Denver was a quiet town, as usual. With a population of 50,000, this small city was neither bustling nor chaotic like the surrounding metropolises. Most residents knew each other, fostering a close-knit community. But that peace shattered overnight.
The incident began in the early hours of the morning. Patients in comas started arriving at the local hospital's emergency room. What began as a trickle soon became a flood. By mid-morning, the hospital was overwhelmed, as the number of cases grew exponentially. Doctors were baffled by the sudden, inexplicable outbreak, while families of the victims were gripped by fear. The situation turned even more dire as some of the patients began dying.
Detective Jin Carter was assigned to the case. In his mid-30s, Jin was a ten-year veteran of the police force, known for his sharp instincts and relentless determination in solving even the toughest cases. But this time, he found himself at a loss.
"What in the world is going on?"
Standing in the lobby of Denver Regional Hospital, Jin took in the chaos around him. Medical staff rushed patients to the emergency rooms, while hallways brimmed with distraught families. Their tear-streaked faces and frantic voices painted a vivid picture of the crisis.
Jin approached Dr. Alice Porter, the head of the hospital's emergency department. Normally composed and methodical, Dr. Porter now looked pale and anxious.
"Dr. Porter, can you explain what's happening here?" Jin asked.
Alice sighed deeply before responding. "To be honest, we don't know. All the patients are exhibiting the same symptoms: they've fallen into a coma, and their brain activity is unusually unstable. But we have no idea why this is happening."
"What do these patients have in common? Age, gender, health conditions, occupation?"
"That's the problem. There's no discernible pattern. The patients range from teenagers to senior citizens, from different walks of life. The only commonality is that they all fell asleep last night and never woke up."
Jin jotted down notes as she spoke, his brows furrowing in thought. "And the fatalities?"
"So far, three have died," Alice replied, her voice trembling slightly. "Like the others, they were in a coma, but their bodies just… shut down. No heart attacks, no strokes. Their organs were in perfect condition, but it was as if their life force just vanished."
The gravity of her words hung heavy in the air. Even an experienced physician like Alice seemed shaken by the unprecedented nature of the event. Jin's gut told him that this was no ordinary case.
Jin's next stop was the home of one of the victims, Sarah Miller, a 25-year-old graduate student. Healthy and with no history of serious illness, Sarah's sudden collapse baffled her parents.
"When did Sarah fall into a coma?" Jin asked.
"Last night," Sarah's mother replied. "She went to her room after dinner, and everything seemed normal. But when I went to wake her up this morning, she wouldn't respond. At first, I thought she was just in a deep sleep, but no matter what we did, she wouldn't wake up. So we brought her to the hospital."
"Was there anything unusual about her behavior or surroundings last night? Did she say or do anything out of the ordinary?"
Sarah's father shook his head. "Nothing at all. It was just a normal evening."
Jin asked to examine Sarah's room. It was neat and organized, with a desk covered in books and a laptop. The detective powered on the laptop and reviewed her recent activity. The night before, Sarah had been researching academic papers and chatting with a friend online. Nothing seemed out of place.
Something else caught Jin's attention: an old but well-maintained radio on Sarah's bedside table.
"Does Sarah use this radio often?" he asked.
"Yes," her mother said. "She liked listening to music while falling asleep."
Jin examined the device closely. While it appeared ordinary, his instincts told him it might be significant.
Back at the police station, Jin reviewed his findings. The victims came from various backgrounds, yet all had fallen into comas on the same night. The abnormalities in their brain activity—and the potential link to electronic devices like Sarah's radio—lingered in his mind.
"Brainwaves… and radios…"
Jin began piecing together the puzzle. Could a signal from the radios have caused these comas? If so, what kind of signal could manipulate brain activity in such a way? He decided to gather all the victims' electronic devices for analysis.
That night, as Jin lay in bed, his mind raced with unanswered questions. As sleep overtook him, he dreamed of a surreal landscape: a massive crack split the town's center, and from the fissure emanated an eerie, otherworldly light. People lay unconscious around the crack, and an indistinct, shadowy figure loomed over them.
Jin awoke drenched in sweat, the details of his dream vivid in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than just a nightmare—it was a harbinger of something far more sinister.
The next morning, Jin returned to the hospital, where Dr. Porter greeted him with new information.
"Detective Carter, we've reanalyzed the patients' brainwaves and discovered something unusual," she said. "There's a consistent pattern of irregular signals, almost like a frequency being transmitted to their brains. It's not natural."
Jin's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying these signals could be coming from an external source?"
"Yes. It's possible that a device or transmitter is emitting them. What's even stranger is that the signal resembles certain bioelectrical patterns, as if it was deliberately designed to affect human brains."
This revelation sent a chill down Jin's spine. If someone was broadcasting such a signal, then this wasn't a random occurrence—it was deliberate.
Jin resolved to have all potential transmitters, including the radios, analyzed by forensic experts. If the signal's source could be identified, it might lead him closer to understanding the truth.
As the investigation progressed, Jin couldn't shake the feeling that he was on the verge of uncovering something monumental—and dangerous. The complexity and intentionality of the case suggested a hidden hand at work.
But one thing was clear: he was now fully immersed in this mystery, and there was no turning back. Whatever lay at the end of this path, Jin knew he had to see it through to the bitter end.