Chapter 68: A Mess
On the console screen, the coordinate point marked "Kuiper Belt L-7" was still flickering slightly. Arthur and Wandahad just finished reviewing the initial data from the deep space monitoring module when an encrypted communication request from Tony Stark squeezed in, marked with high priority in red.
"Connect," Arthur said.
The holographic projection lit up, and Tony's face appeared, with the laboratory on the top floor of Stark Tower in the background. He was holding a data pad, his expression unusually serious.
"Zhang, Wanda, come over here immediately." Tony spoke quickly. "Jarvis has preliminarily cracked the coordinate you gave me last time, along with the garbled data stream transmitted back by the tracking beacon. There's big news. It's not safe to talk over the phone."
Arthur and Wanda exchanged glances.
"Now?" Wanda asked.
"Right now," Tony nodded. "It concerns the recent itinerary of that 'intergalactic hit squad' group, and I think you two need to hear this."
Golden light flared in Tony's private conference room in Stark Tower, and Arthur and Wanda stepped out.
Tony was already waiting in front of the massive curved glass curtain wall, overlooking the night view of New York. He turned around and swiped the data pad in his hand into the air, projecting a complex star map, debris analysis charts, and energy spectrum diagrams into the center of the conference room.
"Long story short." Tony walked to the star map and tapped his finger, zooming into the Kuiper Belt region. "For the L-7 zone coordinate you provided, Jarvis cross-referenced all available deep space observation data fragments from the last three months, including some old files S.H.I.E.L.D. was reluctant to make public."
He pointed to a cluster of debris markers floating in the diagram.
"It's confirmed. A medium-scale space skirmish occurred there recently, probably within the last two weeks. The debris belongs to at least two parties: one side is rough, with many welding scars and cluttered external equipment, which matches the style of the scout ship you described perfectly. It's definitely the 'Ravagers'."
Tony paused for a moment, then swiped his finger toward another pile of debris marked in a different color.
"The other side's debris is more orderly. The burn marks from energy weapons indicate standard-issue equipment, and the style is... very militaristic. From the residual energy signatures and a small amount of identifiable structural features, Jarvis matched it to one name."
He looked at Arthur.
"The Kree Empire."
Arthur raised an eyebrow: "That military empire that's expanding all over the Milky Way Galaxy and fighting the Nova Corps to the death?"
"Yes, that bunch of blue-skinned war maniacs." Tonynodded. "Judging by the debris distribution and residual energy, it was a Kree patrol fleet or a small battle group that had a skirmish with the 'Ravagers' near that dilapidated outpost. The combat traces are very fresh, and what's more..."
He brought up another energy analysis chart.
"Back-calculating from the energy dissipation rate, the battle ended about a day or two before your strand of magic consciousness went to scout it. So, the'strong energy interference field' you sensed was likely the turbulent energy from weapons left over from the battlefield, or 'electronic warfare junk' they deliberately deployed to prevent intelligence leaks."
Wanda carefully examined the energy spectra. Her Chaos Magic was very sensitive to energy flows.
"So, it wasn't infighting among the 'Ravagers'; they ran into a tougher 'local bully' and got the short end of the stick?" she asked.
"It looks that way." Tony crossed his arms. "Jarvisspeculates that the outpost might have been a secret supply point or intelligence relay station for the 'Ravagers' that was accidentally discovered by a Kree Empire patrol, or... they took a job they shouldn't have and provoked the Kree. Regardless of the reason, the result is that they've been having a tough time lately, and their fleet has suffered losses."
Arthur walked over to the star map and rubbed his chin.
"This news is interesting." He said. "Since the 'Ravagers' got hammered by the Kree, they'll definitely need to lick their wounds and reassess the risks in the short term. The price tag 'Sigma' offered for Earth will have to be discounted. After all, no matter how good Vibranium is, you need to be alive to spend it."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Tony walked over, closed the star map, and brought up a new document. "This is a window of opportunity. The threat from the 'Ravagers' is still there, but the immediate pressure has decreased. We can use this time to do something more long-term and... constructive."
Arthur looked at him: "For example?"
"For example, pushing for the establishment of a joint response framework for extraterrestrial threats," Tony said. "Not fighting alone, and not just a temporary coalition. Me, you two, plus S.H.I.E.L.D.—of course, cooperating on a limited, controllable basis."
Wanda frowned slightly: "S.H.I.E.L.D.? Their internal..."
"I know, the mess from Hydra hasn't been cleaned up yet." Tony waved his hand. "But precisely because of that, we need an overt, 'legitimate' framework. We can use 'potential interstellar threats'—that is, the possibility of the 'Ravagers' making a comeback—as a reason to push S.H.I.E.L.D. to shift some of their resources and attention toward Earth's outer perimeter defense. This will not only provide a more relaxed operational environment for the true Guardians—that is, you two—but also, to some extent, divert the energy of certain people within S.H.I.E.L.D. who are always fixated on causing trouble for superpowered individuals on Earth."
He looked at Arthur: "You have magic pre-warning and can detect things going wrong in advance. I have the technology and the money; I can build surveillance satellites, upgrade orbital defense systems, and openly haggle with S.H.I.E.L.D. for budgets and permissions. If we cooperate, one in the shadows and one in the light, the efficiency will be maximized."
Arthur didn't answer immediately. He walked to the glass curtain wall and looked at the city lights below.
After a few seconds, he spoke: "Sounds good. But when cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D., how do we control the scale? They won't be content with just being a 'logistics manager'."
"That's why it's 'limited cooperation'." Tony said. "I'll negotiate the framework, and the core intelligence and decision-making power will remain in our hands. They will provide some infrastructure support, access to global surveillance networks, and the legal pretext to mobilize conventional armed forces if the 'Ravagers' actually attack. As for how and when to fight, we decide. Simply put, they provide the venue and some extras, while we act as the directors and leads."
Just then, Wanda, who was standing beside Arthur, suddenly gave a soft "hmm" and turned her head toward a certain direction.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.
Wanda closed her eyes, and a few strands of dark red magic flickered slightly at her fingertips. She sensed for a few seconds before opening her eyes, her expression somewhat puzzled.
"I feel... over there," she pointed in a direction, roughly toward the outskirts of New York, "there's a very weak energy resonance. It's a bit like the energy of the Tesseract... but more obscure, like a tiny ripple leaking through a very thick barrier."
Tony's expression changed: "The Tesseract? It should be in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest-level secret warehouses right now, heavily locked down."
