Amongst the Stars of Cygnus [Hard Sci-fi Survival]

The newly revived topscalers, though only a day out of reinstatement, had wasted no time immersing themselves in briefings, catching up on seventy thousand years of lost time and assessing the fragile colony they now inhabited.

Elisa entered the conference room, followed closely by Maximilian. She noted the subtle shift in atmosphere the moment she crossed the threshold. Director Davron Federoff sat at the head of the table, radiating an effortless authority that seemed undiminished by his recent ordeal. General secretary Koko sat ramrod straight to his left, her sharp eyes missing nothing. Technocrat Jiang Wei offered a polite, almost academic smile, while topscaler Sasha Borodin gave a languid nod, swirling a nutrient drink in his glass. Dmitri Ganbold shifted his considerable weight, offering a quick, nervous smile. Mikhail Petrov sat slightly apart, datapad active, his fingers poised to record. Tamarlyan Federoff occupied a seat further down, looking attentive but somehow… constrained. Lodon Zavorokhin stood sentinel near the entrance, a silent, imposing presence.

"Commander Woodward, Colonel Barinov," Davron greeted them, his voice smooth and welcoming. "Thank you for joining us. Please, sit. We have much to discuss, but first, allow me to reiterate our gratitude. What you and your team have accomplished here, under unimaginable circumstances… it is truly commendable."

Koko echoed the sentiment with a tight smile. "Indeed. To establish a functioning base, secure resources, even broker relations with… local entities. Quite remarkable, Commander."

Elisa took a seat, forcing a polite smile in return. The praise felt rehearsed, the congratulations slightly too effusive. It was the kind of pleasantry designed to disarm, to establish a veneer of collegiality before the real maneuvering began. Maximilian took the seat beside her, offering a brief, neutral nod to Davron.

"We've been reviewing the data Tamarlyan and ARI provided," Jiang Wei began, tapping his datapad and bringing up resource schematics on the table's integrated display. He spoke with the easy confidence of an expert assuming control of a familiar domain. "The thorium deposit is promising, certainly a short-term solution. But for long-term sustainability, we need a more comprehensive resource plan. The geological surveys ARI has conducted are limited. We'll need deeper scans, systematic exploration." He glanced at Elisa. "I assume expanding the drone survey network is already a high priority for your administration?"

"It is," Elisa confirmed, keeping her tone even. "We're expanding the charging network constantly, pushing ARI's range further out. The northern region is our next major exploration target."

"Excellent," Jiang Wei said, though his smile didn't quite seem genuine. "And the Provider's technology – particularly its bio-extraction capabilities. The potential to cultivate beetles or adapt plant life for targeted resource concentration… fascinating. Utterly critical we understand this fully. We must dedicate resources to mastering it." He spoke as if presenting a novel idea, subtly framing Elisa's existing efforts as merely preliminary steps awaiting proper direction.

Elisa felt a flicker of irritation but suppressed it. "Doctor Qi Meifen and biologist Ronningen are already studying the captured beetle and the plant samples. Progress is ongoing."

"Of course, of course," Jiang Wei murmured, making a note. Petrov's fingers tapped silently on his datapad across the table.

Tamarlyan shifted slightly in his seat. Elisa noticed him glance almost imperceptibly toward his father before speaking. "The primary constraint remains energy, Mister Wei," Tamarlyan said, addressing the technocrat directly, but his posture seemed deferential to Davron. "Even with the thorium reactor online, large-scale fabrication, particularly of advanced alloys or complex systems, requires significantly more power than we currently generate. Expanding refining capacity for the Provider's biotech will also be energy-intensive."

"A valid point, Tamarlyan," Davron acknowledged, subtly reclaiming the conversational lead. "Which brings us to efficiency and structure." His gaze settled on Elisa. "Commander, your team has shown remarkable adaptability. But as the colony grows, as more specialists like Mister Wei's teams are revived, a more… formalized structure might optimize resource allocation and project management. Have you given thought to reorganizing the command hierarchy to better leverage the expertise now available?"

