Deny the Slake

A research ship investigates a tiny, apparently advanced planetoid whose streets, homes, and vehicles contain only fine gray powder where people once lived. The crew finds ornate tower networks and traces of personalized radio-like transceivers in the remains, while sensitized film shows tower signals that surged and then stopped as the ship approached, extinguishing lights and motion simultaneously. A psychologist-linguist works to decode enigmatic couplets and a long coil recording as technicians analyze residue and playback devices. The team debates whether the population died by a coordinated act, by a lethal broadcast, or by some catastrophic failure of their communication systems, mounting a careful but anxious inquiry.