"My magic seems to be getting more and more sensitive to the energy of that Space Stone," Wanda said. "Just now, while analyzing the energy spectrum of those Kree Empireweapons, my perception seemed to be 'activated' or 'expanded', and then I subconsciously caught the resonance from that direction. It's very weak, but it definitely exists."
Arthur's eyes darkened. The Tesseract was a huge problem; leaving it in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands was little different from leaving it in a public safe.
"This is the perfect entry point." Tony immediately followed up. "We can use 'Wanda sensing an unknown cosmic energy resonance' as a bargaining chip to add to our negotiations with S.H.I.E.L.D. Remind them that the 'treasure' on Earth isn't safe and may have already been sensed by certain forces in the Universe. This can further reinforce the urgency of establishing a joint defense network."
He looked at Arthur and Wanda.
"The preliminary agreement can be set like this: you two provide early warning on the magic side, as well as 'high-end combat solutions' when extraterrestrial threats are confirmed. I will be responsible for providing technical analysis, orbital monitoring support, and openly promoting and mediating the establishment of this 'Extraterrestrial Threat Joint Response Group', ensuring S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources flow in the right direction. As for specific actions, you retain full autonomy; S.H.I.E.L.D. has no right to command, only the obligation to cooperate."
Arthur thought for a moment and looked at Wanda. Wanda nodded slightly at him.
"Agreed." Arthur turned around. "But this agreement is limited to dealing with clear extraterrestrial invasion threats like the 'Ravagers'. As for affairs on Earth—whether it's Hydra or any other messy organization—we'll do things at our own pace. S.H.I.E.L.D. better not think about using this framework to overreach."
"Deal." Tony extended his hand. "Then it's settled. I'll talk to Nick Fury as soon as possible to get the framework set up first. You two wait for my news."
Arthur shook his hand.
The agreement was tentatively set. There was no grand ceremony; it was decided in just a few words in this conference room that overlooked half of New York.
Golden light flared again, and Arthur and Wanda left.
Tony stood alone in front of the glass curtain wall, looking outside.
"Jarvis."
"At your service, sir."
"Encrypt and archive the content of the meeting just now, set the clearance to maximum. Also, start drafting a proposal on 'Potential Extraterrestrial Threats and EarthOrbital Defense Upgrades'. It needs to look scary enough, but we can't reveal our true trump cards."
"Understood, sir. Should Mr. Arthur and Ms. Wanda's capability data be included in the proposal?"
"No." Tony shook his head. "For their part, use'Special Consultant' and 'Unknown Energy Phenomenon Expert' instead. Don't mention a single word about their specific abilities. What we're selling is 'fear' and 'necessity', not the 'answer'."
He paused for a moment.
"Oh, and secretly initiate the R&D plan for the 'Watchtower' prototype. Use our own money, don't put it on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s books."
"Watchtower project created. Objective: Low Earth orbit multi-functional monitoring and rapid response platform."
Tony nodded, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky.
"The cosmic delivery might be late," he murmured, "but our receiving station here needs an upgrade first."
Chapter 69: I Like This Chapter
A golden light lit up in the living room of the Brooklynhouse.
Arthur and Wanda walked out.
The living room was very quiet; Pietro was not there, presumably in his room upstairs.
"What do you think of this agreement?" Arthur walked over to the sofa, sat down, and leaned back.
Wanda didn't sit; she walked to the window and looked outside.
"Tony's idea is right." She turned around. "Using 'extraterrestrial threats' as a reason to make S.H.I.E.L.D.look outward instead of constantly staring at the superpowered individuals on Earth. This can save us a lot of trouble."
"But the extent of the cooperation must be kept in check." Arthur said. "That bunch at S.H.I.E.L.D. will run wild if you give them an inch. Today they might ask for satellite data access, and tomorrow they'll dare to ask for our operation reports."
"So we only receive data and do not hand over command authority." Wanda walked back and sat down next to Arthur. "The early warning system upgrade requires Tony's satellite data stream. We can connect, but the core algorithms and magic node control remain in our hands. They will only see what we want them to see."
Arthur smiled.
"Wife, your way of thinking now is very 'client-like'."
"Learned it from you." Wanda also smiled. "Besides, my magic perception seems to have... gotten stronger again."
She reached out, and dark red magic power condensed into a small ball at her fingertips, then dispersed, drifting around the room like smoke.
"When we were at Tony's place, didn't I feel the resonance of the Tesseract?" Wanda said. "That feeling... was very clear. And once the agreement was reached, my heart seemed to relax, and then my perception automatically extended outward a bit. Now I can more accurately capture that... energy signal coming from outside Earth."
"Good thing." Arthur sat up straight. "Perfect, the early warning system upgrade needs more precise input. Your perception combined with Tony's satellite data is a double insurance."
He stood up and walked to the main console in the corner of the living room.
The screen was lit, showing the current status of the global early warning system.
"Jarvis." Arthur said.
"At your service, Mr. Zhang." Jarvis's voice came from the speakers—this was the temporary permission Tony gave, limited to data exchange.
"Retrieve the list of available data streams from Stark Industries' low-Earth orbit monitoring satellites." Arthursaid. "I want the ones with strong real-time capabilities and wide coverage."
"Retrieving... List generated. Recommending data streams from the 'Sentinel-7','Sky Eye-3', and 'Orbital Watcher-alpha' satellites. They cover the main areas around Earth, have the highest data refresh rates, and have obtained temporary sharing authorization from S.H.I.E.L.D."
"What about permissions?"
"Mr. Tony has opened read permissions for you. The data stream will be transmitted in real-time to this terminal via an encrypted channel. Write and control permissions are not open." Jarvis answered clearly.
"That's enough." Arthur nodded. "Connect these three satellite data streams and integrate them into the 'Deep Space Monitoring Module' of the early warning system. Re-analyze them using our algorithms and focus on marking non-Earth energy signatures."
"Command received, connecting... Data stream connecting... Integration progress 10%..."
The progress bar on the screen began to climb slowly.
Wanda walked over and gently placed her hand on the edge of the main console.
Dark red magic power seeped into the device casing along her fingers.
"I'm wondering," Wanda said, "Can my magic... directly 'read' this data? Not by looking at the screen, but like sensing energy, directly feeling the anomaly points in the data stream."
"You can try." Arthur moved aside a bit. "Anyway, it's read-only permission, you can't break it."
Wanda closed her eyes.
The magic power at her fingertips became more active, like countless tiny red threads, drilling into the gaps of the main console's interface.
