I'm gonna toss you into this fire and never look back.

You're one of the most dangerous beings in the Triad, Verge.

As it turns out, the more dangerous people you add to a scenario, the more dangerous that scenario becomes for all parties.

So when we have a scenario that only involves a small group of Earthlings, the simulations return some very promising data.

Uh, guys, the blackout is on purpose, right?

It's all part of our fake plan, June [footsteps]

Why?

Despite their diversity, organisms native to the Triad all pass genetic information via DNA or RNA, like Earthlings.

The exception to this is Ert, whose indigenous races use peptide nucleic acid, PNA.

It's a small change, but it is odd that this evolution only occurred on one planet in three galaxies.

Even more curious, the flora and fauna on the planet of Ert also employ DNA and RNA, making the Urts different even from their own native plants and animals.

There doesn't appear to be any predominant theory for why this occurred.

That's not the same thing.

Sergeant, we have no desire to invade your privacy, but when I compiled some information and realized who exactly you were secretly spending time with, I made a judgment call to check in.

It's weird.

I'm not sure when we'll be back home, but when we are, I am going to dump some very steamy data into all sorts of knowledge bases.

[laughs] You sure you can't connect to the network? It'd be great to have a look around.

I could, but we'd better err on the side of caution for the time being.

We don't want to attract any unnecessary attention.

I'll work off the archive in the Phoenix for now, and if we have to take a peek outside our local network, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Let's remain calm.

All members of Hoodspocket are currently in the town borders, or at least their phones are.

You know what I mean? Fun guy to be around.

I have an encrypted comms node.

Yes, I see it.

You have two messages.

Newest first.

[door whooshes]

Hey.

Who's there? What'd they bring you in for? Hello?

Okay.

The Wayfaring Stranger is now within range of the sensors on board the Phoenix.

As you can see from the mock-up on your phone, the situation has gotten very complicated.

The main body of the Wayfaring Stranger will continue past Earth, but as it passes, Earth's gravity will tear off a sizable chunk and pull it into Earth's gravity well.

That fragment of the Wayfaring Stranger will then begin to break apart as it approaches.

There will be several strikes on Earth.

Those strikes will travel in a line up the Pacific coast of North and South America.

How?