Out in the vast silence of space, a ship unlike any other moved with purpose—a massive vessel rebuilt from the core framework of Celeste Starfire Cassidy's original starbound ship, but now modified into a behemoth. It soared like a train with thrusters, four stories tall, ten stories long, and half a football field wide. It housed everything necessary for survival, study, and defense: state-of-the-art labs, reinforced vaults, cryo-storage, automated medical bays, and a full AI-controlled command center. The team aboard—Dr. Dew, Leonardo da Vinci, Paracelsus, Celeste Starfire Cassidy, Nikola Tesla, and Celeste's resurrected crew—numbered over thirty. They had planned meticulously for this moment. Back on Pangea, their home had grown from a secure settlement into a thriving city. With the threat of unknown energies looming and Chaos still a mystery, they took no chances. Dr. Dew had personally overseen the installation of multiple Erchius Force Field generators to shield the city from energy-based intrusions. Paracelsus developed layered kinetic and thermal barriers against physical threats, while Tesla optimized emergency protocols and auxiliary power systems in the event of planetary invasion. They stashed emergency vessels in hidden hangars. They stored advanced armor, weapons, G.E.C.K.s, digital backups, and AI logs. If the expedition failed, Pangea would not fall easily.
The moment of launch carried a different energy. Dr. Dew stood at the observation window, arms crossed behind his back, watching the world they'd built slowly drift beneath them. This time, they weren't escaping something—they were reaching for something. The ship thrummed with power as the hyperdrive engaged. Everyone aboard except Celeste and her crew had never experienced hyperspace firsthand. Dew, despite his ability to simulate it inside the digital world as a Video Conduit, still stood speechless as the stars outside warped into elongated streaks of light. Paracelsus said nothing, but his eyes widened behind his lenses. Leonardo leaned close to the window, sketchpad forgotten in her lap. Tesla simply grinned. Celeste piloted the ship with the casual expertise of a pioneer born among stars, her crew manning secondary stations without a word—this was their realm, and they were finally home in it.
Their destination wasn't random. The onboard star charts had shown a local galaxy cluster—barely within their fuel-efficient range—that displayed patterns in gravitational anomalies consistent with biosignatures. No confirmed readings of sentient life, but one star system, in particular, had a planet nestled in the habitable zone. As they exited hyperspace, the AI pinged them. Scans indicated atmospheric oxygen, temperature stability, and electromagnetic fields indicative of technology or energy manipulation. All signs pointed to life.
Everyone gathered at the main viewport as the planet came into view. Dr. Dew walked forward, slowly. Leonardo stood beside him, face unreadable. Tesla tilted his head, calculating. Paracelsus took a half-step back, stunned. Celeste crossed her arms, jaw tight. And the rest of the crew followed behind, silent. All of them stared. No words. Just shock. The entire bridge fell quiet. What they saw next would change everything.
End of Chapter Twenty-Nine