Chapter 9: Blue Oasis

"The Faithful Dog" emerged from hyperspace in a hazy flash, and the cockpit windshield was filled with an endless sheet of water. The planet they were over was almost entirely covered by oceans, punctuated sparsely by small islands and rocky ridges emerging from the water.

- Welcome to Thalassi," Alex chuckled, lowering the ship toward one of the small islands, whose shape resembled an uneven ellipse. - This is my old smuggling route. No one looks here, because why should they.

Astra looked at the navigation screen, which was flashing chaotically.

- Why exactly here? - She asked, looking at the gray rocks of the islet against which the powerful waves were crashing.

- Because only an idiot would look for us on a planet where there is absolutely nothing," replied Alex with a wince. - Besides, this slope should cover the ship well. I've moored here before, a safe place for a few days.

He turned the rudders gently, and the "Faithful Dog" descended over the water. Below them, blue, almost fluorescent water could be seen, in which shadows resembling huge sea creatures swarmed.

- Don't worry," he added, noticing Astra's gaze fixed on the screen. - As long as you don't go into the water, you have nothing to fear. These nasties don't come ashore.... And they are quite tasty.

The ship rocked as it settled on a small beach at the foot of a rocky escarpment. Alex shut down the engines and for a moment silence fell in the cabin, broken only by the quiet ticking of cooling panels.

- And now what? - Astra asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.

- Now? - Alex raised an eyebrow and smiled. - I'll catch a fish for dinner. - He moved toward the ramp.

The beach was narrow, covered with fine white sand that glittered in the sunlight like ground pearls. There was a brackish smell of water in the air, mingling with the aroma of vegetation growing on the slope. Tiny, bright green crabs could be seen on the sandy shore, moving nervously as if to avoid contact with intruders.

The escarpment rose several meters, its walls of dark basalt were overgrown by twisting vines and small flowering shrubs. Long strands of plants resembling earthy vines, but with leaves of an intense purple color, hung from the heights. Among them, small bioluminescent insects flicked from time to time, casting a soft green light.

There were distinctive sounds of the planet's fauna on the water - low murmurs resembling roars that came from far away, and wheezes like bird whistles. Astra spotted birds gliding over the water - they were creatures resembling a mix of terns and bats, with wide membranous wings and beaks elongated like lancets. Every now and then they would dart down to dive into the water and emerge with a small fish in their beaks.

Among the vegetation near the beach, she noticed low trees with massive, twisting trunks. Their crowns formed umbrellas of leaves in a shade of bright green, which seemed to reflect the light in an almost mirror-like manner. Astra came closer and noticed that the trunk of one of the trees was covered with small, oval fruits of a green color.

- Look at this," she said, pointing to the fruit. - They look, tasty.

- Tasty? - Alex raised an eyebrow, coming closer. - Don't be fooled by the appearance, the fact is they are edible, but they taste like an old egg mixed with sand. It's better not to try them.

Astra smiled slightly, but moved her hand away from the trunk.

In the distance, something bigger appeared on the water - the ripples began to spread, as if something under the surface was moving at tremendous speed. Alex looked at it with concern.

- Here you have to be careful, princess," he said, correcting the knife belt at his hip. - Not everything that floats is suitable for dinner.

Astra looked at him with a question in her eyes, but before she could say anything, the dog that had accompanied them from K-47 barked loudly, as if to warn them. His attention was drawn to movement in the nearby bushes - something was there, something that seemed to be watching them.

The leaves twitched, and after a moment something emerged from the thicket that at first glance resembled a large otter. Only, otters usually didn't have scales that shimmered like fish skin or thin, membranous fins instead of front paws. The creature moved fluidly, as if it couldn't decide whether it wanted to crawl on the ground or rather jump.

- What is it? - Astra reflexively took a step back, looking at the strange creature.

Alex, who had previously only mended the knife at his hip, now pulled it out and stood in front of the animal.

- I have no idea," he said dryly.

The creature paused for a moment, tilting its head as if looking at the group. Its large black eyes glinted in the sunlight, and its body glistened with moisture. Suddenly, without warning, it made a sound resembling a mixture of a hiss and a low, throaty squawk.

