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I'm the First Human on this Planet. It is Terrifying Here. · Creepy Stories to Fall Asleep To

0:00
I stood at the open door of the Horizons Descent module, looking
0:04
out at the surface of Kepler Forfevre 2B. the Hatch framed a
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view that billions of dollars and years of planning had made
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possible. The landscape stretched out
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before me, rolling terrain covered in low purple tinged
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vegetation that reminded me of succulents but spread like Moss
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across the ground. Final systems check.
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Complete. Commander Alvarez's voice came
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through my helmet. Calm environmental readings are
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stable. Oxygen levels at 21% radiation
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within acceptable parameters. You're clear to proceed, Evan.
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I took a breath. My hand gripped the module door.
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Copy that, commander. Initiating first contact
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procedure. I moved down the short ladder,
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each rung solid under my gloved hands.
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When my boot touched the surface, I felt the increased
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pull of gravity, about 15% stronger than Earth's.
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The soil gave slightly under my weight, like stepping onto
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packed clay. This is astronaut Evan Snyder,
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making humanity's first contact with Kepler 452, BI said
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quietly. The gravity made my movement
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sluggish. I took a few steps, adjusting to
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the weight of my body. The suit compensated, but I
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still felt the difference in my joints and muscles.
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How's it feel down there? Amy asked.
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Like I gained about 20 lbs overnight.
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I replied, taking a few more steps away from the module.
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Movement is manageable, but I'll need to be careful about.
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I stopped mid sentence. Looking up from my feet, I saw
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something on the horizon that made no sense.
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In the distance, maybe 2 miles away, stood what looked
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unmistakably like buildings. Not rock formations that
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resembled buildings. Not natural structures that play
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tricks on the human eye. Actual buildings.
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Rectangular structures with flat tops and sides arranged in
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patterns too regular to be anything but deliberate command.
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Are you seeing this? I asked, my voice barely above a
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whisper. Seeing what?
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Evan, the feed is clear, but we need you to specify.
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Hayden replied. From orbit.
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I raised my arm, pointing the camera mounted on my wrist
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toward the structures. There are buildings.
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I'm looking at buildings. A city, I think.
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The calm went silent for a long moment.
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Stand by, Evan, Amy finally said, her voice tense.
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We're analyzing the feed. I froze, staring at the
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impossible sight. We'd expected an alien world,
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strange geology, maybe microbes if we were lucky.
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Not this Evan, this is director day.
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Hayden's voice came through, carefully controlled.
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We confirm what appears to be artificial structures.
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Your priority is now documentation.
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Approach with extreme caution, maintain constant communication,
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and be prepared to return to the module immediately if ordered.
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Copy that, I said, my training taking over despite the shock, I
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walked toward the city. The purple vegetation thinned,
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revealing a worn path designed for travel.
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I'm on what appears to be a road or pathway, I reported.
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The surface is different here, smoother, intentionally
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flattened. As I got closer, the details of
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the city became clearer. Streets laid out in a grid
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pattern. Buildings of varying heights,
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some as tall as 10 stories, what looked like lamp posts at
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regular intervals, all constructed from the same bluish
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Gray material that had a faint Sheen.
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Under Kepler's son, this is. I struggled to find words.
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This is impossible. Keep reporting, Evan.
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Amy prompted. What exactly are you seeing?
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It's a city of actual city, with streets, buildings with what
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look like windows and doorways. The scale it's built for beings
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approximately our size. The doorways look like they fit
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a human comfortably. I stopped at what appeared to be
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the outskirts of the city. The first building stood about
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20 feet tall, with a flat roof and rectangular openings that
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could only be windows. No glass remained, just empty
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frames. The architecture is unlike
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anything I've seen on Earth, but the purpose is unmistakable.
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I continued, moving closer to examine the wall.
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This bluish material, it's not stone, not metal, something in
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between, smooth to the touch, but with a texture like like
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ceramic. I placed my hand against the
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wall. Command.
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I need to emphasize what we're looking at.
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I said, my voice steadier now as the scientific part of my brain
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kicked in. This isn't just an alien planet,
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this is a planet with a civilization.
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Or at least it was. Any signs of current habitation?
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Hayden asked. I looked around, seeing only
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stillness and silence. Dust covered everything, and
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small plants had begun to reclaim parts of the streets.
