After arriving at the scene, the commander of the Corpus Mobile Unit stared up at the massive vortex swirling in the sky above him, brows furrowed tightly.
He could clearly sense an energy stirring within it—one laced with faint but unmistakable malice.
'This thing needs to be dealt with...'
The thought emerged instinctively. But without official orders, he dared not act recklessly.
He immediately turned to his adjutant. "Has Command determined the cause of this anomaly yet?"
The adjutant replied:
"Not yet. Satellite scans and analysis have so far only confirmed that the vortex is distorting local gravity through unknown mechanisms. It's essentially formed a kind of gravitational singularity."
The commander, whose academic background wasn't the strongest, frowned. "A singularity? What's that supposed to mean?"
The adjutant could only shrug helplessly:
"I don't really know either. If I had a better education, I'd be in R&D or sitting in an office. Why would I be out here getting shot at?"
The commander fell silent. That… was hard to argue with.
"…Fine." He sighed, then grew serious again.
"But I'm telling you, this thing is dangerous. I want you to alert Command: have the main forces stand by for support, and get all strategic weapons prepped. We might need them at a moment's notice."
He didn't know exactly what the vortex was, But everything about it screamed bad news. If he had more concrete evidence—and fewer political risks—he would've already authorized a preemptive strike with high-yield ordinance.
"Understood."
The adjutant immediately transmitted the commander's warning through a secure channel.
---
Truthfully, it wasn't just the commander. Every member of the Corpus Mobile Unit was feeling a growing sense of dread, like something deep within them was urging caution.
It was almost instinctual, as if something inside their bodies knew this wasn't normal.
---
Outside the capital city, in a secured convoy, the President of Fae's most powerful nation sat deep in thought, face dark as storm clouds.
"Still no comprehensive report?" he snapped.
As the country's highest authority, there was no way he'd remain in the capital while an unknown object loomed overhead.
Alongside him, countless key officials were already being evacuated under strict secrecy, leaving only a few trusted personnel behind to act as temporary command officers.
It was all executed with tight efficiency. This nation's emergency response protocols had long since been refined.
They might fumble under pressure, but they at least had plans. No standing around waiting for death.
"Still nothing conclusive," the President's secretary answered solemnly.
"Data is still being validated. However, the commander of the Corpus Mobile Unit sent a recommendation. He says the vortex gives off an extremely dangerous impression,
we should prepare the full military response, including strategic weapons."
The President groaned, rubbing his temples as he paced.
"Strategic weapons… in the capital...?"
Just the thought of using such firepower in the heart of his own country made him dizzy. If they launched and it failed, the consequences would be catastrophic, both in terms of national damage and political fallout.
Even if it succeeded, the backlash might still end his presidency.
His secretary wisely chose to say nothing. Better not to draw fire.
'I am but a humble mute...' he mentally repeated like a prayer.
After agonizing over it for a few long minutes, the President gave the order:
"Declare a national state of emergency. All military divisions are to mobilize for full combat readiness. Strategic weapons are to be prepped—ready to launch at a moment's notice."
He wasn't an expert in warfare. Not even close. But the commander of the Corpus Unit was a national war hero—a soldier with decades of front-line experience.
So in the end, the President made the only sensible decision:
Trust the professional.
---
With that single command, the entire nation began moving like a well-oiled machine.
Troops mobilized.
Battle plans were drawn up.
Special task forces coordinated strike strategies on the vortex.
Even if they didn't know what the thing was, they were going to be ready.
Other countries, watching these developments, grew visibly uneasy.
They weren't sure whether the mobilization was a genuine response to the vortex or the prelude to a surprise attack.
Tensions flared.
All over the planet, military forces began quietly bracing themselves.
---
A few minutes later, a new report was placed in the President's hands.
After reviewing the information and listening to the scientist's briefing, he remained puzzled:
"You're saying it's probably a spatial portal?, That there's another world on the other side?"
An elderly expert with silver hair shook his head grimly.
"Possibly. Based on the gravitational anomalies, we believe it's a rift in space. But what's on the other side—we can't be sure."
"It might be a gateway to a new world Or it could be the beginning of a catastrophe."
The President tapped the armrest of his chair, then looked to the dozens of large screens surrounding him.
"Any thoughts?"
On the other side of those screens were the nation's top minds and highest-ranking officials.
For a while, silence reigned.
Then a man in a white lab coat finally spoke up:
"The real question here is—
is this vortex a naturally occurring phenomenon, or something artificial, created by intelligent life?. If it's the former, we might be looking at an unprecedented opportunity."
"But if it's the latter. then we're dealing with a civilization that has mastered interdimensional travel. And if they're hostile, we'll be helpless."
"Think about how we treat animals. That's how they'd treat us."
The bluntness of that statement sent the entire room into silence.
Even the people who had been quietly excited about the idea of a new world found themselves reassessing.
Minutes ticked by.
And as the vortex hit the 20-minute mark, a unanimous decision was reached:
Destroy it.
The risks were too great.
The rewards… not worth betting their lives for.
---
In the sky:
"Copy that. I'll take the first shot."
After hanging up his communicator, the commander of the Corpus Unit looked at his assembled forces.
Now that reinforcements had arrived and orders were clear, he finally felt a bit of relief. A sense of control returned.
He raised his voice.
"Missile Unit One, begin prep for launch.
Target: the vortex in the sky!"
Down on the ground, the crowd of civilians watching from afar burst into excited chatter as the missile launchers began lifting into position.
Their faces glowed with anticipation—not fear.
To them, this was a live-action spectacle.
A story to boast about for years to come.
None of them considered that they might be caught in the aftermath.
In their eyes, if their country had acted, then everything was already under control.
__
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