn things, Admiral. Things about the nature of reality that will change everything. We did not choose to become what we are now, but the choice was made for us by necessity. Enfort Chen could ask what he meant. Alarms began sounding throughout the command center. Her tactical displays lit up of new contacts as the confederation. Task force dropped out faster than light travel at the edge of the system. Admiral Commander Jackson called out his voice tied with tension. The task force consists of 12 heavy cruisers and four dreadnots. Removing to intercept the Prometheus. Chen watched as the most powerful warships and the galaxy took up positions around the approaching human vessel. Each of those ships carried enough firepower to level a planet, and their commandos would not hesitate to use it if they perceived the threat. Captain Webb, she said into her communicator, you need to understand that you are now surrounded by confederation warships. Any hostile action will result in your immediate destruction. We understand, Admiral, Webb replied, and there was something in his voice that might have been amusement. We harbor no hostile and tend toward the confederation forces.

21:40However, they may wish to maintain a safe distance from our vessel. What do you mean by safe distance? Chen asked. Her answer came not from Webb, but from her own sensor operators. Admiral, one of them called out, panic, evident in his voice. The confederation ships are reporting massive system failures. Electronics are shutting down across their entire fleet. Kin looked at her displays in horror as one by one, the most advanced warships in the galaxy went dark. Her engine shut. Down, their weapons powered down, and their communication systems went silent. Within minutes, succinct of the most powerful vessels ever built were drifting helplessly in space. Captain Webb, Chen said, her voice barely above a whisper. What have you done? Nothing intentionally, Admiral, Webb replied. Our presence has unfortunate effects on technology not designed to handle certain types of energy. This is why. We must speak with your leaders immediately. There are things coming that make our little demonstration here seem trivial by comparison Chen stared at the main screen where the Prometheus continued its approach to Earth.

22:41The ship that had left human space 15 years ago, as an exploration vessel had returned as something that could disable an entire confederation battle fleet, simply by existing near them. Whatever had happened to the crew of the Prometheus during their time in the unknown, they were no longer entirely human. Under Webb was telling the truth about things coming that were worse than what they had become, then the entire galaxy was in more danger than anyone realized. The Prometheus was coming home. But the question that terrified Chen was where the home would survive their return. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try Zippercrooter for free. At zippercrooter.com slash zipp. Zippercrooter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. This powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, Zippercrooter finds you what you're

23:42looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zippercrooter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zippercrooter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zippercrooter for free. That's right. At zippercrooter.com slash zipp. That zippercrooter.com slash zipp, zippercrooter.com slash zipp. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try Zippercrooter for free. At zippercrooter.com slash zipp. Zippercrooter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. Zippercrooter finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, Zippercrooter finds you what you're looking for.

24:43The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zippercrooter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zippercrooter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zippercrooter for free. That's right. Free. At zippercrooter.com slash zipp. That zippercrooter.com slash zipp. Zippercrooter.com slash zipp. The ESV permit used to position in high-earth, but exactly it worked out and website it would ignore in the disabled, confederation fleet drifting helplessly around it. Admiral Chun watched from the Earth Defense Station as the ship that shoot. Have been familiar, looked increasingly alien with each passing iron. The hull modifications more extensive than their long-range, censors had indicated. The ship seemed to phase in and out of visibility as if they existed only partially in normal space. Strange geometric patterns covered the entire vessel designs that her to look at directly and seem to move when observed from different angles. Admiral Commander Jackson reported his voice drained. We're receiving multiple reports of electronic malfunctions throughout the system.

25:45Everything from personal communicators to industrial computers. The closer they are to the prometheus, the worse the failures become. Chun nodded grimly. The ship's presence was affecting technology across half the solar system. Even their own station, position much farther away, was experiencing intermittent system failures. Whatever energy the prometheus was putting out, it was fundamentally incompatible. Was normal electronics. Had the confederation ships regain any functionality? She asked. Negative admiral. They're completely dead in space. Their crews are alive, but they're having to use back-up life support systems that were designed to work without computer. She looked out through the observation windows toward Earth below. The planet looked peaceful from this distance, its boom and white surface are marked by a crisis unfolding in orbit. But she knew the down on the surface, billions of people were beginning to experience the same electronic failures that had crippled the alien warships. Admiral Chun came captain web's voice over the communication system. We are ready to receive your delegation.

