Author: Samuel Stapleton

“Good evening. My name is Dr. Theodore Novinski, I am the Director of Project Evidence Originate. As explained earlier there will be no questions after my statement.”

Dr. Novinski began in earnest.

“I am here to address the events of April 17th when there was a disruption to the final phase of our experiment. On the night in question data instruments were uniquely positioned to carry out an exceptional task. Think of it as a triangulation, but with seventy-two positions instead of just three. Four provided by deep space probes, one outside our solar system, two from Mars, and the rest from satellites and observatories here on Earth.”

Dr. Novinski paused to look into the cameras.

“This work represented more than sixty-three years of waiting and planning by well over 30,000 scientists and contributors. If it had been successful it would have helped confirm (PUUT) Pre-Universe Universe Theory by providing overwhelming evidence for, and granting us mathematical glimpses into, the universe that we know directly preceded our own Big Bang expansion. Specifically, we sought information on what physical laws that universe may have been governed by.”

Dr. Novinski sighed heavily before continuing.

“I won’t pretend to know why such advancements scare people so, but they do. Unbeknownst to my team, and in spite of state-sponsored and private security, a terrorist group managed to disrupt our data collection by setting off an electromagnetic pulse near an important collection site.”

Dr. Novinski placed his hands onto the sides of the podium in a bracing manner.

“Due to the disruption at those critical moments my team and I are no longer able to work within acceptable margins of error. We will not be able to replicate the experiment due to our inability to reposition the deep space satellites. This opportunity is lost, for at least the next century.”

His eyes begged for understanding.

“So I murdered them.”

…

“I found them myself, I alone am guilty. I did this by illegally using my company’s resources. An AI hacked their communications and convinced the group to accept packages for a follow up attack by posing as a member with military training. I ordered the AI to send them each a combination of blu-ricin and DNA-x-act targeted anthrax. Their bodies are safe to handle, the locations have been sent to authorities as of an hour ago. It took less effort than you would imagine. Akin to me paying a parking citation.”

He stood a broken man.

“I gave my entire life to solving mysteries and working to better understand and explain our universe. They murdered my dream. I grieved, and weighed my options. Know that I did not settle on murder as revenge, but rather because it is now to serve as a message.” He stopped for a lengthy pause.
“I may rot in prison for the remaining one hundred years or so of my life. But if anyone publicly derails the advancement of humanity because of their own fear, ignorance, or stupidity, and I hear of it…I will find a way to kill you from within the confines of my cell. You delay the inevitable. Your efforts are a waste. As were, apparently, my own.”

…

“Koniec.”

He could not stop his tears. And the universe observed. Unmoved.