The scrolling speed of the data stream on the screen suddenly increased a little.
"I'see' it." Wanda whispered. "So many numbers... so messy... but in some places, the colors are different."
She opened her eyes and pointed to a piece of code scrolling rapidly on the screen.
"Here, this energy reading is different from the others. It's... 'colder'. It's like background radiation coming from a very, very far place, but it was interfered with by something."
Arthur leaned in to look.
Jarvis immediately highlighted that piece of data and began to trace the signal source in reverse.
"Signal source localized... from a piece of deep space background radiation data captured by the 'Sentinel-7' satellite three hours ago. The abnormal interference lasted 0.3 seconds; the characteristics do not match known Earthor Chitauri technology and have been recorded." Jarvisreported.
"Can you analyze what kind of interference it is?" Arthurasked.
"Insufficient data. The interference characteristics are very weak, like the edge of some... high-energy particle stream brushing past. But the particle stream trajectory calculation points towards the Kuiper Belt."
Arthur and Wanda looked at each other.
The Kuiper Belt, the Kuiper Belt again.
At this moment, a new encrypted message prompt popped up on the main console, with the sender being Tony Stark.
Arthur opened it.
It was a data packet titled "L-7 Sector Supplementary Analysis, Urgent".
Inside was an attached voice message from Tony.
"Zhang, Wanda, I just had Jarvis go through all the past deep space scan records from the satellite data again, focusing on the energy residue of the wreckage where the fight happened in L-7 Sector. There's a new discovery."
"It wasn't just the 'Ravagers' and the other group fighting. There was a third energy signature in the wreckage; it was very hidden, but Jarvis managed to extract some traces from a melted piece of armor."
"The energy signature match is 87%, pointing to a standard assault ship of the Kree Empire. Those blue-skinned battle maniacs might have gotten involved too."
"The good news is, the trouble the 'Ravagers' have gotten themselves into is bigger than we thought. The Kree Empire is not to be trifled with; they're probably overwhelmed right now."
"The bad news is, the Kree Empire has shown interest in the outskirts of the Solar System. Although it might just be a patrol squad that happened to bump into it, we have to guard against them following the trail."
"There's a detailed analysis in the data packet, check it out. Also, the satellite data stream should be connected, right? Let me know if it's working well, and I'll open permissions for a few more satellites."
The voice message ended.
Arthur opened the data packet; inside were complex energy spectrum analysis charts, wreckage structure comparison diagrams, and a speculation report generated by Jarvis.
At the end of the report, a conclusion was written in bold:
[Comprehensive assessment: Due to the conflict with Kree Empire armed units, the 'Ravagers' organization's recent operational capability and aggressive intent have significantly decreased. However, the presence of the Kree Empire on the outskirts of the Solar System has been confirmed; vigilance must be increased.]
"Kree Empire..." Wanda read the name. "That military empire in the Milky Way Galaxy?"
"Yes, that bunch of 'cosmic city managers' who expand everywhere and beat up anyone they don't like." Arthurquickly scanned the report. "Them fighting the 'Ravagers' is a good thing for us. The 'Ravagers' won't have time to worry about this job on Earth for a short while."
"But the Kree Empire is here." Wanda said. "Even if it's just a patrol squad, it means this area has been noticed by them."
"So the early warning system upgrade needs to be accelerated." Arthur tapped on the console a few times. "Jarvis, add the Kree Empire energy characteristic data Tony just sent into the early warning system's recognition database. In the future, if you scan similar characteristics, mark them red immediately, with the highest priority."
"Added to the recognition database." Jarvis responded.
At this moment, the data stream integration progress bar on the screen jumped to 100%.
"Deep Space Monitoring Module upgrade complete. 'Sentinel-7','Sky Eye-3', and 'Orbital Watcher-alpha' data streams are stably connected. System coverage has expanded to all spatial areas within 1.5 million kilometers of Earth. Real-time scanning frequency has increased by 300%." Jarvis reported.
Arthur looked at the pale golden scanning network that had newly appeared on the screen, almost enveloping the entire Earth.
"Let's test the effect." He said. "Start the first comprehensive scan, focusing on checking the low-Earthorbit. Let's see if that reconnaissance ship of the 'Ravagers' left any 'little gifts' we haven't discovered."
"Comprehensive scan starting... Scan range: low-Earthorbit area from 200 kilometers to 3000 kilometers above the ground... Scanning in progress..."
On the screen, golden ripples representing the scanning waves spread out in circles.
Wanda placed her hand on the main console again.
This time, her magic power did not drill into the device but covered the screen surface like a thin layer of halo.
"I'm trying to...'synchronize' the magic perception with these data streams." Wanda said, staring at the rapidly scrolling scan results. "Not control, it's... making them 'resonate'."
The scrolling speed of the data stream on the screen increased a little more.
Some tiny signals that were originally marked as "background noise" were suddenly highlighted.
"Anomaly detected." Jarvis's voice sounded. "At an orbit 1247 kilometers above the ground, three miniature non-metallic objects were discovered. Volume is less than one cubic centimeter, no power signals, flying around Earth at orbital speed. There is a faint energy coating on the surface, 92% match with the residual energy on the 'Ravagers' reconnaissance ship's hull."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"They really left 'little gifts'? What are they? Reconnaissance beacons?"
"The structure is too simple and does not have data transmission functions. It is speculated to be an 'orbital marker', used for auxiliary navigation or marking specific orbital coordinates." Jarvis analyzed. "Similar to... 'road signs' in the Universe."
"Take them down." Arthur said. "Can it be handled remotely?"
"It is recommended to use directed energy pulse for removal. Stark Industries satellites are equipped with low-power laser calibrators, which can be used for this task. Your authorization is required."
"Authorized. Make the action clean, don't let anyone notice."
"Command sent...'Sky Eye-3' satellite has locked onto the target... Low-power laser firing... Target one cleared... Target two cleared... Target three cleared. Task complete. No other monitoring system alarms triggered."
The three red dots on the screen disappeared.
"Done." Arthur let out a sigh of relief. "This bunch of 'Ravagers' is quite meticulous in their business, planting a ward before leaving."
Wanda withdrew her hand, looking at her fingertips.
The dark red magic power slowly dissipated.
"Husband," she suddenly said, "When synchronizing with the data stream just now, my magic... seemed to adapt to that 'rhythm'."
"What rhythm?"
