image [https://i.postimg.cc/66G052yf/cygnus-beetles.png]
The base was alive with activity now that the glaring sun was setting. The team worked to clear part of the crater to expand the industrial facilities. The alien plants, towering mushroom-like structures with thick stalks and glowing caps, were being systematically cut down by ARI's laser cutter.
The base was alive with activity now that the glaring sun was setting. Elisa stood on the edge of the duracrete foundation, arms crossed as she watched a newly assembled crane arm lift the remnants of a massive mushroom-like plant and deposit it into the hopper. The plant's fibrous stalk was ground down with a deep, grating rumble. Water and a mixture of white and bright red-pink juices stained the machinery and dripped into the metal grooves below before being pumped away for distillation. The scene felt wrong to her—there was something about the plants that felt alive, almost aware. She hated the sound of them being reduced to chunks and bits, but practicality left no room for sentiment. The base needed space, and every resource mattered.
Nearby, Otto and Sigrid cataloged the processed material. The alien biomass, though bizarre and unnerving, was rich in metals and rare elements that could be used in the fabricator once refined. Elisa approached, and Otto wiped the sweat from his brow as he surveyed the progress.
"We’re about halfway done with this section," he reported. "The plants are yielding a surprising amount of carbon compounds and trace metals. They’re almost too efficient for their size."
Elisa nodded absently, her eyes still on the hopper. "Efficient or not, we’re stepping into unknown territory. Keep an eye on how the remnants interact with our systems. I don't want surprises."
Otto hesitated before replying. "You think they are dangerous? The plants?"
"Not directly," Elisa said, her voice low. "But nothing here feels straightforward. Let's finish this and move on."
Otto nodded returned to his station. The commander turned away, her thoughts clouded, as the grinding machinery continued its relentless work.
===
Several kilometers from the base, on the far side of the crater, Pom, Maximilian, and ARI worked to recover the pods ARI had marked as containing the modular prefab industrial equipment.
Maximilian drove the lead vehicle, while Pom rode in the second, occasionally glancing at the barren horizon. ARI's drone hovered overhead, scanning the terrain and guiding them to the marked pods.
"Next pod is two hundred meters north-northwest," ARI’s voice chimed over the comms. "According to the manifest, it contains essential parts for the smelter module."
"Good," Maximilian said. "Let's hope this one hasn’t been smashed to bits like the last one."
Pom remained quiet, focusing on the faint shimmer of the pod ahead.
"Something on your mind, Pom?" Maximilian asked casually, his tone friendly but probing.
Pom hesitated, then shook her head. "Just tired. Long day."
Maximilian chuckled. "Aren’t they all? But we’re making progress. When we return this load, this base might actually begin to look like a colony." He glanced at Pom through the rearview mirror. "Still, it’s a lot to take in, isn't it? Being out here, so far from Earth, most of the officers dead..." He paused and took a shallow breath. "Young girl in command..."
Pom glanced at him sharply, then looked away. "Tough job, that’s all."
"True enough," Maximilian said, nodding. "I've known a lot of commanders. Some crack under pressure, some thrive on it. It’s interesting to see how different people handle the responsibility."
Pom frowned, unsure of where he was going with this. "Elisa's not cracking. She's holding it together."
"Of course," Maximilian said smoothly, his tone reassuring. "But it's okay to have doubts, you know. Everyone does at some point. It’s just human nature."
"I don't doubt her," Pom said quickly, a defensive edge creeping into her voice.
"Relax," Maximilian said with a disarming smile. "I'm not saying you do. I'm just saying it's normal to feel… conflicted, especially when the stakes are this high. We're all counting on her. On each other."
Pom said nothing, her grip tightening on the steering controls. The pod loomed closer, its reflective surface partially buried in the sand. ARI's drones zipped ahead to begin preliminary scans.
Maximilian let the silence linger, then added, "She's lucky to have people like you. Loyal, hardworking. I don't know if I could do it, being in her shoes."
Pom glanced at the comscreen again, this time with suspicion. "You don't think you'd make a good commander?"
Maximilian shrugged, his expression neutral. "Oh, I've led operations before, sure. But a whole colony? That's another level entirely. You'd have to be someone special for that kind of responsibility."
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His words hung in the air as they reached the pod. ARI’s drones signaled the all-clear, and Maximilian jumped out to inspect the latches. The pod was partially buried in sand, its outer shell dented but intact. Pom and Maximilian disembarked, while ARI’s drone scanned the exterior for structural vulnerabilities. With the combined effort of the rover’s mechanical arms and ARI’s guidance, they began the process of extracting the pod from the sand. Pom climbed on top, still chewing over his comments as they worked together to secure the pod for transport.
By the time the recovery team returned with the pod, the plant clearing had finished, and the area was prepped for the first industrial assembly. Elisa stood by the crane, watching as the modular components were offloaded and assembled.
Maximilian approached, his expression unreadable as he gave her a brief report. "Most pods were intact. Smelter parts are all there. ARI’s already cataloging them."
"Good work," Elisa said. She glanced at Pom, who nodded but avoided her gaze and made off in the direction of a nearby toploader to gather another haul of ore.
===
The dig site echoed with the low growl of engines as Ervin Sekhon maneuvered his dozer across the rocky terrain. The machine’s hydraulic arm lowered, its reinforced scoop biting into the compacted ground with precision. Beside him, Mei piloted her own dozer, a smaller but more agile model designed for extracting ore veins near the surface. The air was thick with dust, which clung to their suits and settled on the machinery as they worked.