The dog reacted immediately - his coat stood up and his growl became louder. Astra instinctively touched his neck, trying to calm him down, but the animal did not take its eyes off the intruder.

The creature, seeing the dog, decided to act. In one fluid movement, it slid off the beach and into the water, leaving only a trail of wet sand behind it. The waves parted gently and the animal disappeared into the depths of the ocean.

The dog calmed down, but kept looking at the spot where the creature had slipped into the water.

- I don't think he liked us," Astra remarked, trying to make light of the situation, although her voice trembled slightly.

- The furry one scared them," chuckled Alex, dropping the knife back into its scabbard.

- Do you think it will come back?

Alex looked at the ocean with concern in his eyes.

- I don't know and I'm not going to check it.

The dog looked at Astra, as if waiting for her decision, and then slowly turned toward the ship's ramp. It seemed to share his opinion.

Alex drew in the air deeply, looking at the ocean, as if in it he saw the solution to all problems, and threw to Astra:

- I'll gather some brushwood and wood, make a fire. It's been a long time since I've had a decent roast fish, and here it's the only thing to eat.

Astra looked at him with mild surprise.

- Are you sure that anything here is fit for consumption?

Alex shrugged his shoulders, throwing her a crooked smile.

- Every fish is edible, princess. At least once.

The dog, which was sitting next to the ramp, raised its head as if approving of the plan. Alex walked closer to the trees, picking out dry branches and pieces of wood scattered on the beach. His movements were quick and precise, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

- You'll see, you'll still thank me for this culinary festival," he said with a wince, arranging the gathered branches into a small pile.

- Let's say I'll give you credit for now," Astra replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the ship's ramp.

Alex picked up a piece of dry leaf from the ground and looked at it for a moment before adding it to the pile.

- And now," he announced, reaching for the makeshift fishing rod he'd pieced together while still on the ship, "I'm going to get dinner.

- Do you think you'll catch anything? - Astra asked, looking at him skeptically.

- If I don't catch it, we are left with slush from the ship's supplies," he replied with a smile, "But believe me, I'm better at fishing than cooking.

The dog followed him, keeping a few steps back, as if to supervise his every action. Astra looked at them both and sighed.

- This could be interesting," she muttered to herself, watching Alex move toward the water, ready for her little impromptu culinary adventure.

Alex, with fishing rod in hand, moved toward the shore, and his step - usually sure and relaxed - this time had something of a strange ballet in it. The sand sank beneath his shoes, and the dog, as if knowing that something peculiar awaited them, kept at a safe distance. Astra, leaning against the ship's ramp, watched the scene with a mixture of fascination and skepticism.

- I guess you have no idea what you're doing, huh? - She chuckled with a smile, correcting the collar of her coat.

Alex looked over her shoulder, trying to look confident.

- It's called survival instinct, princess. I learned to fish even before I could read.

- Aha," she threw in with a wince.

- Now I can fish like a master," he replied, driving a makeshift hook into the remnants of a strange-looking fruit that had gained new life as bait.

The dog sat on the sand, staring at Alex with a face that said it all: "Don't do it, man."

- What, do you have a better idea? - he threw to the dog, as if the dog could really answer.

With a sweeping motion, he cast the rod. The bait flew toward the water, but the line, instead of unfurling smoothly, became entangled in his hands, causing Alex to almost lose his balance.

- A perfect start," Astra noted, crossing her arms and smiling broadly.

- It's just a warm-up," Alex replied, trying to untangle the line, which now looked like a noose created by a very distracted sailor.

When he finally succeeded in casting the lure, the dog suddenly stood up, as if he sensed something. His ears were erect and his tail was twitching, ready for action. Astra, seeing this, furrowed her brow.

- There's something in the water," she said, pointing to the waves, which suddenly began to spread out in a strangely geometric fashion.

Alex glanced at the water, trying to look unconcerned.

- It's probably just this otter. Maybe she liked the bait.

At that moment, the water exploded, and a creature that looked like something between a shark and an eel appeared on the surface, with tentacles growing out of its sides and scales glistening in the sunlight.

- An otter you say? - repeated Astra, taking a step back. - It's something rather different and looks like it wants to eat you for breakfast.