26:45However, we recommend that your representatives bring no electronic devices. They will not function aboard our vessel. Chun had been dreading this moment. Meeting face to face with what had of the crew of the prometheus had become unnecessary, with the thought of boarding that ship fill her with an ease. Still, as Earth's senior representative, the responsibility was hers. Captain web, I'll come aboard personally with a small diplomatic team she replied. But I need to know what precautions we should take. No special preparations are required, Admiral Web said. And once again there was that strange quality to his voice that didn't sound entirely human. We remain who we were, though we have become more than we were. You will understand when you see us. Two hours later, Chun found herself aboard a small shuttlecraft approaching the prometheus. The shuttle was one of the older models that relied. More on mechanical systems than computerized ones, but even it was showing signs of malfunction as they drew closer to the mysterious ship. With her, her doctor Elizabeth Foster, Earth's leading sonobiologist and commander David Torres, a military specialist in first contact procedures.

27:48All three wore simple environmental suits without any electronic components. Admiral Torres said as they approached the prometheus. Docking Bay. I've never seen anything like the ship's energy signature. Our instruments can't even classify what type of power source it's using. Chun could see what he meant. Through the shuttle's small windows, the prometheus looked more like a living thing than a starship. The hull seemed to pulse with internal. Light and the geometric patterns covering its surface shifted and flowed like living tissue. And just remember, she told her team these are still human beings. Whatever has happened to them, they were once our people. The docking bay of the prometheus opened to receive them, but instead of the mechanical doors Chun expected, the opening seemed to simply appear in the hull like a mouth opening and living flesh. The shuttle settled onto a landing platform that lived normal enough. Though the metal had a strange rainbow sheen that hadn't been there 15 years ago, dot as they disembarked, Chun immediately noticed that they are inside the ship felt different. It was breathable, but it seemed to carry a faint electrical charge that made the hair on her arm stand up. The gravity was normal, but her inner ear kept insisting that up and down weren't quite

28:50where they should be. Welcome aboard the prometheus. Admiral Chun turned toward the voice and had to struggle not to step backward in shock. The mind approaching them was definitely Marcus Webb, but he had changed in ways that went beyond simple aging. He looked exactly as he had 15 years ago, not a day older, but his eyes held depths that seemed to go on forever. When he moved, it was with a fluid grace that didn't look entirely natural. Behind him came other members of the crew, and sheen felt her breath cash in her throat. Like Webb, they showed no signs of aging, but each of them had been changed in subtle ways. Some seemed to shimmer slightly as if they weren't entirely solid. Others moved in ways that defied normal human coordination, taking steps that should have been impossible given the laws of physics. Captain Webb, Chun said, forcing herself to maintain military bearing despite her shock. It's good to see you alive. All of you. Webb smiled, and for a moment he looked like the man she had known years ago. It's good to see you too, Sarah. Though I suspect you'll find a reunion less pleasant than you might have hoped, he just showed for them to follow him deeper into the ship.

29:52As they walked, Chun noticed that the corridors of the prometheus had been extensively modified. The walls were covered with the same geometric patterns they had seen on the hull, designs that seemed to move and shift when she wasn't looking directly at them. What happened to you out there, Marcus? Just quietly were beside him. A long moment as he led them through corridors that seemed to stretch farther than should have been possible given the ship's size. We fell for a crack in reality, Sarah, into place with the rules that govern our universe don't apply. They entered what had once been the ship's main conference room, though it too had been changed. The table was still there, but it seemed to be made of a material that was simultaneously metal and crystal and something else entirely. The chairs appeared normal until Chun sat in one and realized it was adjusting itself to her body in ways that felt almost alive. She said she fell for a crack, Dr. Foster spoke up her scientific curiosity over coming obvious nervousness. What do you mean? We've sat across from them, and when he did, Chun curves warned she saw other versions of him sitting in the same chair, ghostly images that overlap with his real form. The dimensional anomaly we encountered was natural, he explained.

30:55It was a wound in space time itself, created by beings that exist outside our normal reality. Outside our reality, Commander Torres asked. It's impossible, web smile was sad and knowing. We used to think so too. But the universe is far larger and more complex than any of us imagined. Our galaxy, our entire dimension, is just one bubble in an infinite form of realities. And in the spaces between those bubbles, there are things that make our most advanced civilizations look like children playing with toys. Hine felt a chill run down her spine. Are you saying you met these beings? We call them the architects' web reply. They exist partially outside of normal space time, which allows them to manipulate reality in ways that seem impossible to us when we fail through the dimensional crack we landed in their realm. Dr. Foster leaned forward, her eyes bright with scientific fascination despite her obvious fear. What did they do to you? Web was quiet for a moment as Shen could see pain in his ancient young eyes. They saved us. Our ship was falling apart. Our crew was dying. The dimensional transition had damaged us in ways that normal physics couldn't heal

