Two hours later, after having found no trace of Jason's whereabouts, J-Dude and the Eds had begun a thorough search.

Eddy: "Hey Jas! Come outta wherever ya are!"

Disgruntled soldier: "Shut up already! This Jason guy's not here!"

J-Dude: "We've searched everywhere but the air vents. He wouldn't just leave the perimeter would he?"

Lieutenant Marx walked up. She was looking very tired, but still alert.

Marx: "He didn't. Thermal sensors detected nothing outside the base, and none of our craft are unaccounted for."

The General also walked up, his face looking grave.

General: "Sir, you need to see this."

He lead them to the room they visited earlier, over to the screens showing the three planets. He typed in the time from four hours ago into the computer, and the planets revolved backwards to that time.

General: "You'll notice on Ainidras that the Leviathan has left the system at this time, heading towards one of the arms of the Milky Way. Not unrelated, we see two hours later that the ship had indeed entered Earth's solar system, in orbit around the sun. No more than fifteen minutes later, the ship jumps into hyperspace towards the Alpha Centauri system. Thirty minutes later, we lost contact with our supporters, the people of Zornith. The strange thing was that after contact was ceased, we scanned the area in question, only to find that the planet was reduced to molten dust."

Edd: "How is that strange?"

General: "Because ten minutes after we started scanning, we got transmissions from hyperradio waves. These transmissions."

The General pushed a button. Countless pleas for help and unearthly screams of terror and pain filled the room. He pushed the button again, and it stopped.

Edd: "Well…I suppose it would make sense. After all, radio waves normally take decades to move from planet to planet like that."

J-Dude: "Not with hyperradio waves. They are an almost instant use of communication. From Zornith, the longest delay possible for the distance is five minutes. If they had been scanning for ten minutes, they surely would have seen what was happening. It's almost as thought the waves were trapped."

Ed: "Maybe it is a colossal hologram! What if the debris field is just a face to veil the planet!"

Ed's uncharacteristic outburst left Edd and Eddy in a stupor, but the general continued.

General: "A good thought, but it would be a job to fool our scanning device. It creates a three dimensional image of the object in question, even telling the substantial makeup of the planet."

Eddy: "So, any theories?"

J-Dude seemed lost in thought, but he did respond, his face contorted in concentration so that the gears turning in his mind could almost be seen.

J-Dude: "Many…each one more unlikely than the last…"