Vostrix-9, Outer Perimeter | Planetfall – 00:01:38
The dropship Argus-12 pierced the upper atmosphere like a warhead, the hull ablaze with static and heat. Through the viewing port, Vostrix-9 loomed below—a world wrapped in endless ice and silence. No signs of activity. No beacon. And yet, a signal had called them.
Commander Arden Reyes reviewed the mission parameters again. Reestablish contact. Retrieve data. Determine survivability. The assignment felt routine, but the silence of the station after over a decade whispered otherwise.
Beside him, the crew prepared in silence:
Dr. Elen Rourke, xenotech specialist, assigned for her background in neurological interface systems.
Talia Vane, systems engineer, once involved in the station's early infrastructure.
Rhys Calder, pilot and tech analyst, cynical but steady under pressure.
Brecht, security specialist, former private contractor with off-world enforcement clearance.
Leena Myles, medical officer and behaviorist, with a focus on trauma response in isolation environments.
As they descended, the station came into view—half-buried in a glacier, completely sealed, but with internal power faintly glowing. Snow battered the exterior dome. Antennae and arrays were bent, like skeletal arms frozen mid-scream.
"Are we sure it's not just a glitch?" Rhys asked from the controls. "This signal—could be a bad echo."
"No," Elen said. "The pattern was specific. Targeted. Like it was waiting."
Reyes didn't respond. His focus was on the AI data attached to the signal—an outdated program marker from an entity named ECHO-9. Decommissioned years ago.
The landing was rough but controlled. As the airlock cycled open, the smell of ozone and cold metal poured in. Rhys activated his HUD.
"Heat traces. Just barely. Something's still drawing current."
"Not abandoned," Reyes muttered.
They stepped into the dark.