31:57so they changed us. Shen asked. Web stood up and walked to the far wall of the conference room. As he approached it, the wall became transparent, showing them a view of Earth below. Now Ken could see that the image wasn't coming through a window. The wall itself had become a display, responding to web's thoughts. They gave us the ability to exist partially outside normal space time, web explained. We can manipulate matter and energy directly without tools or machines. We can see across dimensions, perceive realities that exist alongside our own. But the price was our humanity. One watched in fascination and horror as Web placed his hand against the transparent wall and the entire section began to reshape itself, flowing like liquid metal before solidifying into new patterns. We still human in our minds and hearts, Web continued. But our bodies, our very existence, has been fundamentally altered. We can no longer age or die in any conventional sense. We exist in multiple dimensions simultaneously. Our presence disfaps technology because we operate on principles that your machines can't understand. Why did they do this to you?

32:59Web turned back to them and this time Shin could clearly see the multiple overlapping images of him as if she were looking at several different versions of the same person existing in the same space. Because something was coming, Web said. Simply, something that the architects fear which should terrify everyone in the galaxy, they call them the devirors, Dr. Foster Frowned, devirors of what, reality itself. Web replied they had just in the void between dimensions, consuming entire universes and leaving nothing behind. They moved from reality to reality like a plague destroying everything that exists, and they're coming here. The dimensional crack that we felt through wasn't an accident, Web explained it was a probe sent by the devirors to test the stability of our reality. They firmed us Sarah and they are common. The roof fell silent as the implications of Web's word, Sunk and Shun thought about the galactic confederation with all its ideas, civilizations and advanced technologies, the zafferings with the energy manipulation, the ethics with the biological mastery, the ancient veil with the quantum technology, all of it, meaning this against beings that could consume reality itself. How long do we have? She asked quietly, the architects don't measure time the way we do. Web replied, but in terms you would understand. Perhaps a few years, maybe less, and you're supposed to stop them toresast.

34:00Web's laugh was bitter and hollow, was supposed to try. The architects changed us, it's something that can fight concepts with concepts. Reality with the newality, where humanity's first line of defense against the impossible Dr. Foster was studying Web intently, her scientific mind clearly struggling to process what she was hearing, the electronic interference, the way you can manipulate matter. These are site effects of your transformation partly, Web nodded, we exist in multiple dimensions now, which means we interact with your technology in ways it wasn't designed to handle, but it's also a sign of what's coming when the devires arrive. They'll disrupt reality on a much larger scale. Coons stood up slowly, her mind reeling from everything she had learned. Marcus, you said all 847 of your crew survived, were out and out, spread throughout the ship, learning to control the new abilities, Web replied, some are having an easy time adapting than others, the children seemed to adjust fastest, which the architect said was expected the children, churn repeated. Thinking about the families that have been aboard the Prometheus, they're still children in spirit. Web said, but they've been changed just like the rest of us, in some ways, they're better adapted to our new existence than the adults, they don't fight against what they've become, churn looked around the impossible conference room, at the walls that responded to thought, and the furniture that seemed alive, she thought both the disabled Confederation fleet

35:03forwarding helplessly outside, victims of technology that operated on principles beyond their understanding. What do you need from us? She asked finally, webbed expression grew serious time, primarily, we need to prepare Earth and the Confederation for it was coming, the devires can't be fought with conventional weapons or traditional tactics, we'll need every advantage we can get, then the Confederation races will need to accept that humanity has changed tonset, understanding the political implications more than that. Web replied, they'll need to accept that we've become something beyond their ability to control or understand, some races will see us as a threat that needs to be eliminated, others will try to use us for their own purpose, as churn nodded grimly she could already imagine the chaos that would erupt when the knees of the Prometheus returned spread throughout the galaxy panic, political maneuvering, and probably attempts to catch or destroy the ship and the screw will help however we can she promise, but Marcus, I have to ask are you still human enough to care about saving humanity, web looked at her with those ancient eyes that had seen things beyond normal reality, and for a moment his smile was purely human Sarah, we may have become something else, but we're still human where it matters most, we still remember what it means to love to hope, to fight for something bigger than ourselves, that's why we came home, outside the ship, I've continued its ancient rotation, unaware that its lost children had returned as something beyond human understanding,

