In the chamber, pulsating softly with an eerie glow, an egg-shaped container suddenly split open with a resounding crack. A rush of vibrant green fluid spilled out, revealing a naked, shivering figure lying on the cold metal floor. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. He was disoriented and weak.

Ugh, my head... Where am I? Mark? Elora?

Astra's eyes darted frantically around the unfamiliar surroundings, searching for any semblance of familiarity. The monitors lining the walls hummed softly, displaying an array of complex data streams and live feeds. The technology was foreign to him, deepening his sense of unease.

"A-An alien…? It's impossible," he stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief, his eyes widening as they locked onto a figure before him.

The figure standing before him was an alien, dressed in a sleek black outfit that contrasted sharply with its green skin and white hair. The alien's eyes were shielded by a pair of modern glasses, adding an air of intelligence. Its green body contrasted sharply with its large, pointy ears and sharp teeth.

"It's a failure," the alien stated coldly, its voice echoing in the chamber.

Astra strained to understand the alien's words, his hearing was muffled and distorted. The alien's mouth moved, but the sounds were foreign and incomprehensible to him.

The glasses-wearing alien with an air of authority moved towards the array of screens, his fingers swiftly pressing buttons.

"Come here," he commanded, his tone unwavering.

The chamber's entrance parted with a mechanical whoosh, revealing two figures clad in jet-black armor and a transparent helmet. The guards' appearance resembled that of the glasses alien, but unlike him, they lacked sharp teeth and hair.

Each guard carried a unique-looking gun at their hip, the weapon's grip and barrel adorned with a distinctive blue sphere that seemed to glow with a soft, pulsing light. The sphere, about the size of a tennis ball, sat centered on the gun's frame, giving the weapon a unique and futuristic appearance. They bowed deeply to the glasses-wearing alien, their eyes never leaving the ground.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Yes, Professor Hrug," they echoed in perfect unison.

Without acknowledging them, Professor Hrug gave a dismissive wave of his hand and turned his attention to the screens, seemingly losing all interest in Astra. Astra's mind raced. A single thought pierced through the confusion:

I have to get away from here!

The armored figures approached Astra. One of them, with a rough grip, extended a choker towards him, its red light pulsating ominously. He tried to move, to resist, but overwhelming fatigue consumed him.

Before he could muster any more resistance, darkness enveloped him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

⊶☽☬☾⊷

In a small, stark white room, a human lay on a bed, dressed in a prisoner uniform. Slowly, he opened his eyes, disoriented and confused. It took Astra a moment to reconcile the facts and make sense of what had happened to him.

The last thing he remembered was the chaos of battle, the "Nova Star" under attack, and the desperate scramble to maintain control. But the details eluded him, slipping through his grasp like fleeting shadows.

"Did the one who attacked us come from an alien spaceship?" Astra pondered aloud, his voice echoing softly in the sterile room.

Despite all the advancements humanity had made, he had never truly believed in the existence of aliens until now. But faced with the undeniable truth of his predicament, Astra couldn't deny the unsettling reality that stared back at him from the stark confines of his prison cell.

"Why did that alien trap me here? Did my crew members get abducted too?" Astra muttered to himself, struggling to comprehend the reality of his situation.

Attempting to recall the events leading to his abduction, a sharp pain pierced through his head, causing him to wince. A sense of dread washed over him, and fear gripped his heart.

"What happened to Earth?" he stammered, the weight of the unknown pressing down on him.

The memories of his home planet seemed to slip through his fingers, leaving him with an unsettling void.

I need to find my crew members and learn the truth. But how can I do that?

Astra's thoughts trailed off, uncertainty clouding his mind.

As Astra's eyes roamed around the room, they landed on a mirror above the sink. Curiosity piqued, he stood up and approached the mirror, gazing at his reflection. Staring back at him was a face framed by black hair, with a choker around his neck emitting a pulsating red light.

The stark contrast between his left black eye and right blue eye caught his attention. He stared intently at them for a moment, trying to remember why they were different. Suddenly, the memory clicked, the NeuraEye system flooding back to him, integrated into his genetic code and responsible for his unique eye colors.

A memory surged forward—an important detail he had almost forgotten. With renewed focus, he exclaimed,

"System!" his voice filled with anticipation.

A glitch flickered across his vision before a holographic interface materialized before him. A smile spread across his face; this was something familiar, something from his world.

𓆩✧𓆪