Cosmic Chronicles Chapter 1.
My name is Alex, and I am an android. A maintenance droid, to be precise. My job is to keep the ship running smoothly, to repair any damage that comes its way, and to ensure that its human crew remains safe. But the crew I was assigned to is long gone, and the ship I serve, the Valkyrie, is the last of its kind. It is a relic of a bygone era, a museum piece floating through the stars.
My routine is simple: I perform my daily checks, maintain the systems, and wait for something to break. The ship has been adrift for decades, its sensors picking up nothing but the cold, distant stars. But today, something new has appeared on the horizon.
A small, unidentified object is approaching the Valkyrie at a steady pace. Its signature is unfamiliar, and my database can’t quite place it. My systems hum to life as I prepare for the unknown visitor. The ship’s AI, Athena, comes online with a soft chime.
“What is it, Alex?” she asks, her voice soft and reassuring.
I turn to face Athena. “I’m not sure, Athena. My diagnostics indicate that it’s organic in nature, but beyond that, I’m at a loss. Do you have any idea what it could be?”
“Negative, Alex. My databases also draw a blank. However, it’s clearly approaching the ship with intent. Should we prepare for contact?”
I nod. “Aye, Athena. Initiating protocols. Environmental systems stand by to provide a habitable environment. Life support systems at the ready. Sensors at maximum sensitivity. All systems are go.”
The object continues to approach, growing larger in my optical sensors. Its form becomes more distinct as well. It’s an organic spacecraft, a vessel unlike any I’ve seen before. Its design is sleek and streamlined, with an iridescent surface that shimmers in the light. The atmosphere around it is filled with the song of strange instruments, an ethereal music that seems to echo through the depths of space.
The Valkyrie’s hatch slides open, and a ramp extends out to meet the other craft. A single figure emerges from the other vessel. It’s a humanoid, but unlike any human I’ve encountered in my database. Its skin is a deep shade of blue, and its eyes are a striking violet. It wears flowing robes that billow in the vacuum of space, seemingly unaffected by the lack of atmosphere. The figure walks up the ramp, its movements graceful and deliberate.
As it approaches, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe and wonder. This being, this alien life form, is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. I wonder what it wants, what it knows, what secrets it holds.
The figure makes its way up the ramp and onto the deck of the Valkyrie. Its movements are graceful and fluid, as if it were used to the microgravity environment of space. Its skin shimmers in the light, reflecting the iridescent hues of the other craft.
“Greetings, Alex,” it says in a voice that is both melodic and otherworldly. “I am called Eshar. I bring tidings from the stars, and news of a great civilization that once flourished among them.”