Brussels

Brussels exists in this narrative solely as a point of reference Dr. Cook uses when discussing the potential scope of inquiries—both temporal and political—into the ongoing crisis at the Newton Institute. The name carries no physical presence in the scene but functions as a strategic marker, invoking the corridors of European diplomacy where such investigations might originate or escalate. Cook’s mention suggests Brussels as a hub of official channels where knowledge could be sought, traded, or suppressed depending on which authorities gained control of the narrative. The location carries the weight of institutional memory and intergovernmental friction, a place where scientific anomalies become entangled with geopolitical stakes.