Chapter 84 - Unsettling Frequencies

The Ulterian signal throbbed in Ellis's mind, a persistent, unwelcome guest. He sat cross-legged on the floor of his sparsely furnished apartment, attempting to meditate, to find some semblance of inner peace amidst the encroaching chaos. But the signal was relentless, a discordant note in the symphony of the universe. It was like a dull ache behind his eyes, a constant reminder of the storm brewing on the horizon.

He grit his teeth, trying to block it out, to erect mental barriers against its intrusion. He focused on his breathing, on the rise and fall of his chest, attempting to ground himself in the present moment. But it was no use. The signal was too strong, too focused, cutting through his defenses like a hot knife through butter.

With a sigh of resignation, Ellis cautiously extended his senses, like touching a live wire. He probed the signal, seeking to understand its nature, its origin, its intent. The moment he made contact, a jolt of energy surged through him, a wave of alien data washing over his consciousness. He recoiled instinctively, momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the information.

But he persevered, filtering out the noise, isolating the core components of the signal. He confirmed its artificial origin, its non-human design. It was undeniably Ulterian. He quickly calculated its trajectory: Earth-bound, and zeroing in on Eastern City. A cold dread settled in his stomach. He knew he couldn't ignore this. Not anymore.

Across town, in the bustling computer lab of Eastern City University, Jason George hunched over his keyboard, his brow furrowed in concentration. He was working late, trying to finish a coding assignment that was due the next morning. The hum of computers and the chatter of other students filled the air, but Jason felt increasingly isolated, lost in the labyrinth of code.

He rubbed his tired eyes, trying to focus on the screen, but the lines of code seemed to blur before him. He felt a strange sense of unease, a feeling that something was not quite right. He dismissed it as exhaustion, the result of too many late nights and too much caffeine.

Suddenly, the monitor in front of him flickered violently, displaying garbled text and strange symbols before going dark. Jason blinked in surprise, wondering what had happened. He checked the power cord, but it was securely plugged in. He tried to turn the monitor back on, but it remained stubbornly blank.

He glanced around the lab, noticing that other computers were experiencing similar malfunctions. Screens flickered, systems crashed, and a chorus of frustrated groans filled the air. A wave of dizziness washed over Jason, and he clutched his head, feeling a sharp pain behind his eyes. He gasped, his vision blurring.

"You okay, man?" a voice asked beside him.

Jason turned to see his friend, Mark, staring at him with concern. "Yeah, I think so," Jason said, trying to sound casual. "Just a bit tired, I guess. And this stupid computer just crashed on me."

Mark shrugged. "Happens all the time. These machines are ancient. Probably just overheated or something."

Jason nodded, trying to convince himself that Mark was right. But the incident had left him shaken and unnerved. He couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on, that the computer malfunction was somehow connected to the strange sensations he had been experiencing lately.

Meanwhile, in his cluttered lab on the other side of campus, Dr. Gregory George meticulously calibrated a new piece of equipment designed to measure exotic energy fluctuations. He was excited about the potential of his research, believing it could revolutionize energy production and unlock new sources of clean energy.

He carefully adjusted the dials, fine-tuning the settings until the readings stabilized. He was on the verge of a breakthrough, he could feel it. He had been chasing this particular energy signature for months, and he was finally close to isolating and identifying it.

As he powered up the device, the readings spiked wildly, far beyond anything he'd ever recorded. Alarms blared, and the lab lights flickered ominously. Dr. George stared at the monitor in disbelief, his heart pounding in his chest.

He frantically tried to stabilize the system, adjusting the controls and running diagnostics, but the energy fluctuations were too intense, too erratic. The device was on the verge of overloading, threatening to unleash a dangerous surge of energy.

He glanced at a nearby oscilloscope, noticing that the energy patterns correlated with a faint, repeating signal unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a complex waveform, a series of pulses that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

He muttered to himself, "Atmospheric interference? Solar flares? No, this is something else entirely." He grabbed his notepad and began scribbling down the readings, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew he had stumbled onto something extraordinary, something that could change the world. Or destroy it.

Back in his apartment, Ellis isolated the Ulterian signal, filtering out the background noise and focusing on the core components. He detected a complex series of encoded messages, a language of light and energy that defied human comprehension. He couldn't decipher the messages, but he recognized their intent: reconnaissance, surveillance, and ultimately, invasion.

He determined that the signal was not a general broadcast, but a targeted communication, directed towards a specific location on Earth. He sensed a specific resonance within the signal, something directed towards Earth, and more specifically, towards a location within Eastern City. His anxiety intensified, a knot tightening in his stomach.

He closed his eyes, focusing his senses, and visualized a map of the city. He scanned the streets, the buildings, the people, searching for the source of the signal's attraction. His senses pinpointed a specific area: the Eastern City University campus. He felt a surge of adrenaline, his muscles tensing in anticipation.

The realization hit him like a physical blow. The Ulterians were targeting the university. But why? What was so special about this place? What were they looking for?

As Jason walked home from the computer lab, trying to shake off the lingering effects of the computer malfunction, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. The streets were dark and deserted, the silence broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant hum of traffic.

As he passed a streetlight, it flickered and died, plunging him into darkness. Jason stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced around nervously, his senses on high alert. He pulled out his phone, using the flashlight to illuminate his path.

As he did, the phone screen glitched, displaying a distorted image of strange symbols before returning to normal. Jason stared at the screen in disbelief, his mind racing with questions. What were those symbols? Where had they come from? And why did they seem so familiar?

A wave of fear washed over him, and he broke into a run, desperate to reach the safety of his apartment. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew that he was in danger.

Back in his lab, Dr. George reviewed the data from his earlier experiment, comparing the energy fluctuations with known atmospheric phenomena and solar activity. He found no correlation. The signal he had detected was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

He isolated the repeating signal, amplifying it and analyzing its waveform. He realized that it wasn't a natural phenomenon, but an artificial signal, a complex series of pulses that suggested intentional communication.

He ran the signal through various decryption algorithms, but none of them yielded any coherent results. The signal was encrypted, and the encryption was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was as if it was designed to resist all known forms of decryption.

A shiver ran down his spine. He knew he had stumbled onto something extraordinary, something potentially dangerous. He made a note to review his security protocols, contacted a colleague, and reported his findings to the university's research board. He knew he had to be cautious. He didn't know who was sending the signal, or what their intentions were, but he knew that he couldn't take any chances.

Ellis focused his senses, attempting to pinpoint the target of the Ulterian signal. He scanned the university campus, searching for anything that might attract their attention. He searched for any unusual energy sources, any hidden facilities, any secret projects.

He unexpectedly detected a powerful, unique energy signature emanating from Jason George. The signature was faint, almost dormant, but undeniably present. It was like a beacon in the darkness, a signal that resonated with the Ulterian signal.

Ellis recoiled in shock, his mind reeling from the implications. He recognized the energy signature. It was Ulterian. Jason was not what he seemed. He possessed something the Ulterians wanted.

The weight of his decision – to intervene or remain hidden – became unbearable. He knew he couldn't stand by and watch as the Ulterians descended upon Jason. He had to act. He had to protect him.

But how? He was still recovering from his injuries, his powers diminished. And he was still haunted by the ghosts of his past, the memories of those he had failed to protect.

He hesitated for a moment, his mind torn between duty and fear. But then he thought of Ella Mae, of her sacrifice, of his promise to honor her memory. He knew what he had to do.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reached out to Jason George. He extended his senses, attempting to make contact, to warn him of the impending danger.

"Jason," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Can you hear me?"