December 13, 1987
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Leslie furiously mashed buttons on her console attempting to bring the music back to Night whilst muttering possible solutions mixed with obscenities.
"I just don't get it!" She let out as she spun in her chair.
The silence was broken by the phone ringing. Leslie jumped.
"Hel...hello?" She fumbled the phone. She already knew who it was before she got the response.
"Hey Leslie, what's up with the music? My shift just started, don't ruin it already."
It was Oki, her closest friend. Oki was a private citizen intern over at Night Point, the same radar site her father worked at. He was also the same age as Leslie, 23. They both attended high school together and when Oki graduated he decided to further his education by attending the local community college, aptly named Night Community College.
NCC was the only higher education in the village and had just a handful degrees to choose from. He was currently working on his bachelor's degree in meteorology. Oki's ultimate goal was to finally move out of Night and get a job as a weatherman down in Juneau or Anchorage (or anywhere else).
"I haven't the slightest clue. One minute it's playing Aerosmith and the next nothing," she replied. "It's like someone just pushed stop and I can't get it to start up again. The power is still on and the connections are good."
"Well get it fixed woman, you know how quiet it gets around here. There is only so much snow I can track." Oki chuckled.
"I will do my best. Hey did you see the sky cleared?" Leslie asked her friend.
"Leslie, how many times have I told you? I've lived here my whole life. Every year the sky clears and it just gets colder."
Just then, as if on queue a blinding light pierced the window of the radio station.
"What the hell?," the two said simultaneously.
Leslie stumbled over the power cables to her workstation (yanking them out of the wall), went to the window and cranked open the blinds to get a better look. She did not know it, but Oki did exactly the same (minus unplugging everything). After allowing her eyes to adjust to the light she realized that it took the form of an orb and was coming from the sea. It looked like a spotlight. The entire town was lit up as if the sun was shining. Lights inside houses began to flick on as the people of Night were suddenly awoken by the unexpected daytime.
"Was that in your forecast?" She asked, only half joking.
"You think it is a ship?" Oki replied.
"In winter? You know that water is frozen over."
As her last statement came out the tape deck started spinning again, but instead of music there was only static. Leslie turned back around and slowly started moving toward her equipment.
"It can't be."
"What is it? Leslie?"
Leslie bent down, picked up one of the power cords she had accidentally unplugged and traced it to the piece of equipment it belonged to.
It was the tape deck.
"Leslie?" Oki tried again.
"I'll call you back," she replied as she dropped the phone back on the receiver.
Her eyes moved from the cord to the tape deck and back again. It was still spinning. She glanced over at the control board. It wasn't transmitting, only she was hearing the static. Just when she was about to press "stop" on the deck the noise ceased and was replaced with something that chilled her to the bones. It was a voice.
"Hello," it said.
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