Luna glanced at her best friend—Hazel.
They had met in college, survived group projects together, and somehow ended up as co-workers for the last three years.
Right now, Hazel seemed glued to the television, her face lit with excitement as she waited for the historical artifacts that were about to be shown.
With a steady voice, the reporter on-screen outlined the schedule for the next few hours. Every word carried weight.
"The next few hours," she announced, "will be historic."
Months earlier, the government had released documents revealing its strange discoveries in space. Today, they were finally ready to reveal more about the artifact itself.
Its discovery had shaken the nation. Buried deep beneath American soil, the relic was unlike anything ever found before. Rumors claimed it had been used to conquer Great Britain in the last world war—but no confirmed explanation existed.
Within the scientific community, whispers grew louder:
Maybe 'Oumuamua', the mysterious object that once flew past our solar system, wasn't natural at all.
Maybe it was an alien craft… or a probe.
But there was one person who had known more than anyone—Dr. Kahananui Weryk, a native Hawaiian and the only recorded human to make contact with Oumuamua. His people had called him Ka'i o ke ao, Messenger of the Earth.
A few months after the discovery, Dr. Weryk was brutally stoned to death. People claimed he had withheld crucial information given to him by the alien entity. What followed was chaos. Fear consumed Hawaii, turning neighbor against neighbor. Dr. Weryk's family was hunted—children murdered, survivors forced to flee and hide across the world.
Silence replaced the tragedy.
Only whispers of a dark past remained.
Luna sipped her coffee quietly while the office buzzed with excitement. Everyone's eyes stayed fixed on the screen as the newscaster described the officials gathering at the White House.
Hazel munched loudly on her bagel.
"I'm so excited," she whispered, crumbs on her lips. "Do you think they'll finally tell us what the artifact actually is?"
Luna raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, but I hope it's not another government cover-up."
Hazel frowned. "Same. I've been waiting forever."
Luna kept her eyes on the TV while tidying her desk. Hazel scribbled enthusiastic notes on a pad.
"Hurry up, finish that," Hazel urged. "You don't wanna miss this!" Her golden-brown eyes shone as she shifted in her seat, tapping her acrylic nails against the chair's armrest.
Luna smirked, closed her tabs, and shut down her computer.
The office grew quieter, the only sounds being the soft hum of computers and the rustle of papers. Every coworker was equally transfixed, faces glowing blue from their screens.
On TV, soldiers guarded the White House gates.
"Seriously, when is this going to start? I'm starving," Luna muttered, checking her watch. She took another sip of coffee.
"Any second now," Hazel said. "Sally, raise the volume five."
The voice assistant complied.
"Good morning, America," the reporter began. "Today, October nineteenth, 2310, marks a historic day—thanks to those who marched and protested two months ago."
Military vehicles rolled into view. The camera zoomed closer as three scientists stepped out and approached the podiums.
Dr. Alex spoke first.
"Today marks a significant milestone as we unveil our research on Oumuamua."
Dr. Quinn handed her a sleek black box etched with celestial patterns. Dr. Alex opened it carefully, revealing a velvet-lined interior and a shimmering fragment the size of a fist. Strange markings slithered across its surface like living hieroglyphs.
"As you can see," she continued, "this fragment is—"
ALARM BLARES.
Red lights flashed violently.
Reporters shouted over each other.
"Dr. Alex, what's happening?"
"Is this a breach?"
"Is someone attacking the White House?"
Before Dr. Alex could answer, Dr. Quinn stepped forward.
"Please remain calm. Everything is under—"
A distant explosion ripped through the air.
The ground trembled.
People screamed.
Bodyguards rushed the officials toward vehicles—
But they didn't make it.
The blast swallowed them whole.
Sand and debris surged forward like a tidal wave, engulfing everything—reporters, soldiers, scientists. The camera shook, flickered, and captured the devastation until—
The screen went black.
"Oh my God, Luna!" Hazel screamed, leaping to her feet.
Luna turned toward the window—and froze.
The bright morning outside had vanished, replaced by a suffocating blanket of dark grey. Buildings twisted like shadows trying to escape their outlines.
Her heart dropped. Her hands trembled as she yanked the blinds closed—but her fingers wouldn't stop shaking.
She stumbled backward, knocking her chair over. Hazel rushed to her.
"Luna, are you okay?"
Before Luna could answer—
The office walls exploded inward.
A violent gust of wind lifted them off the ground. Luna felt weightless—floating—her scream ripped from her throat as her vision blurred.
For a moment, she saw her office tearing apart, dissolving into something alien.
And then—
Blue skies.
Sunlight.
An unfamiliar world.
A sharp pain struck her skull.
Darkness swallowed her whole.