From Surgipelago, the Beach Surgery encyclopedia
Ten Layered Versions
The **radio/radar igloo** emerges from the red desert: a dome of corrugated metal bristling with antennae salvaged from satellite graveyards. Leif and Katita enter. Inside, a control room from some abandoned era—switches, dials, a frequency gauge spanning octaves. The mechanic leans against the console: the same face as the police officer Leif tackled days before, or perhaps not. the mechanic: “"Raise the frequency. The robots cannot hear that pitch."” Katita turns the dial. A hum fills the room. But Leif's vision fractures: he sees ten layered versions of the igloo superimposed, ten occupying the same space. Leif: “"Which one am I in?"” The camera shifts to reflect his splintered sight—one layer shows the mechanic wearing a police badge; in another, he is Leif's own reflection; in another, the console is empty. The pressure in Leif's shoulder blades crescendos. Katita's hand moves to his back, checking for something that has not yet emerged.