THE MYSTERY OF THE ABANDONED CITY

The soft hum of the Espheras' engines filled the deep silence of Proxima Centauri b as the ships approached the immense and enigmatic metal structure rising from the planet's surface. The teams were on high alert, soldiers ready to face any threat. There was something in the air, something undefined, but it carried an undeniable sense of importance that everyone could feel.

The Espheras, advanced transport ships, landed gently about a kilometer from the mysterious structure. The doors opened, and team members descended onto the arid soil, tension growing with each step. The structure before them appeared to be made of an extraordinarily resilient material, covered with a thin layer of dust, as though it had been left there for centuries—or perhaps even longer. The sky above was tinged a reddish hue, and the wind, though light, conveyed a sense of something unusual about to unfold.

Stood, observing everything through images transmitted by the Espheras, noticed that this city was unlike any human-made structure. It was a gigantic dome, with large doors and high windows, but at closer inspection, it was completely devoid of life or movement. In his mind, questions multiplied with every passing second: What could have happened here? Where were the people who once inhabited this place? And, most urgently, what should they do now?

"Proceed with caution," instructed Stood, his voice firm, though tinged with the growing tension. "Split into groups, inspect every entrance, every point. We don't know what awaits us."

With the command issued, the soldiers spread out, executing the instructions with military precision. Meanwhile, other Espheras remained in position, their sensors and cameras recording every move, ready to send any relevant data back to the *Genesis*, which orbited the planet, constantly monitoring the mission.

The first groups arrived at the giant door of the structure. It was an enormous metal gate, covered with strange symbols, illuminated by a faint blue light emanating from inside. The metal, hard and seemingly impenetrable, didn't resist when the teams began their work. They used heavy equipment to breach the entrance, prepared for any situation.

"We're ready to open it," announced one of the engineers, adjusting the cutting tools.

"Understood," replied Stood, observing closely. "Stay alert. We don't know what might be inside. There could be defense systems or traps."

With a deafening noise, the cutting tools sliced through the metal, and the large door opened, revealing a vast, dark corridor. The interior of the dome showed no signs of deterioration, indicating the structure had been preserved by some advanced technology.

Stood signaled for the first soldiers to enter. The air inside the dome was pure, almost sterile, and the sound of their footsteps echoed through the empty corridors. The lighting inside was subtle but efficient, revealing broad hallways and areas that appeared to be part of a larger complex.

"Move cautiously. Check every corner. We don't know what's waiting for us," Stood instructed.

As the teams spread through the structure's corridors, a growing sense of unease gripped them all. There were no signs of life. No humans, no other beings. No traces of recent activity. It was as if the city had frozen in time. The houses were well-constructed but uninhabited. The streets and indoor spaces were meticulously organized but entirely deserted. What had happened here?

In one of the houses, one of the groups found a table set with cups, as if they had been left there in haste. The chairs were neatly arranged, and a meal was partially consumed, but the most peculiar thing was that everything seemed untouched, with no signs of disturbance or destruction.

"This is really strange," said one of the team members, looking around. "It's like the people just left and never came back."

Elisa, who was accompanying Stood, observed every detail carefully, trying to make sense of what was happening. There was something off about it all, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

"We're dealing with something much more complex than we thought," Elisa said, staring at a perfectly arranged table. "The city is intact, but there's no sign of life. There was no attack, no evacuation. Everything is frozen."

Stood nodded slowly, processing what she said. "Yes, but what could have caused this? Where are the people? We need to investigate further. Maybe we can find some record, some technology that explains what happened here."

The group proceeded toward a larger building that seemed to be a command center or a communication station. The interior was more sophisticated, filled with futuristic control panels, holograms, and screens displaying symbols they didn't recognize. There was a sense of disconnection in every element, as if they were in a place from another era, or perhaps another reality.

"Check all the systems," Stood said, observing a screen that flickered with intermittent lights. "If we can access these systems, maybe we can understand what happened here."

The real surprise came next. When one of the team members activated a panel, a series of holographic images began to form in the air. They showed the city functioning—people walking down streets, working in buildings, machines performing daily tasks. But suddenly, the images changed. The people stopped. In an instant, everything became motionless.

"What the hell is this?" asked one of the engineers, staring at the screen now displaying a strange pattern of lights and symbols.

Stood furrowed his brow, trying to understand the projection. "It looks like we're seeing a record of something that happened here. But what caused this? Why did everything stop so suddenly?"

The hologram dissipated quickly, but the mystery only deepened. The city, seemingly intact, was far from an ordinary city. It seemed like a monument to a lost civilization, or perhaps an experiment that had been interrupted. What was happening here? And, more importantly, what could have caused the sudden and complete stillness of everything and everyone?

With the team still absorbing the initial findings, Stood knew that the real mission was just beginning. They were no longer just exploring a distant planet; they were uncovering something much larger, something that defied comprehension. Entering the abandoned city was just the first step. What lay ahead could change everything they knew about the universe—and about the very nature of life and intelligence.

"Continue with the exploration," Stood commanded, his voice deep and resolute. "Let's uncover what happened here. And when we do, we must be ready for whatever comes next."

The enigma of the abandoned city on Proxima Centauri b was just beginning to unfold, and with every step they took, the sense that something much deeper was behind it all grew stronger. Their mission had shifted from simply searching for answers to a race for survival.

Stood decided to descend and connect directly to the structure's systems, intending to access the entire database and undergo self-learning, in order to discover once and for all what had happened inside that enigmatic place.