He realized with a cold shiver that the video wasn't a recording of an explosion or a meltdown. It was a successful test. They hadn't created a weapon; they had found a way to digitize physical matter, to compress actual reality into code.

Suddenly, the audio kicked in with a deafening, metallic shriek. One of the researchers pointed at a monitor and began frantically typing. The other backed away, tripping over a cable.

The file player, which he had closed, popped back open. It began to play g9110.mp4 on its own.