The colony bustled with activity, more so than usual as workers moved with purpose across the dusty terrain of Helios-3. A week had passed since Elias Crane, the colony leader, received instructions from Marian LeVane. The CEO’s plan to send a specialized task force had injected a renewed sense of urgency—and tension—into the camp.

While some workers found solace in the idea of professionals finally addressing the mystery of the black pillar, others were less enthusiastic. They had spent days painstakingly studying the alien artifact with little progress, only to be sidelined now that the corporation’s elite were enroute. Conversations buzzed around the mess halls and workstations, ranging from speculation about the task force’s expertise to grumbles about the implications of corporate interference.

Somewhere else

Elias stood near the colony’s central hub, observing the flurry of activity. His deputy, Rhea Malloy, approached him with a data pad in hand.

“They’ve made it through the outer atmosphere.” Rhea informed him, her tone clipped but professional. “ETA is just under three hours.”

Elias sighed, brushing dust off his sleeve. “The last thing we need is a group of corporate suits looking over our shoulders, but Marian didn’t leave much room for negotiation.”

Rhea smirked. “Let me guess, they’ll have their shiny equipment, make a big show of scanning the pillar, and then tell us we’ve been doing it wrong.”

“Probably.” Elias admitted, though his tone was more resigned than bitter. “Still, if they figure out something we’ve missed, I won’t complain. That thing-” he gestured toward the distant chamber. “-has been staring us in the face for days, and we’re no closer to answers.”

Across the colony, the workers shared similar sentiments.

“Maybe they’ll finally crack it.” one technician mused as he loaded a crate of tools onto a transport cart.

“Or maybe they’ll just make things worse.” grumbled another. “You know how Leviathan works. They’ll keep the good stuff for themselves and leave us in the dark.”

Others entertained more fantastical theories, fueled by the artifact’s alien nature.

“I heard someone say it could be a communication beacon.” a junior miner whispered during a break.

“A beacon to what?” her colleague retorted. “Aliens who haven’t shown up in a billion years? Get real.

"Well..." The junior miner's voice would fade away, unable to continue their sentence.

By mid-afternoon, the task force arrived in a sleek Leviathan Industries dropship. Its reflective surface gleaming unnaturally bright against the planet’s harsh red skies. The ship descended onto the designated landing pad, kicking up a storm of dust that momentarily obscured the view. Workers shielded their faces, squinting through the haze as the craft’s engines powered down.

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The ramp lowered, revealing a group of six individuals clad in advanced environmental suits. At their head was Dr. Calder Vrenna, a tall, imposing figure with sharp eyes that seemed to scan everything at once. Behind him was a team of specialists engineers, scientists, and security personnel all outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment.

Elias approached them with Rhea in tow. His expression was neutral, but the stiffness in his posture betrayed his unease.

“Welcome to Helios-3.” Elias said, extending a hand to Calder.

Calder ignored the gesture, his gaze fixed on the colony’s surroundings. “Where’s the artifact?”

Elias’s jaw tightened but, he kept his tone even. “We’ll take you there shortly. Your team will have everything they need to begin work.”

“We brought our own equipment.” Calder replied curtly. Gesturing to a series of crates being unloaded from the dropship.

Rhea raised an eyebrow at his tone but said nothing. Calder turned to his team and issued a series of rapid-fire instructions before looking back at Elias.

“Lead the way.” he said.

Meanwhile, Finn and a small team of workers were already inside the chamber, performing routine scans and documenting the carvings on the walls. The alien symbols were as enigmatic as ever, defying any attempts at translation. Finn knelt near the base of the black pillar, adjusting a handheld scanner that had been acting up all morning.

“Damn thing..” he muttered, giving the device a light smack.

“Still glitching?” one of his colleagues asked.

“Yeah..” Finn replied. “It keeps flickering whenever I point it at the pillar. No idea why.”

The scanner’s screen blinked erratically, lines of static distorting the readings. Finn frowned, adjusting the settings. Suddenly, the screen froze, and for a brief moment, an image flickered across the display.

“What the.." Finn muttered, leaning closer.

Amidst the static, something red appeared on the screen. At first, it was a shapeless blur but as Finn adjusted the scanner, the image sharpened. It...looks like an eye..?

"Hh..!"

Finn’s breath caught in his throat. He stared at the image, his mind racing. Was it a glitch? A reflection of some kind? But as he watched, the eye seemed to shift. Its pupil narrowing as if focusing directly on him.

“Finn?” one of the workers called out.

He jolted, nearly dropping the scanner. And as soon as his eyes looked back at the scanner, the image was gone.

“Uh.. ye-yeah?” he replied, his voice shaky.

“You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Yeah.. I’m fine.” Finn lied, though his hands trembled slightly as he set the scanner down. And as he did...

Before he could process what he had just seen, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the chamber. Calder Vrenna and his team entered. Their advanced suits and equipment making the colony workers look positively primitive by comparison.

“We’ll take it from here.” Calder announced, his tone brooking no argument.

Elias and Rhea followed behind, their expressions a mix of relief and frustration.

“You heard the man.” Elias said to the workers. “Let’s clear out and give them space.”

Finn hesitated, glancing back at the pillar. For a moment, he thought he saw the faintest flicker of movement within its smooth, dark surface. But when he blinked, it was gone.

“Come on, Finn.” one of his colleagues urged, tugging at his sleeve.

Reluctantly, Finn joined the others as they exited the chamber, leaving the task force to their work.

As the workers returned to the surface, conversations erupted around them.

“Did you see the way they just barged in?” one worker complained. “Didn’t even bother introducing themselves.”

“They don’t care about us.” another replied. “We’re just grunts to them. All they want is that damn pillar.”

Finn remained silent, his mind replaying the image from the scanner. The red eye, it had felt... aware, as if it were watching him specifically.

“You okay Finn?” a voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked up to see Tessa studying him with a concerned expression.

“Yeah.” he said quickly. “Just tired.”

Tessa didn’t look convinced but she nodded and walked away. Finn exhaled, running a hand through his hair. Whatever he saw down there, whatever the scanner showed, there was a sinking feeling that wasn't all. As if, that was just the beginning.