Realmshift

Ardent Sullivan stood in awe, his gaze fixed upon the vast expanse of darkness adorned with a brilliant tapestry of countless stars. A pang of sadness washed over him as he reminisced about his cozy and secure home, where he could indulge in endless hours of video games without any repercussions. But all that changed when he received a mandatory mission call from his superiors. It was a mission that transformed him into a security and safety officer aboard the Horizon Hope, an interstellar vessel bound for a new habitable planet.

His reverie was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of his wristwatch, snapping him back to reality.

"Second Lieutenant Ardent, it's time for you to enter the cryogenic pods," a voice announced.

He let out a weary sigh, disliking the sensation of being encased in the cryogenic pods once again. This marked his third awakening, where he would undergo a series of exercises and monitoring before returning to slumber within the pods. According to the date displayed, he would automatically awaken in precisely 80 days, followed by 15 days of performing his duties, and then back to cryogenic sleep. They had mentioned that the journey to the new planet would span approximately 42 years, but with the advanced cryogenic technology at their disposal, they could effectively traverse this vast duration.

As Ardent made his way through the corridors, he encountered a few familiar faces, exchanging greetings and engaging in brief conversations until they reached a spacious chamber lined with rows of cryogenic pods. Walking toward his assigned pod, he reclined and settled in. The pod automatically sealed shut, displaying a flurry of numbers and words on the glass screen. A wave of dizziness washed over him as the temperature within the pod dropped, creating a chilly yet refreshing ambiance. His thoughts began to slow, and the world around him faded into darkness.

...

The Horizon Hope, a remarkable interstellar spacecraft, carried the hopes of humanity in its wake—a vessel brimming with 10,700 passengers and crew members from various professions, all dedicated to realizing a new home. Gaia-02, the target planet, lay 4.24 light years away from Earth. The estimated duration of the voyage stood at 42 years, a significant span that could be evaded through the utilization of cryogenic pods.

...

39 years passed.

The ship's sensors detected an anomalous energy signature of unknown origin, causing a system-wide disruption that triggered an unexpected shutdown. The ship's AI swiftly responded to the sudden power loss, initiating emergency protocols to maintain the functionality of critical ship systems.

Amidst his routine exercises, Ardent's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the warning issued by the ship's AI.

"What's going on? System disruption?" Ardent asked himself, a tinge of unease creeping into his thoughts. As panic began to ripple through the crowd, an additional announcement resounded.

"This is the ship's third captain. Please remain calm. The sub-system has taken control while the main system undergoes rebooting. Updates will be provided shortly. Please stay relaxed."

Ardent grimaced at the captain's oversight in neglecting to mention the reason behind the main system's reboot. After a couple of minutes, his wristwatch displayed numerous mission notifications, mostly pertaining to monitoring the ship's interior and crew members.

As Ardent roamed the corridors, he deliberately glanced at the wall-mounted screens projecting the vastness of space outside the ship. However, to his surprise, the darkness of a barren void greeted his eyes instead of the usual twinkling stars. Perplexed, he approached his fellow military comrade, Richard Anderson, who appeared equally astonished. Together, they surveyed different sections of the ship.

Soon after, an announcement summoned them to the department room, where they congregated around a giant screen. The current captain appeared, addressing the concerned crew members.

"The ship is currently being pulled into another realm," the captain revealed, eliciting a surge of anxiety within Ardent's chest. "We find ourselves in a sort of space tunnel or wormhole."

Ardent's heartbeat quickened, his mind racing with possibilities, yet the captain swiftly provided reassurance. "Rest assured, we have already sent a distress signal to our home and deployed a beacon marking our last known location before entering this wormhole."

"For now, I urge everyone to remain calm and cooperative as we work towards resolving this issue and ensuring the safety of our ship and crew."

After the announcement, the room buzzed with a variety of reactions. Before tensions could escalate, their commander instructed them to continue monitoring the situation, particularly the activities of other crew members.

11 days passed, and a momentous report arrived. The ship emerged from the wormhole, greeted once again by the vastness of space adorned with countless stars. The ship's systems struggled to discern their precise location, and to their dismay, the wormhole had vanished upon their exit. This posed a significant challenge for everyone aboard the Horizon Hope.

In response, the vessel dispatched a fleet of scout ships to conduct comprehensive scans. Within two days, a promising discovery emerged from a nearby unknown star system—XX-01—an almost identical twin to our solar system. Within this system, a potentially habitable planet was detected.

Nervous excitement coursed through the ship's occupants, though this had been the very purpose of their mission from the start. The captains, through a majority vote, decided to venture towards this newfound planet. However, as a precaution, they first needed to establish a temporary base in their current location—an asteroid field that was far from secure for a large spacecraft.

The designated location was aptly named XX-01, and it would take approximately one year and three months to reach it. As they drew nearer, the ship diligently scanned the surroundings, focusing primarily on the planet itself. However, an enigmatic energy permeated the planet, hindering their scanning efforts. The ship's scientists labeled this phenomenon as "Unknown matter."

As they hovered just above the planet's surface, tantalizing hints of life and possible intelligent species emerged. Yet, proper investigation remained elusive due to the obstructing energy field. Every attempt to send a controlled drone down resulted in immediate loss of contact upon passing through the energy-laden atmosphere. The crew pondered whether the reconnaissance ships would encounter similar malfunctions. To address this concern, a senior engineer proposed implementing coded commands into the reconnaissance ships' AI systems, instructing them to ascend immediately upon entering the atmospheric barrier.

After conducting numerous experimental runs to ensure safety, weeks passed, and the Horizon Hope finally authorized personnel to descend to the planet's surface. Ardent Sullivan, a second lieutenant, was among those selected for the mission—an honor and a responsibility that lay before him.