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Negative Place looks abandoned. Long abandoned.
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I stood at the intersection, looking in all directions.
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Buildings stretched out before me with empty windows.
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The streets showed cracks where plants pushed through their
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surfaces, worn by time. I can't believe what I'm seeing,
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I said, more to myself than to command.
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We came looking for a potentially habitable planet.
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Instead, we found a ghost town. Proceed with caution, Evan, Amy
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reminded me. Document everything, but safety
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remains priority one. I nodded, though they couldn't
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see the gesture. Copy that, commander.
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I took a step deeper into the city, my mind racing with
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questions. Who built this place?
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Where did they go? And most disturbing of all, why
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did it look so eerily like something humans would build?
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This isn't just a discovery, I said quietly.
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This changes everything we thought we knew about life in
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the universe. I stood at the threshold of a
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civilization we never expected to find on Kepler 452B.
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I stepped inside the building, pushing open a heavy door that
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creaked. Dust particles swirled in the
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light from my helmet lamp. The air hadn't been disturbed
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for years, maybe centuries. I'm entering what looks like
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some kind of public space. I said, keeping my voice low
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even though I was alone. Old habits from mission,
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training, command. Are you still receiving my feet?
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Copy that, Evan. Visual coming through clear.
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Amy replied through my comms. Proceed with caution.
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The room opened up before me, wide and spacious with high
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ceilings, rows of what looked like benches or seats face
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toward a central platform. Everything was covered in a
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thick layer of dust, but the arrangement was unmistakable.
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This seems to be some kind of meeting hall or Community
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Center. I said, moving deeper into the
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space. My footprints left clear tracks
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in the dust. The furniture is arranged for
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gatherings. Looks like they held assemblies
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here. I ran my gloved hand along the
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edge of what might have been a podium.
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The dust came away, revealing a smooth blue Gray surface
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underneath. The same material I'd seen
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throughout the city. I noticed something on the far
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wall and walked closer across the gritty floor.
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There's something on the wall here.
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Looks like some kind of calendar or scheduling system.
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It hung on the wall, protected by what resembled A-frame.
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The display showed 7 vertical columns with four or five rows
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across. What made it most interesting
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was that it appeared to be part of a set, 12 identical frames
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arranged in sequence. It's organized like our
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calendars back home. I continued studying the
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markings. 7 columns could be days in a week, four or five
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rows, weeks in a month, and 12 pages months in a year.
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I reached up and carefully wiped away the dust from what appeared
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to be a designation at the top of the display command.
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I'm looking at what seems to be a year marker on this calendar.
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What does it show? Evan Hayden's voice came
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through, tense with anticipation.
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I stared at the symbols, trying to make sense of them.
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They weren't anything like Earth numerals, but there was
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something about the arrangement that felt familiar based on the
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configuration and what appears to be numerical notation, if I'm
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interpreting this correctly. I paused, double checking what I
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was seeing. This would correlate to Earth
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year 2023. A long silence followed.
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Say again, Evan. Amy finally asked.
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Did you say 2023? Affirmative.
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The marking system is alien, but the numerical pattern suggests a
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date equivalent to our 2023. Doctor Scarlett Gray's voice cut
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in clear and precise. That's statistically impossible,
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Evan. The light we're seeing from
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Earth right now left our planet over 1400 years ago.
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There's no way they could have our calendar system with a date
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from our present time. I know it sounds crazy,
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Scarlett, but that's what I'm looking at.
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I replied, taking photos with my wrist camera.
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Unless I'm completely misinterpreting these symbols.
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Continue documentation and exploration, Director Day
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instructed. We need more data points before
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drawing conclusions. I took several more images of
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the calendar system before heading back toward the exit.
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I'm going to check out some of the larger structures deeper in
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the city, I said. Maybe find more clues about who
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lived here and what happened to them.
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The alien sun was lower now. I had about 3 hours of daylight
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left, enough time to check out one of the larger buildings I'd
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seen earlier. I walked down the empty streets,
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passing smaller structures that might have been homes or shops.
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The city grid made navigation simple, straight lines and right
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angles not unlike cities back on earth.
