Pete held up the photograph outside City Hall, showing it to anyone who would stop. The storm system in the image looked wrong. The clouds twisted in patterns that shouldn't exist. He'd spent three days measuring wind speeds and barometric pressure drops that defied every weather model. A woman in a business suit glanced at the photo and laughed. A teenager took one look and kept walking. The security guard by the entrance shook his head and told Pete to move along. Pete folded the photograph back into his jacket and sat on the granite steps. The building rose behind him with its carved columns and golden domes, all that civic authority pressing down on his shoulders. He pulled out his notebook and crossed off another location. Someone in this city had to listen. He just hadn't found them yet. But the photograph wasn't enough. Pete grabbed his cardboard sign from his backpack and propped it against the trash can near the entrance. Bold black letters spelled out THEY ARE HERE in thick marker strokes. He arranged his other evidence around it: satellite images, pressure readings, a chart showing the timeline. People walked past without slowing down. One man actually stepped over the display to reach the trash can. Pete watched a child point at the sign, but her mother pulled her away. The sun dropped behind the City Hall towers as Pete packed everything back up. Tomorrow he would try the police station. Tomorrow someone would have to take him seriously. The next morning Pete climbed the steps of the police department with his cardboard sign tucked under one arm. Inside, fluorescent lights hummed above rows of desks. An officer at the front counter looked up from his computer. Pete spread the sign on the counter and laid out his photographs beside it. The officer studied the evidence for three seconds before sliding it all back. He said Pete should file an online report if he had concerns. Pete asked to speak with someone in meteorology or emergency services. The officer pointed to a pamphlet about mental health resources. Pete gathered his materials and walked back outside. The city stretched in every direction, millions of people who would never believe him. But somewhere in Asterline, one person would look at his proof and understand. Pete put the sign back in his bag and headed toward the business district.