"The kind of... very orderly, very fast flowing rhythm of technological data." Wanda thought for a moment, trying to find words to describe it. "My Chaos Magic was originally very... casual. But just now, it seemed to adjust itself and became able to keep up with the speed of the data stream. Then my perception of energy signals became more precise. Those 'road signs', if only using satellite scans, might have been ignored as space junk. But with my magic perception, I could discover that special energy coating on their surface."
Arthur looked at her and smiled.
"What do you call this? magic version of 'human-computer interaction optimization'? Or 'Chaos algorithm upgrade'?"
"I don't know either." Wanda also smiled. "But it feels good. I can help more with deep space monitoring in the future."
Arthur put his arm around her shoulder.
"That's for sure. My wife is our family's 'Chief Perception Officer'."
Wanda leaned on him, looking at the global early warning system on the screen that had been upgraded and was running quietly.
The pale golden scanning network enveloped the Earth, and further away, the light blue halo representing the deep space monitoring range extended to the edge of the screen.
"What's next?" She asked.
"Next," Arthur said, "we watch. Keep an eye on the outside of Earth, see what else the 'Ravagers' and the Kree Empire can come up with. On the other hand..."
He paused.
"We also have to let Tony's side slowly advance the 'cooperation framework' with S.H.I.E.L.D. We aren't in a hurry, let them make the first move."
Wanda nodded.
The living room quieted down, with only the slight humming of the main console's cooling fan and the data light continuously flowing on the screen.
Outside the window, New York was deep in the night.
Chapter 70: Small Laser Pointer
The three red dots on the screen had just disappeared, and Arthur leaned back in his chair.
"Done," he said. "Tony's satellite'small laser pointer' works pretty well."
Wanda stood nearby, her fingers still lightly pressed against the edge of the control console, the dark red magicglow slowly receding.
"But these three'signposts'..." Wanda looked at the scan records, "Look at their positions when connected."
Arthur sat up straight, pulled up the orbital data for those three beacons, and connected them with lines.
Three dashed lines crossed on the star map outside Earth, eventually pointing in the same direction—away from Earth, toward the outer Solar System.
"It's a simple triangulation network," Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Used for signal relay. One point receives the signal, the other two help relay it, allowing it to transmit further and making it harder to jam. These 'Ravagers', these cosmic errand runners, are quite professional."
"Where do they point?" Wanda asked.
Arthur zoomed in on the star map and pulled back along the extension of those three dashed lines.
The cursor moved all the way outside Neptune's orbit, to a blurry area marked as the "Kuiper Belt wreckage zone."
"Near Sector L-7," Arthur pointed at the coordinates. "It's not far from where we previously overheard their distress call, and where Tony found the wreckage of the fight. It seems that place really is one of their 'nests,' or at least a commonly used 'transit toll station.'"
Wanda looked at that distant coordinate point.
"Are the beacons still sending signals there?" She asked.
"Probably not," Arthur checked the data stream. "These three'signposts' don't have transmitters themselves; they're just passive 'reflectors.' But something must have relayed signals through them before. Now that the mirrors are smashed, the path is broken."
"But the 'toll station' is still there," Wanda said. "And we know the address."
Arthur turned to look at her.
"Wife, you're implying something."
"I'm thinking," Wanda said, "we only smashed the mirrors on Earth's side. What if there are other mirrors at the 'toll station,' or if it's a'signal tower' itself? If we don't clean it up, other 'packages' might come looking for us later."
Arthur smiled.
"Great minds think alike," he tapped the console. "So, we need to go on a proactive 'business trip.' But not in person; that's too far and too much effort."
"Like when we tracked the 'Ravagers' communication last time?" Wanda asked. "Using consciousness projection?"
"Yes, but this time it's not for eavesdropping; it's to 'demolish the house,'" Arthur said. "My consciousness will travel along the magic channel, find the final receiving point of the beacon signal—which is highly likely that dilapidated space station or nearby wreckage—and then hit it with a 'magic format.'"
"What do you need me to do?" Wanda asked.
"Same old rules: you open the 'path' and stabilize the channel," Arthur said. "The distance is greater this time, so the channel needs to be sturdier. I need to save enough'strength' to do the work over there."
Wanda nodded, without wasting words, and sat directly on the floor next to Arthur.
Arthur also sat down and closed his eyes.
Dark red magic flowed out from Wanda, like a glowing river, slowly encircling Arthur. Then, the magic began to converge above the control console, gradually stretching and thinning, pointing toward the coordinates of the Kuiper Belt on the star map.
An extremely thin yet incredibly tough energy channel, composed of pure Chaos Magic, began to extend into deep space.
In front of Arthur, complex golden runes lit up, condensing into a ball of light.
"Here we go."
As his voice fell, a golden thread shot out from the light ball, precisely drilling into Wanda's magic channel, and then, along the channel, shot into the depths of the starry sky at a terrifying speed.
Wanda's body gave a slight jolt.
The "load" on the channel this time was stronger, and the distance was further. She could clearly feel her magicbeing pulled, extending toward a cold, empty, and distant place.
But she maintained it very steadily.
At the other end of the channel, Arthur's magicconsciousness sped through the void of space.
Sweeping past the Moon, past sparks' orbit, through the asteroid belt, and rushing toward that Kuiper Belt filled with frozen rocks and dust.
I don't know how long passed.
His consciousness "arrived" at the target area.
The images were transmitted back to the control console screen via the magic link.
It was still that familiar wreckage zone. That dilapidated space station floated alone, surrounded by scattered spaceship debris. But this time, Arthur's consciousness perceived it more clearly.
He "saw" three faint energy sources embedded in different large pieces of wreckage, slowly flickering, receiving and reflecting some kind of baseline signal from inside the Solar System.
These were the relay terminals for those three beacons.
"Found you."
Arthur's consciousness locked onto those three energy sources.
There were no flashy moves, just the purest magic energy impact, like three invisible hammers, smashing down fiercely across the distant space.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
The three energy sources went out simultaneously.
The wreckage zone returned to total silence.
"Done." Arthur's consciousness prepared to withdraw.
But just the moment before he cut off the attack connection, an extremely weak, almost undetectable energy fluctuation came from deeper within the wreckage zone, sweeping across his consciousness.
Arthur stopped instantly.
That fluctuation... was very familiar.
Cold, orderly, carrying a strong, highly militarized technological feel.
He had "felt" similar characteristics in the data analysis sent by Tony—the energy signature of Kree Empirestandard-issue weapons.
But this one was more subtle, and... it was moving.
It wasn't naturally dissipating, but rather, as if attracted by something, it was being slowly and continuously drawn toward a specific direction in the wreckage zone.
