The experiment

"Danger" didn't seem as threatening as it used to be to Eléonore.

She was getting accustomed to bad news. These days, even driving a car might have you run over a deadly anomaly spawning out of nowhere.

However, when "danger" was attached to an "experiment," it sounded much more dangerous.

"What's the danger?" Eléonore asked, hoping that her relatives and herself would be kept safe.

Marie didn't keep Eléonore waiting. She explained: "The danger lies with the irregularities of the anomaly we have found and that we must study. In a nutshell, someone will have to get real close to the anomaly to take some measurements. But let me start from the beginning. "

Marie took only half a second to organize her thoughts: "A week ago, Pascal was able to come up with an equation enabling to predict the intensity of the fifth force over time. The equation is based on 16 parameters, of which 4 can only be measured by instruments that must be brought very close to an anomaly, like within reach of a man's arm."

She continued the explanation: "There's one question that the whole world wants to know: how strong will the fifth force become in our world, and when? By knowing that, we will prepare against the worst. But without this information, we are all terrified of the future. That's why the experiment is needed to get data for the equation."

"At all cost," Marie stressed, "We must carry out an experiment to get the data we need to compute the equation and predict the future. However, to get data for the next few years, we need to set up an experiment in the vicinity of a large gathering of the 5th force. Because of this requirement, it will be impossible to tell what may happen. This large anomaly appears to be deadly; it has all kinds of effect. There is no telling what impact it has on human body. That's why it's dangerous."

Eléonore finally understood what it was all about and on what Marie had been working furiously for the past few days. She still looked like an innocent and pure maiden with her two round eyes and her blond ponytail. However, her next question showed how much she had matured: "Marie. You volunteered, right? That's why you're telling me all this?"

Eléonore withheld her breath, awaiting the fearful confirmation that her grandmother really had volunteered for a dangerous job.

"Yes...," Marie whispered. "I have."

"WHY? WHY NOT LET SOMEONE DO IT? DON'T GO! WHYYY?" Eléonore shouted, breaking all restraints and any sense of control.

This was too much.

She knew very well how the anomalies were dangerous, especially those of high intensity. She knew that Marie knew as well. Yet, Marie still wanted to go!

Yet, Marie didn't say anything.

"WHY Grandma? Can't you not go..." Eléonore lamented.

Still, Marie didn't say anything.

Instead, she got up and hugged her beautiful and smart granddaughter.

Feeling calmness slowly, very slowly, returning to Eléonore, Marie whispered into her ear: "Someone has to go. We tried to send a drone, but it didn't work because it would not function near the anomaly. We tried to throw a sensor, and it still didn't work because it would not emit a signal, or the signal would not reach us. So someone has to go... and few of us understand how the experiment works as well as I do. Also, I'm old enough. We can't risk the lives of our younger members."

"I'm sorry, Eléonore. Trust in me, please." Marie pleaded.

Eléonore didn't say anything.

She finally understood Marie's decision.

Tears flew quietly from her two round eyes.

"If only it was all a dream..." She thought.

That night, Eléonore could not find sleep nor the energy to train.

She found no solace in the night and couldn't help but think of this cruel and increasingly dangerous world.

---

On a beautiful Sunday, 11th October 2026

It could have been a perfect afternoon if not for the wide grayish-white fluctuations in the middle of the field adjacent to a countryside road.

The sky was blue and bright, devoir of any cloud masking its brightness. The temperature was neither cool nor hot just so a light jacket sufficed to keep one warm.

On this road where cars would flow non-stop in the past, there were no more than seven cars and a large truck carrying obscure machinery present. In the distance, no cars nor people could be seen. It seemed the area was cut from the rest of the world.

Only 200 meters from the side of the road laid a strange area where color and strong winds seemed to fluctuate at a quick and unpredictable pace. There were patches of grass hovering in the air at different altitudes. If one paid sufficient attention, one could also see inept drones and other tiny robots floating in the air, between 10m and 30m of attitude.

Eléonore could not help but wonder at the magic behind this phenomenon.

"I'm not the only one watching," She thought.

She took a side glance to her right and her left.

There had to be around 30 people; it was one of the largest gatherings the fifth force association ever held. Pascal and Marie had asked all available members to come for this experiment. They needed staff to man the instruments and help if needed. The need for manpower was reinforced because it was unknown how well the electronics would perform during the experiment.

Eléonore had been here for two hours already. She came with Marie, and together they were among the first to have arrived.

She was glad to reunite with Juliette, who came with Pascal. The two girls talked a lot together about the news and the experiment. Now they stood side by side silently, just like the others.

"Hey Juliette, what are we waiting for?" Eléonore asked.

"The laser truck. Bastien's driving it from southern France, but it should arrive soon." Juliette replied.

"What is used for?" Eléonore inquired.

Juliette, with a few years more worth of experience and teaching, explained: "Well, it's basically a mobile power generator with a polychromatic solid laser. It's used to bombard the anomaly with photons of different wavelengths."

That last sentence, Eléonore didn't understand.

Juliette didn't fail to notice: "It's a laser that can change color, and it's used to... power up the anomaly. By feeding energy of different quality to the anomaly, we will be measuring its growth and absorption rate."

"Ok, I think I get it. What about the other truck already here?" Eléonore turned toward the truck stationed with the other cars. On its roof, a sort of antenna could be seen. There were also several shiny mirrors.