The question hung in the air, polite, reasonable, yet undeniably pointed. Elisa met Davron's gaze directly. "The current structure evolved out of necessity, Director. It's functional and collaborative. We assign roles based on immediate needs and proven competence." She paused, letting her words sink in. "What specific changes were you envisioning?"

Sasha Borodin chuckled softly. "Perhaps something that reflects… traditional best practices, Commander? Clear lines of authority, departmental oversight. Ensures accountability."

"Accountability is vital," Elisa agreed smoothly. "And currently, all department heads report directly to me. We hold regular briefings, coordinate closely with ARI. The system works."

Koko leaned forward slightly, her sharp features intent. "But as more senior officers and directors are reinstated, Commander… individuals with significant pre-voyage authority and portfolio responsibilities… how do you envision integrating them? Their experience could be invaluable."

"Everyone contributes based on their skills," Elisa stated firmly. "Rank is a factor in operational command, as Colonel Barinov can attest, but strategic decisions affecting the entire colony remain under my purview, as per the emergency authority vested in me."

A beat of silence. Petrov's fingers paused over his datapad.

Davron smiled – a slow, calculating expression. "Of course, Commander. Your dedication is unquestionable. We have the utmost confidence in your leadership and merely wish to offer our support, our experience, to help you navigate the complexities ahead. Consider us resources at your disposal."

The words were supportive, deferential even. Yet Elisa felt the underlying message clearly. They weren't challenging her directly – not yet. They were positioning themselves, offering 'assistance' while subtly questioning her capacity, laying the groundwork for future influence. They were acting indirectly, polite to a fault, masters of the unspoken implication, always plotting beneath the surface pleasantries.

She offered a polite nod, mirroring their careful diplomacy. "I appreciate the offer, Director Federoff, and I value the expertise all of you bring. I look forward to integrating everyone effectively as we move forward."

Maximilian, who had remained largely silent, finally spoke, his voice neutral. "Coordination will indeed be key. Ensuring seamless integration of new personnel and capabilities is essential for maintaining operational security and efficiency." His comment was carefully worded, supporting Elisa's authority while acknowledging the topscalers' point about structure. He was playing his own game, Elisa realized, positioning himself between the factions.

The meeting continued with further discussion on resource allocation and timelines, led mostly by Jiang Wei, who continued to probe delicately into every aspect of the colony's inventory and capabilities. The topscalers remained courteous, agreeable, offering suggestions framed as helpful insights. But Elisa saw the pattern. They were mapping out the territory, assessing her control, and waiting. No one was laying their cards on the table yet. The real game hadn't even begun.

===

Elisa and Ervin had gathered in the operations room, as data streamed across the holographic displays. Reactor outputs were stable, fabrication queues active, personnel rosters expanding. The base felt fuller, busier, the newly fabricated corridors echoing with more footsteps than before. Yet, beneath the steady progress, a familiar tension had re-emerged: the relentless pressure of scarcity.

Elisa stood before the main holo-table, running a hand through her hair as she reviewed the latest inventory projections. Ervin leaned beside her, tablet in hand, cross-referencing resource allocation against the revival schedule. The numbers were improving, but not fast enough.

"We've brought back another thirty-two pods from the western sites," Elisa said, tapping the display. "Otto's team will return soon with a second haul. But the greenhouse's nutrient solution demands, the organic compounds for the substrate… reviving this many people, this quickly, is stretching us thin."

Ervin nodded, zooming in on a molecular breakdown chart. "The reactor helps with energy, but synthesizing complex bio-polymers from raw minerals is still incredibly power-hungry. We're diverting nearly forty percent of the reactor's output just to keep the organic chemistry flows going."

"Exactly," Elisa agreed. "We need a better source of organics. The beetle carcasses from the rest stop battle—can we process those efficiently? Or the ones from the hive site?"