"So far it has all mostly poor density, but it finally looks like a decent yield here," Ervin called over the comm, his voice steady despite the rigors of piloting the vehicle for hours on end. He nudged the control stick, tilting the scoop upward to deposit a fresh load of ore into a waiting pile.
"Good," Mei replied, her attention fixed on the scanner display inside her cabin. "We really need to hit higher ore concentrations, or we will expend too much energy and chemicals on processing... Did they get that smelter up yet?"
"Not yet," Ervin said, wiping his forehead with his remaining hand before returning to the controls. "But I’ll keep digging anyway."
Further down the slope, Pom and Maximilian arrived with their toploaders, rugged machines designed for hauling heavy loads. The vehicles rumbled to a stop, and Maximilian climbed out of his cockpit to stretch, his movements relaxed but deliberate.
"You two are making good progress," Maximilian said, surveying the growing piles of ore. "Let’s see if we can speed things up. ARI’s got a timetable for that smelter, and it’s not going to fill itself."
Pom rolled his eyes but said nothing, guiding his toploader into position with practiced ease. "Ready when you are," he called to Mei.
Mei brought her dozer to a halt, carefully tilting its scoop to pour a load of ore into Pom's toploader. The metallic clatter of rocks filled the air, accompanied by the steady hum of machinery. Meanwhile, Maximilian positioned his vehicle next to Ervin's dozer, waiting as Ervin filled it with a mix of iron-rich sediment.
It was Ervin who noticed them first. As he glanced toward the ledge above the dig site, he froze, his gaze locking onto a cluster of golden carapaces gleaming in the sunlight.
"Uh… Mei? Pom? Look up," Ervin said, his voice tight.
Mei followed his gaze and felt a chill run down her spine. Perched along the rocky edge, a group of golden beetles stared back at them, their many eyes shimmering with an iridescent glow. Their antennae twitched with eerie precision, as if they were taking in every detail of the humans' operation.
"Those are the creatures that attacked Elisa, right?" Mei asked, trying to mask her unease. "But they’re just watching… not attacking.”
Maximilian’s voice cut in, calm but sharp. "How many?"
"At least six," Ervin replied. "Spread out across the ledge. They’ve got a clear view of everything we’re doing."
Pom craned her neck to look. "Creepy," he muttered.
"Maybe they’re learning," Maximilian said, his tone unreadable. "Or maybe they’re just waiting for the right moment."
"Let’s not give them one," Mei said, trying to refocus the group. "Let's hurry and fill up. The faster we get back to base, the better."
===
The desert sky was barely touched by the first hints of dawn as Mei and Sigrid made their way to the patch of alien vegetation that loomed like a small forest ahead. The mushroom-like plants stretched high into the air, their wide, waxy caps casting strange shadows across the sand. Each stem was as thick as a tree trunk, yet the whole structure had an almost translucent, glassy quality, as if their fibers were alive with an internal glow. Pools of water lay nestled in the sand beneath some of the larger caps, their surfaces disturbingly still.
Sigrid shivered despite the warmth of the morning. She glanced around, feeling her heart beat faster with each step. “These plants… it’s like they’re watching us,” she whispered, casting quick looks at the fungal stems as if expecting them to lean closer.
Mei smiled gently, seemingly unaffected by the atmosphere that hung around the alien grove. “Don’t be so jumpy, Sigrid. They’re just plants.” She placed a steadying hand on Sigrid’s shoulder. “Or… plant-like, anyway.”
“They’re more than that,” Sigrid murmured, keeping her distance. Her voice was low, almost reverent, but tinged with fear. “There’s an intelligence here, Mei, a presence. Don’t you feel it?”
Mei shook her head and moved closer to the nearest mushroom, studying it with the same detached curiosity she reserved for lab specimens. “You know, Sigrid, the water from these plants saved my life. When I was stranded out here, dehydrated and on the brink, these pools were my only source of water.” She gestured to the shallow basin of liquid shimmering below the mushroom cap. “And I drank, and here I am.”
Sigrid took a wary step back, eyeing the dark, still water in the pool. “I am not sure if I could do that. This place feels wrong. Like we’re trespassing on something that doesn’t want us here.”
Ignoring her, Mei turned her attention to the towering mushroom stalk, her fingers tracing the strange textures on its surface. “They’re fascinating, Sigrid. Their structure is incredible. I don’t feel the way you do; these plants don’t scare me.”
Sigrid watched, frozen in a mixture of awe and terror. She didn’t dare go near the stem herself. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the plants were observing them, silent and waiting, and her skin prickled with the unshakable sense of being watched from all directions.
“I think they’re part of this place’s balance,” Mei said softly, her eyes still closed, as if she could sense something Sigrid couldn’t. “Something out there has created these plants. They’re not here by accident.”
Sigrid swallowed, backing up a few paces. “Or maybe it’s us they’re waiting for. Mei, please… just be careful.”
Mei let her hands fall away from the stem. She turned to Sigrid, a gentle smile on her face. “Trust me, I am.”
But Sigrid’s face remained pale, her gaze fixed on the towering fungal shapes, shadows flickering along the ridges of their caps. To her, they seemed more like silent guardians than simple plants. As the first rays of sun lit up the desert horizon, the two women stood side by side, one in fear, and the other in wonder.