"This was designed?" Peter said.
"Evidently. And by someone or something that knows our number system and even our coordinate system. Someone or something that seems to be trying to communicate with us. You'll learn more when you actually get to Jupiter. My information is limited, and I'm only authorized to show you so much. The people that are really in charge of this project pretty much stay on the Jupiter station."
"Those coordinates," Peter said, "those are relative coordinates, pointing us towards something. What does it point to?"
"The Antares system. That's why the Antares Project was started."
Dr. Bernard gave Peter a moment to collect himself, then continued.
"There's one more image that I'm authorized to show you before you leave."
Dr. Bernard pressed a button on his keyboard again, and the screen showed another angle of the object. This angle showed a digital timer embedded into the object, in appearance exactly as one that would be made by humans, showing years, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Eighty seven years, one hundred and three days, thirteen hours, seven minutes, and thirty three seconds.
"I don't understand how that's possible," Peter said out loud, without realizing that nobody else in the room would know what he was referring to.
Dr. Bernard incorrectly assumed that Peter was speaking of merely the presence of a digital display. He also incorrectly assumed that Peter did not already know what it was.
"This is a timer, showing years, days, hours, minutes, seconds. It counts down to almost the second that we estimate the object will collide with Earth. Which has led some of us to believe that this is an attack, and the attackers want us to know it. But the truth is, we're doing a lot of speculating, and we don't actually know what the purpose of this device is."
For some time, there was no speaking in the room. Only the crashing of the waves of the East Venutian Ocean against the cliff side could be heard, while Peter stared at the screen. The rest of the people in the room stared at him. Then Dr. Bernard spoke again.
"Your transport leaves in about an hour and a half. It's a long trip. You'll have time to think about it along the way, but you need to leave soon."
Peter stood and walked out the door. It didn't occur to him to say goodbye. He walked through the halls and out the door, where he saw his sister, Dr. Alena Arnfried, waiting for him on the front steps of the building.
"Hey," she said.
It took a moment for Peter to collect his thoughts well enough to recognize her.
"Hey, I didn't know you would be here."
"I wanted to see you off. It's a long trip to Jupiter."
