The Odyssey lay in uneasy silence. Repairs were half-finished, systems patched with more hope than certainty. The crew slept in shifts, though "sleep" was generous—most lay restless, helmets within arm's reach.
Daniel lay awake in his bunk, the crystal's pulse beating harder with every passing hour. It was no longer a call—it was a command. Every throb whispered the same truth: come to us.
He slipped out quietly, boots muffled on the metal floor. Hayes stirred but didn't wake. Daniel's hand hesitated on the airlock panel. One step meant betrayal, meant exposing them all. But the crystal surged in his chest, searing until his breath caught. He pressed the release.
The hatch opened. The Martian night greeted him with a flood of dust and silence.
---
Into the Ridge
Daniel descended the ramp, visor glowing faintly in the darkness. The world outside was colder, sharper—an alien quiet that pressed against his bones.
The coordinates burned into his mind, guiding him across the barren plain. Symbols etched in the dust glowed faintly under starlight, forming a path only he could see.
Behind him, the Odyssey loomed like a sleeping beast. Ahead, the ridge beckoned with shadows deeper than night.
---
The Awakening
Halfway across the plain, the whispers returned. This time, they weren't fragmented—they were clear.
"Closer… chosen… awaken…"
Daniel stumbled, clutching his chest as the crystal erupted in light. For a moment, the desert floor beneath him pulsed, glowing veins spreading outward like arteries from his body.
From the ridge, shapes stirred. Six shadows, the same forms from before, rose and waited. But this time they did not approach. They stood like guardians, expectant.
---
Discovery and Alarm
Back aboard the Odyssey, Okafor woke with a start. The monitors flickered alive, showing Daniel's figure outside, walking steadily toward the ridge.
"Hayes!" Okafor shouted, scrambling to his feet. "The kid's gone—he's outside!"
Hayes bolted upright, fury and dread crashing together. "Damn it! Gear up. Now."
Marquez was already at the console, teeth gritted. "He's walking right into their arms."
---
The Edge of the Ridge
Daniel reached the base of the ridge, the shadows towering around him. The air thickened, shimmering like liquid glass.
One of the beings raised a hand. The ground split with a low rumble, revealing a staircase descending into glowing darkness.
The crystal in his chest pulsed in perfect rhythm with the light below.
Daniel stepped forward—just as the sound of his name tore through his comm.
"DANIEL!" Hayes's voice thundered, closer now, full of rage and fear.
Daniel froze at the threshold, caught between the will of his crew and the pull of the unknown.