36:07carrying news of a threat that could end everything that had ever existed, the real test was just beginning three days after Admiral Chun's meeting with Captain, where emergency sessions were being held in government buildings across the galaxy, the news of the Prometheus's return had spread quickly to Confederation channels, causing panic and confusion among the major powers dot in a grey crystal halls of the Zephyrian Empire, energy beings flickered with patterns that showed deep distress, the Zephyrians had built their civilization on the mastery of electromagnetic forces, but the human ships may present such a down their most advanced technologists, if humans could do this accidentally, what did it mean for Zephyr in dominance, aren't the bio-balls of the Kothak's collective, living computers that served as their government councils were struggling to process the implications their entire society was based on manipulation of biological systems, but the reports from the Prometheus suggested acknowledging it and far beyond anything they understood. Even the ancient fail, masters of quantum manipulation who rarely concerned themselves with the anger races, were calling emergency gatherings and dimensions that other species couldn't even perceive Admiral, jeans stood in the main conference room of Earth's government centre, watching the chaos unfold on communications screens from around the galaxy, President Morrison sat at the head of the table, her face pale with the weight of decisions that

37:08could determine humanity's future, Admiral, President Morrison said, give me your assessment, are we looking at a threat or an opportunity, Chuncho's or Words Carefully, both. From Adam President, Captain Webb and his crew represent capabilities beyond anything in our current understanding, but they are still human and they are a warning us about a threat that makes their abilities seem small by comparison to the devios, Morrison said, pronouncing the word like a cuss, do you believe words claims about these beings before Chuncho'd answer? One of the communication screens lit up with an incoming priority message from the Galactic Defence Council, Admiral Vex-I-S, Energy, Form-Appeared, his patterns more agitated than Chun had ever seen, President Morrison, Vex-High said without preamble, the Confederation Council has reached a decision regarding the human vessel in your system. It must be destroyed before his technology conspired to other species, John Felt her blood turned to ice, Admiral Vex-High, that chip contains nearly a thousand human citizens, they are not hostile, their intentions are irrelevant. Vex-High replied, the technology to possess represents a fundamental threat to galactic stability, how finest chips were disabled by their mere presence. If other species gained access to such capabilities, it would destroy the balance of power that has maintained, peaceful centuries, President Morrison leaned forward, her voice daily

38:10calm, Admiral, how are you declaring war on her, Vex's energy patterns flickered with, what might have been in certainty. We prefer a diplomatic solution to render the vessel and its crew for study, and Earth will be granted significant territorial concessions in return study, Chen repeated, her voice filled with disgust, you mean dissection, the technology must be understood and controlled. Vex-High said, this is not negotiable, the communication ended abruptly, leaving the room in 10 silence Chuncho'd see the fear in President Morrison's eyes, and she understood it completely. Earth's entire military could stand against a single Confederation dreadnought, and now they were facing the combined might of multiple galactic civilizations. Options Morrison asked quietly, limited to turn replied, we could try to evacuate the Prometheus crew, but adopt their lever ship, and even if they did, where could we hide nearly a thousand people with abilities that disrupt technology, the discussion was interrupted by a new voice coming through the communication system. It was Captain Webb speaking directly from the Prometheus President Morrison, I apologize for interrupting, but we need to speak immediately. Events are moving faster than we anticipated Morrison looked at Chen, who nodded Captain Webb, this is President Morrison, we're listening. Madam President, we're aware of the Confederation's ultimatum.

39:10We also know that three separate fleets are currently moving toward the Sal system with orders to destroy us if we don't surrender, Chen fell to chill, their own intelligence hadn't detected any fleet movements yet, how could the Prometheus know about military actions before us, though monitoring systems with Captain Morrison said, if you know about the fleets, then you must understand our position. Earth cannot fight the entire Confederation, Earth won't have to, Webb replied, but we need to show you something first, something that will change, how you view this crisis, the air in the conference room began to shimmer, and suddenly Captain Webb was standing in the room with them not as a hologram of projection, but physically present as if he had simply stepped through the walls, President Morrison and her staff jumped back in alarm. But Webb raised his hands peacefully, I'm sorry for the dramatic entrance, but time is short. May I, he jestered toward the large display screen at the front of the room, without waiting for permission, he approached it and placed his hand against the surface, the screen flickered and changed, showing an image that may Chen's breath catch in her throat, it was space, but not space as they knew it, instead of the familiar backdrop of stars and galaxies, she was looking at something that resembled a vast film with countless bubble-like structures floating in an endless void, each bubble contains word and lights and patterns that hurt to look at directly, this is reality, Webb explained, not just our

40:13universe but all of existence. Each bubble represents a complete dimensional layer containing billions of galaxies and trillions of civilizations. The image zoomed in on one particular bubble, a Chen could see that it contained familiar structures the Milky Way galaxy, in drama to galaxy, and all the other stellar formations she knew. This is our dimensional layer, Webb continued, everything the Confederation knows, everything they've explored, all exists within the single bubble. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack, sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along, which is why you should try Zip Recruiter for free, at ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Zip Recruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you, it finds them for you, it's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience, and actively invites them to apply to your job, you get qualified candidates fast, so while other companies might deliver a lot of hey, Zip Recruiter finds you what you're looking for, the needle in the haystack.

