The bay is silent, lit by a soft ambient glow that pulses like a heartbeat. The design is advanced but organic—more alive than mechanical. A Medical bed sits at the center, elevated like a ceremonial platform.
Henri lies still on the padded surface, chest rising weakly. His face is pale, jaw bruised, and his torso exposed—burns, lacerations, and raw wounds mark the aftermath of combat.
Alexander steps into view, calm but tense. His hands hover over a floating control disk. He taps once—
BLOOP. A harmonic tone responds. The pod comes alive.
The SCANNING ARM, sleek and serpentine, unfolds from the side of the pod. It glides fluidly upward, arching over Henri's body like a guardian serpent, positioning itself parallel above him from head to toe.
It pauses. A soft pulse of light spreads across Henri's form.
A Holographic display ignites above the bed: an animated 3D model of Henri's body, rotating slowly. Glowing red markers blink over cracked ribs, internal bleeding, ruptured tissue.
Alexanded softly muttered."You're not dying on me. Not tonight."
The arm shifts position—moving slowly along the length of Henri's body from head to feet—scanning and healing simultaneously. Where the light passes, deep wounds begin to close. Burnt skin regenerates in real-time, glowing golden for a moment before settling into smooth, unscarred flesh.
Muscle fiber reknits beneath the skin. Bones shimmer briefly under the beam, aligning with precision. The damage fades as if time itself is rewinding.
Henri stirs, eyes fluttering. A rasp escapes his lips. It is low, weak."Is... he safe?:
Alexander leans in, his voice barely above a whisper."He's safe, Henri. Thanks to you."
The arm makes its final pass, a quiet chime signaling the end of the procedure. On the hologram, the red markers fade to green. Above the display, a word appears:
STATUS: STABILIZED.
Alexander exhales, shoulders dropping slightly. He remains at Henri's side, watching the slow, steady rhythm of the healed man's chest.
The scanning arm retracts smoothly into the pod, the light dimming to a resting glow.
As the doors to the medical bay slid open with a soft hiss, Alexander stepped out, his expression calm but resolute.
A small crowd had gathered. Four was the first to approach, his eyes filled with tension."Henri… is he okay?"
Alexander gave a faint smile, the tension in the room easing slightly with his reply."He's stable. Just resting now."
Four let out a long breath of relief. Beside him, Sarah's family stood in a protective semicircle—Simon Hart, his wife Anni, and their three children: Jim, Luke, and Isabella. The younger two clung close to their parents, while Jim stood slightly ahead, eyes sharp with suspicion and curiosity.
Simon's voice broke the silence."Can someone explain what the hell is going on?"
From the other side, Patricia, Malcolm's wife, joined in."Malcolm, what happened back there? The entire stadium's gone."
Alexander glanced at Malcolm and Conrad, giving them a silent nod. The two men, seasoned and steady, stepped forward.
Malcolm adjusted his glasses, his voice calm and clear."We can explain everything."
And so, together, Malcolm and Conrad began to unfold the truth—about the Mogadorians, about the Garde, and the ancient war that had now come to Earth.
Simon's expression grew increasingly incredulous as the explanation continued. When they finished, he threw up his hands.
"This sounds like something the government should be handling."
Griffin let out a bitter laugh, arms folded."Oh, they're involved. Most definitely."
The Harts and Patricia turned to him, startled. But Griffin just looked away.
Conrad took over, voice grim."They're working with the Mogadorians. The government thinks we're fugitives. The Mogadorians fed them lies—and in exchange for advanced tech and iridium, they gave them bases, surveillance access, and networks."
Freya scoffed."Bribed them, more like. And now we're the targets."
Malcolm confirmed it with a solemn nod.
Even Four, standing beside Sarah and Sam, looked stunned—this was the first time he was hearing the full extent of the conspiracy.
Young Isabella who silent watching everything cutely spoke up."Are they stupid, you know you cannot trust them. Even Movies shows us that."
Jim Hart, the eldest of the Hart siblings and a known tech prodigy, narrowed his eyes at Alexander. Recognition flashed across his face."You're Alexander Stark. Heir to Stark Industries. You created the Arc Reactor, the Stark Phones…"
Alexander raised a casual hand in greeting."That's me."
Luke, second in line and equally sharp with machines, stepped forward, squinting."So… are you an alien too?"
Alexander shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement."Technically? I have alien ancestry. Didn't know until I hacked the Pentagon. Found records of Mogadorian deals. Dug deeper. Hacked their systems. Found the truth about the Garde. After that… well, helping them was the only choice."
A murmur passed through the room. The Cepans and Garde—Six, Seven, Nine, Freya, Maggie, and Hannu—nodded in quiet acknowledgment. They owed him more than they could say.
Four blinked."You hacked the Mogadorian network? How?"
He knew from Henri how advanced Mogadorian technology was that even Lorien was slightly behind them.
Six grinned, folding her arms."He's a genius. Every advanced piece of tech around you? He built it. And he's a Technopath. He can interface with any machine like it's an extension of his mind."
Shock rippled through the Hart family, through Sam and even John. Jim glanced around the ship again, whispering."This is way beyond anything humans have built."
Luke gave a silent nod, equally awed.
Sam finally spoke up."So… what happens now? I mean, you brought the Harts and my mom here because you feared the Mogadorians or the FBI would come after them, right?"
Alexander spoke up"Exactly. Sarah's involved with John—Four. That makes her a target. And by extension, so is her family. We couldn't take that risk."
Anni Hart looked shaken, her worldview tilting beneath her feet. Simon gently held her hand as she asked:"Can't we go back? Can't something be done to fix this?"
Alexander shook his head."A Loric only falls in love once in their life. It's rare, and powerful. Like soulmates. If Sarah tried to forget John, she couldn't. And he wouldn't survive losing her either."
His gaze settled on the young couple—Four and Sarah stood hand in hand, unbreakable even now."One of my powers is relationship identification. I can sense the emotional bonds between people—their intensity, their loyalty. I can tell who would die for someone, and who might betray them."
The room fell silent. The weight of that power—its depth, its importance—sank in.
Crayton muttered from the back."That's an incredibly powerful gift. You could detect leaders, lovers, traitors… see where bonds weaken or grow. In war, that's invaluable."
The Cepans exchanged glances. They had always known Alexander was special—but this confirmed just how invaluable he was to there future war with Mogadorians.
Alexander continued, his voice softening. "Sarah and John's bond… it's real. You could try to separate them, but it would destroy them both. And the fight with the Mogadorians? It's happening—regardless. You're safer with us."
Simon and Anni looked at each other. The truth was hard, but undeniable. In Sarah's eyes, they saw the same fire that once burned in them. Love. Absolute and unwavering.
As they watched their daughter cling to the hand of the alien boy who would die for her, their resistance softened.
They nodded.
If this war was inevitable—so was the choice to stand beside their daughter.