Nova settled into her apartment's dimly lit living room, the Arkeia mission proposal still glowing on her tablet. She leaned forward, eyes scanning the crew profiles again.
The system beeped softly as she swiped down. *Elian Vashin*, mission commander. The screen flickered to a lean, unsmiling face. Ex-military, led three planetary surveys. Efficient. Reserved. Age: 35. Nova's gaze lingered on the photo before swiping down.
Next: *Dr. Lena Kim*, biochemist. The screen filled with a quiet smile. Expert in alien lifeforms. Published on extremophiles in Nature. Age: 32. Nova noted the research focus. Interesting.
Another swipe. *Marcus Toth*, engineer. Gruff face, sharp eyes. Fixed the Helios Starblade after an accident last year. Rumor was he liked flying solo. Age: 40.
*Sofia Patel*, exogeologist. A sharp jawline, dark hair. Director Patel's niece? No, coincidence. Age: 29.
*Alexei Petrov*, ship captain. Weathered face, poker-player eyes. Logged 500+ space days. Age: 45.
Last: *Nova Spire*. Lead astrobiologist. Self. Age: 28.
Nova closed the file. Zero personal details. Like she'd written them herself – clinical, factual.
Her comms buzzed. Director Patel.
"Nova, got the proposal. Thoughts?"
"Looking into it, Director."
"Need you on this. Arkeia's priority."
Click.
Nova leaned back. Priority = no choice. She pulled up KX-542b data. Time to dig in.
The data stream filled her screen, exoplanet KX-542b's stats scrolling like a ticker. Nova's focus narrowed. Habitable zone, liquid water, possible biosignatures... the usual carrot for astrobiologists.
Her apartment's AI dimmed the lights further. Nova didn't notice. KX-542b's orbital patterns danced on screen as she zoomed into terrain maps. Geological activity. Maybe. The system's dual suns complicated things.
A soft chime broke her trance. Dinner was ready. Nova blinked. 8 PM. She hadn't eaten since lunch.
In the kitchen, she nuked a meal pouch. Tasted like cardboard. Focus still on KX-542b. Possible life ≠ life. Don't get hyped, Nova.
Back in the living room, she pinged Helios' AI. "Arkeia mission prep: crew compatibility check."
The AI's response pinged back: *COMPATIBILITY RATING: HIGH. INDIVIDUAL REPORTS AWAIT APPROVAL.*
Nova frowned. Approval = decision time.
Her gaze drifted to the tablet with crew profiles. Six faces. Two years.
Decision time.
–––
Nova woke up to her alarm blazing at 6:00 AM. She groggily reached for her phone – still buzzing from the Arkeia docs last night. A text from an unknown number sat on her screen:
_Meet Director Patel at Helios HQ, 10 AM. Re: Arkeia Mission._
Nova's heart skipped. This was it. She showered, dressed, and grabbed a coffee. The caffeine kicked in as she drove to Helios HQ.
The building's sleek lobby redirected her to the top floor. Director Patel's assistant greeted her with a smile.
"Nova Spire. Right this way."
Patel's office was glass walls and space views. The woman herself stood by a projector display – 3D models of the Helios Starblade rotating.
"Nova." Patel nodded. "Thanks for coming."
Nova sat. "Arkeia Mission?"
Patel leaned against her desk. "We want you on this. Lead astrobiologist role is yours if you want it."
Nova's breath caught. "Why me?"
"Your work on exoplanet analogs. Your psych evals say you handle pressure well. Plus..."
Patel paused, studying her.
"We're pushing boundaries with this one, Nova. KX-542b... there's something weird about it. Data hints at... biosignatures. Maybe alien."
Nova's skin pricked. She'd spent years studying exoplanets, chasing the question: Are we alone?
"You're in," Patel said. "But..."
A flicker in her tone.
"This stays need-to-know. The crew's... complicated. Politics involved. Can you handle that?"
Nova nodded before thinking. "Yes."
Patel smiled – a tight curve.
"Good. Meeting the team tomorrow. Briefing at 0900. Be ready."
Nova left the office floating. Alien life. A mission. She barely slept that night.
_What if..._
_What if they find something?_
_What if it's not just microbes?_
Nova's mind spun. She got up, paced her apartment. The clock hit 2 AM. She stopped at her desk, pulled up KX-542b's data. Hours passed.
6:00 AM. Alarm again. Nova shut it off. Time to get ready.
The briefing was in three hours.