"Its purpose is to make measurements," Juliette explained, "by collecting the diffracted light of the laser and possibly any sort of electromagnetic waves. The two trucks work together to collect the most important data."

It seemed to make perfect sense to Eléonore, but a question remained... "Why then do we need to send someone? For what?" Eléonore asked.

The confident and impassive face of Juliette finally gave in some anxiousness. She stroked her long black hair to the side in a nervous gesture: "My dad told me about Marie. I know what you fear, but you must understand that it's really needed."

Juliette paused to make sure Eléonore was listening attentively: "Basically, the data we need to collect corresponds to the four fundamental forces. You see, this anomaly is very special. There are many clues that, unlike most other anomalies, this one affects all fundamental forces. It doesn't just have an impact on only one force. Thanks to that, we can collect some data at a distance, but some need to be measured real close. This is the case for gravity, the strong and the weak forces. Marie will be carrying one suitcase with various accelerometers, various crystals, and radioactive matter for them. Here's what will happen. Listen carefully:

She must place the suitcase as close as possible to the anomaly, then withdraw.

Then, we will use the laser to power up the anomaly, hopefully making it slightly more prominent. This way, it will reach the suitcase.

We'll stop the laser and wait until it shrinks back.

Marie will retrieve the suitcase and bring it to the lab.

The content of the suitcases will be analyzed.

By reading the records of the accelerators, we will establish the gravitational field of the anomaly.

By submitting under pressure the crystals, we will infer how their molecular bindings have been influenced by the weakening of the strong force.

By measuring the radioactive decay of the radioactive elements, we will infer how the weak force has been influenced.

With all that, Pascal and Marie should calculate the equation and tell... what everybody wants to know.

That's it! As simple as that!" Juliette exclaimed.

This vastly exceeded the physics and chemistry high school courses of Eléonore, so the poor girl could only nod. "Right," She said.

"It looks perfectly planned," she thought. "What could go wrong?"

Brrrrrrrr

A low rumbling, growing louder and louder, was there for everyone to hear. All heads turned towards the noise source: a large truck of 15 meters in length quickly moved towards the gathering.

It was the laser truck.

The truck was parked near the truck with the antennas and mirrors, which Eléonore decided to call the "sensor truck " for simplicity.

The driver exited the laser truck; Bastien, a loyal member of the 5th force association, often came to the Hub for the various meetings. Eléonore remembered that he had been present when she first met Altin and the others.

The arrival of the laser truck initiated movement and numerous talks among everyone present.

Soon after that...

"EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!" Pascal's voice rang; he held a speaker in his right. He and Marie stood side by side. About 30 people turned toward them, including Marie and Eléonore.

Pascal spoke in high spirited voice: "Everyone must already have received specific instructions on what to do. If not, refer to your team leader. We will be divided into 6 teams for the operation. The first three teams will start collecting passive data immediately and remain far from the anomaly. The 4th team will place suitcases of key materials as near to the anomaly as it is safe to put them. Then, they will retrieve them. The 5th team will man the laser. Finally, the 6th team must stay on standby and assist any team that needs help. Its focus is first on the safety of everyone, then the success of the operation."

He paused. "The 4th team will do the most dangerous job of all. Please congratulate Marie, Bastien, Jérémy, Marc, and Isabelle for their courage."

Immediately after that, the crowd cheered and clapped. None wanted to go nearer to the anomaly than they already were; as such, only the most loyal members of the fifth force association had volunteered.

Despite the cheering, Marie could not smile. What if the anomaly grew out of control while they were placing the suitcases near it? She was already imagining the worst case possible, and yet, she was set on doing the job. The importance of the data was key to the survival of mankind... and her granddaughter. She wanted to know more than anyone else what sort of future awaited them and how they could prepare for it.

After the cheering stopped, Pascal announced: "We'll start in one hour while the sun is still high. Everyone, get ready."

On these words, the crowd dispersed. Marie and Pascal immediately set to talk to the teams to plan the situation.

This prevented Eléonore from asking a puzzling question: Why hadn't she heard of belonging to any team?

Minutes passed.

Presently, Eléonore caught up with Marie to ask her. She asked: "Grandma, am I no team? Why do I have no instruction?

Marie put her hands on Eléonore's shoulder and said: "Eléonore, you are too young to help any of the scientific teams; the machines are all very complicated. Besides that, I also don't want you to be involved with the rescue team. Just watch and cheer for me, alright? "

"Alright..." She reluctantly said. Although she said that, feeling powerless and useless made her feel terrible. How wonderful it would be if she could help! Eléonore didn't want to be a bystander. Her own family was risking their life for the success of the operation; how could she do nothing? Even Juliette was given some role.

Marie paced away to resume the preparations.

Eléonore came back dejected to watch the anomaly from afar, this time alone. The teenage girl seemed forgotten by everyone else as she stared at the strange movements of the wind and the grass afar in the mysterious, colorful, and turbulent anomaly.

She could feel it.

In fact, perhaps only she could feel it among everyone here.

The anomaly seemed extremely turbulent and changing inside its area of influence.

It almost seemed as if a tornado was hidden inside, ready to swallow everything that dared trespass its fluctuating vicinity.

"I must warn grandma." She thought.