The morning broke gray and heavy, the forest steaming under the weight of dawn. The Artemis IV stood at the center of the clearing like a wounded beast, its patched hull veined with alien light.
Hayes walked a slow circle around it, helmet under his arm. Every panel, every seam bore Marquez's desperate handiwork. The ship was alive with a low hum, a pulse that matched the crystal buried in Daniel's chest.
"This isn't a ship anymore," Marquez muttered, hands greasy and raw from endless work. "It's… something else."
Hayes set his jaw. "Doesn't matter. If it gets us in the sky, we ride it."
---
Ignition
Inside the cockpit, Okafor strapped into the co-pilot seat, fingers flexing nervously over the controls. Marquez monitored the reactor from the engineering bay. Daniel sat in silence, hands trembling on his knees, the crystal in his chest throbbing with the same rhythm as the engines.
"Powering core in three… two… one."
The reactor roared. The ship shuddered violently as streams of blue-white energy surged through its veins. Consoles sparked. Alien glyphs crawled across the screens, fusing with Earth's readouts.
Okafor cursed. "This isn't normal—half the controls aren't responding."
"Stabilize it!" Hayes shouted, gripping the yoke. The ship groaned, lifting a few feet from the ground.
Daniel's chest seared. His vision blurred, showing fractured layers of reality. He saw the ship not as steel and bolts, but as something alive — its circuits pulsing like veins, its engine a beating heart.
The crystal in him answered the ship. For a moment, everything aligned.
The Artemis rose.
---
The Breakdown
Then it screamed.
The hull vibrated with a shriek of tearing metal. Shadows burst from the forest's edge, drawn to the unnatural light. The clearing filled with hissing figures, swarming toward the rising ship.
Inside, alarms blared. Marquez yelled through the comms, "The core's overloading! If you keep pushing, it'll tear itself apart!"
Hayes slammed the yoke forward, trying to steady their ascent. "We need altitude—now!"
Daniel doubled over as the crystal flared blindingly. His scream echoed through the cabin as light erupted from his chest, flooding the ship's systems. The Artemis surged higher, dragging itself skyward despite the chaos.
But the light cracked the controls. Sparks exploded. The reactor dipped into critical instability.
"Cut power!" Hayes barked. "Now, before we burn alive!"
Daniel forced himself upright, clutching his chest. With a final, desperate effort, he willed the crystal to dim.
The ship dropped.
---
The Fall
The Artemis crashed back into the clearing, slamming into the dirt with a force that rattled bones. Trees splintered, shadows scattered, and the air filled with choking smoke.
When the dust settled, the ship sat broken again, engines sputtering, alien glyphs flickering faintly.
The crew crawled out, battered but breathing. Hayes pulled Daniel up by the arm, his voice tight with rage and disbelief.
"We almost died for nothing."
Marquez shook her head, staring at the glowing wreck. "Not nothing. It flew. Just… not for long."
Daniel touched his chest, the crystal still pulsing faintly beneath scorched skin. He met Hayes's glare and whispered:
"It wants more."