The hum of the control room faded, replaced by the dull echo of the stranger's footsteps as he led Liam down the dim corridor. Tension lingered in the air, heavy and electric, as though the very walls were holding their breath. The stranger hadn't spoken since pulling Liam from the console moments before.
"Where are we going?" Liam asked, his voice cutting through the silence.
"To uncover the truth," the man replied cryptically, his clipped tone revealing nothing.
They stopped before a large, reinforced door. The stranger swiped a keycard, and the door hissed open, revealing a sleek room bathed in the glow of monitors.
On the central screen was an image that made Liam's heart skip: the intricate network of tunnels beneath Vatican City, their paths converging on a single, glowing chamber.
"This is no ordinary signal," the man said, pointing to the screen. "It's a key. A key that's unlocking secrets humanity has only whispered about in conspiracy theories."
Liam's eyes locked onto the pulsating icon in the chamber. "And you think the Vatican has... what, alien tech down there?"
"Not just alien tech," the man said, his voice grave. "Evidence of our species' true origin. The Church has been intercepting these signals for centuries, keeping them hidden to maintain their version of history. The Wow! signal, fast radio bursts—they were all part of the same puzzle. And now the pieces are falling into place."
Liam's stomach churned. "Why hide it? Wouldn't humanity benefit from knowing?"
The man's gaze darkened. "Because the truth would shatter everything—faith, power, control. The Vatican isn't protecting humanity; they're protecting themselves."
Before Liam could respond, a sudden beep drew their attention. The monitors flickered, displaying streams of data and a live feed from Mars. Liam's breath caught as the screen showed Tesla's Optimus robots working tirelessly under the red sun.
"Tesla's Mars project?" Liam asked, frowning. "What does this have to do with the signal?"
The stranger zoomed in on the footage, revealing underground chambers carved into the Martian landscape. Their design mirrored the Vatican tunnels almost exactly.
"Musk isn't just preparing Mars for humans," the man said. "He's preparing it for them."
Liam's blood ran cold. "You're saying Musk knows about the signal? That he's... working with aliens?"
The man smirked bitterly. "He's been using alien technology for decades. SpaceX, Starlink—all of it advanced too quickly for purely human innovation. Musk isn't just building a colony; he's building a sanctuary, and not for us."
Liam's mind raced. The screen shifted to another feed, showing towering, cathedral-like structures on Mars. Their designs were eerily similar to ancient temples on Earth.
"This can't be a coincidence," Liam said, his voice shaky.
"It's not," the man replied. "The signal connects Earth and Mars in ways we're only beginning to understand. And Musk is at the centre of it all."
Life on Mars
A sudden tremor shook the room, rattling equipment. Liam staggered, catching himself on the console.
"What was that?"
The man frowned, tapping rapidly at the keyboard. The screen shifted to a stream of genetic sequences, each more complex than the last.
"The signal isn't just transmitting data," he said, his tone urgent. "It's transmitting change."
Liam stared at the screen, his pulse quickening. "What kind of change?"
"Genetic change," the man replied. "It's rewriting DNA—forcing mutations, accelerating evolution. Plants, animals, humans—it's reshaping life itself."
Liam's stomach turned. "You're saying this signal is rewriting the code of life?"
"Not just rewriting," the man said. "Redefining. Some organisms will adapt and evolve into something stronger. Others won't survive the process."
Another tremor rocked the building, more violent this time. The lights flickered, and a low rumble echoed from somewhere deep within.
The man grabbed Liam's arm. "We need to move. Now."
They bolted down the corridor, the walls shaking around them. Liam's mind raced, the weight of the revelations pressing down on him. The Vatican, Mars, the signal—it all seemed impossibly connected, and yet, the evidence was undeniable.
As they emerged into the cool night air, Liam glanced up at the sky. A streak of light blazed across the horizon, bright and unrelenting.
"They're already here," the man muttered under his breath.
Liam's chest tightened. "Who's here?"
The man turned to him, his face grim. "The ones who sent the signal. And they're not waiting for an invitation."
The distant roar of engines filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. The storm was no longer coming; it had arrived.