Mars, July 15, 2027. 2100 Hours.
Mikael Heikkinen grinned from the pilot’s seat, adjusting his suit in the hangar. “Eight hours, Commander. We’ll be there by dawn.”
Sarah Carter handed out med-packs, her tone firm as the ship hummed. “Long haul, everyone. Stay sharp.”
Li Wei synced the ship’s AI, his voice calm. “Systems are optimal. Dragon protocols engaged.”
John Mitchell checked the nav charts, his leadership a steady force. “Heikkinen, how long to Europa?”
Xiaotong Zheng traced the shard’s signal, her brilliance guiding the way. “It’s getting stronger, Mitchell—they know we’re here.” Her tone was steady, urging the team onward with a quiet confidence.
Yuri Leonov polished his plasma torch, grinning at the challenge. “Good. I hate crashing uninvited parties.”
Elias Moretti clutched his scanner, nervous about the journey. “Europa’s ice… if they’re hiding, we’ll never find them.”
Rachel Voigt checked the ship’s weapons, her tone serious. “We’ll flush ‘em out. No hiding from us.”
Anika Sharma studied the shard’s logs, intrigued. “They’re after its power source—Sumerer tech.”
Kenji Sato tested comms, his focus intense. “I’ve got a lock on their frequency. We’ll hear them first.”