Countdown.
Somewhere in the north American continent was a black dome. No one knew where it came from or how long it has been there, and in all likelihood no one will ever know.
Cracks began to spread over its surface emitting purple light. Little by little it began to crumble like the shell of an egg revealing what was hidden underneath.
It was a large square shaped platform twenty meters across, made out of obsidian like black rock. It's surface appeared smooth at first, however seconds after the black dome completely disappeared strange symbols began to glow a purple light forming lines that drew complex geometrical shapes.
The air over the platform began to vibrate and in the next moment a pillar of light shot up to the sky.