The room was dimly lit, the faint glow of monitors casting eerie shadows on the walls. Dr. Voss stirred, his groggy movements signaling his return to consciousness. He groaned softly, attempting to sit up, but his body refused to cooperate.
"Easy," came a gentle voice. Liora leaned closer, her face a mask of concern. "You're safe here."
Voss blinked at her, his memory struggling to piece together the events leading up to this moment. Before he could speak, the door creaked open, and two figures entered the room. One of them, a woman in her mid-thirties with a sharp, authoritative demeanor, drew his attention immediately.
"Dr. Solis?" Voss's voice was barely a whisper, disbelief etched into his features. His body stiffened as though seeing a ghost. "Why… why are you here?"
Dr. Solis crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Manav recruited me," she said curtly. "We're here to save Mars, Voss. There's no room for questions about why."
"Manav?" Voss's voice cracked. "You mean our president?"
At that moment, the door swung open again, and Manav himself entered the room, flanked by a woman with an air of quiet authority. His elder sister, Priya, followed closely behind, her steady gaze matching her brother's inscrutable expression.
Manav's presence seemed to command the air in the room, making it heavier. His face betrayed no emotion, his eyes cold and calculating as they settled on Voss. "Dr. Voss," he began, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made everyone in the room straighten instinctively. "You need to find the cure for this virus before the global parliament does."
Voss's brows furrowed. "Before they do? Why?"
Manav's gaze didn't waver. "Because I want to save humanity—not negotiate it." His tone left no room for debate, and Voss felt a chill creep up his spine. The president's words were laced with a quiet intensity that made it clear failure was not an option.
"Work together," Manav continued, gesturing toward Dr. Solis. "Your knowledge, combined with hers, is our best shot. And you'll need more than just the two of you. There's a third scientist who will be key to this effort."
Voss blinked, his confusion deepening. "A third scientist? Who?"
Manav's lips curved ever so slightly, a shadow of what might have been a smile, though it lacked any warmth. "Dr. Esha Moreau."
The name sent a shockwave through the room. Voss's mouth fell open, his disbelief evident. "That's impossible," he said, shaking his head. "Dr. Moreau died generations ago. She perished in the Crimson Nova disaster. There's no way she could still be alive."
Manav stepped closer, his gaze piercing. "Impossible?" His tone was soft, almost amused. "In my world, Dr. Voss, nothing is impossible. It's only a matter of perspective."
The room fell silent, his manipulative words sinking in. Priya watched her brother closely, her expression unreadable, while Dr. Solis exchanged a wary glance with Voss.
Before anyone could speak further, one of the guards cleared his throat, drawing their attention. Ryan, one of the commanders from Team 1, stepped forward, flanked by his teammates Jim, Dain, and Elyas.
"Dr. Voss," Ryan began, his voice firm but respectful. "What happened at the Crimson Spires? What attacked you and Dr. Solis?"
Voss hesitated, his eyes flickering to Solis, who gave him a subtle nod. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he spoke. "It… it wasn't human. A beast… a creature unlike anything I've ever seen." His gaze turned distant, haunted by the memory. "We barely escaped with our lives."
"What was it called?" Jim pressed, his voice edged with urgency.
Voss hesitated again before finally answering. Erythros he whispered. The name lingered in the air like a curse, sending a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room—except for Manav.
The president remained stoic, his expression unreadable as the others exchanged uneasy glances. Even Priya's calm demeanor faltered for a moment.
"What's an ErythrosDain asked, his voice low.
"It's a myth," Elyas muttered, though he sounded far from convinced. "A creature said to dwell in the darkest corners of Mars, feeding on fear and destruction."
"It's no myth," Voss interjected, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands. "I saw it with my own eyes. It tore through the Crimson Spires like paper. It's a force of nature—a weapon designed to annihilate."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Voss's words pressing down on them. Finally, Manav spoke, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "It doesn't matter what the Altherion is or isn't. What matters is finding Dr. Moreau. She's the key to ending this."
"How do we even begin to find someone who's supposed to be dead?" Karael asked, his tone skeptical.
Manav turned to him, his gaze icy. "You're soldiers. You find her. That's your job."
Liora stepped forward, her jaw set. "And if the Altherion comes for us?"
Manav's eyes narrowed, his expression as cold and unyielding as ever. "Then you kill it."
The room went silent again, the weight of the president's command hanging heavily over them. No one dared to argue.
"Depart immediately," Manav ordered, his tone brooking no dissent. "Team 1 and Team 2 will work together from now on. Find Dr. Moreau and bring her back alive. That is all."
The teams exchanged brief glances before nodding. The mission had been set, and there was no turning back.
As the group began to leave, Priya lingered behind, her gaze fixed on her brother. "Are you sure about this, Manav?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a note of concern.
Manav turned to her, his expression unreadable. "I don't deal in certainties, Priya. I deal in results."
Priya studied him for a moment before nodding. "Just remember—sometimes, the cost of those results is too high."
Manav didn't respond, his gaze already shifting back to the maps and reports spread out before him. The room seemed to darken as he spoke, his voice low and foreboding.
"Let them focus on the mission," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "The Altherion… the virus… they're all pieces of a larger puzzle. And I'm the only one who can see the full picture."