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The two haulers lumbered into the base under the midday sun, the massive wheels crunching over the cracked, dry earth. Heat shimmered in waves from the ground, and the crew inside were silent, drained from the arduous trek back from the thorium depot. The haulers’ compartments were filled to capacity, brimming with salvage, the thorium-rich remnants of crumbled alien crystals, and a few of ARI’s battered drones.
The day’s searing temperatures had turned the trek back into a grueling ordeal. At the main entrance, Ervin Sekhon emerged from the nearby storage yard, waving them in. Maximilian disembarked first, the dry heat smacking him in the face like a solid wall. He rubbed a hand across his forehead, glancing at the others. Yao Guowei climbed out of the recovered vehicle, the hauler left behind long ago by Sigrid in the aftermath of the initial encounter at the hive. Sigrid and Mei were busy unloading Hu’s stretcher, while Kucugur and Casimir leaned against their vehicle, their postures heavy with exhaustion.
Ervin strode up to meet them, his face brightening at the sight of Maximilian. “Welcome back,” he said, his tone warm. “You have been gone too long. We heard about the attack on the rest stop and have Otto in the infirmary. How did you fare?”
Maximilian managed a tired smirk and gestured toward the vehicles. “It was a long trek back. We brought back plenty for the reactor. How’s progress?”
Ervin glanced toward the industrial silos on the base’s edge, where a handful of crew members were assembling prefabricated components. “Remarkably well, considering. We’ve finished the bulk of the reactor assembly and should be able to start low-power test runs in a few days.”
Maximilian raised a skeptical eyebrow. “A reactor, built that fast? I expected it would take weeks.”
“It’s a very low-complexity design,” Ervin explained. “We’re keeping it simple, mostly thermal cycling and passive safety measures. It’s not the most efficient reactor by any means, but there’s not much that can go wrong with it either. All we need is a stable source of energy to ease the strain on the grid.”
Maximilian nodded slowly. “Simple works. Let’s hope it holds up.”
Ervin’s gaze shifted to the hauler as its compartments opened, revealing a glittering haul of radioactive ash interspersed with clumpy nodules. His expression darkened. “What… is that?”
“Remains of the crystals,” Maximilian replied. “We destroyed a massive structure deep in the hive’s caverns. After it shattered, every crystal we saw turned inert. These are what’s left.”
Ervin’s brow furrowed. “And you thought it was a good idea to haul that back here?”
“They’re inert,” Maximilian repeated firmly. “We ran every test we could. Whatever connection they had to the hive or that central crystal is gone.”
Ervin crouched to examine the ash more closely, holding a scanner from his belt toward the containers. The soft clicking noise confirmed what he suspected—there was radiation, within the expected range of thorium-containing ore. “Even so, contamination’s a risk. If any trace of that goo survived…”
Maximilian cut him off. “We encountered the goo. It was part of the hive’s active system. It followed us in the tunnels, probably looking to infect us, but after we destroyed the central crystal, it crumbled to nothing. Whatever it was, it’s dead now.”
Ervin stood, arms crossed. “Are you certain?”
“Certain enough to risk bringing it here. But there’s something else you should know.” Maximilian glanced at Sigrid, who was securing the captured juvenile beetle. “We found evidence that the goo wasn’t just a byproduct of the beetles. It might be an independent source of the infection. And it’s why I’m worried about the base.”
Ervin tilted his head. “The base?”
Maximilian’s voice lowered. “We never cleared out the caverns beneath the base. Those tunnels, the ones from where the creatures emerged... We don’t know how deep they go or if there’s still an active presence down there. If there’s even a trace of crystals or goo left…”
Ervin frowned, the implications dawning on him. “You’re saying there could still be an infestation here?”
Maximilian shrugged, his expression grim. “It’s a possibility. We’ll need to inspect it, thoroughly. Whatever’s left down there, we can’t risk it growing into another hive under our feet.”
Ervin looked toward the storage facility, where workers were unloading the hauler. For a moment, he said nothing, weighing the risks. Finally, he nodded. “I’ll add it to the list of things we’ll need to handle. But first, let’s get this reactor online.”