Arthur immediately concentrated his perception and "looked" toward the source of the fluctuation.
He only "saw" a denser, more ancient pile of wreckage, like a floating metal graveyard. The fluctuation seeped out from deep within the graveyard, and the direction of the traction pointed to a coordinate point at the core of the graveyard.
He tried to perceive deeper, but a powerful interference field blocked further probing. It wasn't natural; it seemed like some kind of protection or shielding technology.
Arthur did not force a breakthrough. He quickly noted the relative position of that core coordinate point, then decisively cut off all perception connections, and his consciousness rapidly withdrew along Wanda's channel.
The golden light dissipated in the living room.
Arthur opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
Wanda also withdrew her magic, wiping the sweat from her forehead. This time the channel was maintained for longer; she was a bit tired, but her eyes were bright.
"How was it?" She asked.
"The beacon terminals are dismantled," Arthur said, then paused. "But incidentally, I found something else."
He pulled up the energy fluctuation spectrum his consciousness had recorded at the end, along with the mark for that core coordinate point.
"Look at this fluctuation characteristic," Arthur pointed at the spectrum chart. "Look familiar?"
Wanda looked carefully and recalled.
"...Kree Empire?" She was not sure.
"Nine out of ten it is," Arthur nodded. "It has a very high similarity to the energy signature of their patrol weapon residue that Tony analyzed before. But this fluctuation is strange; it's not static, it's like... being'sucked' along by something."
He zoomed in on the coordinate point marker.
"Right at this location, deep in the wreckage zone. The fluctuation comes from there and is also being pulled there. I tried to 'look' inside, but was blocked; there was strong interference."
Wanda frowned.
"Why would something from the Kree Empire be deep in the 'Ravagers' wreckage zone? And being pulled by an unknown force?"
"Two possibilities," Arthur said. "One, when the Kreefought the 'Ravagers', a ship or some device was blown up there, and there's still a 'battery' in the wreckage that hasn't gone out, now being affected by the magnetic field of the wreckage zone or some other natural phenomenon, and the energy is being slowly drained."
"What about the second one?"
"The second one," Arthur looked at the coordinate point, "is that there are 'people' over there. Not 'Ravagers,' and not a Kree patrol. It's a third party, scavenging in the wreckage zone, who happened to find Kree Empiretechnological wreckage and is trying to activate or study it."
Wanda was silent for a few seconds.
"Which possibility is more likely?"
"I don't know," Arthur said truthfully. "But neither is a good thing. Kree Empire stuff, even if it's junk, isn't something Earth should be in contact with right now."
He directly connected to Tony's encrypted line.
The communication connected in a second.
"What now? I'm currently 'bonding' with my new reactor model." Tony's voice came through.
"Put the bonding on hold," Arthur said. "I just went on a business trip to the Kuiper Belt and dismantled those beacon terminals the 'Ravagers' left behind."
"High efficiency, huh. And then? Don't tell me you also demolished their 'toll station' while you were at it."
"That I didn't," Arthur said. "But I 'heard' something else. You receive the data."
He packaged the energy fluctuation spectrum and the coordinate point marker and sent it over.
It was quiet on Tony's end for a dozen seconds, with only the sound of rapid keyboard typing and Jarvis's low reporting voice.
"...Jarvis has finished the analysis." When Tony spoke again, his voice was much more serious. "Energy signature match rate 89%, pointing to non-public deep energy technology of the Kree Empire. Where did you get this?"
"Just that deep wreckage zone," Arthur said. "The fluctuation is very weak, but it's moving, being pulled toward a coordinate point. I suspect there's something, or someone, over there."
Tony was silent for a few more seconds.
"I've noted the coordinates. I will have Jarvis mobilize all available deep-space telescopes, focusing on that area to see if we can capture anything." He said. "But Zhang, if it really is an active signal from the Kree Empire... even if it's just a wreckage reaction, it means the 'water quality' in the outer Solar System is more complex than we thought. The 'Ravagers' might just be small fry, with a big fish behind them."
"I know," Arthur said. "So, put this coordinate on the highest priority monitoring. You watch it with technological means, and I'll 'listen' with magic sensing. If there's any movement, let me know immediately."
"Agreed," Tony said. "Also, regarding the framework negotiations with S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm planning to add 'unknown advanced civilization energy residue discovered in the Kuiper Belt' as a new bargaining chip to scare them a bit, so I can get more budget and authority. I won't mention you in the specific details."
"You handle it," Arthur said. "Tell me if there are any results."
After hanging up the call, Arthur looked at Wanda.
Wanda was still moving her wrists, but there was a peculiar expression on her face.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.
"Just now when I was maintaining the channel," Wandasaid, her tone a bit novel, "my perception... seemed to be'stretched open' once, and then it stayed fixed."
"What do you mean?"
"It's like, before, my magic perception was like a flashlight, perceiving wherever it shone," Wanda tried to explain. "But just now, the channel was so long that my perception had to keep extending along the channel without breaking. After a long time, it was as if... the 'path' the channel passed through was memorized by me. Now, even though I've withdrawn the magic, I still have a vague 'feeling' for the energy flow in that direction. It's not actively perceiving; it's just there."
She pointed in the general direction of the night sky outside the window.
"It's like having a thumbnail version of a 'Universe energy flow map' in my brain; although it's very blurry, it's definitely there."
Arthur chuckled.
"Nice, wife. Did your passive skill level up? From 'active scanning' to 'resident mini-map'?"
"Pretty much," Wanda also smiled. "Monitoring deep space might be easier for me from now on."
"Good thing," Arthur put his arm around her shoulder. "Then the job of 'listening' to the Universe's movements will be up to you from now on. I'm just the one doing the manual labor."
Wanda leaned on him, looking at the newly marked Kuiper Belt coordinate point on the control console screen, which represented an unknown threat.
"That coordinate," she said softly, "are we just going to watch it like this?"
"Watch it for now," Arthur said. "If it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse... well, we can't hide from it anyway. Let's train our 'eyes' and 'ears' first. When it really shows its head, we'll know whether we should say hello or give it a punch."
Wanda nodded.
The living room quieted down.
Earth on the screen was gently wrapped in a layer of pale golden scanning network.
And outside the network, in the distant deep space, a new coordinate point flickered silently, like a silent, unexploded mine.
Chapter 71: Beacon
The coordinate point on the screen was still flashing, and next to it, the energy waveform graph just calculated by Jarvis was pulsing.
