A. D. 2000

In the thick fog of a November night, 1887, the Presidio of San Francisco broods under a veil of damp darkness. Inside the officers’ club, laughter and the clatter of billiard balls mask the chill outside, while a separate, brightly lit study houses an assortment of curious instruments and a humming Holtz machine. Lieutenant Junius Cobb gathers his fellow subalterns for a briefing that feels more like a scientific council than a routine military meeting.

Among them, Lieutenant Lester Hathaway embodies the carefree socialite, more interested in dance halls than data, whereas Lieutenant Hugh Craft is the sharp‑eyed scholar, drawn to the marvels of electricity and the mysteries they may unlock. Their contrasting temperaments set the stage for a lively debate over a recent Arctic discovery, hinted at in the notes spread across the table. As the fire crackles and the fog presses against the windows, the men sense that the night may yield more than idle conversation.