Ian Arnstein a Classics professor fron San Diego, arrives on Nantucket Island on March 17, 1998. He walks to the John Cofflin House for a seafood dinner. Doreen Rosenthal, astronomy intern and visitor, watches the computer feed from automated cameras and realizes something strange is happening to the numbers. Police Chief Jared Cofflin is concerned by another power cut. He stares at the multicoloured dome of light covering the island until screams distract him. He takes control and quiets the crowds.