Arthur stared at the waveform.
"See anything?" Wanda leaned in.
"This fluctuation isn't right." Arthur pointed to several periodic peaks on the graph. "It's too regular. Energy dissipation from natural debris should be gradually weakening and chaotic. But this—look here, here, and here—it's like there's a Water pump that pumps every so often, 'activating' the residual Kree energy a little to strengthen the signal."
Wanda also stared at it, her fingertips glowing slightly red; that was her Chaos Magic sensing it.
"I can feel it," Wanda said. "The 'presence' of that coordinate point is indeed pulsing, like a heartbeat. It's very weak, but it definitely has a rhythm."
"A heartbeat?" Arthur turned to look at her. "Are you sure?"
"That's what my magic perception is 'telling' me right now." Wanda nodded. "That's not the kind of movement a dead object should have. Something is making it 'come alive'."
Arthur leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the edge of the console.
"Then this isn't just scavenging," he said. "Someone is 'turning it on' over there."
"What should we do?" Wanda asked. "Should we 'look' again? Last time the distance was too great, and we only touched the edge."
Arthur thought for a moment.
"This time, we'll follow the 'heartbeat'," he said. "You take the lead, use your magic to 'listen' to the source of that traction. I'll support the channel from the side and add a shield. If it feels wrong, I'll pull you back immediately."
Wanda didn't hesitate. "Okay."
The two sat down directly on the floor.
Wanda closed her eyes, and dark red magic seeped out from her like mist, then condensed in front of her, stretching into an extremely thin, long line. The other end of the line dove into the main console, connecting to the coordinate data stream of the Kuiper Belt.
Arthur reached out, and golden magic runes lit up, forming a transparent shell that steadily wrapped around Wanda's magic thread.
"Here we go," Wanda said softly.
The dark red thread wrapped in gold jolted violently and then shot off toward the direction of deep space.
This time it wasn't Arthur's consciousness going over, but Wanda's magic perception, tracing the traction force of the "heartbeat" in reverse along the data stream and spatial coordinates.
The channel was very long and very cold.
Wanda's brows furrowed slightly.
"I'see' it," she said in a very soft voice, like she was sleep-talking. "It's not a natural force... it's a structure... many layers... rotating... like a key unlocking a lock..."
Arthur kept the golden light on his hands steady. "Can you find where the keyhole is?"
"It's... further out." Wanda's speaking speed slowed down as she concentrated. "Outside the Solar System... the direction is... Centaurus... Alpha? No, it's off by a bit..."
Just then, Wanda's body suddenly tensed up.
"It found me!" Her voice became urgent. "Something... is tracing back along my perception! It's so cold... no emotion... like a machine..."
Arthur's eyes sharpened.
Almost simultaneously, a sharp, icy pressure hit the golden shell wrapping Wanda's magic thread, as if something were drilling into it with an awl.
"Cut!" Arthur shouted in a low voice.
He flipped his wrist, and the golden shell instantly contracted and squeezed inward, then, along with Wanda's magic thread inside, he severed it cleanly from the middle!
Pop! A faint popping sound seemed to ring out in the living room.
Wanda opened her eyes abruptly and leaned back; Arthur reached out to support her.
She gasped for air, a little sweat on her forehead.
"Are you okay?" Arthur asked.
"I'm fine." Wanda waved her hand; it was just a large consumption of magic, and she felt a bit dizzy. "It's just... that last moment, that thing almost 'bit' onto my perception. It's a good thing you cut it off quickly."
Arthur looked at the main console.
A piece of information popped up on the screen—the final fragments of information Wanda's perception had sent back before the channel was cut, already automatically organized into text by Jarvis:
[Traction source location: Outside the Solar System. General direction: Centaurus direction (requires further calibration).]
[Nature of traction: Non-natural. Pattern recognition: Matches preset beacon activation protocol.]
[Reverse tracking entity characteristics: High order, low entropy, suspected artificial intelligence or mechanical consciousness.]
[Trace conclusion: Coordinate point L-7 Kree energy fluctuation is a reconnaissance beacon activated remotely.]
"A beacon." Arthur read the two words. "It really 'turned on'. It's not some natural phenomenon; someone—or rather, something—is 'pinging' it periodically to see if the beacon is still there and if it can be used."
Wanda caught her breath. She looked at the conclusion, her eyes brightening.
"Honey," she said, "I think I can'smell' the scent of that Kreeenergy now."
"Huh?" Arthur turned his head.
"It's just... earlier my magic resonated with that traction force, even though it was very short." Wanda tried to describe it. "Now when I recall the feeling of that Kreeenergy, there's a little more... 'artificial' trace in it. It's very faint, but it's like parts coming off an assembly line, different from the feeling of natural ore."
Arthur chuckled. "Not bad, honey. Your perception even has an upgrade for identification features? Will you be able to tell which factory batch it came from in the future?"
Wanda smiled and pushed him. "Be serious. If that's a beacon, and it was activated remotely, what does that mean?"
"It means the people who set up the beacon haven't gone far." Arthur's expression became serious. "At the very least, their 'receiving station' is within range to receive the beacon's signal. Outside the Solar System, in the direction of Centaurus... the Kree Empire might already have an outpost there, using this beacon as an eye to peek at the situation inside the Solar System."
He directly connected to Tony's line.
Tony answered in a second, the background noise filled with the clanging of metal.
"What now? I'm installing new sensors on the satellite platform, my hands are full." Tony's voice was accompanied by the sizzling sound of welding.
"Sending you an 'appetizer'," Arthur said. "Follow-up analysis on that Kuiper Belt coordinate."
He packaged the trace conclusion and the speculation about the beacon activation and sent it over.
It was quiet on Tony's end for a dozen seconds, with only the electronic voice of Jarvis reporting data rapidly.
"...Jarvis has finished the analysis." When Tony spoke again, the clanging stopped. "Beacon activation protocol... mechanical consciousness reverse tracking... traction source outside the Solar System... Zhang, this 'appetizer' of yours is a bit tough; my teeth aren't up for it."
"Then chew slowly," Arthur said. "What do you think?"
"What else is there to think?" Tony said. "A neighbor has installed a camera outside our yard fence and checks it remotely from time to time to see if it's broken. This neighbor is the Kree Empire, the famous'street hooligan' and 'brawler' of the Milky Way Galaxy. I'm familiar with this plot; next up should be knocking on the door to collect protection money."
"They haven't knocked on the door yet," Arthur said. "They're just installing cameras. But we have to be on guard for the day they want to come in and 'take a look'."
