Mars, July 15, 2027. 1900 Hours.
Rachel Voigt gripped her flare gun, her tone tense as the corporate voice echoed. “They’re stalling us. We’re sitting ducks!”
Kenji Sato listened to his headset, his voice strained. “They’re jamming us again. We’re losing them.”
Xiaotong Zheng adjusted her scanner, her genius a brilliance, her presence magnetic. “They’re masking their signal, Mitchell. But it’s Earth—definitely corporate.”
Elias Moretti fidgeted with his scanner, nervous about the implications. “They know about the shard… that’s really bad.”
John Mitchell’s jaw tightened, his leadership a steady force. “Identify yourself,” he demanded over the comms.
Anika Sharma cross-referenced the signal, her brows furrowed. “It’s a private fleet—NeoCorp, maybe.”
Sarah Carter glanced at Mitchell, her voice filled with concern. “Crew’s exhausted, John. We can’t keep this up much longer.”
Mikael Heikkinen cracked his knuckles, eager. “I say we hunt ‘em down. Ship’s ready to go.”
Li Wei slammed the Dragon systems panel, frustrated. “Power’s dropping—another glitch!”
Yuri Leonov smirked, leaning on the wall, unfazed. “Big shots, huh? They sound scared to me.”
Xiaotong’s tablet beeped, her focus unwavering as she pinpointed the signal. “Got their coordinates—Europa, Jupiter’s moon.”