The CBHM emitted a low, distinct operational hum, signaling that control of the unit had fully transitioned to the Artificial Intelligence. The AI, configured to recognize the vocal timbres of the Professor and the Doctor as a key safeguard against unauthorized access, immediately responded in a synthesized female voice: "System active. Select operating mode." Professor Nicholas, his eyes fixed on the monitor, commanded: "Two percent of the total lens power will suffice for a start." "Quite enough," Dr. Marcus confirmed. Addressing the system, Professor Nicholas ordered: "Nova, project the sample onto the main screen at two percent resolution."
?Within a second, a blurred, indistinct image appeared on the massive plasma display (4 by 3 meters). Dr. Marcus commanded: "Nova, perform lens alignment and synchronize the sensors. We need precise calibration of all nodes to achieve Hyper-Resolution!"
?The blur vanished from the screen that very second, as if ripples had been wiped from a water's surface, and the image attained a fantastic clarity. In that moment, Liam and William simultaneously and involuntarily let out a soft, stunned: "Whoa..."
?Something utterly incomprehensible appeared on the monitor. Dr. Marcus, stepping closer to the screen, instinctively recoiled. "I see no structure! I observe no crystal molecules! There is practically nothing there. It is absolute emptiness! What are we looking at?" Simultaneously, a mysterious glow radiating from the depths of the crystal seemed to envelop not only the screen but the entire surrounding space, instilling a sense of piercing cold and dizziness.
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?Professor Nicholas ordered Nova: "What is this? Decode." The AI reported: "I require an additional five percent of unit power." Dr. Marcus, without hesitation, confirmed: "Execute." The screen paused for a second. The next moment, it displayed an image even more intriguing than the previous emptiness: before them lay a colossal, glowing cluster.
?Maintaining his professional composure, Dr. Marcus asked Professor Nicholas: "What is this, Professor? What data do we have regarding this phenomenon?" Nova's voice, steady and confident, responded: "I request intervention. My database contains no information on objects matching the current parameters. To provide information, I must construct an algorithmic inference." After two minutes of silence, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the equipment, Nova announced: "Algorithmic inference complete. Object classified. This is a Supercluster."
?Dr. Marcus double-checked, staring intently at the data on the screen: "A Supercluster? What specifically do you mean, Nova? Clarify the term." Nova replied laconically: "It is the Great Attractor." Professor Nicholas asked again in astonishment: "The Great Attractor?" Then, without waiting for an answer, he gave the command: "Nova, conduct a re-analysis. More thorough." Nova dispassionately countered: "Re-analysis is futile, Professor. Classification probability is 99.9%. This is the Great Attractor." Dr. Marcus and Professor Nicholas exchanged looks. For a moment, they were struck by the grandeur of what they saw and the realization of the scale of their discovery. To the side, understanding absolutely nothing, Liam and William sat with wide-open eyes, as if in a 3D cinema.