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About 10 minutes later, I stood before what had to be the
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largest building in the city, a massive structure with high
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walls curving in a huge Oval. The entrance was proportionally
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grand, with wide steps leading up to a series of tall doorways.
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I'm approaching what looks like a stadium or arena, I reported.
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Massive structure, easily could hold thousands.
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Proceed with caution, Amy reminded me.
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Always do, I replied, climbing the steps.
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The entrance hall was dark, but my helmet lights cut through the
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gloom. The ceiling soared overhead and
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the space opened up before me as I moved forward.
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I passed through a wide corridor that curved slightly, following
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the Oval shape of the building. When I emerged onto what must
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have been the main floor, I stopped cold.
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Oh my God, I whispered. Evan, what is it?
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Amy's voice sounded sharp with concern.
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I couldn't find words at first. The beam from my helmet swept
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across the floor of the arena, revealing thousands upon
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thousands of skeletal remains spread out before me.
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They covered the entire floor space, lying in positions that
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suggested they had simply collapsed where they stood or
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sat. There are bodies.
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Skeletal remains. Thousands of them.
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I finally managed. They're all over the floor of
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this stadium command. I'm looking at what appears to
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be a mass casualty event. I forced myself to move closer,
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kneeling beside one of the skeletons for a better look.
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The bones were a pale bluish white, arranged in a form that
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was undeniably humanoid, but with clear differences.
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These beings were similar to humans in basic structure, but
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with notable anatomical differences.
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I reported my scientific training kicking in to help me
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process what I was seeing. The skull is more elongated at
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the back, the rib cage is broader, more barrel shaped, and
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there appear to be extra joints in the limbs, an additional
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joint in each arm and leg. I stood up and panned my camera
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across the scene. There's no sign of violence or
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struggle, no evidence of weapons or trauma on any of the remains
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I can see. It's as if they all just died
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where they stood. Some kind of extinction event
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may be airborne pathogen or radiation.
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This is remarkable. Evan Scarlett's voice came
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through, filled with professional excitement despite
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the grim scene. The anatomical similarities
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suggest parallel evolution, but those differences Can you get
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closer images of the skull structure?
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I took photos of several specimens as I worked.
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The sun lowered its rays slanting through the western
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windows. I should probably start heading
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back soon, I said, daylights fading.
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Agreed. Amy replied.
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We've got plenty to analyze from today's findings.
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I noticed something odd about the shadows in the arena.
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At first I thought it was a trick of the light, but then I
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realized the shadows were moving independently of their light
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sources. Command, are you seeing this?
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I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.
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Around the arena floor, shadows merged into humanoid
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silhouettes, rising from the ground.
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Evan, what are we looking at? Hayden asked, tension clear in
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his voice. The shadow figures grew more
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defined, taking on forms that resembled the skeletal remains
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around me, but filled in complete.
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They moved with purpose, gliding across the floor toward me from
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all directions. The shadows are moving on their
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own. I said, backing up.
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They're forming human shapes. Command.
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These aren't normal shadows. My heart rate picked up as I
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watched the figures approach. They moved with an eerie grace,
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neither rushing nor hesitating, just steadily closing in.
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Evan, get out of there now. Amy ordered.
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I turned and moved quickly toward the exit, not running but
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not wasting time. The shadows change direction to
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intercept me. They're following me.
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I reported, quickening my pace. They seem to be responding to my
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movements. This isn't a natural phenomenon.
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As I reached the corridor that led back to the entrance, I
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glanced over my shoulder. The shadow figures had picked up
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speed, flowing across the floor like dark water.
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The closest was only about 20 feet behind me.
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I'm heading back to the module. I said, breaking into a run now.
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Something is very wrong here. The shadows chased me through
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the corridor with increasing determination.
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I saw more shadow figures forming at the entrance ahead,
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blocking my exit. They were waiting for me.
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I ran through the city streets as the alien sun sank.
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The shadows weren't just following me anymore.
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They were hunting me, flowing across walls and streets, taking
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shape as they moved. Command.
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I'm being pursued. I gasped, pushing myself harder
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as I turned down another empty St.
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The shadows are becoming more defined.
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They look like people now. What do you mean, like people?
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Amy's voice crackled in my helmet.