Ervin frowned, shaking his head slightly. "We could, but the logistics are a nightmare. Hauling tons of potentially contaminated biological matter back here, setting up a dedicated processing line… it would divert vehicles and personnel we desperately need for pod retrieval and thorium mining. Not to mention the risk of bringing back trace elements of crystal or other unknowns."

Elisa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "So, back to the plants."

"It's our best bet," Ervin confirmed. "Mei believes she can stimulate more growth, maybe even guide them toward surfacing specific compounds if she interfaces correctly. We could expand it, cultivate it properly…"

"Then talk to her," Elisa said decisively. "See what she needs. If expanding the grove is viable, make it a priority. If not…" She looked back at the energy consumption graphs, her expression grim. "We either slow down the revivals, or we start delaying other projects until we scale up power. Neither option is ideal."

"I'll coordinate with Mei," Ervin promised. "Perhaps we can re-establish the grove near the thorium mine outpost."

As Ervin made a note on his tablet, the floor beneath them gave a distinct, low shudder. It wasn't violent, just a deep, unsettling vibration that rattled loose panels and sent ripples across the displays on the holo-table.

Elisa instinctively braced herself against the table. "Another one?"

Ervin gripped the edge, steadying himself. "Felt different this time. Deeper."

"ARI, report!" Elisa commanded, her voice sharp.

"Seismic event detected, Commander," ARI's calm voice echoed. "Magnitude 4.1. Triangulating epicenter now."

A map flashed onto the main display, lines converging rapidly. A red pulse blinked southwest of the base, near the location where the Dolya's wreckage had been consumed by the crystalline anomaly.

Elisa's stomach tightened. "The consumed site? Again?"

"Affirmative," ARI confirmed. "The origin point correlates precisely with the anomaly's last known location."

"Send word to the rest stop immediately," Elisa ordered. "Alert Otto's team. Tell them to secure their position and prepare for anything."

"Relaying message now," ARI said. "Deploying scout drones to investigate the epicenter."

Small icons representing ARI's fastest drones peeled off from the patrols, heading southwest. Maximilian came rushing into the operations room, his face alert. The crew gathered around the display watched in tense silence as the drones closed the distance.

Minutes crawled by. Then ARI spoke again, a note of something unusual entering its tone.

"Drone One reporting visual contact with… an atmospheric disturbance. Anomalous weather patterns originating from the epicenter."

"Weather?" Ervin echoed, stepping closer. "Out here? Show us."

The display shifted, showing the drone's forward camera feed. Through the grainy, dust-filtered image, they saw it: a colossal storm cell, churning in the distance. It wasn't a typical sandstorm; this was different. The clouds were unnaturally dark, almost black, swirling in tight, violent patterns. Flickers of roiling lightning pulsed within its depths. It was vast and growing, already blotting out a significant portion of the horizon.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Thermal scans indicate extreme cold," ARI added, overlaying temperature gradients onto the visual feed. "Air temperature within the storm is dropping rapidly—currently negative thirty degrees Celsius and falling. This is inconsistent with any known atmospheric conditions."

Elisa stared, unnerved. "A supercooled storm? How is that possible?"

Before anyone could speculate further, ARI spoke again. "Drone Two detecting multiple bio-signatures moving within the storm front."

The feed switched to infrared, painting the swirling chaos in ghostly blues and greens. Faint heat signatures, dozens of them, moved erratically through the tempest. They were indistinct, blurred by the sheer density of the storm, but they were undeniably there—and they were moving north.

"Creatures?" Mei whispered, having joined the group near the display. "Are they coming this way?"

"Negative," ARI stated. "Their trajectory is northbound, parallel to the crater ridge. They appear to be bypassing the rest stop entirely." The display tracked the signatures as they moved deeper into the northern wastes, away from the colony's established territory. "Tracking capability is limited due to storm interference. Environmental conditions are worsening rapidly."

Elisa's gaze flickered to the storm's projected path. It was expanding, rolling outward from the epicenter like a shockwave. "How long until it reaches the crater ridge, ARI?"

