The bright, colorful signs on KeplerStation were broken and dim, like little bugs blinking out one by one. It was always dusk in this part of the New Sanctuary Galaxy. Rain that was made and cleaned over and over again fell from the rusty roofs. Each drop reminded me of Earth, the place we used to live.
My partner, Void, and I were Hunters. We weren't the good guys. We tracked down people who owed money and got back stolen stuff for the big companies that controlled the cities in the sky.
"Charming," Void mumbled something under his breath, adjusting the collar of his synthetic leather jacket. He hated Kepler. Too greasy, too loud, too many people looking to sell you a lung for a credit.
I shrugged. "Gets the job done. Remember, we're looking for a transport freighter, the 'Lotus Harbor'. Heard it's smuggling trips to Old Earth."
Void's eyes lit up, a sign that he was paying attention with real interest. "Earth? Seriously? Thought that was just old wives' tales."
"Yeah well, some pay hefty prices to see it. Rich nostalgics and doomsday cultists, mostly. High Command keeps it locked down tighter than a vacuum seal. Too 'dangerous' they say." I spat on the grimy ground. "Bunch of bureaucratic cowards."
We squeezed our way through a huge crowd of people. It was like looking at a crazy mix of beings: strange aliens and humans who had changed their bodies with metal parts and glowing tattoos.
Kepler was a city made from leftover junk, showing how clever and desperate people became after the Flood. It was made up of massive space stations connected by tubes and wires, like veins in a body.
Our informant, a jittery Rodian named Flux, was waiting in a dark corner, and his big eyes kept looking around. "Lotus Harbor…Docking Bay 47, but be careful. The Captain, Rogue he's…unpredictable. And his crew…" Flux shuddered, "They say they found something on Earth. Changed them."
Docking Bay 47 was a huge, open area. The main thing you noticed was the LotusHarbor, which looked like a giant skeleton. This cargo ship was made of bits and pieces that had been found and put together. Its outside was rough, with lots of dents and marks. Standing beneath it felt like standing under the jaw of a beast.
We got on board. The air smelled awful, like electrical fires and something dead. Inside, the crew was gathered around a blurry, glowing holographic projector. They looked sick and tired. There was a strange, sweet odor in the air.
Rogue was a mountain of a man, his face lined with exhaustion and something else… a terrifying, excited look in his eyes that was unsettling. "Welcome aboard, folks! You here for the sight-seeing tour?"
"We're Hunters, Captain. We heard you were offering a trip… unauthorized trips." I said, hand hovering over my pulse pistol.
He laughed, a harsh, rough sound. "Unauthorized? Please! I'm providing a service! Humanity needs to remember where it came from!" He gestured wildly at the holographic projector. "Look! Beauty! History!"
The projector blinked and displayed a single image. A swirling mass of dark blue, almost black. A single, distant teardrop in the vast emptiness. Earth.
"It's…nothing," Void whispered, his voice barely audible. "Just water."
Rogue roared with laughter. "Nothing? Oh, you naive fools! It's everything! It's…" He trailed off, his eyes unfocused. He turned to his crew, a crazed look in his eyes. "Show them! Show them the truth!"
The crew moved, their movements jerky and unnatural. They approached us, their eyes glowing with a faint, blue light. I pulled my pistol, but it was too late. Void screamed as one of the crew slammed a hand into his chest.
Then I saw it.
Rogue's arm, stretched out to me. Blue fluid flowing under his skin. His teeth, getting longer into sharp points.
"We found something else," he rasped, a horrifying smile splitting his face. "It found us."
They overran me. I saw faces, now twisted and corrupted. Then, darkness.
I woke up strapped to a metal table, the Lotus Harbor shuddering beneath me. Rogue, his transformation complete, stood over me, a scalpel in his hand.
"You see now?" he crooned. "Earth isn't just water. It's… awakening."
I struggled, trying to break free. He chuckled, and it sounded like water bubbling in his throat. "Don't worry, it will all be over soon. You will see the truth. The new truth."
He raised the scalpel.
Then the alarm blared. Red lights flashed. The Lotus Harbor lurched violently. Chaos erupted.
Someone – a crew member, still clinging to his humanity – had activated the self-destruct. I was thrown clear of the table, the restraints snapping. I scrambled for the escape hatch, ignoring the screams and the agonizing groans.
The ship was tearing apart, Its secret trip to the black market ended suddenly with loud explosions. I reached the escape pod just as the Lotus Harbor ripped in half.
I ejected, the pod hurtling through space, away from the dying freighter and the horrors it contained. Behind me, the shattered remains of the Lotus Harbor were sucked towards the faint blue glow in the distance—Earth.
I was alive. But I was also alone. The Lotus Harbor was gone, and with it, any chance of going back to my normal life. I stared into the blackness, the faint blue glow a constant reminder of the horrors I had witnessed.
What did they find on Earth? And what did it find in them?
Maybe the High Command was right. Maybe some doors are better left unopened. Maybe the past is best left buried, even if it's just a single blue drop in the vast ocean of space.
Or maybe, the water has awakened.
I'm still alive. For now. But the memories... the blackness of the water, and the blue glow in the eyes of the infected. These are things that will never fade.
Maybe I should have stayed blind. Maybe some knowledge is a curse, not a blessing.