Adam’s boots pounded against the tile as he bolted through the bustling office. Desks blurred past him—screens glowing, papers fluttering, agents whipping their heads around at the sudden commotion.
He weaved between coworkers, ignoring their startled looks and half-formed questions.
Something in the president’s voice had shattered the usual calm in his gut. He reached the hallway at the end of the floor, skidding slightly as he turned the corner.
A single metal door stood at the end, sterile and silent.
Without hesitation, he leaned into the scanner.
A soft chime.
Access granted.
The door slid open with a hiss, and Adam stepped into the shadows beyond, jaw tight and heart racing.
Inside, a long, sleek table dominated the room. Scientists in b coats and stiff-faced military personnel filled the seats, their murmurs dying when he entered.
The President sat at the head of the table, commanding the entire space with her presence alone. Her red curls coiled like fire around her pale, sharp-featured face.
Brown eyes stared at him—cold, unreadable, deadly calm. Her suit, a blend of dark navy and bone-white, was tailored to perfection, exuding power and precision.
There was no warmth in her expression, no comfort in the air.
She leaned forward slightly, cing her fingers. “Yes, Adam,” she said, her voice like ice breaking on still water.
“It’s true.”
Her cold words sent shivers down his spine.
Before he could say anything, the president, Anneliese, stopped him and turned in her chair to the rge screen behind them.
She made a hand gesture, and a picture appeared on the screen.
“So it’s true, then? What shall we do? Is it a threat to Earth…?” he excimed, his voice ced with fear and excitement.
Anneliese cleared her throat.
“We have some voice recordings, but they are not in our nguage. From what we have gathered, they call their pnet Bishingo. They have two moons and one sun. They also have two primates, one like ours and one different.”
He started to think, that even though he had suspected other life out there, he wasn’t prepared to face the complications of having other life out there.
Annaliese turned back to him and said
“ We are sending a group of scientists and some military to their pnet. I am inviting you to join them”.
He looked down at the ground. He did not know what to say. Part of him wanted to go, but the other warned him of the dangers.
He took a deep breath, his gaze steady and resolute, before looking back up with newfound courage.
"Yes, I would like to go,"
he decred, a hint of excitement in his voice. "But if I'm going to do this, I want to be the lead scientist."
He paused, his mind racing as he began outlining the extensive preparations he’d need to undertake—specialized equipment, permits, and a comprehensive list of supplies essential for their mission.
However, Annaliese interrupted him, her tone firm yet encouraging.
“Take whatever you need; the mission is paramount. Your primary objective is to capture both types of primates and collect critical samples of pnts and animals. Gather as much information as you can.”
Annaliese's eyes gleamed with determination.
“You will have my full support. I’ll be on comms with the team the entire time, ensuring that you have everything you need to succeed.”
He nodded and asked, “When do we leave?", Annaliese said, “Tomorrow morning, so I suggest you get to packing. We will meet on base 0-1267 Alpha for transport. Don’t let me down, Adam”.
He nodded and hurried out of the conference room, his mind filled with the things he needed to pack and get ready.
He got into his car and sighed, he had been waiting for this day for what seemed like decades.
The drive home was quiet, but Adam’s thoughts were anything but.
His hands gripped the steering wheel of his bck Jeep, knuckles pale against the leather.
The humming of the engine and the occasional sigh of wind against the windows filled the silence, but his mind kept repying the president’s words.
“Yes, Adam. It’s true.”
He couldn’t shake the chill they left in his bones.
The city lights gradually gave way to the peaceful suburban sprawl as he turned into his neighborhood.
The moment his house came into view—a sleek white and bck modern structure with clean lines and minimalist fir—he exhaled, the tightness in his chest loosening just a bit.
He parked in the driveway and stepped inside, greeted by the scent of freshly cleaned surfaces and faint vender from an automated diffuser. His home was exactly how he liked it—neat, modern, and orderly.
Bck marble countertops, matte white cabinetry, gss shelving.
Everything had its pce.
