Just as the public was gazing up, the five groups of "fireflies" that had converged from different points began to shift.
The swarms quickly merged mid-air, morphing into five adorable white goats. As if responding to a silent call, they charged across the sky above the bay, heading straight for the skyscrapers of downtown.
"Look! Five goats carrying golden stalks of grain are running toward us. Legend says these five goats flew into Miami, bringing a bountiful harvest and ensuring the people would never know hunger. To thank them, the settlers named this place 'The City of Five Goats'..."
The five white goats frolicked and played, looking incredibly lifelike. Cheers erupted from the crowds on both sides of the water, and a million phones went up to record the magic. Then, just as quickly, the goats dissipated, their lights reassembling into a massive, glowing sphere.
The sphere began to rotate, and the outlines of continents and oceans gradually appeared.
Earth.
Soon, the Earth began to shrink, and a moon appeared in orbit around it, followed immediately by the rest of the Solar System. Eight colorful planets could be seen rotating around a massive sun in the center. The scene looked like a high-end CGI effect from a sci-fi blockbuster, yet it was hanging realistically right in front of them.
Gaps of amazement rippled through the crowd. Everyone knows what the Solar System looks like, but seeing it presented with such scale and beauty was overwhelming. But the show wasn't over. The Solar System shrank further, and thousands of new points of light appeared. They began to spiral around a dark vacuum in the center, forming a massive silver disk.
"The Milky Way! That's the Milky Way!" someone shouted, clapping excitedly.
"Look at the spiral arms," a young man with a passion for astronomy explained to his friends. "That dark spot in the middle—that's the black hole at the center!"
"My God, it's beautiful," a girl whispered, her hands clasped.
Accompanied by stirring music, the massive galaxy rotated slowly in the night sky. Countless people looked up in silence, feeling the sheer vastness of it all. This was the home of the Solar System; it was a humbling reminder of how insignificant humans really are.
Suddenly, the Milky Way "exploded," turning into millions of white sparks that drifted slowly toward the water. The music transitioned from a grand anthem to something soothing. As the light points gathered back toward the center, a stunning green peacock emerged. It flew leisurely through the air, eventually "landing" and looking around as if foraging for food.
With a long, silent cry, the peacock spread its tail. Thousands of multi-colored lights formed a shimmering fan that swayed in the breeze, looking like something out of a dream. Even the boisterous crowd went quiet, afraid of scaring the creature away.
...
"Okay, get ready for the next transition. Five, four, three, two, one—change!"
At the console, Nick was locked in, his eyes darting between his monitors and the swarm.
"Drop the velocity. Yes, further, watch the synchronization timing on the transition."
"Wind speed over the water is climbing. Watch the buffer zones; keep that array spacing tight."
...
"Report! We have an unidentified aircraft detected above the waterfront park, heading into the restricted zone fast!"
Halfway through the show, just as Nick was starting to relax, the security patrol's voice crackled over the radio, sounding panicked.
"What's the situation?" Nick's heart skipped a beat as he grabbed the mic.
The radio hissed with static. "Control, we have a rogue drone approaching the swarm at high speed!"
"Initiate the emergency protocol immediately. Intercept it. Do not let it reach the formation. I repeat: do not let it reach the formation."
"We're trying, but the target is too fast! We've requested backup from on-site PD to help spot the pilot," the voice yelled. It sounded like chaos on the other end.
Nick's mind raced. "Throttle down the swarm. Increase the buffer spacing between units to prevent a chain reaction."
"Nicholas, should I head over there?" Ryan asked, looking frantic.
Nick shook his head. "You going there won't change anything. Stay on your station and don't panic. Panic is how we lose the whole thing."
On the ground, it wasn't just Nick's security team. The event security, local police, and even neighborhood watch volunteers scrambled. Officers with megaphones began shouting into the crowd: "Whose drone is that? Ground it now! You are in violation of federal airspace; identify yourself immediately!"
"Team Leader Dye, this isn't working! We need a plan!"
"It's too dark—our signal jammers can't lock onto the target. We have to find the pilot!"
"Should we try the net guns? If that thing hits the swarm, it's over."
"Negative, the target is too high. The net guns won't reach!"
...
"Security, give me an update!" At the command center, Nick and Ryan were sweating.
"Report: the rogue drone is still circling inside the restricted airspace!"
Nick snapped. "You still haven't found the pilot?"
"We're looking, but there are over a million people out here. It's a needle in a haystack!"
Nick looked up at the massive peacock glowing in the sky, stubbed out his cigarette, and made the call. "Activate the final contingency. Launch two of the interceptor units and ram that thing out of the sky."
"Copy that!"
This was their "break glass in case of emergency" plan. Each security team had spare high-speed drones for exactly this kind of disaster. Ramming the rogue craft was a last resort, something they hoped they'd never have to do.
At the console, Nick and Ryan's hearts were pounding. If the collision missed, or if the rogue pilot saw them coming and tried to dodge, they might accidentally fly right into the heart of the display. In a formation that dense, a single rogue impact could cause a cascading "domino effect," bringing the entire $120 million project crashing into the bay in a matter of seconds. Months of grueling work were hanging by a thread.