The large monitor in the Global News Studio flickered once, then twice, before the signal finally snapped into focus.
A staff member sitting closest to the feed blinked in surprise and suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over his chair.
"We have a signal! It's them—it's Stage Two!"
A woman in a headset grabbed her microphone. "Air it live! RIGHT NOW!" she shouted into the newsroom intercom. "Push the feed to Channel One and Global Stream!"
Red lights blinked across the studio as all screens flipped to the returning broadcast. Technicians scrambled to adjust audio and brightness while a producer yelled from the control booth, "Go, go, go! The world's been waiting—don't screw this up!"
And across cities, towns, and villages… televisions flickered to life on their own. Phones buzzed with alerts. Cafés filled with whispers and gasps. Restaurants went quiet. In homes, people dropped spoons, chopsticks, mugs.