41:14See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zip Recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day, Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire, and right now you can try Zip Recruiter for free. That's right, free at ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Ziprecruiter.com slash zip, ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Warning, the following Zip Recruiter radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zip Recruiter know you can feel frustrated, for Lauren even, like your efforts are futile, and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, Zip Recruiter figured out how to fix all that, and right now you can try Zip Recruiter for free at ziprecruiter.com slash zip. With Zip Recruiter, you can forget your frustrations, because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zip Recruiter get a quality candidate

42:16within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to ziprecruiter.com slash zip to try Zip Recruiter for free. Don't forget that ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Finally, that ziprecruiter.com slash zip. President Morrison stared at a display in fascination and horror, how many bubbles are there, infinite, web-replied simply, and in the space between them. In the way that separates one reality from another, at life that a virus, the image changed again, showing dark shapes moving through the antennas between dimensional bubbles, they were difficult to focus on, seeming to shift and change form constantly, but the purpose was clear. As Chen watched, one of the shapes approached bubble of reality and began to feed on it, the bubble dimmed and shrunk as the creature, consumed it, billions of galaxies and countless civilization simply ceasing to exist within minutes, an entire dimensional layer was gone, leaving nothing but empty void where an infinity of walls had once been, the consumed reality itself, web-explained, not just matter and energy, but the very concept of existence. Everything that was is, or could be in the dimension simply stopped being, shun fel sec,

43:18how many dimensions have they destroyed thousands, millions the architects have been fighting them for eons, but they can only saw the devirus down, not stop them, that's why they changed us, the display shifted again, showing the dimensional crack that had swallowed the Prometheus 15 years ago, but now Chen could see it from the Archex perspective. As a control breach designed to pull the human ship into their realm, the crack wasn't random, web continued, the architects had been studying our galaxy for some time, looking for a species that might be able to adapt to the changes necessary to fight the devirus, they chose humanity. Why us Morrison ask, there are species in the galaxy with far more advanced technology, which have smiled sadly, technology isn't what matters in this fight. The devirus can simply decide that advanced technology doesn't exist and it starts working. What matters is adaptability, creativity, and the ability to accept impossible truths without losing sanity. He jested toward the display, which now showed emitters of various confederation species to the zephrians or masses of energy, but they think in terms of electromagnetic principles that the devirus can simply ignore, the co-thats work with biological systems that can be on me with a thought, even the veil for all the quantum mastery are still bound by

44:18the laws of physics than humans, chin-nast, humans are chaotic, web-applied, and there was pride in his voice, your doubt, improvise, and find solutions that shouldn't work, but do anyway, you can accept contradictions and paradoxes without breaking down, most importantly, you can hold onto humanity even when everything around you becomes impossible. The conference room door burst open as one of Morrison's eight Russian maiden president, where detecting massive energy signatures throughout the system, something's happening, web not a grummy, the first scouts of a ride, the display, screen changed once more, showing the space around Earth, a first turn couldn't see anything unusual, then the stars began to flicker and dim, as if something was passing between them and the solar system, what are we looking at, Morrison asked, devirus gouts. Web-applied, they exist partially outside normal space-time, which makes them difficult to detect with conventional sensors, but they're here testing our reality's defenses, as they're watched, sections of space began to distort, the familiar patterns of stars and planets twisted into impossible shapes that made chance eyes water, reality itself was being proved and tested by beings that existed in the spaces between existence, the confederation fleets approaching our system weren't able to fight these things, web continued, their weapons are designed to work within the normal laws of physics,

