Jun picked up his reading glasses, secured them in place, and leaned over to see. Tanaka's assessment appeared to be correct. On the older graph, the paired bursts of neutrinos were of distinctly different amplitudes. In the latest readings, the pairings were nearly equal in size.
"But what does that mean?" Jun took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.
Tanaka looked to Dr. Cooper, who nodded encouragement. It was rare for the man to show such insecurity. That small fact spoke to how truly upset Tanaka must be. Something had the man scared.
"I believe," Tanaka said, "that what we're witnessing is an approach toward critical mass. Once those two amplitudes match and come into alignment, it will trigger a massive chain reaction within the substrate that's radiating these subatomic particles."
"Like a nuclear reactor melting down," Dr. Cooper said. "Riku and I believe the escalating frequency and changes in amplitude are acting like a natural timer, counting down until the unknown substance in Iceland goes critical."
Jun's chest tightened. "There's going to be another explosion...?"
"Only this time a hundredfold larger," Tanaka added.
"When?"
"I've performed my calculations over and over, extrapolating the time when the paired emissions will align."
"Just tell me when?" Jun pressed.
Dr. Cooper answered. "Within the hour."
Tanaka clarified, demonstrating his usual distaste for generalities. "To be precise, fifty-two minutes."