Maximilian nodded in agreement, though his eyes lingered on the edge of the plateau, where the shadowed mouths of the tunnels lay hidden. If there was a threat down there, it wasn’t going to wait for them to finish their other plans.
===
Sigrid braced herself before stepping into the infirmary. Even from the corridor, the smell of antiseptics and circulated air told her that someone was receiving urgent care. She glanced over at Mei, who limped slightly but insisted on coming along despite her own injuries. The makeshift medical ward looked more crowded than usual: half a dozen beds lined up, and Luo Zuri worked diligently at a portable console set up between them. Nearby, a newly awakened colonist blinked in confusion at the harsh lighting; two more still lay in their cryo pods, slowly being roused from stasis.
At one side of the room, Otto lay motionless, covered by a thin sheet, an IV line running from his arm to a bag of synthetic blood. Sigrid’s heart sank at the sight. He looked too still, his usually animated face drained of all color.
Luo Zuri gave them a quick nod, then turned back to the newly awakened patient, checking vitals and gently calming the disoriented man. As soon as she finished, she pulled off her gloves and came over to where Mei and Sigrid stood, each step deliberate.
“I managed to stabilize Otto,” she began quietly, keeping her voice low out of respect for nearby sleepers. “His blood loss was extreme, and the acid burns complicated matters. I performed emergency surgery, gave him multiple transfusions, plus some tissue regeneration serum. But...” Her gaze fell away for a moment. “He’s in a coma. The spinal damage was worse than we initially thought. Moving him out of the combat zone, plus the bumpy ride back, likely aggravated it.”
Mei inhaled sharply, exchanging a look with Sigrid. Sigrid’s chest tightened as she leaned closer to Otto’s unconscious form. “So... what are you saying?”
Luo Zuri bit her lip. “If—when—he wakes up, he may never walk again. It’s too soon to say for certain, but the scans show significant trauma to the vertebrae.”
Sigrid’s eyes glossed with tears. Otto had always been that steady presence for her. The thought of him paralyzed, or worse, was too much. She felt her knees tremble, an ache in her chest that made it hard to breathe.
Mei put a hand on Sigrid’s shoulder, her own eyes mournful but her voice calm. “He saved all of us more than once. You know how stubborn he can be—maybe stubborn enough to recover. We can’t lose hope yet.”
Sigrid bowed her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “It’s just—he was so determined. Always investigating, always planning new ideas to keep us alive. I can’t imagine him stuck in a bed or crippled.”
“I know,” Luo Zuri said gently, setting a hand on Sigrid’s other shoulder. “He’s not gone, and he’s not broken. We just have to give him every chance to heal, see what can be done with prosthetics and therapy if he pulls through.”
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Sigrid nodded, trying to steel herself. She took a deep breath and reached out to brush Otto’s limp hand. “You’re right,” she whispered. “He’s strong, and we’ll figure it out. One day at a time.”
Mei’s expression flickered with empathy. Despite the sting in her own leg, she found the strength to stand tall beside Sigrid. “We’re here for him. We’re all in this together.”
Luo Zuri looked around the busy ward, where more cryo pods hummed quietly, and a newly awakened colonist murmured in disorientation. “If you’ll excuse me, I have more colonists to stabilize,” she said, her voice kind but firm. “We’re lucky we have enough supplies to keep up with the new arrivals—and we’ll do everything possible for Otto, I promise.”
With that, Luo Zuri returned to her work. Mei guided Sigrid to a nearby seat, careful of her own throbbing stitches. The steady beep of the monitors and the hush of circulated air hung thickly in the space between them—an uneasy mix of relief that Otto still lived and dread at what the future might hold. For now, they could only wait, hoping that beneath his coma’s silence, Otto’s will to live burned as strong as ever.