Alex somewhat nervously pulled the rod, which was now tight as a string.

- Relax, it's just a big fish.... - he said, although his voice betrayed increasing anxiety.

The creature began pulling him toward the water, and Alex, struggling to keep his balance, took steps backward that looked like a strange dance with an otherworldly opponent.

The dog barked, jumped forward and grabbed a scrap of rope, trying to help Alex. The scene looked like something out of an absurd comedy: a man, a dog and a space fish, all fighting over a piece of bait.

- Let it go! - shouted Alex, and the dog, as if understanding, actually let go, but did so violently that Alex fell on his back, landing with a loud splat in the sand.

Astra couldn't stand it and snorted with laughter.

- It seems that you are indeed a master.

- I'm not done yet," replied Alex, rising and shaking off the sand. - This fish will go on the bonfire today, no matter what.

Alex, panting heavily, looked at the taut line of the fishing rod. The fish - if it was anything at all that could be called a fish - was clearly not about to give up. Its tentacles slapped the surface of the water every now and then, throwing cascades of splashes in every direction. Astra, standing safely on the shore, watched the whole situation while trying to remain serious. The dog sat next to her, watching everything with a face that expressed something like "I told you it would end like this."

- You know, Alex, you might want to think about changing the menu," she chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

Alex did not respond. Instead, he took a few steps toward the water, trying to gain the upper hand. This was a mistake, however - the creature jerked so hard that Alex lost his balance with a yelp and fell straight into the water.

Astra burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand.

- Maybe you should try just asking her nicely? - she suggested when Alex, wet as a rat, crawled ashore.

- Very funny, princess," he growled, shaking himself off. Water dripped from his clothes and his hair stuck to his forehead, which only added to the grotesqueness of the whole scene.

At that moment the fish made its presence known again, taking a leap above the surface of the water. Its scales glistened in the light like wet chrome, and its tentacles looked as if they were capable of crushing something larger than Alex.

- Okay, enough of that! - Alex said, pulling a gun from his holster.

Astra looked at him with wide-open eyes.

- Are you really going to...!

The fish rose on its finned paws, as if to challenge him. Alex did not wait. He fired once, a second, a third. A rumble sounded over the water, and the creature fell with a loud splash, floating inertly on the surface.

- There you go," he said, with triumph in his voice. - I said it was a matter of time.

He walked to the shore, pulled the creature's body onto the sand and turned it over with his foot.

- Well, it looks pretty good for dead," he stated, glancing at Astra.

The dog, seeing that the situation was brought under control, came closer and began sniffing at the prey.

- And now," Alex added, pulling out a knife, "we'll see if it's really suitable for dinner.

Astra shook her head, looking at him in disbelief.

- Next time I choose the menu for dinner," she said, sitting down on a nearby stone.

Alex smiled slightly, wiping the water from his face. Taking a deep breath, he squatted on the shore and began to carefully examine the otterfish. Its scales in the light resembled a tarnished mirror, and its flippant paws seemed so unnatural as to be fascinating. The knife in his hand glided carefully over the creature's body, cutting off the tentacles and preparing the meat for roasting.

- For once, something useful from these oddities," he muttered under his breath, tossing the severed tentacle into the water.

The dog immediately jumped up, caught the tentacle in the air and jumped aside, as if it was the greatest prize of his life.

- Great," chuckled Alex with sarcasm. - This will be our test. If he doesn't die you can eat. Worse if he just eats to full.

Astra, watching the scene from the side, looked at the sunset, which painted the ocean in shades of gold and red.

- I have to admit that this place has something about it," she said, turning her head toward Alex.

- Yes, something," replied Alex, picking up a piece of meat and staring at it critically. - Something that will probably taste like rubber.

The dog ran up to him, raising its ears and looking pleadingly at the piece of meat.

- You already got your share," Alex said, waving his hand.

The animal, however, did not relent. Astra laughed under her breath.

- I think you have competition to the plate," she chuckled, and Alex rolled his eyes.

- As if cooking here wasn't hard enough.

When Alex finally lit the fire, the smell of roasting meat spread across the beach, which, to everyone's surprise, was quite pleasant. Astra sat closer, and the dog lay down at her feet, waiting patiently for her to get her portion.

