Yelena was the first to speak.
"What you shared actually makes a hundred percent sense. I'm impressed and I agree with your theories."
"I agree with her too," Greg added. "The two theories she mentioned are core reasons behind the unprecedented heatwaves we've been facing on Earth."
"However," Master Lee cut in, I believe the aliens are the main problem in this case.
Five years ago, I was part of a secret space mission. We had an encounter, no, a war with the aliens. We discovered they were building a tech castle in space, a base. They were creating weapons, dangerous that, if unleashed, could wipe out the entire Earth.
Once Astronauts discovered what they were doing, we were sent to sabotage them, to stop them from completing their tech castle.
The aliens were smart. They detected us first and saw we were a threat. Hidden beneath our ship was a powerful device, only the pilot and I knew about it. It was designed specifically to destroy alien structures instantly. But they struck first. It was a massive blow. I lost some of my closest friends in the crash.
Even though we managed to destroy their tech, we failed to destroy the core tech, the critical elements they were using to build those weapons. If they're rebuilding, it's possible they've already released a highly dangerous substance into Earth's atmosphere while testing their weapons. That could be what's causing the disaster on Earth now."
As master Lee finished, silence filled the ship. His words sank deep. Everyone looked shaken.
"This is way more serious than I thought," said a calm voice. "All of this happened five years ago, and you people gave us a different story. No one said anything about aliens. We were told something completely different. To think I lost my dad on that mission…"
It was Park Jun Won. He stepped out of the sleeping pod, the first time anyone had seen him active since the journey began.
"He's definitely my type," Zara whispered as she eyed him from head to toe. "Sharp brown eyes, thick brows, long lashes, long legs, oh my God, he's too perfect. I can't breathe."
"Bro! So you've been lying there this whole time? I've been looking for you everywhere, I thought you died so I gave up." Greg said jokingly.
Jun Won shot him a cold glare and went straight to his seat.
"So mean. I wonder if he'll ever change," Greg muttered.
"Greg, you know this guy?" Tomi asked.
"Yeah. We schooled together in South Korea. We've been close friends."
"Close friends or more like close enemies?" Jun Won chuckled.
"He's got a good sense of humor too. He's so cool," Zara smiled, not realizing she said it out loud.
"Zara, don't fall for him o! He's a heartbreaker. Fall for me, your heart's safe with me," Greg teased.
Jun Won looked over. "A gorgeous Black woman with gorgeous hair…. I like her already. She's my type. I love Black women. They're so beautiful." He winked at Zara.
'He's a flirt too. He's the one for me," Zara said, grinning like a school girl.
"He's mysterious," Liliana commented.
Andrea gave her the "Not while I'm here look.
"You mentioned your dad. What's his name?" Master Lee asked Jun Won.
"Oh, my dad? Poor fella. His name was Park Sun Pyo."
Master Lee lowered his gaze. "He was my close friend, and he was the pilot." He paused, then wiped his eyes. God rest his soul."
"Tell us everything," Andrea pleaded. " The full story. What happened on the secret mission five years ago? How did you survive? What should we expect? So that we can prepare and take precautions beforehand. What if the aliens attack us again?"
" Yes please, tell us what happened !" The rest of the crew joined in.
Master Lee sighed. "Don't worry. I'll tell you all… when the time is right. But not now."
Everyone frowned, disappointment written all over their faces.
Yelena quickly tried to change the mood. "How about a proper introduction, sleeping prince? You haven't introduced yourself to the crew yet."
Jun Won stood and walked confidently to the center of the ship.
"Hi, space neighbors!" He said with a grin. "I'm Park Jun Won from South Korea. I'm a pilot and a xenolinguist. That's someone who studies alien languages, just in case we get any uninvited guests."
He winked and returned to his seat like he hadn't just casually blown everyone's minds.
Everyone laughed.
"Not funny at all," Mike muttered with his usual cold time.
Liliana pulled out her journal and wrote:
A mysterious guy who had been quietly lying down in the sleeping pod finally introduced himself. Another funny, but smart colleague.
She smiled, closed the journal, and gently tucked it into her bag. But just as she was about to, her pen fell and rolled to the third seat row.
Jun Won reached down. Picked it up, and handed it to her. Nice pen. Looks custom."
"Yeah, it is. Thank you," Liliana said, reaching out for it.
But before she could take it, the ship shook violently.
The air inside turned tense and heavy. Everyone immediately strapped in. The pen fell from Jun Won's hand.
The lights flickered. The ship began slowing down, almost out of control.
"I don't know what's happening!" Santiago shouted from the rear. "The ship is slowing and we're losing control. If this continues we're going to crash!"
Jun Won unstrapped and rushed to the rear.
Suddenly, Liliana clutched her head.
"It's you humans again. Why are you back?
She started hearing voices in her head. At first, she thought she was hallucinating, but the voice grew louder. It echoed like the chirping of birds, then became deafening.
"I'm hearing strange voices!" she cried out. It sounds like birds, it's getting louder! What's happening to me?!"
Her body trembled. Sweat poured down her face, like someone in a sauna.
Andrea grabbed her hand. "Lian, breathe. Look at me. You're okay. Nothing is happening to you. I'm here."
"Jun Won, what's the situation over there?" Master Lee asked urgently.
"The ship's brakes and controls are failing! We're falling to gravity," Jun Won yelled back.
"This doesn't make sense," said Zara. "The ship can't just start malfunctioning. Santiago, are you sure it didn't hit that debris earlier?"
"It didn't! I swear on my money!" Santiago replied.
"Still joking in this situation," Mike muttered.
"If the ship is going down, something must've been switched off," said Andrea. "Zara, check the control systems."
"Roger that," Zara said, unstrapping. But as she stood, the ship shook again, she fell.
Tomi rushed to her. Thankfully, it was just a bruised arm.
"Everyone!" Zara shouted. "I think invisible forces are attacking us. They're here, they're close to the ship!"
Yelena rushed to the Earth communicator system.
"Yelena Kovacs reporting from space!
We're facing an unknown threat. The ship is malfunctioning and if nothing is done very fast we might crash. We're currently in danger and…
The signal was cut off before she could finish.
"We've lost connection with Earth!" She cried.
Back on Earth, panic struck everyone.
"The rescue team just reported an unknown threat, they are in danger, their ship might crash if nothing is done faster. Now the signal is gone. We need to restore communication immediately," the base reported and forwarded it to others.
"Master Lee, say something !" Liliana begged. Please. We need guidance!"
"There's a strange ship approaching us!" Santiago and Jun Won shouted in unison..
Suddenly, the lights went out. Red danger signals flashed across the dashboard.
The danger indicator alarm wailed:
"Danger ! Danger!"
Everyone covered their ears. The sound was too loud.
They began to pray in their own languages.
Andrea turned to Master Lee. "Please, say something. You've been on many missions. You must know what to do!"
Master Lee finally spoke, his voice calm but intense.
"This isn't just about survival anymore. It's about trust and a power we don't understand."