===
The atmosphere in the headquarters was more buoyant than it had been for some time. The last round of arrivals—six newly awakened crew—stood near one wall, stiff and battered from cryosleep but clearly relieved to be upright. Three wore the unmistakable black uniforms of CorpSec: Adena Simic, Bayo Odunlade, and Xiang Chen. Next to them, Lorena Singh—a medic with a calm smile—was chatting with Yegor Savitsky, a technician and operator. Rounding out the group was Jaleela Sartara, a junior engineer with bright eyes and a quick manner. They had gathered along with everyone else, eager for news and orders.
At the far end of the table, Qian Shirong cleared his throat. The holoprojector in front of him sparked to life, displaying a rough schematic of a newly completed thorium reactor. “All right, people,” he began in his measured, steady tone. “Let’s talk about our latest progress. As you can see here—” He gestured to the holo display, which showed an elongated cylinder flanked by pipes and thick-walled chambers. “The design is a derivative of old Centauran low-tech reactors. Simple, passively cooled, not the most efficient but very safe if operated properly. We’ve extended the power grid to accommodate it, with lines running to the smelting works, the fabricators, and the expanded med bay.”
He paused, glancing around the room to make sure everyone was following. “The residue containing the thorium, collected by Maximilian’s team, is currently being refined. We should have suitable boules for the test run within a few days, a week at most. If it works—” he smiled wryly, “we’ll have continuous power for the first time since we landed on this rock.”
There was a quiet murmur of approval and a round of muted applause. The base had, after all, been scraping by on scavenged solar arrays and mushroom biomass for too long.
Next, Maximilian stepped forward. Exhaustion lined his face, but there was a certain glint of pride in his eyes. “We secured the thorium site,” he said, voice carrying easily through the crowd. “It’s not just raw ore anymore—we found a cave system full of mycelial roots and crystal formations. We blew up a major crystalline structure there, which rendered the rest inert. That alone was a big win.” He drew in a breath. “But I need to warn you: there are new crystal outgrowths near the old wreckage. We’ll need to keep watch on that. And we never fully cleared the cave system under our base. There might still be remnants of that crystal infection down there.”
Despite the words of caution, the sense of relief in the room was palpable. The mission to the thorium site had been a success overall, and the promise of stable energy brightened every face. Applause followed, a few people slapping Maximilian on the back in gratitude. Bayo Odunlade even let out a brief whistle.
Stepping aside, Tamarlyan Bakhtiyar Federoff took his place at the holo projector. He stood straight, pale eyes scanning the group. “I’m working with ARI on cybernetic enhancements,” he began without preamble, voice cool. “I realize that might sound… unnecessary to some. But we need every advantage. In particular, there’s a possibility that advanced implants could help Otto in the future, if we refine them enough. Minimal technology can keep someone alive in the field, but what if we go further?”
A ripple of uncertain glances circled the room. Some of the newly awakened CorpSec soldiers looked skeptical—corpocratic meddling with human bodies was not often well-received by the rank and file. But at the mention of Otto, the group’s tension softened. Lorena Singh studied Tamarlyan as though reevaluating him, while Jaleela Sartara nodded thoughtfully.
Sigrid, standing near the front, bowed her head. Otto’s condition was on everyone’s mind. “If this could help him walk again, or… or have a normal life, I’d do whatever it takes.”
Tamarlyan inclined his head, gaze flicking across the group. “ARI and I have a lot of design and reverse engineering ahead of us. The technology we have wasn’t exactly mainstream. But if we can replicate some of the enhancements I have, or the prosthetics from top families, it might mean giving Otto a chance—and maybe everyone else a stronger edge.”
From his side of the table, Qian Shirong cleared his throat. “I’m interested in helping, too,” he said, his tone unexpectedly earnest. “I have enough background in engineering and biotech. Just let me know when you need me.”
Satisfied murmurs filled the headquarters. The new arrivals seemed energized by their roles, and the veteran colonists, though weary, displayed a renewed sense of determination.
Elisa leaned against the edge of the command table, her fingers tracing idle patterns across its surface as the room buzzed with residual energy. Maximilian stood to the side, his tall figure radiating confidence, surrounded by a small cluster of CorpSec personnel who hung on his every word. His successful expedition to secure the thorium site and dismantle the hive had earned him visible respect among the crew, and deservedly so. He had brought back results, decisive and tangible ones. Moreover, the expedition had been a major victory over the native lifeforms.