Without wasting time, Adam dragged out a rge suitcase from the hallway closet and began packing. Shirts, tactical pants, boots, and most importantly—his scientific field kit.
Inside were vials, scanners, portable testers, and a containment module, all carefully organized.
He couldn’t afford to leave anything behind—not this time. As he zipped the case shut, a soft meow caught his attention.
Elvis had been watching him the entire time from atop the kitchen counter, his smoky bck fur glinting faintly under the lights.
The Maine Coon was massive, with a regal presence and cool, golden eyes. As usual, he leapt gracefully onto Adam’s shoulders, curling his tail zily around his neck.
“I’m not leaving you behind, buddy,”
Adam murmured, scratching behind his ears.
Later that night, after everything was ready, Adam y in bed, staring at the ceiling. Elvis was curled up beside him, one paw tucked under his chin, purring softly.
The weight of the mission settled on him in the stillness—what y ahead, what they’d asked of him, and what it might cost.
Sleep came in fragments.
The shrill sound of his arm jerked him awake.
He groaned and reached for his phone, but all he could see was bck fur. Elvis had burrowed up against his face, warm and purring like an engine.
Chuckling softly, Adam gave him a quick pat and slid out of bed. The clock read 5:02 AM.
He had to move fast—Base Delta was nearly an hour out.
He dressed quickly, packed the st few things into the Jeep, and closed the trunk with a quiet thud.
Then, he knelt and made a small clicking sound—“Chi chi chi.” Elvis’s ears perked up. With a smooth bound, he nded on Adam’s shoulders and settled in, purring deeply as he rubbed his head against Adam’s cheek.
Adam let out a breath and looked out toward the rising sun, the sky beginning to pale. It was time.
They got into the car, and he pushed start. He then left his house, driving his car towards Base 00- 1367 Alpha. Once he arrived, he parked his car, got his bags, and looked around.
Feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, he marched on to the entrance.
Some military men took his stuff and loaded it into the shuttle.
He met with Annaliese, and before he got on, she reminded them of the objective on the mission.
Annaliese expined to them their objectives: Capture both types of primates and bring them back. Collect samples of pnts and animals. Try to be discreet while doing it, and try to get everyone out alive.
He listened intently and also mingled with the other scientists.
As they loaded onto the Shuttle, he took one st look around Earth and stepped in.
The journey to Bishingo was pretty rough; it took around a week to arrive.
Now they could see the pnet from space.
All the scientists huddled around the windows, talking excitedly as they got closer. It took another hour to pick a seemingly safe pce to nd.
Once they were ready to disembark from the shuttle, he was first in line.
From the info they had gathered, they knew it had an oxygen-filled atmosphere.
As Adam stepped out onto the soft alien soil, he squinted up at the sky, washed in dreamy hues of vender and lic.
The massive, radiant purple sun hovered above, casting a surreal glow that made the clouds shimmer like silk.
Its light fshed briefly in his eyes, forcing him to shield his face with one hand. Beside him, Elvis—his rge bck Maine Coon companion, fur peppered with silvery streaks—let out a low, curious meow.
His tufted ears twitched as he padded forward, thick tail swishing.
The alien world seemed to catch his full attention.
Around them, the ndscape bloomed with vivid, otherworldly beauty.
Trees stood tall and proud, their leaves shifting in the breeze from deep blue to rich violet.
The grass underfoot was a vibrant green, scattered with flowers and bushes in a kaleidoscope of colors—crimson, cyan, amber, and magenta, like the pnet had painted itself on a whim.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy wings sliced through the tranquil air. The rhythmic whump-whump grew louder, accompanied by the bring shouts of soldiers echoing in the distance:
“CODE GREEN!”
From the dense forest ahead, they emerged, Majestic, serpent-like dragons with glistening scales in shades of pearl, obsidian, and jade.
Their long bodies coiled gracefully through the air, wings stretched wide like sails.
Riders clung to their backs, armored and ready, their silhouettes sharp against the colorful sky.