45:20the scouts can simply decide that there's laws don't apply, president Morrison gripped the edge of the conference table, what do we do? We show the galaxy what humanity has become, web-replied, and we hope they're wise enough to accept our help instead of destroying us out of fear, the display showed the approaching confederation fleets, free massive formations of warships carrying enough firepower to crack planets behind them, moving like shadows through dimensions the normal sensor couldn't detect, came the devirus scouts, the fleets will be here in six ills, web-set, scouts will test them first to see how this dimensions and habitants respond to their presence based on what they learn, they'll either call for more scouts or begin the process of fall, invasion, churn understood the implications immediately, the confederation fleets are going to be used as test subjects, exactly, we've nodded, and when conventional weapons prove usace against the scouts, paddock was spread throughout the galaxy, civilizations will fall into chaos, making them easier prey for the main invasion force, Morrison stood up, a phase set with determination captain, web, what do you need from a permission to engage the scouts when they arrive, web-replied, and support when the confederation demands answers for what they're about to witness, you have both, Morrison said without hesitation, web-out his head respectfully, thank you, mad and present, but I should warn you, what you're about

46:23to see will change how the galaxy views humanity forever, where no longer just another young species struggling to find our place among the stars, keep a gun to fear from view, becoming translucent as he prepared to return to his ship, we're about to become something that the oldest civilizations end, the galaxy will eat a worship of fear, and I'm not sure which would be worse for our future, as web-disappeared completely, the display screen show of the Prometheus beginning to move from its position in Earth orbit, the ship's hull was glow and brighter now, and the geometric patterns covering its surface were shifting faster, as if the vessel was preparing for battle, ten-watch the ship that had once been humanity's pro-transform itself into something beyond recognition, whatever happened in the next few hours would determine not just Earth's fate, but the future of everything being in a galaxy if the scouts were coming, and humanity's lost children were the only thing standing between reality and complete annihilation, the first confederation flea derived at the edge of the solar system just as the divider of scouts began their assault on reality itself. Admiral Chamwatch from the Earth Defense Station as space around the alien warship started to behave in, was that violated every law of physics she knew, stars flickered and went out, not because they were destroyed, but because the scouts were deciding that they had never existed in the first place planet shifted position without moving, appearing in multiple

47:25locations simultaneously, the very concept of distance became meaningless as ships found in South's millions of kilometers from where they had been moment before. Admiral Commander Jackson called out, his voice tied with panic, the confederation fleet is reporting complete system failures, but it's not like what happened before with the Prometheus, their ships are just art, art, art, stopping, high and understood what he meant as she watched the display screens, the advanced alien warships when being disabled by electromagnetic interference. They were simply seasoned to function because the scouts were writing the local laws of physics to make advance, technology impossible, was the Prometheus, she asked, moving to intercept, Jackson replied, but at Merrill, our sensors can barely track it anymore, the ship keeps phasing in and out of normal space through the observation windows, ten could see flashes of light in the distance as the ESV Prometheus engaged enomas that existed only partially in their dimension, the battle, that was taking place to fight every principle of warfish she had ever learnt, captain. Web's voice came through the communication system, but it sounded strange, as if he was speaking from very far away. Admiral Chan, who were engaging through scout entities, be advised that reality in this region may become unstable during the fight, and stable half-chun asked, but she got her answer almost immediately, the stars outside the station windows began to move in patterns

48:26that hurt to watch, up and down lost all, meaning its gravity shifted direction randomly, the metal walls of the station groaned, under stresses that shouldn't exist, while computer systems throughout the facility started displaying impossible data in the main screen, Chan could see the Confederationship struggling to understand what was happening to them, the Prod vessels of the galaxy's greatest civilizations were helpless against an enemy, that could simply decide their weapons didn't work and their engines couldn't function, then the Prometheus struck back, what happened next was impossible to describe in normal terms, the human ship seemed to multiply, existing in dozens of locations simultaneously, while firing weapons that weren't made of matter, or energy brought up your concept, reality twisted around the battlefield as a transformed crew fault being that existed in the spaces between thoughts, watched as one of the devirus kept simply ceased to exist, not destroyed by convinced that it had never been real in the first place, another scout tried to erase the Prometheus from existence, but the ship refused to be amade, its crews were holding their reality together through sheer determination, how are they doing that? Dr. Foster asked, joining Chan at the observation windows. The scientist had been monitoring the battle from the research station, they're fighting impossibility with impossibility, Chan replied, beginning to understand what web had meant,