But as Elisa scanned the room, she felt the familiar weight of self-doubt creeping in. What had she, as their leader, done for the crew that was as visible, as concrete? Sure, she had been present—fixing circuits, organizing supply chains, directing expeditions—but leadership, she realized, needed to be seen. Maximilian had led from the front and brought back two haulers full of spoils. What had she done that the crew could rally behind?
Her gaze flicked to the holographic map in the center of the table, still active from Shirong’s presentation. The base sat in the crater at its heart, while the rest stop and thorium deposit glowed as small points to the west. To the east lay the Valley of Hope, the site of alien plant life Mei had found. And far southeast, an intermittent ping marked the approximate location of the strange distress signal that still lingered in the back of her mind.
Elisa straightened, stepping forward. The murmur of voices quieted as she tapped a command on the table, zooming the map into focus. “All right, everyone,” she began, her voice steady but tinged with determination. “I know the past weeks have been exhausting for most of you. We’ve fought hard for every step forward—sometimes just to stay alive. But we are finally in a position where self-sufficiency is within reach.”
She paused, her eyes scanning the gathered faces. Most were attentive, but some, especially among the newer arrivals, wore skeptical expressions. They want results, not promises, she thought, feeling a pang of frustration. “When the reactor goes online, it will mark a turning point. We’ll finally have the energy we need—not just to survive, but to start building a future.”
Elisa motioned to the map, highlighting the rest stop to the west. “The thorium site and the rest stop will become critical to that future. But those working there deserve more than just a dusty outpost. That’s why we’re going to expand it into a permanent facility. Prefab shelters, proper fortifications, better amenities. Salvaging and thorium retrieval are demanding, dangerous jobs—let’s make sure the people doing them have a place they can rest and recover.”
A few nods rippled through the room. Sigrid, standing near Mei, offered an encouraging smile. Encouraged, Elisa shifted the map to the base itself. “The base is not forgotten. Once we’re stable, we’ll prioritize building a growth farm and cultivating the seeds we brought from Earth and Proxima. Real food—something more than synthetic rations. And we’ll salvage the remaining hardware from the wreckage, giving ARI the resources to expand its drone network.”
She glanced at the map’s edge, where the blinking marker of the distress signal still pulsed faintly. “And I haven’t forgotten about this,” she added, her voice quieter but deliberate. “We don’t know what’s down there—wreckage, resources, survivors, a threat, or something else entirely. It’s a gamble, I know, but we need answers. I’m ordering ARI to extend the drone network southeast toward the signal. And once the base is stable…” She took a breath. “I will personally lead the expedition to investigate it.”
The room buzzed with murmurs again, though this time the tone was harder to read. Some nodded, clearly intrigued by the prospect of exploring the unknown, while others exchanged skeptical glances. Elisa couldn’t help but feel a flicker of frustration. What she was offering was still theoretical, promises of what could be rather than what was. She was the commander, and in the world they had left behind, a manager’s promise of a better future had never amounted to anything at all.
Still, she pressed on, standing a little straighter. “I know some of this sounds far off. But every step we take now builds toward something bigger. Let’s make sure all of this, everything we’ve fought for, leads somewhere worth reaching.”
The crowd dispersed slowly, the newly awakened crew mingling with the veterans, discussing the proposed plans. Sigrid approached her with a warm smile. “Good speech,” she said, though her voice was soft enough to suggest she understood Elisa’s internal struggle.
Elisa nodded, watching as Maximilian and his CorpSec team huddled in their corner, still a magnet for attention. She turned back to the map, her fingers lingering over the marker of the distress signal. I need results. Something real. Something that shows I can lead.
For now, she resolved to focus on what lay ahead. Expand the rest stop. Build the reactor. Secure the base. And when the time came, she would step into the unknown herself, leading from the front—not because she had to, but because it was the only way to prove she deserved the role she’d been given.