The hum of the *Erebus's* engines was a comforting sound, a steady reminder that we were putting distance between ourselves and whatever catastrophe had unfolded on Titan. I was still trying to process what I'd seen in the med bay—the glowing eyes, the voice that wasn't Amara's, and the overwhelming sense that we were no longer just a crew of explorers. We were now potential carriers of something far more dangerous than we could comprehend.
As I made my way back to the bridge, I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. I had to keep it together for my crew. They were counting on me to lead them through this, even if I didn't have all the answers.
The bridge was quiet when I entered, the usual banter absent as Luca and Siegfried manned their stations. The view outside the viewport was a black canvas, dotted with the cold light of distant stars. But as I approached the captain's chair, I noticed something off. The navigational chart was frozen, and the comms panel was flashing with an incoming transmission.
"Captain," Luca said, glancing up at me, his face tense. "We've got a message coming in from UNE command. They're ordering us to cut engines and hold position."
"What?" I frowned, moving to the comms panel. "That doesn't make any sense. We've got clearance to leave Titan airspace. Why would they—"
The screen flickered to life, cutting me off mid-sentence. The face of a stern-looking UNE general filled the monitor, his uniform adorned with the insignia of the United Nations of Earth. He had the kind of look that didn't tolerate disobedience.
"This is General Adrian Parks of the UNE Space Command," he began, his voice cold and authoritative. "Captain Kontos, you are hereby ordered to deactivate your engines and hold position until further notice. Any attempt to continue your current course will be met with force."
My heart skipped a beat. This wasn't a routine communication. Something was very, very wrong.
"General Parks," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "We're on a scheduled return to CE-controlled space with critical data and personnel. What's the meaning of this embargo?"
His eyes narrowed. "This is not a negotiation, Captain. Shut down your engines immediately, or we will take action."
I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, I felt a presence beside me. It was Amara, her movements slow, almost deliberate, as she stepped onto the bridge. Her eyes no longer glowed, but there was a shadow behind them, something lurking beneath the surface.
"They don't want the infection to spread," she said softly, her words carrying an ominous weight.
I turned to her, trying to decipher her meaning. "Infection? What are you talking about, Amara?"
Her gaze met mine, and in that moment, I realized she knew far more than she had let on. "Whatever happened in that lab, Mark, it wasn't just an accident. Those artifacts—they're not just relics. They're something more. And now, they've taken hold. UNE knows that if we make it back to CE space, it could spread. They'll do anything to stop us."
I felt a cold dread settle in my stomach. This wasn't just about the artifacts anymore. The situation was escalating beyond our control, and now we were caught in the middle of something far larger than any of us had anticipated.
The general's voice broke through my thoughts. "Captain Kontos, this is your final warning. Shut down your engines, or we will disable your ship."
I hesitated, my mind racing. If we stopped now, we'd be at the mercy of UNE, trapped until they decided what to do with us. But if Amara was right—if there really was an infection—then stopping could be the worst possible choice.
Before I could decide, the ship's sensors blared to life, a dozen alarms going off at once. Luca's hands flew over the controls, his face pale.
"Captain, we've got incoming! Multiple contacts on an intercept course. It's the Terrestrial Empire fleet—they're attacking the UNE blockade!"
My eyes widened as the display lit up with red markers—TE warships emerging from the void, their weapons hot and ready for battle. The UNE ships scrambled to respond, but the TE had caught them off guard. Explosions lit up the darkness as the two fleets clashed, laser fire and missile trails streaking across the stars.
This was our chance.
"Luca, full power to the engines!" I ordered, adrenaline surging through my veins. "Get us the hell out of here!"
Luca didn't need to be told twice. The *Erebus* lurched forward as the engines roared to life, the stars blurring into streaks of light as we shot away from the battle. The bridge shook as the shockwaves of distant explosions rattled the hull, but we were clear—racing through the chaos, slipping through the cracks as UNE and TE forces tore into each other.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Amara watching the carnage unfold on the monitor, her expression unreadable. There was a sadness in her eyes, but also something else—something darker.
As we put distance between ourselves and the battle, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. The UNE had tried to stop us, to quarantine whatever we had brought on board, but the TE attack had given us a temporary reprieve. How long that would last, I had no idea.
For now, we were free. But as I looked at Amara, standing there with that haunted look in her eyes, I knew that whatever we had escaped from out there, we hadn't truly left it behind.
And it was only a matter of time before it caught up with us.