49:29Scouts can rewrite reality, but so can the Prometheus crew, it's not about technology anymore, it's about who has the stronger will to decide what's real, the battle raged for what felt like Ios but might have been minutes or days, then, itself had become unreliable in space or random fighting, Chan could see members of the Prometheus crew materialize it in open space without protective suits, their transformed body is able to exist in environments that should have killed them instantly. One figure she recognized as Dr. Martinez, as an archaeologist, who had been studying the dimensional anomaly when the ship first disappeared, but Martinez was no longer entirely human. She existed as a pattern of living mathematics, using equations as weapons against Scouts that tried to erase her from existence, another. Crew member Chief Engineer Thompson had become something that looked like a mobile constellation of stars. He reached into the hull of a disabled Confederation ship and began repairing it, by convincing its atoms to remember what they were supposed to be, the children of the Prometheus crew were the most changed of all. They moved through space like living thoughts, adapting to each new impossibility Scouts created

50:29without fear or hesitation. Chan, warning, the following Zipper Cruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you are hiring, we at Zipper Cruder know you can feel frustrated, for Lauren even, like your efforts are futile, and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just… fine. Fortunately, Zipper Cruder figured out how to fix all that, and right now, you can try Zipper Cruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zipper Cruder, you can forget your frustrations, because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zipper Cruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire 4, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zipper Cruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip.

51:33Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try Zipper Cruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. Zipper Cruder doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of, hey, Zipper Cruder, find you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. ZY4 out of five employers who post a job on Zipper Cruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Zipper Cruder, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zipper Cruder for free. That's right. Free at zippercruder.com slash zip. That zippercruder.com slash zip zippercruder.com slash zip. Unwatch the 10-year-old girl fist or solid matter to reach a scout entity and destroy it

52:35by imagining it out of existence. They're not human anymore, Dr. Foster whispered, but chunked here or rather than horror in her voice. Note, Chun agreed. There's something more. Something that can protect humanity from things that shouldn't exist. The tide of battle turned when Captain Webb himself entered the fight directly. He appeared as base near the largest scout entity, and Qin could see that he had become something that existed in multiple dimensions simultaneously. When he spoke, his voice carried across space without any communication system. You are not welcome in this reality. Webb said, and his words had the force of absolute law. You will leave now or face the consequences. The scout entered to try to erase Webb from existence, but he simply refused to be unmade. Instead, he reached out with hands that existed in several dimensions at once and began to dismantle the scout piece by piece, convincing each part that it belonged somewhere else. Within minutes, the remaining scouts fled back into the void between dimensions, carrying news of what they had encountered to their masters, the immediate threat was over. But Qin knew this was only the beginning. The Confederation feats Hun in space, their crews stunned by what they had witnessed.

53:37Weapons that could destroy planets had proven useless against in them as that barely seemed to notice they existed. But humans transformed beyond recognition had fought those same enemies, and one admiral Vex highest, voice came through the communication system. The energy beings patterns flickering with what can now recognize. As fear, human vessel per myth is respond immediately. This is Captain Webb, came the reply. Webb's voice sounded more human-nothered the battle was over, but there was still something in it that spoke of vast distances and impossible knowledge. What? Are you? Vex, I asked bluntly. Webb was silent for a long moment before answering. We are what humanity becomes when it chooses to survive impossible odds. We are the price that was paid to give this galaxy a chance against the devirus. And the entities you fought? Scouts were briblied. They came to test our reality's defenses. They found them lacking except for us. Now they will return to. The masters would use this dimension as guardians. Chum could imagine the chaos that was spreading through confederation command centers across the galaxy.

54:38Everything they fought they knew about power, about technology, about the nature of reality itself had just been proven wrong. Captain Webb, she called out, what happens now? Now we prepare, Webb replied. The Scouts will report that our reality is defended, but not how well. The devirus will send a larger force to test us again. Each time the attacks will get stronger until they either decide were too dangerous to bother with or they commit to a full invasion. President Morrison's voice joined a conversation from Earth's surface. Captain, what do you need from us? More guardians would said simply. We can't protect an entire galaxy with just the crew of one ship. We need volunteers willing to undergo the same transformation we did. Chum felt her breath catch. The transformation that had saved the Prometheus crew had also cost them their humanity in many ways they were still human in their hearts and minds, but their bodies and abilities were beyond normal understanding the transformation process is dangerous. Webb continued. Not everyone survives it and those who do or change forever. But without. More guardians, this galaxy will fall when the main devirus force arrives.

55:39Admiral Vex's highest energy patterns posed rapidly. You're asking us to trust you with the lives of our people. I'm asking you to choose, Webb replied. Trust us or watch everything you've ever cared about be consumed by beings that exist to destroy reality itself. The communication channels fell silent as the implication sank in. The mighty galactic confederation with all its advanced civilizations and powerful technologies was help us against the cosmic threat facing them. The only hope lay with humans who had been transformed into something beyond normal existence. Chum looked out at the Prometheus floating serenely in space as if the reality bending battle had never happened. The shiptiles still pulls with. In a light and the geometric patterns covering its surface continued to shift and flow. Admiral Chan, Webb's voice came through private on her personal communicator. There's something else you need to know. What is it Marcus? The transformation isn't just about gaining the power to fight the devirus, Webb said quietly. It's about becoming capable of holding reality together when everything else fails. The children adapt fastest because they haven't learned to believe that things are impossible.

