The silence of space felt surreal to Yong as he prepared to land on the uncharted planet C-11. His mission, a culmination of years of hard work, had finally brought him to this moment. The vastness of the universe, stretching out beyond the tiny cockpit, was both beautiful and intimidating. He had imagined this day for so long, but now that it was here, the weight of it all felt heavier than he had expected.

"Yong, how’s everything going?" came the voice over the comms.

"Everything’s fine so far. I’m almost landing," he replied, his voice steady, though his heart raced with anticipation.

"Start slowing down the ship, and lower the ladders."

It was his first time in space, and everything about it felt otherworldly. The endless stars, the quiet hum of the ship, the sharp contrast between the cold of space and the warmth of his suit—it was all more magnificent than he had imagined. Yet, a small knot of anxiety gnawed at him. He couldn’t afford to mess this up.

As the planet C-11 grew larger in his view, the excitement in him deepened, mingling with a sense of awe. The moment his ship touched down on the planet's surface, he felt a rush of adrenaline. He was here.

He made his way to the airlock, pressing the button to open the doors. Inside the small space between the two doors, he waited, watching the rear hatch seal behind him. Once it was closed, he impatiently pressed the button for the front door and stepped out onto the alien soil.

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He descended the stairs, taking in the strange, barren landscape before him. The planet felt eerily quiet. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel as overwhelmed as he had expected.

"Yong, go to the garage and see if there’s anything of importance nearby."

As he walked toward the garage, he realized he had forgotten the access code.

"What was the code again?" he asked, trying to remember.

"4802... 68... 0..."

"I’m not catching that, can you repeat it?"

"We’re losing connection, just hold on, we’ll be back with you shortly."

"How long will it take?"

"..."

"Hello?"

Panic started to rise in Yong's chest. What if they don’t come back? What if I’m stuck here alone?

He returned to the ship, waiting anxiously. Hours passed, and the silence was deafening. He tried the code again, over and over, but nothing worked. Desperation was creeping in when he saw a shadow move in the distance.

He quickly looked, but saw nothing.

Am I losing my mind already?

He needed to get back to the ship, but the isolation was getting to him. He was beginning to doubt himself, his sanity slipping away with each passing minute.

Then, just as he was about to give up, a voice crackled through the comms.

"Yong Wang, we’ve re-established the connection. The code is 4802636802."

Relief flooded over him, and he hurried toward the garage once more. But as he stepped out of the ship, something felt off. His eyes darted to the side, and there—standing perfectly still—was a figure, holding a fuel canister.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen, frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped for it.

Yong froze in terror, paralyzed by fear. His heart raced, but before he could react—

"AHHH!"

"Mr. Yong Wang, are you alright?" the voice over the comms asked urgently.