Mars, July 15, 2027. 1800 Hours.
Yuri Leonov leaned back in the comms room, smirking as the Dragon systems flickered. “Jupiter? What’s out there, space pirates?”
Xiaotong Zheng adjusted her scanner, her genius a brilliance, her presence magnetic, her sleek bun catching the dim light. “It’s heading toward Jupiter’s orbit, Mitchell—not Sumerer, something else.”
Elias Moretti pushed up his glasses, his voice shaky with curiosity. “Maybe a relay station… or a ship?”
John Mitchell stood at the center, his leadership a steady force. “Zheng, what’s the signal’s source?”
Rachel Voigt crossed her arms, her tone skeptical. “A ship that old? I doubt it.”
Anika Sharma analyzed the data, focused. “It’s coded—modern. Someone’s listening to us.”
Kenji Sato adjusted his headset, tense, trying to boost the signal. “I’m boosting the antenna—we might catch a reply.”
Sarah Carter checked the crew’s vitals, her voice calm but concerned. “Everyone’s on edge, John. We need a break soon.”
Mikael Heikkinen shrugged from the doorway, his tone casual. “Break? I say we chase it—ship’s ready.”
Li Wei monitored the Dragon systems, frowning at the readings. “Power’s still unstable. We’re exposed out here.”
Xiaotong’s tablet pinged, her sharp intellect shining. “Got a fragment—Earth tech signature. Corporate.”
Mitchell’s eyes narrowed, his tone firm as he turned to Sato. “Corporate? Someone’s playing us. Hail them.”
Kenji nodded, sending a signal—static crackled, then a cold voice replied, “Outpost Ares, stand down. You’ve meddled enough.”