- So," she began, looking at Alex, "are such sights an everyday occurrence for you?

Alex looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

- If by "everyday life" you mean a planet forgotten by time, dealing with strange creatures and trying to cook something edible in the middle of nowhere, then yes, absolutely.

Astra laughed quietly.

- You have a unique talent for finding trouble, you know?

Alex smiled under his breath.

- I wouldn't call it a talent. I just don't have anything else to do and I don't know any other way to live.

He turned the piece of meat over the fire, and the smoke from the campfire rose into the air, mixing with the smell of roasting fish. He sat down on the piece of wood that served as his makeshift seat, and looked at the dog that lay next to Astra, staring at him with almost human anticipation.

- So, princess, are you going to name this fleabag? - Alex asked, exaggeratingly dragging out the words. - Because I don't think it's "dog," is it?

Astra looked at Alex, raising an eyebrow, and then at the dog, who tilted his head as if he was waiting for an answer himself.

- How about Farciarz? - She suggested with a slight smile. - Because it's real luck that he ended up with us, instead of ending up in that forest with those creatures.

Alex parried, shaking his head.

- Farcical? No, it's too soft. He must have something more suitable for the circumstances. - He pointed to the dog with a piece of stick. - How about a beast? Looking at where we found him, rather life has not spoiled him.

- No, Beast sounds too sad," replied Astra, smiling slightly. - How about Plach? From the situation he found us in. In some languages, "plach or plachy" means "cautious, fearful" which may be an ironic contrast to the courage of this pooch, who protected us from danger and showed us safe paths.

Alex scratched his chin, pretending to consider the proposal.

- Plach... hmm. Sounds like something I could accept. - He looked at the dog, who wagged his tail, as if he already understood that they were talking about him. - Well, Plach, if you're in the mood for a piece of fish, you'd better not sneak it off the stick, or you'll be the first dog to learn to fly in space without a suit.

Astra giggled, and the dog tilted his head even more, as if he understood the irony in Alex's words.

- So there we have it, Plach," she added, patting the dog on the head. - You have a new name. Just don't say you don't like it, because on this island you're unlikely to find better owners than us.

Alex raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself.

- Let it be clear," he said with a smile, "taking care of him is your job. I'm only here for contraband, chases, fights and sometimes cooking. In that order.

Alex broke off a piece of fish, which surprisingly roasted well on the fire. The aroma of the delicately seasoned meat wafted through the air, and the sizzling of the last fats on the embers added a homely warmth to the atmosphere that he hadn't experienced in a long time. He took the first bite and said nothing for a while, chewing with mild surprise.

- You know what," he said, licking his fingers. - It even tastes like fish. And not something that a combination of mud and rubber.

Astra smiled, tasting her piece.

- It's not bad," she admitted. - I thought it would be worse after your "hunt".

Plach sat down next to them, staring at them with big eyes full of anticipation. Alex looked at the dog, took out a small piece of fish and threw it in his direction. The dog caught the morsel in the air and wagged its tail, as if to say, "More of these, boss."

- You, at least, are not complaining," muttered Alex, reaching for the bottle of bourbon he had earlier retrieved from the ship's crate. He unscrewed the cork with satisfaction and took a solid sip, making a distinct face. - And this," he said, holding the bottle up, "is the perfect companion to the fish. I'm not asking, princess, if you want to try it, because I know you don't like it.

Astra rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly.

- And very well, because I still remember the taste of this solvent after the last tasting. Blee. - She leaned against a piece of tree and looked at him thoughtfully. - Alex... do you have any family?

The man paused in the middle of another sip, then slowly set the bottle aside. There was a shadow of something in his eyes that Astra couldn't quite read.

- Family... - he began, as if weighing every word. - I used to have one. Like everyone else. Father worked at the docks, mother ran some dusty store in one of the colonies. The usual story. No fireworks.

- And now? - She asked, without taking her eyes off him.

Alex shrugged his shoulders, looking into the flames of the bonfire.

- Now well... The world went its way, and I went mine. My parents are gone, and I did what I could to survive. War leaves no room for sentimentality. - He fell silent for a moment, and his face solidified. - People I knew, who could maybe even be called friends.... Most of them lie somewhere in the ground, or drift in the void. This is my "family."

