Humanity sees a death-star beam shoot out across the universe. Not at us, but past us. Origin unknown- destination unknown- but unavoidably devastating.
Every single country on Earth immediately bans all radio wave transmissions. Every single light is mandated to be turned off, until procedures are put in place to ensure none of their light leaks away from the planet into space.
International divisions are set up to try to locate and identify the antagonist, or the victim, or anything remotely possible about the attack. The beam only lasted a day, and everyone was too caught up in damage control to focus on tracing it to its source while it was still active. So now they scour, hunting the skies in the general direction it originated from, hoping to find out something.
They figure though, the Antagonist, being much more advanced than humanity, knowing the destruction of its own weapons, must have some method to protect itself from similar attacks. Chiefly hiding. Better than humanity, in its apparent adolescence, could ever hope to uncover.
They keep an eye out though. Keenly, cautiously watching. Maybe someone else saw. Maybe they'll witness a strike back, or a second attack even. Who knows. But humanity stands watching. A bit more united. Much more wary. Amazed, terrified, on guard, and hopeful.
