The message was brief, but its meaning was immense. "Come to the botanical archives at dawn - I have something to show you that may help."

I reread Amara's words, my mind racing. The botanical archives she mentioned, a vast repository of specimens and data spanning generations of research, might hold clues to the colony's recent power surges. Surges that had led to catastrophic system failures and the permanent loss of my family's meticulously compiled historical records.

Could Amara access archived data about previous solar events or equipment malfunctions? Information that could help me pinpoint when the issues began? My heart pounded with anxious hope. Maybe there would be some data points showing when these surges started or possible notes from the settlers about why they began.

Dawn was still hours away, but sleep eluded me. I paced my spartan quarters, thoughts swirling. Why had Amara reached out now? We had only briefly met during my botanical study tour several weeks prior. We have been intermittently speaking back and forth electronically. I knew little about her except her dedication to her research into the flora of New Eden.

Perhaps after learning about the budget cuts to my family's programs and the slow loss of influence that our data brought, she wanted to help. She seemed unusually moved when I explained to her the fall of historians and the decimation of generations' worth of historical documentation.

Finally, exhaustion overtook me, and I collapsed into troubled dreams haunted by visions of power surges consuming generations of memories.

I awoke before sunrise, nerves jangling. Gathering my equipment, I set out on a rented Swift as the first hints of dawn illuminated the horizon. I sped through the quiet colony, cold air biting my cheeks.

The botanical archives were housed in the giant laboratory complex on the research grounds. I arrived as the first rays of light filtered through the arched ceilings of the large, modern-looking foyer.

There was no sign of Amara. I paced the quiet area anxiously until a soft voice called my name. I turned to see Amara emerging from a side room, smiling gently. Wordlessly, she led me down a long hallway to an elevator. Inside, I was surprised. The elevator looked old and unlike the modern interior of the rest of the building. Even the middle-class apartments had modern computer-controlled elevators, but not this one; instead, there was a simple lever on the wall with a two-point connection. Flip it up, and the elevator will go up. Flip it down, and the elevator would go down. It was simple. Crude even.

Amara and I stepped out into what I could only describe as a bureaucratic wet dream when we reached the bottom with a little jolt. Hundreds of rows of waist-high, wide filing cabinets ran across a room. The space would have been as large as a school gymnasium, lined with antique storage drives and glass specimen cases along the outer walls. More doors leading into other mysterious rooms could be seen every few meters.

Settling behind an archaic-looking console, Amara began punching in data. "I know this doesn't replace what was lost," she said solemnly, "but hopefully, it can help rebuild some of the gaps." then the sound of electronic whirring could be heard as a laminated keycard began to print out of a small machine on the desk. "This keycard will allow you access to the front doors and to this counsel," she said. "it will allow you to reference data in the archive using the search function and tell you what area of the archive that data can be found in.

I stared at the drive, overcome with gratitude. "I don't know how to thank you for this."

Amara smiled, her eyes meeting mine. "I'm happy to help. Our histories are intertwined now, are they not?"

* * *

As Amara wandered away back towards the elevator to go back to work, I inserted my new keycard into the console and began searching for any records related to power disruptions. Throughout my research, I found tidbits of information regarding the founding colony members and references to Anaya Singh, one of the earliest and most influential scientists in New Eden's history. As Amara's ancestor, Anaya's experiences could provide clues about the colony's past.

However, an initial Author search yielded no results under Anaya's name. I frowned, confused. Undoubtedly, one of the pioneers of botanical research would have extensive records preserved here. Yet, no papers or documents were listed with her as an author or even a co-author.

I was about to give up this lead with Anaya when I noticed a tab under her author profile for "Unnamed Files." Curious, I clicked it. A listing called "unnamed" followed by a series of alphanumeric coordinates populated the screen. They seemed to correspond to a physical location within the labyrinth of cabinets.

Could this unnamed file belong to Anaya? It seemed plausible that some records could have been mislabeled or misattributed over the decades.

I located a directory chart on the wall and traced the coordinates to a bank of cabinets along the far back wall. This section seemed especially ancient, with cabinets bearing manual latches instead of digital interfaces. However, everything was clean and free of dust. They must have some kind of filtration system in here, I thought.

