The alert came at 0342 hours.
I jerked awake in bed—Christine beside me, still sleeping. Phone vibrating with AEGIS's emergency pattern. Three short pulses. Critical priority.
"Report," I said quietly, sliding out of bed without waking Christine.
"Global gravitational anomalies detected across two hundred seventeen locations. Intensity increasing logarithmically. Pattern analysis suggests astronomical alignment creating dimensional instability. Estimated peak occurrence: four to six months."
Convergence. The nine realms aligning. Dark Elves coming.
I'd known this was approaching—astronomical cycles were predictable. But AEGIS's detection meant the threat was becoming tangible. Measurable. Real.
"Confidence level?"
"Ninety-four percent that dimensional barriers are weakening. Previous comparable event correlation: Battle of New York. Recommend immediate research initiative."
Frank's new protocol required confidence levels. Ninety-four percent warranted major resource allocation.
I dressed quietly and headed to my office, thinking about how to explain knowledge I shouldn't have. Jane Foster's research provided cover—I'd been funding her dimensional physics work for months. Logical to consult her when anomalies emerged.
But preparing specifically for Dark Elves? That required justification I couldn't provide without revealing future knowledge.
Better to prepare for "general dimensional incursion" and position resources optimally when specifics emerged.
The briefing happened at 0800 hours.
Maya, Yelena, Frank, and senior ARES team leads assembled in the conference room. Holographic displays showed gravitational anomaly data—red dots scattered across globe, intensity measurements climbing steadily.
"AEGIS detected anomalies overnight," I began. "Gravitational fluctuations suggesting dimensional instability. Pattern matches theoretical predictions for event called Convergence—nine realms aligning, creating temporary weakness in dimensional barriers."
"Last time barriers weakened, Chitauri invaded," Frank observed. "You're predicting similar incursion from different dimension."
"Exactly. Can't specify threat nature because we lack intelligence. But can prepare for dimensional combat—environment where physics becomes unreliable, reality warps, hostile entities from alternate dimensions attack through tears in space."
"That's terrifying," Maya said. "Also completely outside our capability to counter."
"We can't prevent dimensional incursion. But we can respond effectively, evacuate civilians, minimize casualties. That's our operational scope."
"Confidence level?" Frank asked, using new protocol.
"Ninety-four percent that dimensional event occurs within six months. Eighty percent that hostile entities attempt to exploit weakened barriers. Sixty percent that London is primary target based on convergence point calculations." Mixing real knowledge with strategic guessing. "Specifics uncertain, but preparation serves regardless of exact threat."
Yelena leaned forward. "You know something specific."
"Always. But sharing everything I know creates more problems than solutions. Trust that I'm preparing for what matters."
She didn't look satisfied but nodded.
Contacting Jane Foster required careful approach.
I called from secure line, catching her at New Mexico research facility she'd been running with Darcy Lewis and Dr. Selvig for two years.
"Dr. Foster. Justin Hammer. Need to discuss your dimensional research urgently."
"Mr. Hammer?" She sounded surprised. "Your grants have been wonderful, but why urgent?"
"Global gravitational anomalies detected overnight. Intensity increasing. Pattern suggests your Convergence theory is manifesting in real-time."
Silence. Then rapid typing. "You're seeing the same data I am. Anomalies at predicted convergence points. Mathematical models suggest nine realms aligning in approximately—"
"Four to six months. Yes. Which means your theoretical work becomes immediate practical concern. I need everything you have on interdimensional physics, how convergence affects Earth, and how to defend against dimensional incursions."
"Defend? You're talking military applications of theoretical astrophysics."
"I'm talking disaster preparedness for event that will create random dimensional portals, gravity shifts, and reality warping. Need detection equipment for dimensional tears and response protocols for when they occur. Funding unlimited, timeline urgent."
"This is... you're serious."
"Completely. Your research predicts this. My detection systems confirm it. In six months, dimensional barriers collapse temporarily. Something hostile will probably try to exploit that weakness. We can't prevent Convergence, but we can prepare for consequences."
Jane processed rapidly. "Problem is Convergence creates unpredictable effects. Portals appear randomly across convergence zones. Gravity shifts without warning. Can't predict exactly where or when tears occur, only general probability zones."