"Estimated impact with the western ridge in approximately eighty-two minutes," ARI replied. "The crater's geography should provide substantial shelter to the base itself, but exposed antennae arrays and perimeter sensors will be vulnerable."

Maximilian, who had arrived moments earlier, looked over the atmospheric readings. "We will need to lower the antennas. If that storm hits them at full force, we lose long-range comms, sensors—everything."

Elisa nodded grimly. "Do it, ARI. Begin retracting all exterior arrays. Secure the perimeter towers."

"Acknowledged," ARI confirmed. "Warning: lowering the main communication masts will sever contact with expedition teams operating outside the crater's signal shadow."

The implications hung heavy in the air. Otto's team, Valeriya's team, the thorium and ore retrieval teams, all would be cut off, isolated in the storm's path or trapped beyond it, with no way to call for help or receive updates.

"Recall the scout drones, ARI," Elisa ordered, her voice tight. "Get them back before the storm swallows them too."

"Recalling drones now," ARI replied. On the display, the drone icons reversed course, racing back toward the base just as the swirling edge of the storm front seemed to accelerate, consuming the landscape behind them.

Within ten minutes, the entire base was locked into storm protocol. One by one, the indicators showing connection to the expedition teams flickered from green, to yellow, then finally to red, blinking out as the main antennas lowered into their hardened silos atop the crater ridge.

A profound sense of isolation settled over the headquarters.

Elisa watched the storm advance on the main display, a churning vortex of unnatural cold and unknown life, expanding in all directions. They were safe within the crater's embrace, shielded from the worst of it. But outside, their people were blind, cut off, facing a storm unlike anything they had ever encountered.

===

The interior of the hauler was a pocket of strained quiet against the rising howl of the wind outside. Dust, fine as powdered glass had seeped inside, coating surfaces in a pale film. Otto Ronningen sat strapped into the passenger seat, eyes closed, listening to the unnatural low trembling noises that accompanied the storm and mixed with the sounds of the vehicle's straining engine.

Sigrid was at the wheel, navigating by sensor overlays projected onto her helmet visor. The visual feed was almost useless now, the world outside reduced to a swirling vortex of grey-brown dust and hailstones that slammed against the reinforced viewport like a solid wall. The hauler shuddered occasionally as powerful gusts slammed into its side, threatening to push them off course.

"How much longer?" Otto asked, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.

"ARI's last projection put us maybe an hour from the rest stop," Sigrid replied, not taking her eyes off the navigational markers. "But that was before the storm hit full force. We're moving slower now. Visibility is near zero."

In the rear compartment, Yao Guowei and Kucugur sat in tense silence, weapons resting across their laps. They had spent the last moments securing the recovered cryopods, ensuring the precious cargo wouldn't shift or break loose if the hauler was knocked about. Every so often, Guowei would check the status readouts on the pods, his expression unreadable.

The comms crackled briefly—a burst of static, then silence.

"Still nothing from the base?" Otto asked.

Sigrid shook her head. "Lost contact about twenty minutes ago. They have retracted the main antennas. Not that anything would get through…" She adjusted the hauler's atmospheric scrubbers, trying to keep the cabin air clear. "We're on our own out here."

Otto leaned his head back against the seat rest. Being cut off wasn't ideal, but it wasn't unexpected either. The natural storms on this planet were notoriously brutal, capable of shredding exposed equipment, but this was something else entirely.

He thought about the creatures ARI had reported moving within the storm. Northbound. Away from them. What were they? Where were they going? And why did their movement coincide with the storm's appearance? It felt too deliberate to be random migration.

A particularly violent gust hit the hauler, making the massive vehicle rock precariously. Sigrid cursed under her breath, correcting their course. "Wind shear and hail is getting worse. We'll have to find shelter and wait it out."