Running my fingers along the serial numbers, I located the one matching the coordinates. With some effort, I unlatched the stubborn handle and pulled open the creaking drawer. Inside were rows of file folders, neatly labelled with numerical values and titles. , I leafed through them, looking for any oddly named or unnamed files that might hold clues to Anaya's research and New Eden's early days. Still, none indicated any strangeness, each labelled with acronyms, shortcodes or just numeric values. What secrets might be hidden within any of these folders that could shed light on the colony's past - and present? I had to know.

When I opened the file, my heart beat with anticipation. What ancient knowledge could be kept within these Manila folders?

* * *

I carefully sifted through the files, scanning the titles and flipping through the pages. Most were related to agricultural science or botanical genetics research, as expected for this archive. But one folder caught my eye - it was labelled "Project Starseed" in neat handwriting that seemed decades old. Why would materials about astronomy and long-range communications be stored here among the plant research?

I slid the folder out from the drawer and opened it gingerly, half expecting some ancient protective seal or enchantment to stop me. But it opened normally, revealing a stack of typewritten pages covered in equations, antenna array diagrams, and theoretical radio wave propagation models over vast distances. Skimming through, I gathered this was research into boosting broadcast power and accounting for delays in interstellar transmissions. But why was this project hidden away, buried among botanical records?

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The deeper I dug into the cabinet, the more curious artifacts I uncovered. Folders on broadcast triangulation algorithms, studies of exoplanetary atmospheres, and surveys of background radiation in deep space. Someone had put a lot of work into exploring the potential for communicating across the void of interstellar distances. But why was it left in the basement of the research laboratory? Some of this technology was more advanced than our communication devices in the colony today. And more so, maybe we could use this information to broadcast to other colonies! Our history taught us that thousands of others like ours were spread across multiple Exoplanets over hundreds of years. Was this a chance to reach out to the rest of the human race? Thoughts of incredible grandeur began running through my mind. The excitement was making my hands shake.

I kept searching for any clues that might explain the purpose of Project Starseed and any more clues as to the missing "unnamed" file that was supposed to be here. Amid some astronomical photographs slipped in among the pages, I found a research report that made me catch my breath: it proposed using the colony's communication arrays, designed for talking to Earth, to also send messages out towards a newly discovered exoplanet 14 light-years away that showed signs of a life-supporting atmosphere. They wanted to take a chance that an intelligent life could receive it. But the report ended by stating that :

"As lead researcher on Project Starseed, I deeply regret that I must report our failure to establish long-range communication with the newly discovered exoplanet Kepler-442b. Despite months of preparation and utilizing New Eden's communications array's total capacity, we did not successfully transmit a signal over the vast distance.

Numerous technical challenges contributed to this disappointing outcome. The colony's array, designed for long-range transmissions to Earth, still lacked the power output and precise targeting required for interstellar messaging. We attempted modifications to boost signal strength but found that this severely reduced transmission stability. Frequency drift and attenuation of the radio waves occurred well short of leaving our solar system.

Increasing broadcast power also placed unsustainable demands on the colony's energy grid, risking outages and infrastructure damage. We attempted to route additional energy from renewable sources but found the colony's solar microgrid insufficient for the array's power needs. Load balancing issues were unavoidable.

Compounding these technical limitations, previous attempts by other colonies to transmit signals over interstellar distances have seemingly also failed. None of the other 168 colonies in this quadrant have successfully contacted us since the planned date of contact. Distressingly, we have still been unable to contact Earth in recent decades for reasons still unknown. We are now aware that the Earth array received our singles, yet we have yet to receive a response.

While Project Starseed was ambitious in its aims, we must conclude that presently, it is not feasible to bridge the immense void separating our fledgling colony and other possible civilizations. The technology and energy required exceed what New Eden can currently provide. However, I remain hopeful that future infrastructure advances will enable humanity to overcome the challenges of making contact and potentially having new materials and supplies sent from our home planet."

What were they hiding here? Who knew about this? Was it still happening? We were taught in school that Earth sends a supply vessel every ten years and that other colonies were blooming on other planets in the surrounding areas of space. Why would communicating with them be so difficult? My mind began to race with the possibilities.

