The tension in the cabin of the *Erebus* was almost suffocating as we sped away from the chaos unfolding behind us. The UNE and TE fleets were tearing each other apart, and here we were, a small speck in the vastness of space, caught in the middle of a war we barely understood.
My crew was silent at first, still processing the shock of what had just happened. Luca was at the helm, his hands gripping the controls tightly, his usually easygoing demeanor replaced with a grim determination. Sig stood behind him, his eyes scanning the displays, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring, ready to react to any threat. Sophia and Helena were seated at the operations console, their faces a mixture of confusion and concern.
But it was Amara who held my attention. She had taken a seat near the back, away from the others, her eyes downcast, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. There was something about her, a quiet intensity that made my skin crawl. I wanted answers, but I wasn't sure I was ready for what she might say.
It was Luca who finally broke the silence, his voice strained. "Can someone explain to me what the hell just happened? Why did the TE attack the UNE? And why are we running for our lives?"
Sophia glanced at me, then back at Luca. "They attacked because they saw an opportunity. The TE and UNE have been on the brink of open conflict for years. This was just the spark they needed."
"But why target us?" Sig growled, his voice deep and laced with suspicion. "What do we have that's so damn important?"
Helena, ever the voice of reason, leaned forward, her gaze shifting between Amara and me. "It's not just about us. It's about what we found on Planet X—the artifacts. They're not just relics. They're a threat, something that UNE is desperate to contain."
"And now we've got one of their scientists on board," Luca added, glancing at Amara. "Who wasn't supposed to be here, by the way."
The room fell into a tense silence as all eyes turned to Amara. She had been so quiet since we'd left Titan, almost as if she was trying to make herself invisible. But there was no avoiding the questions any longer.
"Amara," I said gently, trying to coax her out of her shell. "We need to understand what's going on. Why are you here? What happened in that lab?"
She looked up at me, and I could see the conflict in her eyes, a storm of emotions she was struggling to keep at bay. For a long moment, I thought she wouldn't answer, that she'd retreat back into her silence. But then she took a deep breath and spoke, her voice soft, almost broken.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she began, her words trembling with guilt. "When the artifacts activated, it was like… like something awakened inside me. I don't know how to explain it, but it was as if they were calling to me, connecting with me on a level I didn't know existed."
I exchanged a glance with Helena, who looked as worried as I felt. This wasn't just about scientific curiosity anymore. This was something far more dangerous.
"But why did you board the *Erebus*?" Helena asked, her tone gentle. "You should have stayed on Titan. You knew how risky this was."
Amara shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "I couldn't stay. Not after what happened. The artifacts—they're not just objects. They're alive, in a way we can't fully understand. And they've… they've changed me."
"Changed you?" Sig repeated, his voice tinged with suspicion.
She nodded, her hands trembling. "I don't know how to describe it. It's like… like they've unlocked something within me, something that doesn't belong here."
Luca let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, this is getting way too weird. What do you mean, 'doesn't belong here'? What are you saying?"
Amara looked at each of us in turn, her expression filled with sorrow. And then, as if to underscore the gravity of her words, her eyes began to glow once more, that eerie, pulsating light that sent a shiver down my spine.
"I want to go home," she said, her voice distant, almost hollow.
I felt a chill settle over the room. "Back to Earth?" I asked, though I knew that wasn't what she meant.
Her glowing eyes met mine, and she shook her head slowly. "No… to Nibiru. My home planet. It's what you call Planet X."
The room fell into stunned silence. No one moved, no one spoke, as the weight of her words sank in. Amara wasn't just a scientist who had been affected by the artifacts. She was something else entirely—something alien.
"But how?" Sophia whispered, breaking the silence. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know," Amara replied, her voice tinged with sadness. "All I know is that the artifacts… they awakened something inside me, something that remembers. They've shown me glimpses, memories of a place I've never been, but somehow know is my home."
Luca looked at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Mark, what the hell do we do now?"
I didn't have an answer. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of everything we'd just heard. Amara wasn't just one of us anymore. She was… something else, something tied to the very thing we'd discovered on Planet X.
And now she wanted to go back.
Before I could say anything, the ship's sensors beeped, drawing our attention to the forward display. We had arrived. The swirling gas giant of Planet X loomed ahead, its surface bathed in the cold light of the distant sun. The place where it had all started—and where it seemed it would all end.
"We're here," Luca announced, his voice barely above a whisper.
Amara stood, moving toward the viewport, her glowing eyes locked on the distant planet. There was a sadness in her posture, a longing that tugged at something deep inside me.
"This is where it all began," she said softly. "And this is where it must end."
As the *Erebus* descended toward the icy surface of Planet X, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were heading into the unknown, guided by a force we barely understood. Amara had brought us here, but what awaited us on that frozen world was a mystery.
And something told me that whatever we were about to face, it would change everything.