En Route to Titan, July 16, 2027. 1200 Hours.
Elias Moretti stared out the ship’s viewport, his voice shaky as Titan loomed ahead. “That signal… it’s moving faster than us.”
Kenji Sato adjusted his headset, his tone urgent. “It’s a ship, Mitchell—massive, and it’s locking onto our position.”
Xiaotong Zheng analyzed the data, her sleek bun catching the bridge lights. Again she immediately understood what’s going on. “It’s the Overseers, Mitchell—they’re coming for the shard.”
John Mitchell gripped the console, his leadership a steady force. “Heikkinen, can we outrun them?”
Mikael Heikkinen checked the nav, his voice tense. “Not at this speed—they’ll catch us before Titan.”
Yuri Leonov smirked, plasma torch in hand. “Then we fight. I’m not running from some alien bullies.”
Rachel Voigt nodded, her tone firm as she prepped her gear. “Agreed. We make a stand—here and now.”
Anika Sharma reviewed the shard’s logs, her voice cautious. “The Overseers’ tech… it’s centuries ahead. We need a strategy.”
Li Wei adjusted the Dragon systems, his tone grim. “Shields are at 70%. We can take a few hits, but not many.”
Sarah Carter checked the crew’s vitals, her voice steady. “Everyone’s adrenaline is spiking, John. We’re ready.”
Xiaotong turned to Anika, her tone sharp. “Can the shard disrupt their systems?”
Anika hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Maybe… if we overcharge it. But it’s risky.”
Xiaotong’s eyes narrowed, determined. “Risky or not, it’s our best shot. Let’s do it.”
Yuri laughed, nudging Mikael with a grin. “Hear that, pilot? We’re about to make some new friends.”
Mikael smirked, his hands steady on the controls. “Friends with big guns—I can’t wait.”
Mitchell met Xiaotong’s gaze, trust absolute. “Get it done, Zheng. We’re counting on you.”