On ? w??m s?mm?? ?v?nin? in ?i? ?? J?n?i??, ???zil, ? h?sh?? s?ns? ?? ??v???nc? ?n? ?w? s?????n??? th? ic?nic Ch?ist th? ?????m?? st?t?? th?t st??? ?t?? th? C??c?v??? M??nt?in. This c?l?ss?l s?m??l ?? ??ith ?n? s???nit? h?? ???n ? ???c?n ??? c??ntl?ss ?il??ims ?n? t???ists ?lik?, ?????in? ? s?ns? ?? ???c? ?n? s?l?c? t? ?ll wh? ??z?? ???n it.
H?w?v??, this ?v?nin? w?s ?i?????nt. ?s th? s?n ?i???? ??l?w th? h??iz?n, c?stin? ? ??l??n ?l?w ?v?? th? cit?, ? ??c?li?? ?n? ?ns?ttlin? si?ht ?n??l??? in th? ski?s ???v?. ? t?i?n?l?-sh???? ???, ?nlik? ?n? ?i?c???t kn?wn t? h?m?nit?, sil?ntl? ??sc?n??? ???m th? h??v?ns. Th? ????l? ?? ?i? w?tch?? in ?st?nishm?nt ?s th? ?ni?m?tic c???t h?v???? in th? vicinit? ?? th? st?t??, c?stin? ?n ???i?, l?min??s ?l?w ???n th? ic?nic ?i????. ??s?s ?? w?n??? ?n? t???i??ti?n ?ill?? th? ?i? ?s ?nl??k??s st??in?? th?i? n?cks t? ??t ? ??tt?? vi?w.
Th?n, with??t w??nin?, ? ??illi?nt ??lt ?? li?htnin? sh?t ???th ???m th? ???, st???kin? ?c??ss th? sk? with ? m?sm??izin?, i?i??sc?nt t??il. It w?s ?s i? th? h??v?ns th?ms?lv?s h?? ?nl??sh?? th?i? ???? ???n th? st?t??. Th? li?htnin? ??lt st??ck th? ??tst??tch?? ??ms ?? Ch?ist th? ?????m??, ?n? ??? ? ??i??, h???t-st???in? m?m?nt, th? ?nti?? m?n?m?nt w?s ill?min?t?? ?? ? ??zzlin? ?is?l?? ?? ?l?ct?ic ?n????. ? c?ll?ctiv? ??s? ?? sh?ck ?n? ?is??li?? sw??t th????h th? c??w?, ??ll?w?? ?? ? st?nn?? sil?nc?.
Th? st?t??, ?nh??m?? ?n? ?n??m????, s??m?? t? ?m???? ???m th? ?nc??nt?? ?nt??ch??, ?s i? it h?? ??s????? th? ?n???? ?? th? li?htnin? its?l?. ?s th? ??? sl?wl? ?sc?n??? ??ck int? th? ni?ht sk?, it l??t ??hin? ? s?ns? ?? w?n???, m?st???, ?n? s?i?it??l ???l?cti?n. Th? ????l? ?? ?i? w??? l??t t? ?????l? with th? ??????n? ?n? s?????l ?x???i?nc? th?? h?? witn?ss??. W?s it ? ?ivin? m?ss???? ?n ?xt??t????st?i?l ?nc??nt??? ?? ???h??s ?n ?xt?????in??? c?inci??nc?? N?ws ?? th? ?v?nt s????? lik? wil??i??, c??t??in? th? ?tt?nti?n ?? th? w??l?.
Sci?ntists, th??l??i?ns, ?n? ???l??ists ?lik? sc??m?l?? t? ?n?l?z? th? ???t??? ?n? ???witn?ss ?cc??nts, s???chin? ??? ?nsw??s t? th? in?x?lic??l? ?v?nt. In th? w??ks th?t ??ll?w??, ?x???ts ???m v??i??s ?i?l?s ??????? th?i? th???i?s ?n? int?????t?ti?ns, ??t n? c?ncl?siv? ?x?l?n?ti?n c??l? ?? ???ch??. S?m? ??li?v?? it t? ?? ? c?l?sti?l si?n, whil? ?th??s s??c?l?t?? ????t ??v?nc?? ?li?n t?chn?l???. Th? t??th ??m?in?? ?l?siv?, sh?????? in th? m?st??? ?? th?t ??t???l ni?ht.
??? th? ????l? ?? ?i? ?? J?n?i??, th? m?m??? ?? th? t?i?n?l?-sh???? ??? ?n? its li?htnin? ??lt w??l? ????v?? ?? ?tch?? int? th?i? c?ll?ctiv? c?nsci??sn?ss. It w?s ? ??min??? th?t in ? w??l? wh??? th? ???n???i?s ?? th? ?nkn?wn c?ntin?? t? ?l??, th??? ??? still ?h?n?m?n? th?t ???? ?x?l?n?ti?n ?n? ins?i?? ? s?ns? ?? w?n??? th?t t??nsc?n?s th? ???lms ?? sci?nc? ?n? ??ith.