Dr. Handstrong's POV
"Extraordinary!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide as I stared at the glowing debris scattered around our ship. The asteroids seemed to dance around us, drifting erratically through the void.
"They're just asteroids," James replied, his voice tinged with skepticism. "You shouldn't go out there to collect them."
"But they're flying around the ship in a pattern that isn't natural. As captain, I have to investigate this phenomenon," I said, already reaching for my helmet. My curiosity was getting the better of me.
James let out a long sigh, then activated the ship's airlock. "Be careful, sir," he muttered, though I could hear the concern in his voice as I leapt out into the vastness of space.
The scene before me was unlike anything I had ever seen. "I've never encountered anything like this," I thought to myself, scanning the floating rocks around me. Their eerie glow reminded me of Kryptonite, but their color was unlike anything I had seen before. I couldn't help but wonder what they were made of.
As I drifted closer to the largest cluster of rocks, something caught my eye—a shape that didn't belong. There, among the asteroids, was a statue. I cautiously moved toward it, my heart racing with anticipation.
"Please, not another alien creature," I muttered under my breath. "We've had enough of those already."
The statue, suspended in space, was of a young girl clad in warrior armor, gripping a sword with both hands. Her posture was fierce, but her face was obscured in shadow, making it difficult to determine her expression. I could hardly contain my excitement. This wasn't just debris—it was a masterpiece.
I moved quickly to collect the statue, along with some fragments of the strange asteroids. The materials seemed solid, yet fragile at the same time, as though they were forged by a civilization far more advanced than our own.
Back on the ship, James gave me a cautious look as I floated back through the airlock with the statue in tow.
"What on Earth is that?" he asked, circling the statue carefully, inspecting it as though it might spring to life at any moment.
I glanced at him without taking my eyes off the notebook in my hands. "Well, it's a statue. What else would it be?"
"But where did it come from?" James asked, poking it with a finger from a safe distance.
I rolled my eyes, my patience thin. "James, what other planet do you think could have created such a work of art?"
He thought for a moment, then grinned. "Mars!"
I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. "No, Jamie. Krypton."
His eyes widened. "You mean Superman's planet? But wasn't it destroyed?"
I nodded, glancing at the mysterious statue. "Perhaps the materials used to create it were so durable that they survived the planet's destruction."
I scribbled some notes in my journal, cataloging the characteristics of the asteroid fragments and brainstorming potential names for the phenomenon.
James looked out the window, a guilty expression crossing his face. "We're approaching Earth quickly. You know I'm terrible at landing these rockets."
I smiled. "Sure, Jamie. I'm sure it'll be fine."
As we descended toward Earth's atmosphere, the excitement of our discovery was only overshadowed by the task of landing the ship safely. James wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "Finally, we're home!"
I laughed softly, not sure if it was the thrill of the discovery or the comfort of being back on familiar soil. Either way, we had work ahead of us—and the statue was only the beginning.