Six days after generator failure

Arman was assigned to a research site near the coast, which was located far away from civilization. In addition to overseeing construction projects, he also managed various tasks related to the operation of the facility.

The main building had four levels: ground level, basement, second floor, and third. Each of these contained an array of laboratories and offices, including living quarters for researchers. The building itself wasn't particularly impressive, but it was clean and well maintained. Everything worked properly, and the equipment appeared brand new.

All told, there were fifty scientists working at the lab complex—more than twice the number he'd expected. All of them looked young, probably in their twenties and thirties. Some of them were married with children, although only a handful actually lived in the housing provided. Most of the residents came from small towns outside the city.

Most of the workers had some background in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. Their skills ranged widely; they could design new products based on scientific principles or conduct experiments using advanced technology.

Although the overall structure was simple, each room contained specialized labs equipped with high-end devices such as microscopes and spectrometers. Scientists conducted tests on everything imaginable, from human blood samples to animal tissue and even plants.

Some of the more interesting things they studied included ancient manuscripts, bones discovered deep beneath the earth's crust, artifacts recovered from ruins, and strange objects found within meteorites.

In the center of the building stood a circular chamber filled with rows of glass tanks containing different kinds of organisms. These creatures grew in a special nutrient solution and seemed to thrive without sunlight.

There was also an observatory tower built into the side of a hill overlooking the sea, and this is where Arman was reassigned. From its top, Arman enjoyed breathtaking views of the surrounding area and watched ships pass through the open ocean until sunset. He sat alone atop the observation platform and contemplated the vastness of space, wondering if anyone else was looking at stars beyond our planet.

After dark, Arman would go up again, enjoying the quiet solitude before going to sleep in his room. Although he didn't feel lonely, he missed the companionship of other people. Even though he was surrounded by strangers every day, he still felt like part of a community despite not having met many individuals.

***

Two days passed since Arman began work, and he began to get used to the routine. Every morning, he woke up early and headed straight for the observatory. At night, after dinner, he went back upstairs to read books or watch television.

By the end of his first week, he found himself looking forward to going to work. He had plenty of time and nothing to do anyway, so there was no reason to be bored.

The work itself was busy but easy. There was always something that needed doing, and the entire team was fully capable of handling it. The rest of the day was spent sitting around, reading, eating lunch, chatting with colleagues, etc.

As time passed, Arman started spending more and more time in the observatory. During the morning, he went to shore to check the tides, then returned to the laboratory to study the data collected during the previous month. Afterwards, he usually took a short walk along the beach, watching waves break against rocks and listening to seagulls screeching overhead. Sometimes, when he was feeling restless, he climbed onto a nearby rock formation and stared across the water toward distant islands. Occasionally, he saw lights moving through the sky above the horizon.

During the afternoon, he reviewed test results and did calculations on the computer.

"It's weird," Arman said one evening over drinks. "I've been staring at numbers all day. It makes me want to stare out the window instead."

He continued, "It doesn't matter how much information we gather or what kind of experiment we run. We're just guessing. If someone comes up with a better theory, I'll change my mind immediately. But right now, everything seems inconclusive."

"What are your thoughts?" asked Dr. Nambu.

Nambo smiled broadly. His eyes sparkled as he listened intently.

Arman leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. After taking another sip of beer, he explained, "We need to understand why the tide changes so drastically here compared with other areas. For example, at certain times in the bay, the water level drops nearly five meters. That's very unusual, especially considering the fact that this place has never experienced any major earthquakes. So far, we haven't found anything definitive. Maybe it's related to the moon."

Dr. Nambu shook his head. "That may be true, but you should focus on the problem at hand rather than jumping to conclusions." He paused thoughtfully before adding, "Perhaps a closer examination of the area will reveal clues? Perhaps you can find evidence of seismic activity near the coast?"

***

The following day, Arman drove out to the lighthouse located several kilometers inland. When he arrived, he parked his car and walked down to the rocky shoreline, where a group of tourists were gathered. They looked confused, standing next to their rented cars and gazing out toward the sea.

"What's happening?" one tourist shouted. "Why does it look like the water is disappearing?"

A man wearing a white lab coat stepped forward and pointed to the ocean. "Look! Something's wrong!"

Everyone turned towards the water and gasped in unison. Waves crashed against the rocks and sand, but only small amounts of seawater remained in the shallow waters. As Arman gazed at the spectacle, he noticed that the water was gradually draining away. In less than half an hour, the water level dropped almost four feet. Then it stopped.

When the tourists left, Arman examined the coastline and measured the amount of erosion. This wasn't the first time such a thing happened, and he wondered if they might have witnessed the same event a few days earlier.

While waiting for the tide to return, Arman decided to take some measurements. Using a tape measure, he recorded the length of each wave crest and calculated the average speed using formulas provided by scientists who studied the movement of tides around Earth. He then wrote them down on paper, making notes regarding weather conditions, wind direction, and other variables.

After returning home later that evening, he checked his email messages while drinking coffee. A message came in from Dr. Nambu, asking him to stop by the office tomorrow.

Arman opened the file containing the latest data collected at the observatory.

***

We know that the earth's gravity pulls everything towards it, including the moon. But somehow, the moon stays up, as if suspended by some opposite force.

But there is no other force countering gravity—instead, the trick to staying up is a 'sideways' motion that we call an orbit. And this is what the moon does: Falling sideways around the earth very fast, with no air slowing down.

Tidal currents exist because of the gravitational attraction between the earth and the moon.

However, the lunar cycle creates a periodicity (the same every 29 days), which causes large fluctuations in the earth-moon system. These fluctuations create a series of high and low tides throughout the year, called the semi-annual cycle. But this is weird. Why do these fluctuating tides become more extreme at this time?

Arman had read many theories explaining why this happens. Some believe that the sun's position during the month affects the earth's rotation, causing the moon to appear larger or smaller depending on when the full moon occurs.

Others suggest that the tilt of our planet's axis relative to the plane of its orbit is responsible. The farther north or south you are from the equator, the greater the difference in altitude above the horizon. Therefore, the higher northern latitudes experience lower tides due to a longer interval between new and full moons.

But Arman thought of something else because of this recent incident.

Could the reason behind the drastic decrease in the tide be linked to the distance between the earth and the moon?

As Arman sat pondering his hypothesis, he frowned deeply. It made sense. If the tides change dramatically just after the generator failure incident, maybe that means that the moon is not moving normally.

"I think I've figured out how to solve the mystery," said Arman aloud, not even realizing he was terrified as he continued typing on his laptop computer.

He sent the email to Dr. Nambu immediately thereafter. Within minutes, he received a reply.

***