There was no sound in the vacuum of space. But inside the Aurora's cabin, Captain Elias Vren could clearly hear the rhythmic pulsing of machinery — a series of barely audible vibrations that resembled a heartbeat. His ship's. His mission's. His responsibility's.
On the command console, lights flickered in bluish and greenish hues. He was alone in the command capsule. Even though Aurora had a crew of thirty-three. They were all in hibernation now. Except for him.
— "Aurora, confirm engine status."
The controller's voice from Earth came quietly. As if from a distance. Elias pressed the transmission command.
— "Engines stable. Trajectory maintained. Crossing sector 47-G. No anomalies."
Pause. A brief silence filled with static noise.
— "Copy that, Captain Vren. Next status report in four hours. Enjoy the silence."
Elias smiled faintly. But the smile didn't reach his eyes. Enjoy the silence? Yes. He was used to it.
As the command capsule glided through the void. Undisturbed. Elias leaned back in his seat and looked out the window on the right. Out there, through layers of glass and protective coatings, stretched infinity — dark, serene, and ominously silent.
Flashback – Twelve Years Earlier
Screaming. Smoke. Metal doors closing behind him. Running. Carrying a six-year-old girl. Blood on his hands. Soldiers shouting. Sirens wailing.
Base V-Delta was under attack. Enemy drones, programmed for cleansing, had passed through security barriers as if they were paper. Elias, then just a junior officer, had no authority to give orders. But he had something many others lacked — instinct.
He managed to evacuate three children from the medical wing before the base's roof collapsed in flames. The only child who survived was that girl. No one ever learned her name. And he never found out what made her cling to his uniform as they ran toward the underground hangar.
That night, Elias Vren became a hero. And he had never wanted to be one.
The sound of an automatic alarm brought him back to the present. He looked at the screen.
"Scanning – anomaly in sector 47-H"
— "Aurora, this is Control. We have a slight magnetic resonance deviation in your sector. Please confirm sensor data."
Elias pressed the controls. His eyes fixed on the new data appearing. Red lines. Fluctuations in gravitational waves.
— "I see the anomaly. Risk level unknown. Maintaining course."
— "Recommendation: slow down and perform additional scan."
But it was already too late.
On the screen, in front of Aurora, a light fissure began to open — something that hadn't been there ten seconds ago. Like a wound of light in the fabric of space itself, it bent the starlit sky around it.
Flashback – Before the Mission
General Miravska stood across from him. Her hand on the table. Her gaze piercing through him.
— "Captain Vren, you're the most prepared for this mission. Aurora is not just a ship. It's a symbol of a new era."
Elias remained silent.
— "I know you don't like attention. And I know you have... reasons to stay away from Earth. But you're the only one with the calm and discipline to pull this off."
He looked her straight in the eyes.
— "That's why I'm going."
It wasn't patriotism. It wasn't escape. It was the silence he sought. And the belief that somewhere among the stars, he wouldn't have to carry the burden Earth had placed on his shoulders anymore.
Back in the cabin. The fissure in space was now large enough to be seen with the naked eye. The light coming from it made no sense — hues no human mind should be able to comprehend.
Elias felt Aurora subtly vibrate. There was no breach. No impact. But something was pulling the ship.
— "Control, this is Aurora. We are observing... a phenomenon. Possibly a natural wormhole. No visible damage. Preparing evasive maneuver."
No response.
— "Control? Do you read me?"
Only static.
Again. The same.
It was as if the ship had lost contact with reality.
For a moment, Elias felt something he hadn't felt in years — panic.
But only for a moment.
He exhaled, turned all manual controls on, and began preparing the ship for emergency maneuvering.
On the screen, only one message remained:
"Connection to Earth – Lost"
And then, from the darkness, the light swallowed them.