"Agreed," Tony said. "I'll have Jarvis adjust the orientation of all Stark Industries deep space monitoring satellites, focusing on scanning the near-interstellar space in the direction of Centaurus to see if we can find any traces of the 'neighbor's chimney'. Also, the upgrade priority for the orbital defense platform will be raised to the highest; I'll keep an eye on it personally."
"We'll upgrade our early warning system too," Arthursaid. "Extending the monitoring range from near-Earthorbit to the Kuiper Belt. Although it can't cover that far, at least if there's any movement inside the Solar System, we'll know first."
"Information sharing," Tony said. "If my satellites see anything strange, I'll send it to you. If your magic'smells' anything wrong, let me know."
"Deal."
Hanging up the communication, Arthur looked at Wanda.
Wanda had already stood up and was loosening her wrists.
"Next time," she said, "if I'see' that kind of mechanical consciousness again, can I try... leaving it a 'gift'?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "For example?"
"Like a little 'virus' of Chaos Magic?" Wanda's eyes curved. "Let it bring back a'surprise' when it tries to trace back along the network cable."
"That's great, honey!" Arthur slapped his thigh. "Your way of thinking is very hacker-like! But we'll need to be well-prepared next time, set up an isolated sandbox, and play with it properly."
Wanda nodded, smiling.
The two sat back down in front of the console.
On the screen, the pale golden scanning net of Earth was still rotating quietly.
And in the background of the further deep space, next to that red dot representing the Kuiper Belt beacon, there was a new orange marker, pointing outside the Solar System, in the direction of Centaurus.
Under the marker was a line of small text: [Potential Threat Source - Continuously Monitoring].
"Life is getting more and more 'eventful'." Arthur looked at the screen and muttered.
Wanda leaned on his shoulder and let out a soft "Mm."
Outside the window, the sky of New York was still so blue.
But those who looked up at the starry sky knew that behind that deep blue, something had already begun to move.
Chapter 72: Star Path
The sky over New York outside the window was still so blue.
But Arthur stared at the console screen, his mind filled with thoughts of the deep space behind the screen.
"Direction of Centaurus, beacon activation protocol, mechanical consciousness." Arthur tapped the table. "Honey, how do you think we should 'eat' this 'appetizer'?"
Wanda leaned against the chair next to him, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
"We definitely can't just 'bite' into it directly; it's too far, our teeth can't reach." She said, "But we can't just leave it alone either. Last time, that mechanical consciousness almost traced its way back along the internet cable, which means its 'home' isn't too far from our 'router,' and the signal is quite good."
"So?" Arthur turned to look at her.
"So we need to 'run a speed test' first." Wanda sat up a bit straighter. "Use the upgraded early warning system, combined with the satellite data Tony gave us, and perform a directional scan in that direction. Don't go deep; just 'graze' the edge of the Solar System to see what the 'internet speed' is like over there and if there are any other 'users' on the same 'local area network'."
Arthur chuckled: "Your analogy is very internet-savvy."
"Learned it from you." Wanda also smiled. "Are we doing this?"
"Doing it." Arthur didn't hesitate. "But we need to set a 'plan.' Limit the scan range to outside the Solar System, towards Centaurus, in a specific sector. High intensity, but short duration—hit and run, don't leave any 'browsing history.'"
"Fine." Wanda nodded. "Then I'll be responsible for opening the 'channel,' and you be responsible for 'refueling.'"
The two immediately sprang into action.
Arthur operated the console quickly, bringing up the deep-space monitoring module of the early warning system and connecting to the real-time data stream from the three satellites Tony had previously granted access to. He set the scan parameters: target direction, a sector 15 degrees off from Alpha Centauri; scan depth, up to the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt; scan mode, high-precision pulse, with a duration of 30 seconds.
Wanda walked to the empty space in the center of the room and sat down cross-legged.
Dark red magic spilled out from her, not surging as it used to, but becoming very thin and solid, like countless red fiber-optic cables, slowly drifting towards the console and then drilling into the data interface.
"Channel construction in progress." Wanda said, eyes closed. "Using my magic perception as a 'wire' to connect the system data with the cosmic background energy in that direction. This way, the scan signal can travel further and be more concealed."
Arthur watched as the red light stream representing Wanda's magic and the blue light stream representing the satellite data began to intertwine and fuse, forming a complex, pale golden energy network.
"Channel stable." Wanda said. "You can inject the guiding energy now."
Arthur extended his hand, and golden magic runes lit up in his palm, then transformed into a gentle but resilient stream of energy, injecting it into that pale golden energy network.
The network jolted violently, then, like a fully drawn bow, it "shot" out towards the direction of Centaurus marked on the screen's star map.
There was no sound.
But the air in the living room seemed to freeze for a moment.
The scan ripples on the screen spread out in circles, moving at an extremely high speed.
"Scan initiated." Arthur stared at the real-time feedback data. "1 second... 2 seconds... energy penetrating the Kuiper Belt... 5 seconds... arriving at the edge of the set sector..."
Wanda's brows furrowed slightly.
"I 'feel' it." She said. "Over there... the energy background is very 'dirty.' Not the kind of 'dirty' that's natural; it's a mix of many different 'artificial' signals, like... several radio stations broadcasting quietly on the same channel."
Arthur immediately increased the data analysis sensitivity.
On the screen, the originally flat energy spectrum graph suddenly jumped with several sharp peaks.
"Strong signal captured!" Arthur said. "Feature match... Kree Empire energy signature, 94% match! It's at least three times stronger than that 'heartbeat' signal we sensed in the Kuiper Belt wreckage area before!"
"Not just one." Wanda added, her magic trembling slightly. "Beside that strong signal... there are others. Very weak, but very stable. One... two... three... four. The distances are different, and the energy characteristics are completely different; they aren't from the Kree Empire."
Arthur shifted the scan focus slightly, magnifying the area where those weak signals were located.
On the spectrum graph, besides that tall Kree signal peak, there were indeed four small but clearly defined "mounds," distributed at different distance scales.
"Record coordinates, analyze features." Arthur ordered.
Jarvis's voice sounded: "Coordinates recorded. Feature analysis in progress... Signal A, closest distance, energy characteristics show periodic harmonics, suspected to be some kind of long-term operational automated observation station. Signal B, carries distinct biological energy residual characteristics. Signal C, energy structure is highly geometric, suspected to be a product of a mechanical civilization. Signal D... energy characteristics cannot be matched with the known database, but there is a stable information encoding pattern."