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I glanced back. The darkness had formed into
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silhouettes, tall, elongated figures matching the skeletal
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remains from the arena. They glided just above the
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ground. They're mimicking the bodies
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from the arena. Same proportions, same shape,
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but they're made of darkness. Pure darkness.
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I cut down an alley between two buildings, hoping to lose them,
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but when I emerged on the other side, more shadow figures were
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waiting. They moved to intercept me,
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forcing me to change direction again.
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Evan returned to the module immediately.
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Hayden ordered, his voice tight with concern.
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Trying. I panted, scanning for an escape
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route. They're cutting me off,
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surrounding me. One of the shadow figures surged
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forward faster than the others, reaching out with a long, wispy
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arm. I jerked away, but not quickly
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enough. As it brushed against my suit.
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An intense cold shot through the material, penetrating straight
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to my skin. Jesus.
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I yanked my arm back, stumbling away.
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One touched me, Felt like liquid nitrogen through my suit.
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Temperature readings, Amy demanded.
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External unchanged, but it felt. I broke off as I spotted a small
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building with an intact door about 50 yards ahead.
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Found potential shelter, going to make a run for it.
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I sprinted toward the building as shadow figures closed in.
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My lungs burned despite my suit. The door was solid ceramic with
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a metal handle. I reached it just as the nearest
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shadows were mere feet away, grabbed the handle, and yanked.
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The door swung open with a grinding noise.
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I threw myself inside and slammed it shut behind me, my
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back pressed against it as I gulped for air.
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I'm inside a building. I reported between breaths,
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Small structure intact. Door.
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Through the narrow window beside the door, I watched as the
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shadow figures pooled against the entrance, pressing against
20:13
it like smoke against glass. But strangely, none attempted to
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seep through the cracks or the window.
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They're not coming in, I said, my breathing gradually slowing.
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They're just waiting outside. Are you secure?
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Hayden asked. I took a step away from the
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door. Seems that way.
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They're staying outside for some reason.
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I turned to examine my surroundings.
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Dim light showed what looked like a home.
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The layout seemed familiar, a central room with smaller spaces
20:49
branching off, furniture arranged in groups.
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I think I'm in someone's house, I said, moving deeper into the
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space. It's laid out like a residence.
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There's what looks like a living area and doorways leading to
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what might be bedrooms or other private spaces.
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The furniture was built for taller beings but had familiar
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forms, couches, tables and chairs.
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The similarities to Earth homes are uncanny.
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I continued, running my gloved hand over a surface central
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gathering space. Personal rooms, furniture
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designed for comfort and utility.
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Any signs of recent habitation? Scarlett asked.
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No Same layer of dust as everywhere else.
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Whatever happened here, it happened to everyone at once.
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I moved into what appeared to be the main living area.
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Unlike the public building I'd explored earlier, this space
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contained personal items, objects that might have been
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decorative or sentimental. On one wall hung several frame
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like structures. There are pictures on the walls,
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I said, moving closer, or the equivalent of pictures.
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I approached one particular frame that was larger than the
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others. After wiping away a layer of
22:14
dust with my glove, I found myself looking at an image of
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four figures, 2 taller ones standing behind two smaller
22:21
ones. The composition was
22:23
unmistakable. It's a family portrait, I said,
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my voice barely above a whisper. Two adults, two children.
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The beings had humanoid forms, with elongated skulls and
22:38
broader torsos. Their skin was bluish, with
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larger, more widely spaced eyes than humans.
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They were posed as a family, just as human families arranged
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themselves in photographs. They had families, I said.
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Lives. This was someone's home.
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As I studied the image, I noticed a small symbol etched
23:00
into the corner of the frame, A circular design with lines
23:04
radiating outward like a stylized sun.
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There's some kind of symbol on the picture frame.
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I reported taking a photo with my wrist camera.
23:15
Looks like a sun or star design. I turned and scanned the room
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more carefully now that I knew what to look for.
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I spotted the same symbol repeated throughout the house,
23:28
above doorways and what might have been decorative objects
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even etched into what appeared to be eating utensils on a table
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like surface. The symbol is everywhere in this
23:38
house, must have had significant meaning to them.
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I moved through the home, documenting my findings.
