The Arcturus glided through the blinding storm, its thick hull groaning as frost clung to its sides. Inside, the air hummed with tension—quiet but electric.
Axton stood at the front, eyes locked on the flickering map projected across the curved screen. "Can you see the pure signal yet?" His voice was low, but it carried authority that cut through the hum of the engines.
Dorian's hands gripped the controls firmly as snow battered the windshield, melting instantly against the heat-regulated glass. "Yes, Captain. It's faint but it's there," he replied, his tone focused. "The frequency's unstable—almost like it's pulsing in and out of existence."
"Good. Keep steady," Axton said, stepping closer, his reflection ghosting across the icy window. "Don't lose it."
The Arcturus rumbled as Dorian adjusted the controls, pushing the carrier through the freezing winds. Outside, the world was a blur of white and silver, an endless sea of snow stretching toward the jagged peaks on the horizon.
