September 11, 2152
"Tana, we're coming up on the system in less than an hour. Should we head for Tengora or Bustrun?" Gwen asked patiently as she brought up recent photos of the two planets. Tana placed her hand under her chin as she analyzed the pictures. Tengora was a barren world where the weather and climate were calm and temperate but subject to occasional emissions from Wolf 1061, meaning that they would be restricted to suit travel or habitations. Bustrun, on the other hand, was a water world with large sheets of ice covering most of the planet while the equator remained mild and manageable. An added bonus was that Tengora and Bustrun were tidally locked, so the flares coming toward the pair would be caught by Tengora. However, this was also the cause for Bustrun's chillier temperature as it caught most of the rays from the star as well.
"What do you think, Gwen?" Tana questioned, "Personally, I'd be happier with Bustrun since I can do better with ice, but it's colder."
Gwen agreed, "Actually, I was leaning that way as well. Sure, it'll be cold, but long term, we'll be able build and thrive there without the need for protection from flares. The mission is to construct permanent shelters, not habitat units."
"Then it's settled," Tana smiled, "Full speed ahead to Bustrun." While the ship barreled through space, Gwen and Tana prepared their exploration gear for the landing. Because the initial scans showed life only existed under the water's surface, they had decided to be the landing party instead of sending a group with one of them. This meant that the ship would be safe without one of the commanders on board.
Like the other ships, entry through the atmosphere was bumpy, but once they could see the landscape, gasps quickly echoed throughout the cabin. Tall pillars of ice rose out of the ground tens of feet into the air while snow spread as far as the eye could see. Fissures and canyons made by the glaciers dotted the ground but disappeared from view as they approached their landing area which was plain and rocky. It reminded them of the surface of Mars, except for all the water. Once they actually landed, Jask reminded the squad of their achievement as it had done with all the others to commemorate the occasion while the two leaders sat patiently inside the air lock. When the air seal hissed and the door opened, they quickly exited the ship and looked around.
Jask beeped, "The air purity is within acceptable limits. You may remove your helmets, but due to the temperature, it is recommended that you continue to wear the suits to maintain efficient body temperature."
"Noted, Jask," Tana responded, "Start planet-wide scans from the ship. We need to know if there's anything out there."
"Still, there is a certain beauty to this place. It's like a blank canvas," Gwen sighed. The pair began walking around the ship, making a bigger spiral each time they completed a lap. While the first lap only took five minutes, each subsequent lap took twice as long. An hour later they had searched for a square mile around the ship and found nothing, no plants, no animals, just rocks and soil. So, they returned to the ship with mixed feelings; nothing had been found, but no threats existed either. Just when they reached the ship, a notification chimed on their wrists.
"I have just completed the planet scan," Jask alerted them, "While I did not detect any higher lifeforms on the land, there was a single entity underwater that shows signs of advanced intelligence. Furthermore, the creature was using magik to navigate through the water, though I could not get an accurate read on their power."
Gwen's eyebrow raised, "How far away are they?"
"Still hundreds of miles away," Jask replied, "However, their direction of travel indicates they are headed this way. Given their speed, I would estimate they will arrive in a few hours."
"Well, there goes the easy plan. No matter, we'll deal with this head-on too," Tana shrugged. She opened the cargo door and started handing out orders to the squad. Despite normal protocol, they all started setting up a defensive bunker first a short distance away from where the FOB would be. It was strange to the squad, but stranger still was Tana's insistence that all the vital equipment stayed on the ship for now. Since it was such a small structure, the squad completed it in only an hour. Then Tana sent everyone besides Gwen back to the ship and shut up the door, and the two girls hunkered down in the fortification.
"Jask, how close is the creature now?" Gwen asked.
"Two hundred twenty miles out," Jask answered, "Based on their current speed, they should arrive in two hours. Additionally, at this range, I have determined this creature to be ninety-nine percent similar to humans."
Tana's eyes almost popped out of her head, "They're traveling at over a hundred miles an hour AND they're basically human? We're going to need a little more explanation than that, Jask."
"My apologies, Tana, I will be clearer," Jask reiterated, "The entity I found is using magik to travel like a rocket towards us through the air at a height of sixty feet. Since it is close, I ran a baseline genetic scan and found this entity is not human but has twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that are mostly made of the same compounds as humans."
"Even Emory would have a problem traveling that far that fast. What kind of creature is this?" Gwen murmured.
"I think that only makes the situation worse," Tana groaned, "Clearly, it sensed us. If it's intelligent, it wouldn't use all its magik just to reach us, so that means the amount they've used is miniscule in comparison to how much they have."
Gwen sighed, "I hope they're friendly. But if not, at least we can take solace in the probability that they can squash us instantly."
"Shall I run more scans as they approach?" Jask questioned, "Within a hundred miles, I will be able to determine what sphere they are using and some general characteristics."
"Definitely. Not that it will matter much, but at least we can get some ideas," Tana decided. In the meantime, Tana pulled a deck of cards from her pocket for the pair to play. Surprisingly, they were both good at poker, which allowed them to relax for the time being. After an hour, Jask told them the creature was roughly six feet tall and in peak physical condition, yet what surprised them the most was this creature was using the Arcane sphere. This information shook them up a bit since they were well aware of how rare Arcane sphere casters were. Still, they had already committed to this plan, so all they could do was wait. Time ticked away slowly as even poker couldn't get their mind off the impending visit. Finally, the sound of rushing air suddenly filled the air for a brief moment before footsteps crunched rocks fifty feet away. Through the slit in the bunker, Gwen and Tana saw a tall, elegant, blue-haired woman gracefully strolled towards them. She was wearing a long flowing robe that trailed along on the ground but never picked up any dust, and her wrists and fingers were covered with jewelry that clinked like wind chimes when they touched. Looking at her caused Gwen and Tana's hearts to beat faster while the anxiety melted away the longer they looked at her. Though they were still scared, they exited the bunker with their weapons put away but their magik fully covered their body.