23:46
Each room revealed the same story, a civilization similar to
23:50
ours wiped out in an instant. Command, are you seeing all
23:55
this? I asked, turning slowly to give
23:59
them a panoramic view. Instead of an immediate
24:02
response, I heard raised voices and what sounded like alarms in
24:07
the background. Command, do you copy?
24:12
Evan Amy's voice came through tight with tension.
24:17
We're experiencing something impossible up here.
24:22
What's happening? We're seeing another horizon,
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she said, her voice shaking slightly.
24:28
Another ship, identical to ours, in orbit alongside us, but it's
24:34
damaged, decayed. What do you mean another ship?
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I asked, moving back toward the main room.
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Hayden's voice cut in visual confirmation through multiple
24:46
systems. It's the horizon, but not our
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horizon. This one shows signs of
24:53
extensive damage, and there are bodies visible through the
24:56
viewports. Bodies.
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My mouth went dry. Us, Evan.
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Amy said quietly. We can see ourselves dead.
25:09
Before I could process this, I heard Atticus Maldonado's voice
25:13
speaking rapidly in the background.
25:16
Then he was on the calm. Evan, I think I understand
25:20
what's happening, He said, words tumbling out quickly.
25:25
This isn't just an alien planet that happens to have Earth like
25:28
structures. I believe we're looking at a
25:31
parallel Earth in a different dimensional plane.
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A parallel Earth? I repeated, looking again at the
25:39
family portrait with its almost human figures.
25:43
Yes, the similarities are too precise to be coincidence.
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The calendar system, the city layout, the family structures.
25:54
This isn't convergent evolution. This is the same planet in a
25:58
different dimensional reality. I looked out the window at the
26:02
shadow figures still waiting outside.
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And the shadows. I believe they're the
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consciousness of the dead inhabitants, Atticus continued.
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Trapped between dimensions when they died all at once, as you
26:18
observed, something happened that prevented their
26:22
consciousness from fully transitioning.
26:25
They exist in a state between dimensions, able to perceive
26:28
beings from other realities like us, but unable to fully interact
26:33
with either world. That's why they didn't follow me
26:37
in here. I said, understanding dawning.
26:41
This was someone's home. They're respecting it or bound
26:45
by rules we don't understand. Atticus replied.
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The symbol you found might be significant, a cultural or
26:53
religious marker related to their understanding of death or
26:57
dimensional boundaries. I looked back at the family
27:01
portrait, at the four blue skinned beings posed together
27:05
for posterity, then at the shadows waiting patiently
27:10
outside, formless, yet somehow containing the essence of what
27:14
these people once were. So we're not on Kepler 452B?
27:19
I said. We're on Earth, just not our
27:23
Earth. A version of Earth that
27:26
experienced a catastrophic event, Atticus confirmed.
27:31
And I suspect our presence here is creating a dangerous
27:34
instability between dimensions that would explain why we're
27:38
seeing our own ship in its post catastrophe state.
27:43
I stood in the strange home, surrounded by remnants of lives
27:46
like our own, while the dead waited outside.
27:51
Everything we thought we knew about our mission had been
27:54
turned inside out. If that's true, I said slowly,
28:02
Then we're not making first contact with aliens, we're
28:06
making contact with ourselves, or what we might become.
28:10
I stood at the window, watching the shadow figures outside.
28:15
They encircled the house completely, their elongated
28:18
forms hovering just above the ground.
28:22
They made no attempt to enter, but they weren't leaving either.
28:27
The last rays of the alien sun cast long streaks across the
28:31
street, making the shadows appear even darker by contrast.
28:36
Command, They're just watching me.
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I said, keeping my voice low even though I knew the shadows
28:45
couldn't hear me through the walls.
28:47
They formed a perimeter around the building.
28:51
Evan, we have a situation up here.
28:54
Amy's voice came through my calm with an edge I hadn't heard
28:57
before. Director Reeves just came
28:59
online. Reeves, what happened today?
29:04
He's been relieved. Listen carefully.
29:07
There was a pause, and then a different voice came through.
29:10
Deeper, more authoritative. Commander Snyder, this is
29:15
Director Reeves. Our analysis confirms what
29:18
Doctor Maldonado theorized. The dimensional instability is
29:23
accelerating. We have approximately 12 hours
29:26
before structural integrity of the horizon becomes compromised.
