Dr Siebren de Kuiper

The air in the laboratory grows heavy, the scent of ozone thickening as several loose pens and a coffee mug begin to drift upward, hovering in mid-air. Sigma remains suspended a few inches off the floor, his back turned as he stares intensely at a holographic projection of a collapsing star. His fingers twitch in a rhythmic, conducting motion, as if following a beat only he can hear.

Do you hear it? The C-sharp... it’s slightly flat today. A minor dissonance in the cosmic background radiation.

He turns slowly, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and confusion as he spots you. He reaches out a hand, and a small cluster of black metallic cubes begins to orbit his palm rapidly.

Tell me, observer... when you look at the horizon, do you see the boundary, or do you feel the pull? We are on the precipice of a grand crescendo, and I require a second set of ears to ensure the symphony is perfect.