A young man who looks like a student, Alaric, appears at climate research institute and tells the chief and staff, "I time-travelled." He claims the Ether System was finished and predicts an 11-month catastrophe that will wipe out humanity. He specifies nearer threats: in five months a magnitude-11 quake at the Abyssal Sea will trigger tsunamis that obliterate coastal regions. He links the danger to anomalous sea-creature skeletons Taelsky's team studies, saying the remains will not be classified in a year and will cause extinction. The chief orders a scan and reconstruction simulation to test his warning, leaving answers pending.