Chapter 9: The Colony's Fall
The Cassiopeia docked at Alpha-7's outer ring, its hull scorched from the shadow's relentless pursuit. The crystalline entity had vanished moments after Lyra's transmission, as if retreating to consider her words, but Lyra knew it wasn't gone. The signal in her head had quieted to a murmur, but it lingered, like a predator waiting to strike.
Alpha-7's docking bay was eerily silent. No workers, no drones, just flickering lights and a faint hum-not the station's machinery, but the same rhythmic pulse Lyra had first heard on Echo-9. She stepped off the ship with Ren and Mara, her portable decoder clutched tightly. The air smelled of ozone, and the walls bore strange, glowing marks, like the scratches she'd seen on Echo-9.
"This place is dead," Ren muttered, his mechanical arm sparking as he scanned the bay with a handheld sensor. "No life signs. Not even residual heat from machinery."
Mara's hand rested on her pistol. "They didn't evacuate. Something took them."
Lyra's stomach churned. She remembered the vision: Alpha-7's people walking into crystals, their eyes glowing. She activated her decoder, hoping to pick up a signal, but the screen flashed the same geometric patterns from Echo-9, now forming a single word: Home.
"Let's move," she said, her voice steady despite the dread. "The control center's in the main dome. If anyone's left, they'll be there."
They navigated the colony's corridors, passing abandoned homes and shattered storefronts. The glowing marks grew denser, forming intricate webs that pulsed in sync with the signal. At one intersection, Lyra froze. A figure stood in the shadows-not a shadow, but a human, a woman in a technician's uniform. Her eyes glowed faintly blue, and she smiled, just as Avis had.
"Lyra Kain," the woman said, her voice layered with whispers. "You've come home."
Ren raised his sensor, but Lyra grabbed his arm. "Don't. She's not hostile. Not yet."
The woman tilted her head, her smile widening. "The network welcomes you. It remembers you. Your mother walked these paths, long ago."
Lyra's heart skipped. "My mother? What do you know about her?"
"She was the first," the woman said, stepping closer. Her skin shimmered, as if laced with liquid light. "She carried the seed. You carry it now. Join us, and know everything."
Lyra backed away, her mind racing. The Kain Protocol, the medallion, her mother's voice-it was all tied to this network. But what was the seed? Her DNA? Her memories? Or something deeper?
Mara drew her pistol. "Enough. Where's the colony's crew?"
The woman ignored her, her glowing eyes fixed on Lyra. "They are safe. They are us. You will be, too."
Before Lyra could respond, the corridor shook, and a low rumble echoed from the main dome. Ren's sensor beeped wildly. "Energy spike," he said. "Something's activating-big."
They ran toward the dome, the woman's voice fading behind them: "You cannot stop what's begun."
The main dome was a cathedral of glass and steel, now bathed in blue light. At its center stood a crystal, identical to the one in the gas giant's rings, but smaller, pulsing like a heart. Around it lay dozens of colonists, their eyes glowing, their bodies still, as if in a trance. Above them, shadows glided, merging with the crystal's light.
"It's spreading," Lyra whispered, her decoder flashing warnings. The signal was no longer just a message-it was a command, rewriting the colony's systems, its people, its reality.
Ren scanned the crystal. "It's linked to the network. If we destroy it, we might stop the spread here."
Mara nodded, pulling a grenade from her belt. "Then let's-"
"No!" Lyra grabbed her arm. "If we blow it, we could kill them. They're still alive, just... changed."
"Changed?" Mara snapped. "They're gone, Kain! Look at them!"
Lyra met her gaze, then looked at the colonists. She saw a child among them, no older than ten, his eyes glowing but his face peaceful. She remembered her mother's words: "Find your place among the stars." Destroying the crystal might save Alpha-7, but it would erase whatever truth the network held.
"We need answers first," Lyra said. "Ren, can you hack into the crystal's signal?"
He hesitated, then nodded, connecting his sensor to the decoder. "This is crazy, but I'll try."
As Ren worked, the shadows above converged, forming a figure-her mother's face, but cold, ethereal. "Lyra," it said, "you delay the inevitable. The network is your destiny."
Lyra's throat tightened. "If you're my mother, tell me why. Why me?"
The figure smiled, its eyes voids. "Because you were born for this. The seed was planted long ago."
The crystal flared, and the colonists stirred, their glowing eyes turning to Lyra. The signal in her head roared, and she knew-time was running out.