"Then we need portable detection equipment deployed across high-probability areas. Emergency response teams trained for chaotic physics environments. Medical protocols for dimensional energy exposure."
"That's... incredibly ambitious. Also exactly what responsible scientists should be doing instead of just publishing papers."
"So you'll help?"
"Send me specifications for what you need. I'll design detection arrays and dimensional energy analyzers. But Justin—if hostile entities do emerge during Convergence, we're talking about forces beyond human capability to counter."
"I know. Our role is saving civilians, not fighting dimensional invaders. Leave combat to whoever's equipped for it. We focus on keeping people alive until crisis resolves."
"I can work with that."
Project Bulwark launched within forty-eight hours.
Maya coordinated implementation—portable dimensional scanners detecting reality tears, energy weapons modified to target exotic matter, ARES Division training for environments where gravity and physics became suggestions rather than laws.
"Medical protocols?" Christine asked, reviewing equipment lists.
"Exposure to dimensional energies causes cellular disruption, neural damage, potential reality displacement. We need shielding for rescue teams, emergency treatment for civilians affected, and—" I hesitated. "And protocols for if team members get displaced to other dimensions temporarily."
"You're describing nightmare scenario."
"I'm describing what Convergence does based on theoretical models. Better to prepare for nightmare than discover we're unprepared when reality tears apart."
Frank observed training with grim focus. Enhanced operatives learning to function when gravity shifted randomly, when portals appeared underfoot, when reality itself became unreliable.
"This is impossible to train for properly," he said.
"Train for chaos. Train for adaptability. Train for keeping civilians alive despite impossible circumstances. That's achievable."
"What about you? You going to London when this hits?"
"Monitoring remotely unless absolutely necessary. This is Thor's fight—Asgardian conflict that humans can support but not resolve. My role is coordination, not front-line combat."
"Since when do you avoid front-line combat?"
"Since void corruption hit nineteen percent—" I caught myself. "Eighteen percent. Since eighteen percent. Dimensional energies might accelerate corruption. Better to minimize exposure."
Frank looked at me strangely but didn't press. I'd slipped—revealed knowledge of future corruption increase before it happened.
Getting careless. Need to be more careful about what I reveal when.
Yelena found me reviewing deployment plans at midnight.
"You briefed inner circle on Convergence. Told Frank confidence levels. Positioned resources optimally. But you're holding back specifics."
"Always."
"Dark Elves attacking London using Reality Stone during Convergence peak. That's what you're preparing for but not saying."
I looked up sharply. "How—"
"I'm not stupid. Your preparation focuses on London despite claiming general threat. Equipment specifications match countering reality-warping weapons. And you've been researching Dark Elves through mythology databases." She sat uninvited. "You know exact threat. Why not tell everyone?"
"Because revealing specifics requires explaining knowledge source. Which exposes transmigration, creates existential questions about free will versus predetermined outcomes, and makes me target for acquisition by people wanting predictive intelligence."
"So you let people operate partially blind to protect yourself?"
"I let people operate with information they need while protecting strategic advantage that serves everyone. Dark Elves attacking London or generic dimensional incursion—either way, we evacuate civilians and support Thor. Specifics don't change operational requirements."
"Specifics might save lives."
"Specifics might also create panic, overconfidence, or strategic paralysis. I've calculated costs. This approach optimizes outcomes."
Yelena was quiet. Then: "You're becoming comfortable making choices that hurt people you care about. Christine said it. Now I'm saying it. Question is when calculated leadership becomes cold manipulation."
"When outcomes stop mattering more than methods. Until then, I prioritize saving maximum people through optimal information sharing."
"That's not reassuring."
"It's not meant to be. It's meant to be honest."
She left me alone with deployment plans and moral questions I couldn't fully answer.
The void marks pulsed steadily. Eighteen percent corruption.
Four months until Convergence. Until dimensional barriers collapsed and Dark Elves emerged and Thor fought battle that would test everything I'd built.
Better make every day of those four months count.
Because dimensional incursions didn't care about moral ambiguity or strategic calculations.
They just killed indiscriminately until stopped.
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