56:42Shun understood. You're not just creating worries. You're creating living enters for existence itself. Exactly, Webb replied. When the main invasion comes, the devirus will try to make this entire dimensional layer. They'll attack the very concept of existence here. Will Need Guardian spread throughout the galaxy, each one serving as a fixed point that refuses to let reality be erased? The weight of what Webb was describing hitch unlike a physical blow? They weren't just talking about a military defense. They were talking about fundamentally changing what it meant to be alive in this universe. How many volunteers will you need? She asks thousands. She replied. Maybe tens of thousands. And they'll need to be distributed across every major star system, every important world. The devirus will attack everywhere it wants when they finally come in force. Shun looked at the disabled Confederationships they're crew struggling to. Restocked systems that had been convinced not to work. Then she looked at Earth, beautiful and blue against the block of space, completely unaware of how close it had come to simply ceasing to exist.

57:44Marcus, she said finally, you have your first. Volunteer. Webb's silence stretched for a long moment. Sarah, you don't understand what you're offering. The transformation changes everything. You'll still be you, but you'll also be something that can exist in multiple dimensions simultaneously. You'll see reality from perspectives that will make. Normal human life seemed like a half-remembered dream. Well, I still care about protecting Earth. She asked. More than you do now, Webb assured her. But you'll also care about protecting realities you've never seen, dimensions that exist parallel to our own. Your perspective will expand beyond anything you can imagine, Tronotted. Then I accept. Over the following Ayers, similar conversations took place throughout the galaxy. The Confederations' finest officers and scientists faced with the choice between transformation and extinction began volunteering for a process that would make them into something beyond their current species, the Zephyrns. Masters of energy sent their most gifted manipulators. The Korfx contributed their greatest bioengineers. Within the ancient veil emerged from their quantum realms to offer candidates for transformation,

58:47but it was humans who volunteered in the greatest numbers, perhaps because they had already seen what their own people could become, or perhaps because they had always been the species most willing to adapt to impossible circumstances. The ESP Prometheus became the center of a new kind of fleet. One made up of volunteers from every corner of the galaxy who were willing to sacrifice the normal existence to become guardians of reality itself. The ship's transformation chambers, grown from technology that existed in multiple dimensions, began the slow process of creating a new generation of beings. Capable of fighting impossibility with wool alone, Captain Web stood in a bridge of his transform ship, looking out at the stars that now seem small and fragile compared to the vast threats looking in the void between realities. The immediate battle was won, but the war for existence itself was just beginning. Behind him, Admiral Chen emerged from her transformation chamber, no longer entirely human, but still recognisably herself. She could see across dimensions now, perceived thrust that normal senses couldn't detect and hold onto reality through sheer force of will. Welcome to the Guardians, Web said, his voice carrying warmth despite the vast distances it seemed to cross.

59:49Are you ready to defend everything? That exists? Chen looked out at the galaxy's spread before them, knowing that somewhere in the void between realities, ancient enemies were preparing for war. But she also knew that humanity had found its purpose among the stars, not as conquerors or explorers, but as the species willing to become something impossible to protect the possible. I'm ready, she said, and meant it completely. And that is the end. Thank you for listening, and I will see you in the next one. A finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board. But then all you can do is hope the right person comes along, which is why you should try Zippercrooter for free. At zippercrooter.com slash zip. Zippercrooter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you.

1:00:49It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of, hey, Zippercrooter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zippercrooter get a quality candidate within the first day. Zippercrooter, the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try Zippercrooter for free. That's right. Free at zippercrooter.com slash zip. That zippercrooter.com slash zip zippercrooter.com slash zip. Warning, the following Zippercrooter radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercrooter know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren even. Like your efforts are futile. And you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. F***. Fortunately, Zippercrooter figured out how to fix all that.

1:01:49And right now, you can try Zippercrooter for free at zippercrooter.com slash zip. With Zippercrooter, you can forget your frustrations. Because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercrooter get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire four, 40 or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercrooter.com slash zip to try Zippercrooter for free. Don't forget that zippercrooter.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercrooter.com slash zip.