Later That Day

Finn’s head rested against the table. The hum of distant machinery a faint backdrop to his uneasy sleep. His face was pale, his brows furrowed in discomfort. In his dreams, the images from the chamber resurfaced. Dark and vivid, like ghostly shadows that refused to fade.

He stood again in the chamber. Staring at the black pillar. It loomed ominously, pulsing faintly in the darkness. Then, just as it had before, something appeared in his mind’s eye. A faint outline of something circular, red like blood smeared against the pillar's surface. At its center, a tiny black pupil stared directly at him, unmoving, unblinking. The sensation of being watched, of being weighed and measured, crawled over his skin.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the red shape seemed to swell, its intensity growing. A voice, low and distant, whispered his name in tones that scraped like iron against stone. Finn flinched, struggling to look away, but his body was frozen.

“Finn..”

Suddenly, hands gripped his shoulders. The red shaped eye started to begin to glow like a flame.

“Soon..”

The voice said lowly. Once more, a slow ominous chuckle could be heard coming out of the pillar. The hands that gripped his shoulders would further tighten.

“Finn..Finn...”

“FINN!!”

He shot upright with a gasp.

“Finn! Wake up!” Tessa's voice broke through the fog of his mind, sharp and urgent.

Finn blinked, his breathing ragged as his surroundings came into focus. They were in the break room, where he’d stolen a few moments of rest. Tessa stood over him, her hands still gripping his shoulders, her expression tense.

“What… what is it?” Finn asked, his voice groggy.

“There’s a meeting. Right now.” Tessa said quickly. “Everyone’s being called to the meeting room. It sounds serious.”

Finn wiped at his face, shaking off the lingering haze of his dream. “A meeting? What’s it about?”

“I don’t know.” Tessa replied, already moving toward the door. “But the CEO’s here. That’s all I heard. Come on, we’ve got to go.”

“Alright..let's go.” Finn said as they proceeded to head to the meeting room.

Upon arrival, they would find the meeting room was packed. Workers murmuring among themselves as they waited for the announcement to begin. At the center of attention stood Dr. Calder Vrenna, his task force members flanking him like soldiers ready for battle. Beside him, the holographic figure of Marian LeVane loomed above the room, her image projected with sharp clarity. Her composed expression and piercing gaze silenced the chatter as soon as she began to speak.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.” Marian said, her tone calm but commanding. “I understand that the past few weeks have been challenging. The discovery of the artifact has demanded much from all of you, and I appreciate your diligence.”

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She paused, letting her words settle before continuing. “However, as of today, the scope of your work will shift. Effective immediately, all mining operations will be put on hold. Your focus will now be redirected toward a singular goal. The excavation and extraction of the artifact.”

The room erupted into whispers. Finn glanced at Tessa, whose brows furrowed in confusion, and then over at Quinn who looked outright annoyed. Around them, other workers muttered to each other, their expressions ranging from concern to frustration.

Marian raised a hand, silencing the room once more. “Let me explain. After thorough discussions with my executive board and receiving recommendations from Dr. Vrenna and his team, we’ve decided that the artifact’s significance warrants a full-scale operation. To that end, advanced machinery will be delivered within the week to assist with the extraction process. Your role will be to clear the area surrounding the artifact to ensure a smooth operation.”

As the murmurs began again, Marian continued, her voice cutting through the noise. “Dr. Calder Vrenna will oversee the operation. Any concerns or questions should be directed to him. Colony Leader Crane, do you foresee any issues with this plan?”

All eyes turned to Elias Crane, the colony’s leader, who stood stiffly at the side of the room. His jaw was tight, his hands clasped behind his back. After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head. “No, Ms. LeVane. No issues.”

Marian’s gaze lingered on him, as though weighing his words, before she nodded. “Good. Then I’ll leave the implementation of this plan in Dr. Vrenna’s capable hands. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The hologram flickered out, leaving Calder as the sole focus of the room. A thin smile played on his lips as he stepped forward, clapping his hands once.

“All right, you heard the lady.” he said, his tone brisk and commanding. “We’ve got work to do. I want the perimeter cleared and the excavation underway by tomorrow morning. No delays, no excuses. Let’s move.”

Few Hours Earlier

In Leviathan’s main headquarters, Marian sat at the head of the conference table, addressing her executive team.

“The question before us..” she said, her voice measured, “..is whether to proceed with Dr. Voss’s suggestion to uproot the artifact and transport it to Earth for further study.”

Her statement was met with immediate reaction.

“It’s risky.” said Victoria Malik, the Head of Security Operations. “Transporting something of this magnitude across space invites sabotage, theft, or worse. Do we even have the means to protect it?”

“Victoria, we’re not dealing with pirates here.” retorted Alaric Voss, his voice dripping with exasperation. “The artifact’s potential far outweighs the risks. Keeping it on Helios-3 is a waste of time and resources.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” said Elena Karros, the Chief Legal Officer. “If this goes wrong, the legal fallout could cripple Leviathan. Aegis Dynamics already has a foothold on Velkara-9. If they catch wind of this and connect the dots, we’ll be buried in lawsuits. Or worse, accused of corporate espionage.”

Alaric rolled his eyes. “We’re not stealing from Aegis. We’re advancing science. There’s a difference.”

“Enough.” Marian interrupted, her voice cutting through the argument. “We can debate this all day, but it won’t change the facts. We need to make a decision.”

The room fell silent as she leaned forward. “Let’s vote. All in favor of relocating the artifact, raise your hand.”

Alaric’s hand shot up immediately, followed by Hugo Ren and Levan Corvin. Victoria, Elena, and Darian Wolfe kept their hands down.

Marian glanced around, noting the tie. The deciding vote was hers.

For a moment, she was silent,.

Not long after, the room fell silent as all eyes turned to her. Slowly, Marian leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable. “I’ve heard all of your arguments, and I understand the risks involved. But I’ve also weighed the potential benefits. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.”

She raised her hand. “We move forward with the operation.”

Back to the Present

The meeting room was alive with quiet discontent as the colony workers filtered out. Finn stayed near the back with Tessa and Quinn, listening to the murmurs around them.

“They’re putting us on a fool’s errand.” one worker muttered.

“This is above our pay grade.” another grumbled.

“This is ridiculous.” Quinn muttered. “We’ve been busting our asses mining resources, and now they want us to dig out a damned pillar instead?”

“They’re the ones in charge.” Tessa said, though her tone was tinged with frustration. “What can we do about it?”

Finn said nothing, his mind still replaying the strange vision he’d seen. Whatever this artifact was, it wasn’t just some ancient relic. It was alive. Or at least, aware. And now they were digging it up.

As the workers reluctantly got to their tasks, Calder stood near the chamber’s entrance watching them with a self-satisfied smirk. The colony had no idea what they were unearthing but soon, they will know how valuable it is compared to the stones they were digging up