For a brief moment, all were enveloped in utter darkness. Sector One was expected to remain lost in the abyss forever. Yet, unexpectedly, the ship abruptly spun in the void, and the light returned, as if the black hole had merely been a fleeting figment of the imagination. The immense gravitational pull dragged Sector One toward the closest planet's atmosphere.
The force exerted on the ship was so extreme that the control systems became unresponsive, and various sections were severely damaged, torn apart like peeled fruit. Despite this damage, Sector One managed to remain intact, thanks to the meticulously crafted design and buoyancy systems.
The impact beacon blared, warning of the impending crash as Sector One hurtled toward the atmosphere, its blaring repetition rattling eardrums.
The entire ship spun and tumbled uncontrollably.
Despite their valiant efforts, the crew could only slow the descent and the spin. They were confident that the ship would survive the severe impact in the next few minutes, based on their experience. However, their faces were ashen, not due to the prospect of a cataclysmic crash but rather from what they saw on the screen.
"The ground is covered in trees… is that a forest?" Erith was bewildered. Prior to the Zerrian attack and their subsequent plunge into the black hole, he had already viewed the planet's information. Yet, what he saw now was vastly different from the previous scan results that indicated the planet was lifeless.
Why are there green plants…?
Sonata was among those who had examined the planet's information. However, the atmosphere had transformed completely compared to the record.
Furthermore, the tool that assessed passenger survivability detected vital signs of life on the planet.
This was impossible, except if the planet had undergone terraforming.
"Terraforming" was a technology that could transform a planet's uninhabitable conditions into a suitable environment for human habitation. Scientists would use various methods to change the planet's atmosphere to resemble that of Earth, such as separating gasses from liquids, filtering out toxic air, and adjusting temperatures using multiple techniques.
Although terraforming was not a new concept, everyone was shocked to see that this planet had been transformed.
Within minutes from being a lifeless and barren place to a lush and green world.
Sonata was horrified and wondered what could have caused such a drastic change. If his suspicions were correct, then this planet must have been a significant problem.
He was lost in thought, having not spoken to anyone yet.
As engineers and maintenance robots raced against the clock to restore some of their engines, it was clear that their efforts would be in vain. Sector One eventually crashed into the heart of a vast forest, its descent irreversible.
Fortune was not on their side. The ship crashed into a large swamp that was capable of supporting the entire vessel. However, the impact caused severe damage to the ship, rendering almost all systems non-functional. Parts of the vessel sank deep into the mud, while some torn pieces were swiftly swallowed by the surrounding water.
Sonata paid little attention to the damage, confident that the ship's self-restoring system could handle any issues. Instead, his focus was on the environmental inspection report displayed on the screen. As the numbers and letters scrolled endlessly, he noted the absence of signals from other sectors, their data lost before Sector One's catastrophic fall.
"Hmmm, nine moons," Sonata murmured, raising an eyebrow. He was certain that this planet only had one satellite. What could be the cause of the eight other strange objects appearing on the screen?
"Oxygen at 21%, nitrogen at 78%, and no other dangerous gasses at worrisome levels... Humans can breathe on this planet," Sonata muttered, his gaze shifting from the sky to the air. His eyes shone with excitement as the screen revealed the presence of plant and animal life. Microbes posed no threat to him, not with genetically engineered Silencers like himself.
Erith had a keen sense of what the young Commander was thinking.
Sonata, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned about being lost in an unfamiliar place or the fate of the other missing ship sectors. His head was filled with curiosity about the new planet.
"Fix the ship quickly. We need to urgently locate the missing sectors with no signal," Erith warned, but it was clear that Sonata was not paying much attention.
Secretly, Sonata thought that the situation was perfect for him. Perhaps he should eliminate some of the Empire's loyalists, like Erith?
Outwardly, Erith appeared to be a middle-aged man who could still converse, but anyone who knew the Silencer understood that logic did not work on him. Erith had been serving the Empire for hundreds of years and was one of its most devoted supporters. He could never be persuaded to join the separatists like Sonata.
...What to do with him? Keep him close for a little longer or eliminate him now?...
Angie reported the results of analyzing the space travel hibernation machine. "The system for waking people during hibernation was damaged. It will take a long time to fix."
Sonata knew that Angie had to deliver this news, regardless of his own actions. He had set a systemic software trap, ensuring that dangerous Silencers would not awaken and pose a threat, at least for a while.
Erith looked at Sonata knowingly. "This isn't your doing, is it?"
"Don't exaggerate. Your subordinates are not the only ones trapped there. My people are also affected," Sonata replied with a provoking voice. His eyes shone with a concealed slyness. "Don't assume that I've planned everything."
After conducting a bit more inspection, Sonata gathered his "exploration team." He assigned the mission of collecting data on the planet and repairing the spaceship to Professor Dogma Di-alno, a genius scientist and his adoptive father.
For his escort on the exploration of the planet, Sonata chose his most trusted friend.
Alberto Topaz, also known as Alto, was one of three Silencers who survived being stuck in the hibernation system, along with Sonata and Erith. Alto and Sonata had been close since their days as Silencer apprentices, and they were like brothers who would die for each other. Sonata was confident in Alto's combat skills.
Alto carefully selected only five of his closest associates from among hundreds of options. While they couldn't match the Silencers' abilities, the group of psychic troops was well-trained.
Instead of bringing many unreliable people, Alto chose those whose loyalty he knew he could count on to offer their heads to his best friend. He claimed that the rest of the soldiers and droids would be left to Sector One for protection.
"It will be a while before the ship is repaired. We should explore this planet in the meantime," Sonata smirked.
Erith saw that he couldn't stop Sonata, so he did not argue any further. At least Sonata's adoptive father and subordinates were present, ensuring that he would return.
"Please take care of things here," Sonata said, turning to the kind old man with disheveled gray hair.
The old man smiled back, reassuring Sonata that he need not worry about the ship or its inhabitants.
And so, the exploration of the unknown planet began for Sonata, Alto, and their five subordinates.
***-------------------------------------------------------------------***
"This tree is like a mangrove," a voice said, muffled by the soldier's helmet-like protective gear, revealing that she was a woman.
"That tree is like any other tree I've ever seen," reported another soldier who did not even know the tree's name but was certain that it was the same type of plant he had encountered before arriving on this planet.
Sonata used a handheld scanner to investigate further and discovered that most of the trees were known to humans or had related species. However, some trees were too bizarre to compare with anything recorded in human history.
"Be careful. There may be dangerous animals," Alto warned himself and his companions. He adjusted his camera-like eyes to zoom in and out, an enhancement he received during surgery several years ago. As a skilled sniper, the tool was invaluable.
The five soldiers struggled through a path filled with muddy swamps. Their armor had exoskeleton technology that allowed them to move better than the average person and carry several times their weight. However, following in the footsteps of superhumans like the two Silencers was still challenging.
"Two point five two kilometers ahead, there's a dangerous beast," announced Alto as he signaled with his hand pointing forward. He had spotted a tiger-like creature hunting its prey. The tiger was significantly larger than average and had three eyes.
Sonata was not convinced that Alto's warning was entirely accurate. He knew that his friend was sometimes overly anxious and pessimistic. From Sonata's perspective, a tiger three or four times larger than usual would not pose much of a threat. It would be about as dangerous as a domestic cat.