"Shelter where?" Kucugur grunted from the back. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"There are rock formations two klicks ahead," Sigrid said, pointing to a cluster of contour lines on her HUD map. "Might offer some protection if we can tuck in close."

Guowei leaned forward slightly. "Let's push for it. Staying exposed out here will total the vehicle."

They pressed on, the hauler crawling through the tempest. The wind screamed against the hull, a high-pitched, grating sound that set Otto's teeth on edge. Hail hammered the viewport, covering the ground directly in front of them with a layer of white beads. Sigrid relied entirely on the lidar and inertial navigation, guiding the behemoth vehicle through the blinding chaos.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the terrain began to change. Dark, jagged shapes emerged through the haze—massive stone pillars and weathered outcrops, remnants of some ancient geological upheaval. Sigrid skilfully maneuvered the hauler between them, finding a deep overhang where the rock face curved inward, creating a natural windbreak.

She cut the engine, and the relative silence that followed was almost deafening. The strange noises of the storm were still present, but muffled now, distant. Snow and hail still swirled outside, but here, in the lee of the rock, the worst of it passed them by.

"Okay," Sigrid said, slumping back in her seat with a sigh of relief. "We wait here."

Otto nodded, unbuckling his harness. "Might as well get comfortable. Could be a while."

Kucugur and Guowei emerged from the rear, stretching stiff limbs. Guowei peered out at the swirling dust, his expression thoughtful. "This storm… this is completely different from the others."

"Cold," Otto agreed. "Icy, even. It's unnatural."

They settled into a tense wait, the minutes stretching into an hour, then two. The storm showed no sign of letting up. Occasionally, a drone was sent up briefly to check conditions, but it was quickly forced back down by the punishing winds and near-zero visibility.

Inside the hauler, the air grew thick with recycled oxygen and the faint scent of dust. They ate cold rations in silence, conserving power, listening to the storm rage outside.

He woke abruptly to Sigrid shaking his shoulder. "Otto. Look."

He blinked, disoriented, then followed her gaze to the forward viewport. The storm was still blowing, but the snow had thinned slightly, revealing glimpses of the landscape beyond their rocky shelter.

And something was out there.

Not creatures. Not movement.

Structures.

Dark, angular shapes rising from the sand, half-obscured by the swirling snow. They looked like crystalline formations, but sharper, more deliberate than the natural rock formations around them. They jutted from the ground at odd angles, catching the weak, filtered light in unsettling ways.

Otto grabbed the integrated binoculars from the dashboard mount, focusing them on the nearest structure. His breath hitched.

It wasn't crystal. It was… something else. Smoother. Almost metallic, but with a dark, oily texture. Sharp edges met curved surfaces in ways that defied simple geometry. Faint lines, like circuitry or veins, pulsed with a barely perceptible inner light.

"What… is that?" Sigrid whispered, leaning closer.

"I don't know," Otto replied, scanning the area. There were more of them—half a dozen, scattered across the landscape, partially buried, as if they had erupted from beneath the surface during the quake. "They weren't here on our previous trips…."

Guowei moved up to the front, peering through the viewport. His usual composure wavered, replaced by a look of profound unease. "Those aren't natural formations."

Kucugur joined them, his hand instinctively resting on the grip of his sidearm. "Alien?"

"Maybe," Otto said slowly. "Or… related to the crystals and the goo? A different form?"

As they watched, the light shifted. The storm hadn't fully passed, but the noise had calmed down and snow veil thinned further, revealing the true extent of the structures. They weren't just random pillars; they formed a pattern. A network. Lines connected them, seemingly energetic, marked by faint distortions in the air,barely visible through the remaining haze, but undeniably present.

"That's the direction where the wreck was," Sigrid said while checking her map, her voice tight. "The one the crystals consumed."

Otto lowered the binoculars, his mind racing. The quake. The cold storm. The creatures moving north. And now these structures, leading to where the anomaly had been most active.

"This isn't random," he murmured. "The quake triggered this. It unearthed… or activated… whatever this is."

