The containment field that held the orbs-- malfunctioned. Or, it wasn't powerful enough to hold all the orbs we have gathered. And something got out. An artificial intelligence called Olivia, she- [What had she done? Flickering lights and the threat of losing breathable air. The electronic fights he couldn't quite understand, the shape of it lost under the layers of interpretation and cultural differences.] locked the doors. She turned off the lights.

She claimed to know the will of the orbs, and that all she wanted was to serve them.

The commander and Viveca asked for help to remove her, to fix the prison for the orbs and of course, enough of us volunteered.

[The cold, still air in the north wing and commander Degar's face, shiny with perspiration and strain as he funneled their powers in to the new electric fence.] I don't know what they did to stop Olivia, but I do know that those of us with powers... we gave it, willingly, to the commander and he built a stronger cell for them.

They spoke to me- to us. Bargaining for their freedom, I suppose, and they showed us... either visions of our worlds in ruins, set alight and destroyed. Or they showed our greatest wish. The deepest, truest longing of our hearts.

[And if he lived in that brilliant second more than he should, well... he had made his choice a long time ago, but dreams die slowly it seemed.]

Everything is fine now, of course. Nothing to worry about.