The Know Circuit

November 2, 2028
01:45 a.m.

The following is a transcript from the November 2nd, 2028 early morning broadcast on the Chrono News Network (CNN), presented by Candy Fontaine with the title Breaking News: Boulder Rocked.

(1:45 a.m.) Fontaine: We’re just receiving word in our studios of some kind of explosion or ongoing event in the city of Boulder, Colorado. Early reports are sketchy. Perhaps a gas main has exploded or there’s been some sort of industrial accident. We’re not really sure of the source, or the number of casualties, but eyewitnesses from as far away as Denver are reporting a column of fire stretching hundreds of feet in the air.

(1:48 a.m.) Fontaine: I’ve now been given a bit more information on that explosion in Boulder, Colorado. The apparent epicenter of the explosion is the University of Colorado campus located on the western side of the city. Eyewitnesses have reported a column or plume of fire rising hundreds of feet into the air, lighting up the night sky as bright as day. We have unconfirmed reports, and I want to stress that these are completely uncorroborated reports that the fire took some sort of shape, like a bird or… is this right? A bird or a dragon or something similar. Again, those reports are unconfirmed.

The University of Colorado at Boulder has an enrollment of over 30,000 students, with over 15,000 housed on the campus itself. Again, there’s no word on the number of casualties or the cause.

We’re going to be bringing you video of the incident from the local affiliate in Denver, WCAF TV7, who has a crew on the scene now. Who am I speaking with?

Thad Melton (via cell phone): This is Thad Melton, action reporter with WCAF TV7, Candy.

Fontaine: I understand you have some video to show us, Thad. Can you set the scene?

Melton: Certainly, Candy. It was a typical November night in Colorado, a slight chill in the air with patches of the first snow on the ground. Roughly eleven minutes ago, a roaring explosion broke that stillness. The resultant fireball lit up the night sky for miles around. In fact, I can see the light from here.

Fontaine: And how far is it to Boulder from your location?

Melton: It’s about 28 miles from Boulder to our station and the sky is still lit up. Can you see the light?

Fontaine: Yes, Thad. My God, that’s almost 30 miles away and it’s bright as late afternoon. Thad, have you heard anything about casualties? We’ve been told it came from the University? Can you confirm?

Melton: No, Candy, I can’t confirm its location. We’re firing up our traffic helicopter now to get a better view of the situation. I can confirm that communications into and out of the city have been completely cut off. Cell phones, GlobalNet access, landlines, radio, it’s all gone silent. We’ve made multiple attempts to contact our Boulder offices and some of our employees that live in the city, and so far we cannot get through. [Muffled] Ready… ok, let’s go. Candy, I’m going to have to get back with you, our chopper is ready to take off.

Fontaine: Keep us posted, Thad, and be careful. Again, to update, we have reports of a mysterious explosion in Boulder, Colorado with a massive fireball that has lit up the sky for almost 30 miles around.

The following is the second part of a transcript from the November 2nd, 2028 early morning broadcast on the Chrono News Network (CNN), presented by Candy Fontaine with the title Breaking News: Boulder Rocked.

(2:02 a.m.) Fontaine: We’re going to take you back to Boulder for an update from Thad Melton of WCAF TV7 in Denver. Thad is currently in a helicopter over Boulder, isn’t that correct, Thad?

Melton: Yes, Candy, I think we’re currently circling the Boulder area. The reason I say ‘think’ is because even our pilot isn’t sure where exactly we are. He tells me that our normal navigational instruments are going haywire. I’m looking at the helicopter’s compass and it’s spinning wildly as if something is interfering with the magnetic field around us. The turbulence is unbelievable.

Fontaine: Thad, can you see the blast site? Is there a fire?

Melton: Candy, I’m not entirely sure what I’m seeing. I apologize for the lack of a video feed. As we began to approach the city limits of Boulder, my cameraman suddenly collapsed into some kind of trance. He’s just mumbling the word Boulder over and over again. I’ll try to grab his camera and… Oh my GOD!

Fontaine: Thad, are you all right? Thad? Are you there?

Melton: Yes, yes, Candy, I’m still here. I just got a glimpse of the blast site. It was hard to see at first because the power seemed to be out all over the city. It’s just an inky blackness below us, no streetlights or signs of buildings or life anywhere. But it’s not a blackout, Candy. Our chopper just got close enough for the lights to reflect off of this… It’s hard to describe. It appears that a dome of some kind is surrounding the city, a shiny, coal-black bubble as far as the eye can see. What’s our altitude, Steve? Candy, we’re hovering around 1,500 feet up, and probably a couple hundred feet below us is this dome. I can’t see any anything through its surface.

Fontaine: Thad, do you have the capability to send us a picture of the dome?

Melton: I’m going to see if my camera is still active. [Sound of muffled fumbling] Yes, Candy, the light is still on. We have a live feed. Joe, are you getting this back at the station? [Picture of Melton appears on screen] Candy, do you have this feed?

Fontaine: Do we have that? Yes, Thad, we’re seeing you clearly.

Melton: Ok, I’m going to turn the camera on the dome. [Little is seen at first. The camera jostles frantically. The helicopter’s running lights blink on and off, reflecting off of a dark, mirror-like surface. The chopper’s main floodlight struggles to find an end to the surface.] I can’t tell for sure, but I think this dome may be covering the entire city. Wait, something’s happening.

[Veins of light begin pulsating through the surface at irregular intervals.] I don’t know if you can see this Candy, but there are tiny streaks of light glowing on the surface. They seem to be blinking in a pattern and building in intensity. I’m straining against the window to see where they are going but they seem to be gathering around a point below us. It’s getting stronger. Wow, it’s getting really bright. Hey, Steve, should we be this close to that? Candy, are you getting this? I can hear a sound now, like a whooshing sound, and it’s getting louder and louder. Oh God. It’s… it’s like lightning on the surface, except it’s an orange color. Steve, I think we should definitely be moving away from that. It’s going to hit… [Loud burst of static as the picture blinks out]

Fontaine: Thad? THAD? My apologies, ladies and gentlemen, we appear to have lost contact with our fellow reporter Thad Melton from WCAF TV7 in Denver as he was investigating the source of the mysterious explosion in Boulder, Colorado. I hope it’s only technical difficulties. As soon as we have more information or can get Thad back on the air, we’ll let you know.

We’ve also begun receiving multiple reports of what appears to be some kind of mass hallucination or seizure. Reports are coming in from Los Angeles, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle that people with certain types of cybernetic implants called interface jacks have been struck catatonic. Most of the stricken seem to be mumbling or screaming something about Boulder. What connection this has with the mysterious explosion in Boulder is still to be determined.