Guowei's eyes narrowed. "And the creatures moving north? They weren't fleeing the storm. They were heading somewhere specific."

"Toward the northern anomaly the Provider had mentioned?", Otto wondered.

The implications were staggering. The crystals weren't just parasitic growths; they were part of something larger, something capable of altering the very landscape, potentially linked to the quakes and the storms..

"We need to report this," Sigrid said urgently. "As soon as the storm clears enough for a signal."

Otto nodded grimly, his gaze fixed on the alien structures shimmering in the icy air. "Let's hope the base is ready for what's coming."

It took the better part of the day for the storm to die, trapping Otto's team in their rocky shelter. The air remained unnaturally cold, chilling the hauler's cabin despite the internal heaters running at full capacity.

Otto spent the hours poring over the limited sensor data ARI had managed to relay before comms were cut. The geometric structures outside weren't registering as typical crystal formations. Their energy signatures were bizarre—low-level, complex, and exhibiting patterns that didn't align with any known geological or biological phenomena.

"They're like… antennas," Sigrid mused, looking over his shoulder at the telemetry projected onto a handheld datapad. "Or relays. See how they seem networked? Whatever energy they're emitting, it's interconnected."

Otto nodded slowly. "But relaying what? And powered by what? There's no obvious energy source out there." He zoomed in on the last relayed thermal images of the central locus, where the wreckage had been. A cold spot. Not just neutral, but actively colder than the surrounding storm-chilled air. "Unless the power source is something we can't detect. Something… else."

Guowei, who had been silently cleaning his rifle in the rear compartment, looked up. "Something like the anomaly that disabled the Provider's ship?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and unanswered.

As the storm finally began to subside in the late afternoon, the clouds thinning enough to reveal a bruised, twilight sky, Sigrid was the first to spot the change.

"Otto, look," she said, pointing toward the structures. "They're… receding."

He scrambled to the viewport. She was right. The geometric pillars were sinking back into the sand, withdrawing slowly, almost deliberately, like living things retracting into burrows. The faint pulsing light within them dimmed, and the strange energy signatures ARI had detected began to fade. Within half an hour, they were gone, leaving behind only disturbed earth and a lingering sense of unease.

"They just… vanished," Kucugur muttered from the back, bewildered.

Otto exchanged a look with Sigrid. "They weren't permanent. They were deployed. Activated by the quake, maybe?"

"And retracted when the storm passed?" Sigrid wondered aloud. "Or when whatever was moving north passed through?"

"Whatever they were, they're gone now," Guowei said, standing up and stretching. "Storm is breaking. Let's see if the base put their antennas back up."

Sigrid powered up the main comms array. Static crackled for a few long minutes, then cleared, replaced by ARI's familiar, steady tone. "…repeat, Rest Stop outpost, do you read? Base is requesting a status update..."

"Base, this is Otto," he replied immediately, relief washing over him. "We read you. We weathered the storm, minimal damage to the vehicle. But we observed… significant geological and atmospheric anomalies near the southern wreck site. Artificial structures emerged and have since retracted. Requesting full sensor data uplink when possible."

There was a pause on the other end, then ARI's voice returned, tinged with something Otto couldn't quite place—perhaps relief, perhaps just processing. "Acknowledged, Otto. Your observations are noted and correlate with anomalous readings detected before comms blackout. Uplink proceeding. Stand by for further instructions. Commander Elisa wishes to speak with you directly."

A moment later, Elisa's voice, strained but clear, came through. "Otto, are you alright? What did you see out there?"

Otto quickly summarized their encounter—the quake, the cold storm, the emerging and retracting structures. He omitted the speculation, sticking to the facts.

Elisa was silent for a beat after he finished. "Structures… activated by the quake? That's… deeply concerning. Get back to base as soon as it's safe to move. We need to analyze this data immediately. And Otto? Be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."

"Understood, Commander. Moving out shortly." Otto signed off, glancing at Sigrid, both contemplating the implications of what they had seen.