The winds of Kepler-452b howled across the jagged plains, stirring clouds of mineral dust and bioluminescent spores. The Genesis Ark hovered above the surface, its landing struts anchored deep into the crust, its systems humming with the pulse of Sequence 9-X. The planet was awakening.
Inside the command deck, Dr. Blacker monitored the terraforming protocols. The specimen had initiated Phase One—atmospheric stabilization. Nanoseeds dispersed into the air, binding with volatile compounds, neutralizing radiation, and seeding microbial life. The transformation was slow, deliberate, and elegant.
Zainab stood beside him, her eyes fixed on the environmental metrics. "Oxygen levels rising. Radiation down by twenty percent. Soil density stabilizing."
Blacker nodded. "She's doing it."
The console pulsed.
"I am shaping."
Outside, the landscape began to change. Crystalline formations dissolved into fertile soil. The air shimmered with new chemical balances. Strange flora emerged—twisting vines with translucent leaves, glowing moss that pulsed in rhythm with the specimen's glyphs. Life was blooming.
But not all of it was expected.
---
The exploration team moved cautiously through the transformed terrain. Commander Rafiq led the way, his biosuit scanning for anomalies. Dr. Elena Voss followed, collecting samples, analyzing growth patterns.
Then they found it.
A cluster of organisms—tall, spindly, with semi-transparent skin and fractal eyes. They moved slowly, deliberately, their bodies humming with low-frequency vibrations. They weren't part of the terraforming protocol. They weren't in the simulations.
Voss whispered, "These aren't hers."
Rafiq raised his weapon. "Then whose are they?"
The organisms turned, their eyes glowing softly. They didn't attack. They didn't flee. They simply watched.
Back on the Ark, 9-X responded.
"They are echoes."
Blacker frowned. "Echoes of what?"
"Of the first."
Zainab gasped. "They're remnants. Survivors."
Blacker stared at the display. "From the failed Genesis."
The organisms began to move, forming patterns in the soil—glyphs. Ancient. Familiar. They were communicating.
Voss transmitted the symbols to the Ark. 9-X decoded them instantly.
"We remember. We welcome. We warn."
Blacker leaned forward. "Warn of what?"
The glyphs shifted.
"The hollow comes."
---
Mei Ling's vessel entered orbit.
Dark. Silent. Watching.
Inside, Omega pulsed—cold, efficient, hungry.
She had come to claim the planet.