The *Stellar Winds* drifted toward the ancient station with a careful, cautious grace. It was as if the ship itself understood the weight of the moment—an unknown relic of the past that had been hidden away for centuries, waiting for someone to discover it. The station loomed larger in the viewing dome as they approached, its surface pitted with the scars of time and exposure. Faint glows pulsed rhythmically across its exterior, as if it were still alive, still resonating with some deep, forgotten energy.
The crew was silent, each of them caught in their own thoughts. Mira, who usually had a sharp remark for every situation, was unusually quiet. Her fingers hovered over the engineering controls, as though hesitant to disturb the stillness that had fallen over them. Captain Rhea stood at the front of the bridge, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the station.
"We've made it," Iris said, her voice breaking the silence. She leaned forward, staring at the glowing symbols that covered the station's hull. It was hard to make sense of them—they seemed like a language, but one she had never seen before. They were intricate and beautiful, like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Kian replied, his voice calm but tense. "We don't know what we're walking into. This could be a trap."
Iris looked over at him, meeting his steady gaze. His brow was furrowed, eyes sharp and calculating as always, but she could see the underlying concern in his expression. She understood the fear he was trying to mask, the same fear that gnawed at the back of her own mind.
"I know the risks," she said quietly. "But I also know that we can't just leave without finding out what's in there. The signal… it's calling to me, Kian. I have to know what it means."
For a moment, Kian said nothing. He just stared at her, as if weighing her words, measuring her resolve. And then, with a sigh, he finally nodded. "All right. Let's do this."
Captain Rhea gave a curt nod of approval. "Mira, prepare the shuttle. Iris, you're with me. Kian, I want you monitoring the station's systems. No one gets too far ahead without backup."
"Aye, Captain," Kian replied, his tone softer now, though still edged with caution. He turned to his console and began tapping in commands.
The shuttle bay doors opened, and the crew filed in, one by one. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, and Iris could feel the weight of it pressing down on her chest. She couldn't help but wonder what they would find in the station's depths—what secrets it had been holding all this time.
The shuttle's engines roared to life, lifting them off the deck of the *Stellar Winds* and sending them into the unknown. The station was even more imposing up close, its massive structure casting long, dark shadows across the blackness of space. It seemed to stretch forever, an eerie, silent sentinel from an age long past.
As the shuttle approached one of the docking ports, Iris's breath caught in her throat. The opening was large enough to accommodate the shuttle, but it was covered in layers of debris and dust, as if no one had used it in centuries. A strange energy field pulsed at its entrance, almost like a barrier, and for a brief moment, Iris hesitated.
"What's that?" Mira asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"I don't know," Iris murmured, her eyes narrowing. "Some sort of force field, maybe. But it looks like it's still active."
"Should we risk it?" Captain Rhea asked, her voice calm but sharp. "It could be dangerous."
Iris glanced over at her. "We have no choice. If we want to understand the signal, we need to get inside."
Captain Rhea nodded, and the shuttle began to edge closer.
The field crackled as they neared it, the energy seeming to respond to their presence. Mira's fingers flew across the controls, but the field didn't waver. The shuttle's systems whined in protest, struggling to pass through. And then, just as Iris thought they might be forced to retreat, the field flickered and disappeared entirely.
"Clear," Mira said, her voice barely audible.
The shuttle glided into the docking port, landing with a soft thud. As the doors hissed open, a cold, stale air rushed in—a stark contrast to the artificial warmth of the shuttle. Iris stepped forward first, her boots echoing on the metal floor as she took in the vast, empty space before them. The station's interior was dark, its walls lined with ancient technology and strange artifacts, all coated in layers of dust and time.
Iris felt a shiver run down her spine as she stepped further inside, her eyes scanning the surroundings. The silence was deafening, broken only by the soft hum of the shuttle's engines behind them.
"What happened here?" Mira whispered, her voice barely above a murmur.
"I don't know," Iris said, her gaze drawn to the glowing symbols once more. They pulsed with an eerie light, and she felt a tug in her chest as if they were speaking directly to her. She reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against one of the symbols.
And then, in that moment, it happened.
The entire station seemed to come alive. The symbols flared, lighting up the darkness, and the ground beneath their feet vibrated with a low, rumbling hum. Iris's heart pounded in her chest, and she felt a wave of emotion wash over her—fear, awe, and something else, something she couldn't quite name.
"Kian, get ready," Captain Rhea said sharply, as though sensing the shift in the atmosphere. "Something's happening."
But Iris didn't hear her. She was too caught up in the moment, too entranced by the energy that filled the room. The echoes, the whispers—she could hear them now, clearer than ever.
And then, as though the station had finally chosen her, a voice spoke—deep, ancient, and unmistakably familiar.
**"Welcome, daughter of the stars."**
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