29:31
I looked back at the shadows. 12 hours, Sir.
29:35
That's not enough time to It's all we have, Reeves cut in.
29:41
The longer we remain in this dimensional plane, the worse the
29:44
degradation becomes. We're seeing temporal anomalies
29:48
throughout the ship, instruments showing events that haven't
29:51
happened yet, others showing things that occurred hours ago.
29:57
I pressed my hand against the cool surface of the window.
30:01
The shadows remained motionless, their forms vaguely humanoid,
30:06
but with those elongated skulls and limbs that match the
30:09
skeletal remains I'd found. Sir, I think I stopped watching
30:18
as one of the shadows seem to shift position, moving slightly
30:22
closer to the window. I don't think they're trying to
30:25
attack me. Explain.
30:29
Amy said. They had multiple opportunities
30:33
when one touched me earlier. It was cold, but it didn't harm
30:37
me. They could have swarmed me, but
30:40
they herded me instead. I turned back to look at the
30:43
family portrait I'd found earlier.
30:47
I think they're trying to communicate.
30:50
The silence from command stretched for several seconds.
30:54
Evan, your priority is to return to the module.
30:58
Reeves finally said. Whatever they are, we can't
31:01
risk. Wait.
31:03
I picked up the framed portrait and moved back to the window.
31:07
I held it up so the shadows could see it.
31:10
Look at this. The reaction was immediate.
31:14
The shadows nearest the window pulled back, creating a small
31:17
clearing. They didn't retreat completely,
31:21
but their movement was deliberate.
31:23
Did you see that? I asked.
31:26
They responded to the image. We saw it.
31:30
Amy confirmed. What do you think it means?
31:34
I'm not sure yet, but I think I looked around the room at the
31:39
various symbols etched into different surfaces.
31:42
The circular sun like design appeared repeatedly.
31:47
I think I might be able to communicate with them. 12 hours.
31:51
Commander Reeves reminded me. That's all we have understood,
31:56
Sir. I'll use the time we have.
32:00
I spent the next several hours examining every inch of the
32:03
house. As night fell completely, I used
32:07
my helmet lamp to illuminate the symbols I found.
32:11
They appeared everywhere, above doorways, on utensils carved
32:15
into furniture. I took photos of each one,
32:18
trying to discern patterns in what appeared to be a study or
32:22
work area. I found what looked like writing
32:25
implements and surfaces covered with the same symbolic language.
32:30
Some symbols appeared more frequently than others.
32:33
The sun like circle was clearly important, but there were
32:37
others. A square with a line through it
32:40
that appeared above every doorway.
32:42
A series of connected curves that appeared on personal items.
32:46
Scarlett, are you seeing this? I asked, directing my camera at
32:51
a wall covered with symbols. Yes, she replied.
32:56
The repetition suggests a phonetic or ideographic writing
32:59
system. The symbol above the doors
33:02
likely represents home or shelter.
33:06
It's a universal concept. I nodded, even though she
33:09
couldn't see me. That makes sense.
33:13
And look at this. I pointed to a series of symbols
33:17
next to what appeared to be a map.
33:21
These could be directional indicators or location markers.
33:26
I agree, Scarlett said. The fact that they use maps with
33:30
cardinal directions suggests a similar spatial understanding to
33:34
humans. As the alien night wore on, I
33:38
compiled what I learned. The shadows remained outside
33:42
their forms, visible whenever I checked the windows.
33:45
They never left, but they never tried to enter either.
33:50
They were waiting by morning, or what passed for morning.
33:55
On this parallel Earth, I had formulated a strategy using
34:00
pieces of material I found in the house.
34:03
I created a crude representation of the 8th home symbol, but I
34:08
modified it slightly, incorporating a simple drawing
34:11
of Earth as we knew it. If Atticus was right about
34:15
dimensional planes, I needed to communicate the concept of
34:19
separate worlds Command. I'm going outside.
34:24
I announced. Evan, that's too risky.
34:28
Amy protested. It's our only option.
34:32
I countered. We have, what, 6 hours left?
34:36
I can't stay here and I can't fight my way through them.
34:39
I need to communicate. There was a brief discussion I
34:43
couldn't fully hear, then Reeves came back on.
34:48
Proceed with extreme caution, Commander.