I dug deeper, moving file folders aside, feverishly flipping through documents until I felt I had reached the end of possibilities. There would be no more leads in this cabinet, but I assumed there were more dates like this mixed among the archives; I just didnt know what to search for. I felt like giving up for the day and was about to close the drawers when I noticed the glint of a strange light caught my eye. A reflection of something shiny taped to the inside of the drawer. And there it was, the biggest mystery of all. An ancient data crystal, the kind used to store information before modern digital drives existed. It must have come loose after decades of rattling around unseen. With unsteady fingers, I pried it free. What answers from New Eden's past could be contained in this.

* * *

I couldn't contain my excitement as I left the archive, eager to share my discovery with Amara. As I made my way through the research lab towards Amara's lab, I felt a sense of purpose that I hadn't experienced in a long time. The data crystal held the potential to reveal secrets about New Eden's past, and I knew that Amara's expertise in science could provide valuable insights into the crystal's contents.

As I reached the lab, I spotted Amara bent over a strange plant, her eyes wide with curiosity. I called out to her, and she looked up, her face lighting up with excitement when she saw the data crystal in my hand.

"Amara, you won't believe what I found!" I exclaimed, showing her the crystal. "It's an ancient data storage device, and I think it might hold the key to uncovering some of New Eden's secrets."

Amara's eyes sparkled with interest. "That's incredible! We need to find a way to read it. I think I remember where the old computers are stored." She said, "I think there's a set of really old computers in the archive hall in the basement. We should go check it out."

We made our way back through the winding corridors of the research lab back to the elevator.

* * *

As the elevator descended, the excitement between Amara and me was palpable. I could feel my heart racing as she began to talk about her ancestors and how much she wanted to know more. It was clear that this discovery had struck a chord with her, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in being able to help her uncover these secrets.

As we neared the bottom floor, the conversation took an unexpected turn. Amara suddenly thanked me for my help, her eyes locked onto mine. I could feel my face turning red as she continued to express her gratitude, her words flowing smoothly and effortlessly. It was clear that she was trying to say something more, but the words seemed to elude her.

At that moment, I realized that there was something more between us than just a shared interest in botany and history. Amara moved closer to me as the elevator doors opened, her eyes sparkling with excitement and desire. Without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed me fiercely, her lips soft and warm against mine.

I was taken aback by the suddenness of the kiss, but I couldn't help but respond. Our lips moved together, and I felt a rush of emotion I had never experienced before. Clearly, this was more than just a simple kiss - it was a declaration of adventure.

As the elevator doors closed behind us, we continued to kiss; our bodies pressed tightly together. I could feel the heat of her body against mine, and I knew that I wanted more. As much as I wanted to explore this newfound connection between us, there was still the matter of her not knowing about my gender reassignment and the ethical issues if I continued this behaviour with Amara without telling her the whole truth. It felt like I was robbing her of consent to agree when she was 100% aware of what she was agreeing to. And, of course, I also knew we needed to focus on our mission.

We pulled apart, our breaths coming in ragged gasps. Amara looked at me with a mix of desire and determination, her eyes filled with a fierce intensity. I knew we were both feeling the same thing - a sense of urgency and excitement that could not go on being ignored.

Amara broke her gaze from mine and turned to reopen the elevator doors, and we stepped out, both feeling a little chagrin. As we made our way through the archival room to the furthest back wall, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. What secrets would we uncover? And what would this newfound connection between us mean for our future? Only time would tell, but one thing was certain - we were about to embark on a journey that would change us both.

We finally reached a back room, which contained a bank of old computers; Amara's eyes widened as she took in the sight. "These are incredible! I've only seen them in history books."

We searched for a port that could accommodate the data crystal, and after a few minutes, we found one. Amara carefully inserted the drive into the port, and we watched as the computer and its screen flickered to life.

As the data began to load, we held our breath, eager to see what secrets the crystal held. As the words appeared on the screen, we knew we had made a groundbreaking discovery. The crystal file name appeared on the monitor, "PROJECT STARSEED."

Amara used the primitive cursor to select the folder and choose the open option.

Error… files are encrypted. No recovery code was found on the local host. Please input the password.

"Fuck!" Eliot cursed under his breath. "Nothing is ever that easy, is it?"

What does this mean?" asked Amara, "Is there no way to open it?"

"not without a password or a hacker, and we don't have either of those things Eloit replied, "It's encrypted."