I steadied my breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "Are you sure we can pull this off?" I muttered, doubt lacing my voice.
"We can," the voice resonated in my mind, calm and unwavering. "But you must act quickly. They will be watching."
The plan was forming in my mind, a fragile thread of hope. No room for mistakes. I crouched by the far wall of the ship, where a hidden panel lay. It was my only shot to get the ship.
The signal transmitter—the device I needed most—was tucked behind this panel. I had to keep it safe, no matter the cost.my handhovering around of the panel trying to catch onto omething as I couldn't see what i was doing.
"This will be easy I said repeating the plan to myself: use the signal transmitter to draw them away, get back to the ship, and escape." My voice was barely a whisper, more to myself than to the artifact.
"It is the only plan we have and a bad plan is better than no plan," the artifact replied, its tone calm but firm. "Trust in the plan, and it will succeed."
I finally found the latch and pried open the panel. The hidden compartment revealed a small, compact orb—the transmitter. It was no larger than my palm, its smooth surface faintly reflecting the dim light.
"Got it," I whispered, gripping the device tightly and slipping it into the inner pocket of my jacket.
"We will activate the signal emitter once we are at a safe distance," the artifact instructed. Its steady guidance was the only thing anchoring me.
"I know," I muttered, pushing aside the unease creeping into my chest.
I slipped off the ship, keeping low and moving quietly. The landing area was dimly lit, with only four guards patrolling nearby. Their sparse presence was a small relief; fewer people meant fewer obstacles.
Carefully, I moved until the ship was far behind me and no guards could see me.The guards were distracted, their focus split between idle chatter and scanning the area. It was perfect. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the transmitter and switched it on with a button on the bottom side of the orb. My heart pounded as I activated it, its faint glow casting an eerie light over my hand.
"Throw it," the artifact instructed. noticing that I was distracted.
With all the strength I could muster, I hurled the transmitter into the distance. It landed with a soft thud, its glow barely visible. I didn't wait to see the results; I turned and sprinted back toward the ship using a different route, I got close enough to the ship to see what was going on.
Moments later, I saw a guards talking to their comms. Then shouted, "another one Let's go!".I watched the four of them fading as they ran toward the false signal. I allowed myself a brief exhale. The bait had worked.
Climbing back aboard the ship, I moved quickly to the cockpit. The ancient controls loomed before me, their alien symbols as confusing as ever. I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
"What now?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. "I can't fly this thing. The systems are too… alien."
"Wait,there is one thing I should do first," the artifact said, its voice calm yet insistent. "I can alter the ship's appearance, make it unrecognizable. It will no longer be identifiable as the vessel it once was. The controls will become more intuitive, tailored to your understanding."
"Wait… you can do that?" I asked, incredulous. The ship was ancient, its systems far beyond my comprehension. But the artifact had yet to fail me.
"Yes. But first, I must create a copy of the ship's current shell—both interior and exterior—to leave behind as a decoy. This will ensure they suspect nothing."
I glanced at the cockpit's dim surroundings, the hum of old machinery filling the air. The idea seemed impossible, yet the artifact's confidence was unshakable.
"Do it," I said, swallowing my doubt,, the seconds felt like days as I waited. The hum of the engines turning on filled the room, and a strange energy coursed through the ship. For a moment, it felt as though the vessel itself was alive, shifting beneath my feet.
Finally, the artifact spoke. "It is done. Press the button to your right."
I followed its instructions, and the cockpit shimmered like a mirage. The ancient symbols faded, replaced by sleek, modern interfaces. The once-rusty panels were now smooth, glowing with soft blue light. The controls, previously alien and incomprehensible, transformed into something I could recognize.
The faint hum of outdated technology became a quiet, almost imperceptible whir of precision engineering. I ran my fingers over the new controls, a cautious smile forming. For the first time, I felt in control.
"Much better," I muttered, marveling at the transformation. The ship now felt like mine, as though it had been waiting for this moment.
"Now, are you ready?" the artifact asked, its voice steady but with a faint edge of anticipation.
I took a deep breath, my fingers hovering over the controls. "Ready as I'll ever be," I said, determination hardening my voice.