Entropy does not stand still. And not all accidents can be prevented. Does an artificial intelligence, with nothing to do but wait, grow less alert? Or was there simply nothing TIM could have done?

It was not clear what caused it. A rare earth tremor, disturbance by demolition nearby, or simply age. When you build underground, gravity is your enemy.

The Special Intelligence Service had, naturally, been keeping an eye on the place, despite the forcefield that prevented them from getting in. Not much of an eye, but an eye nevertheless. When the forcefield collapsed, nobody noticed for a month or more. But when they noticed, they lost no time in investigating.

The place was a wreck. The ceiling had collapsed. The technology that remained was a scorched jigsaw puzzle. Nevertheless, each piece was retrieved and catalogued in the hope that something could be made of it.

That's when they found the letter, stained but whole. It was read, discected, and filed. But only one thing was considered important. The Tomorrow People were gone. But there could be more. In the future. And they would have to be ready. Perhaps a special department...? Scientific Investigations.

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