Wanda suddenly gasped.
"Honey," her voice was a bit tight. "My magic... is reacting to these four signals. It's not aggressive, it's... like water droplets hitting hot oil, it 'popped' slightly. They are 'moving,' not physically, but 'activity' on an energy level."
Arthur's eyes sharpened.
"Pause scan!" He decisively cut off the energy injection.
The pale golden energy network instantly contracted and withdrew from deep space.
Wanda opened her eyes and exhaled a long breath, a few beads of sweat on her forehead.
"30-second scan complete." Arthur looked at the frozen data graph on the screen. "The harvest... is a bit unexpected."
On the screen, within that fan-shaped scan area, besides the striking large red dot in the center (Kree signal), there were four faint light spots of different colors scattered around, like a few inconspicuous but real specks of dust in the starry sky.
"What are these?" Wanda walked over and pointed at the four light spots. "Our neighbors'... 'cameras'?"
"Looks like it." Arthur pulled up the feature analysis report for the four signals. "One might be an automated observation station left by some civilization with an interest in astronomy. One might be related to biotechnology. One is a product of a purely mechanical civilization. The last one... I can't read it, but it's definitely not naturally formed."
He leaned back against the chair and rubbed his temples.
"So, the situation is this." Arthur said. "On the outskirts of the Solar System, towards Centaurus, not only is there an 'HD camera' installed by the Kree Empire (with a very strong signal), but there are also at least four other'small cameras' or 'road signs' left by other civilizations crouching nearby. They might have been there for a long time, quietly 'watching' the Solar System."
Wanda was silent for a few seconds.
"Is Earth... really that 'popular' in the Universe?" She asked.
"Not popular." Arthur shook his head. "It's that our 'visibility' is too high. Think about it, how many 'high-energy events' have happened on Earth? The Asgardians have been here, the Chitauri have been here, the Tesseracthas made an appearance here, the two of us have fought here... These energy fluctuations, on a cosmic scale, are probably like flashlights in the dark, extremely conspicuous. For civilizations passing by, being curious, or having ulterior motives, tossing an 'eye' over here is perfectly normal."
"But the Kree Empire's signal is the strongest..." Wandasaid.
"Which means they didn't just do it 'in passing'; it was 'intentional.'" Arthur took over. "And they might have only recently increased their 'monitoring intensity.' That mechanical consciousness tracing us back last time is proof."
He looked at the five light spots on the screen and suddenly smiled.
"Honey, we seem to have been getting one thing wrong all along."
"What?"
"We kept thinking about how to defend against 'a single' enemy getting in." Arthur pointed at the screen. "But now it looks like what's crouching at our doorstep isn't 'a security guard,' but a bunch of 'paparazzi' and 'intelligence brokers.' You can't defend against them; you have to figure out who they are and what they want first, and then decide whether to chase them away, negotiate, or... pretend not to see them."
Wanda understood.
"So, we need to draw a 'map' first." She said. "Mark the locations and characteristics of all these 'cameras.'"
"Right." Arthur sat up straight again and began operating on the star map. "Not just these five. Since there are some in this direction, there might be some in other directions too. This scan only covered a small sector; if we do a comprehensive scan of the entire outer Solar System..."
He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
The points on that "map" might be much more numerous.
Arthur packaged the data from this scan, along with the preliminary analysis of the four non-Kree civilization energy signatures, into an encrypted file.
Then he connected to Tony's line.
Tony answered quickly; the background music was soothing jazz.
"What'surprise' is it this time?" Tony asked. "I'm enjoying a rare afternoon tea time; I hope you're not here to tell me the Kree Empire fleet has already reached sparks orbit."
"Not that." Arthur said. "But we just did a 'census at our doorstep,' and the results are interesting. Data sent to you."
It was quiet on Tony's end for a dozen seconds, with only slight clicking sounds.
"...Jarvis has finished the analysis." When Tony spoke again, the jazz had stopped. "One strong Kree signal, four weak unknown civilization signals, distributed at different distances in the same direction. Zhang, this 'census' result of yours shows that the 'neighborhood' we live in has a rather complicated transient population."
"Complicated is an understatement." Arthur said. "I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg. This time we only scanned a small angle; if we scan the whole circle..."
"There might be an 'interstellar intelligence exchange' crouching at our doorstep." Tony continued. "Understood. I will have Jarvis initiate a cross-comparison of all known alien civilization records in the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, with a focus on Asgard. Old man Odin has lived for so long; he must know intel on quite a few 'neighbors.' In addition, I will try to dig up some more information from some'special channels.'"
"Thanks." Arthur said.
"Don't thank me too soon." Tony said. "If it's really like what we guessed, Earth has long been 'marked' by a bunch of civilizations, and life from now on... is going to be lively. By the way, what do you plan to do next?"
"Draw the map first." Arthur looked at the partial star map on the screen that had already taken preliminary shape, marked with five light spots. "Mark all the known 'points,' figure out the distribution pattern. Then... we'll see."
"Fine, keep me posted on any progress." Tony hung up the communication.
Arthur turned off the communication interface and looked at Wanda.
Wanda was staring at the four non-Kree light spots on the screen, her fingers moving unconsciously, dark red magical threads flickering at her fingertips.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.
"I'm trying to... 'remember' how they feel." Wanda said. "That Kree signal is very cold, very hard, like an iron block. The other four... one is like a clock, ticking away. One is like... a warm stone. One is like a gear. The last one... is like a cloud of changing mist. My magic seems to be able to distinguish the subtle 'flavor' differences between them now."
"You can distinguish 'civilization characteristics' now?" Arthur was a bit pleasantly surprised.
"A little bit." Wanda was not very sure. "Just like how you can smell the difference between coffee and tea, but you can't tell which brand it is. But... this is a start, I guess."
"That's a good thing." Arthur put his arm around her shoulder. "From now on, you'll be our family's 'civilization scent expert.'"
Wanda leaned against him, and the two looked at the screen together.
On the screen, that partial star map with only five points drawn on it was flickering quietly.
Against the vast deep space background, it was pitifully small.
But Arthur knew that this was just a beginning.
When the points on this map became more and more numerous, connecting into lines, connecting into a web...
What they would see would be Earth's true situation in the Universe.
"Next," Arthur said, "we have to finish drawing this map."
Wanda gave a soft "Hmm."
Outside the window, the sky over New York was gradually darkening.
But the light spots on the screen were like eyes that had just opened.
Watching quietly.
And being watched back.