The sooner the better.
Klein nods. Exits.
A clock on the wall reads 9:05.
DISSOLVE TO:
The clock reads 11:15.
Cecil and Jeremy are running around the office lofting model spacecraft above their heads.
Klein enters.
Cecil and Jeremy quickly regain their composure and put down the models as if nothing was happening.
KLEIN
I'm still working on the data fragments
but you're going to love this.
Klein routes an image to the wall screen from his handheld computer.
KLEIN (CONT’D)
This is an atomic micrograph that I took
of the crystal.
A portion of the image is magnified in the lower corner of the screen. Tiny deviations are visible along the otherwise perfectly crystalline structure.
KLEIN (CONT’D)
Look closely at the magnified portion. Do
you see anything unusual?
Cecil and Jeremy examine the image.
JEREMY
I see some minor deviations. It almost
looks like a deliberate alteration.
CECIL
Those are just imperfections in the
crystalline structure.
KLEIN
Actually, the boy is correct.
Jeremy raises his arms in victory.
Cecil sticks his tongue out at him.
CECIL
What are you saying, Professor?
KLEIN
The deviations are far too precise to be
naturally occurring. The ones I've seen
so far are in groups of eight. I'm
guessing that it's binary code.
CECIL
Binary code? Are you saying that there's
information stored there?
KLEIN
There may be vast amounts of information
stored there. My initial estimate puts
the number of groupings at somewhere
between five and six trillion.
CECIL
How could that much information be hidden
from an anomaly scan?
KLEIN
Because an anomaly scan doesn't analyze
the crystal's physical structure.
CECIL
Of course.
KLEIN
It seems as if the crystal was actually
designed around the information it
contains. It's a pretty ingenious way to
hide information. I can't even begin to
imagine who could conceal data in such a
sophisticated way, or why they would want
to.
CECIL
Can you translate it?
KLEIN
If it's binary, it shouldn't be a
problem. It'll take the computer some
time to scan and document each deviation.
CECIL
Whatever it takes.
KLEIN
The technology to achieve this level of
