Every "target" implies a crosshair. Every crosshair implies an intention.

We thought they came because of the heat. The truth is more terrifying. They came to witness the cooling . 1947 was the flashpoint—the moment the flare went up. But a "hot scene" in forensic terms is the site of a recent event. The investigators arrive not to stop the fire, but to measure the ashes.

What if the target was not a city, a missile silo, or a military base? What if the "target" was consciousness itself ?

The deepest piece is this: We misread the visitation.

We have spent the 77 years since trying to decide if we were the target or the observer .