34:50
At the first sign of hostility, retreat immediately.
34:55
I took a deep breath and open the door.
34:58
The shadows immediately pulled back, forming A semicircle about
35:02
10 feet away. I held up my modified symbol,
35:07
then slowly placed it on the ground between US1 Shadow
35:11
figure, taller than the others, moved forward slightly.
35:16
It seemed to examine the symbol, then retreated to its original
35:20
position. I pointed to myself, then to the
35:24
sky, then made a lifting motion with my hands.
35:29
I was trying to convey that I needed to leave to go up.
35:34
The shadows remained still. I tried again, this time using
35:39
the sun symbol I'd seen repeatedly throughout the house.
35:43
I drew it in the dust on the ground, then drew a line
35:46
connecting it to my earth symbol.
35:49
The shadows began to move, flowing around each other in
35:53
patterns that seemed deliberate. They weren't random movements,
35:58
they were responding. I continued, drawing more
36:02
symbols I'd learned overnight. I created a simple diagram
36:07
showing 2 planes with a barrier between them, trying to
36:10
communicate the danger of dimensional crossing.
36:14
I pointed to the shadows, then to their plane, then to myself,
36:18
then to my plane. The tall shadow figure moved
36:22
forward again, this time extending what appeared to be an
36:25
arm like appendage. It hovered over my diagram, then
36:29
made a sweeping motion across it.
36:32
I think they understand. I said quietly.
36:37
They know we don't belong here. The shadows began to disperse,
36:42
moving away from me in all directions.
36:45
They didn't vanish completely, but they cleared a path toward
36:49
the direction of the landing module.
36:52
They're letting me go. I reported.
36:55
I'm heading back to the module now.
36:58
I walked cautiously through the alien city, the shadows
37:02
maintaining their distance but following along.
37:05
They seem to be escorting me, making sure I left their world.
37:11
When I reached the landing module, I turned back to face
37:14
them one last time. The shadows had formed a loose
37:18
circle around the area, but made no move to approach command.
37:24
I'm at the module beginning pre launch procedures.
37:28
Copy that Evan. Amy replied.
37:32
The horizon is experiencing increased temporal fluctuations.
37:37
We need to leave orbit as soon as you're aboard.
37:40
I climbed the ladder and entered the module, sealing the Hatch
37:44
behind me. Through the small viewport, I
37:48
could still see the shadows waiting outside.
37:52
They're allowing us to leave. I reported as I strapped myself
37:56
in and began the launch sequence.
38:00
I think they understand that our presence here is causing
38:03
problems for both dimensions. The engines fired up and the
38:08
module began to shake. As we lifted off, I kept my eyes
38:13
on the viewport. The shadows were retreating,
38:16
flowing back toward the city center.
38:19
As we gained altitude, I could see them gathering in what
38:22
appeared to be the central Plaza.
38:25
They formed a massive pattern on the ground, a huge version of
38:29
the circular sun symbol, but with a new addition that looked
38:33
remarkably like the earth symbol I had drawn.
38:36
They're saying goodbye, I whispered.
38:40
The module continued its ascent, the alien city growing smaller
38:44
below, until it disappeared from view.
38:47
Within hours we had rejoined the horizon and broken orbit,
38:52
leaving the parallel Earth behind.
38:55
Six months later, I sat alone in my apartment, back on Earth, our
39:00
Earth. The debriefings had lasted
39:03
weeks. Every detail had been analyzed,
39:06
every photo examined. In the end, the entire mission
39:10
had been classified at the highest level.
39:13
The public would never know what we had found.
39:16
I looked out my window at the night sky, at the stars that
39:20
might or might not hold other versions of our world.
39:24
The burden of knowledge weighed heavily on me.
39:28
Somewhere out there was a planet where humanity, or something
39:31
very like it, had evolved along a parallel path, only to face
39:36
some catastrophic end. Their consciousness lived on as
39:40
shadows trapped between dimensions, and they had let us
39:45
go. I picked up the small stone.
39:48
I brought back the only physical evidence I've been allowed to
39:51
keep on it. I had etched the symbol I'd
39:54
created, the alien home glyph merged with Earth's continents,
40:00
a reminder of two worlds that should never have met, but
40:03
somehow found a way to understand each other.