Starhoppers

08 - The Harbinger of Life

The captain's words echoed in my mind as Ellie slipped past me, the slapping of her shoes against the floor nearly matching the rapid thumping of my heart. "Guys!" she cried out as she sprinted towards the living quarters.

"This has to be a mistake, right?" Ezra asked, a slight tremble in his voice as he turned to the captain. "I thought this system was supposed to be unvisited, Isaac."

Captain Walker remained silent for a moment as he leaned back against his chair, awe in his narrowed eyes. "Go, Ezra..." he muttered, waving the man away. "Get the weapons ready. We have no idea what we're going to find out there."

Ezra scoffed. "Wait, what? You want to go out there? You can't be serious. It'll be dark here soon!"

"Just think about this for a second, Ezra," Captain Walker said. "This could either be an unfortunate mistake, and we've somehow stumbled upon the wrong system entirely... or it could be the greatest discovery in humanity's history. This could be it, Ezra. Intelligent life."

Ezra stammered, his gaze glued to the tower as the captain shoved him away. "Get ready," he repeated. "Don't make me say it again."

Ezra glanced over at me for a moment before leaving the bridge, the man eerily silent as he headed for the armory. Captain Walker spoke. "Serena... what the hell am I looking at here? Please tell me you have some ideas."

"Captain, I..." her voice trailed off.

"Fantastic... even the AI is at a loss for words," Captain Walker murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.

"My scans show no lifeforms in the vicinity of the tower," she said, confusion in her voice. "Captain... this is the Ceythode system. There are no doubts about that. We're the first recorded humans to set foot on the surface."

I fell against the side of my chair, struggling to breathe as the world swirled around me. Captain Walker peered over his shoulder. "What are you still doing in here, Zach?" he asked, turning his attention quickly back towards the console. "Get ready. Now."

My legs remained frozen in place as I stared at the tower, my heart fighting to rip a hole in my chest as Serena continued. "Would you like me to notify Earth of our discovery? We have no idea how dangerous-"

"No!" Captain Walker snapped, waving his hand. "No. Don't do that."

"Are you certain, Captain...? I'd highly advise-"

"Did you hear me, Serena?" Captain Walker spat. "Do not notify Earth. Not yet."

"Of course, Captain," Serena spoke. "I'll keep watch over the scanners for now."

"Good," Captain Walker said, peering back at me once more. "What did I just say, Zach? Get the hell out of here. I'm not paying you to stand around."

After a final moment of hesitation, I turned away from the tower and sprinted out of the bridge.

The panicked voices of my crew echoed from up ahead as I approached the living quarters. "What the hell are you talking about, Ellie?" Ralph's voice reached me first. "There are people out there? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

I stumbled to a halt as I entered the room. Ellie stood before Ralph and Tobias, her palms glued to her cheeks as she paced back and forth. Lily stood in the doorway to her office, her eyes narrowed curiously as she witnessed the insanity unfold before her.

"It's a building, Ralph," Ellie said. "Somebody built that... something built that."

"I knew it," Tobias whispered, a disturbing look settling within the man's eyes. "I knew it. I saw them."