Astra felt a stab of sadness. For a moment, she regretted asking the question.

- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... - she began, but Alex interrupted her with a hand gesture.

- Don't apologize. That's in the past. Now I have you, Plach and "Faithful Dog" on my shoulders. And believe me, princess, that's more than I need. - He smiled slightly, although his eyes were still serious.

Astra averted her eyes, looking at the waves gently hitting the island's shore. For a moment, neither of them spoke, and only the sound of the campfire and Plach's quiet breathing filled the silence.

She stared at the ocean waters rippling in the wind. The cool, humid air carried with it the scent of salt and vegetation she had never known before. It seemed almost intoxicating, quite different from the sterile, technology-saturated air of Velis. She sighed quietly, snapping off a piece of fish and tossing it toward Plach, who gratefully grabbed it on the fly.

- You know, sometimes... - she began, without looking at Alex. - Sometimes I miss Velis.

Alex raised his eyebrows and looked at her in disbelief, swallowing another sip of bourbon.

- Do you miss? For sterile cities and gardens that look like a museum exhibit? - He asked with a hint of irony in his voice. - I didn't know it was possible.

Astra turned toward him, and there was something in her gaze that made Alex stop smiling.

- However, this is my home. Not everything on Velis is as artificial as you think. There are places... Places that were not created by humans. Pristine valleys where nature lives its own life. And air that tastes of the sweetest vegetation. - She paused for a moment, as if memories popped into her head. - And my garden... I miss it the most. It was mine. Every flower, every tree I planted myself. And each of these plants... - Her voice faltered for a moment, but she quickly mastered herself. - They understood me. Everything has its place on Velis. Even me.

Alex looked at her carefully, his face softened.

- And yet you ran away," he said quietly, not with a wince, but rather with curiosity. - What really made you leave it all?

Astra sighed, drawing her knees to her chest and embracing them with her arms.

- Ironically, this is precisely the problem. On Velis, everyone has their place, their purpose. And I... - She looked at him. - I, for one, didn't want anyone to tell me what to be. Sometimes I feel that this place is too perfect. It's like... suffocating. As if underneath that perfection there is something that no one wants to see.

Alex was silent for a moment, then nodded.

- Maybe Velis is a golden cage. But a cage nonetheless. - He paused, looking at her carefully. - And now that you are free, what are you going to do?

Astra did not respond immediately. Instead, she looked at the darkening sky, where the first stars were beginning to break through the clouds.

- Find yourself," she finally said. - And understand why Velis is the way she is. Why we are the way we are.

Alex nodded, leaning back against the tree trunk and gazing at the campfire.

- Sounds like a good plan for life. Now, princess, eat that fish before Plach decides to reel it in, because he's looking at you like you're holding the most precious treasure of the universe in your hands.

He stretched, yawning loudly. The joints in his shoulders and back made loud crackling sounds, as if the whole day had been one big battle for his tired body.

- Well, princess," he said, rubbing his neck with his hand and looking around, "I think it's time for me to go. I'm going to delegate. - He pointed with his thumb at the ship, as if it was the most important mission of the day. - If something explodes or Placha eats something alive, shout loudly.

Astra just rolled her eyes as she watched Alex nonchalantly walk up the ship's ramp. His footsteps echoed across the metal structure, and soon after, he disappeared into the darkness of the interior.

- Breathe away, breathe away," she muttered to herself, returning her gaze to the dog, who was wagging its tail enthusiastically, as if nothing else in the world mattered except the stick she was holding in her hand.

She sat down on a log near the campfire and began throwing more branches to the dog. Plach fetched with enthusiasm, running back and forth, as if he wanted to run out all the years he had spent on K-47. His coat, glistening in the glow of the flames, seemed to ripple with every movement, and Astra could not hold back a slight smile.

With each passing glance, Astra's thoughts began to wander farther and farther away. Velis. Sometimes she was really homesick, even though she knew that this place had always been more of a cage than an asylum. Images of the garden with its bioluminescent trees, the harmoniously ordered house, and even her father - despite his cool demeanor - filled her mind. She wondered what she was doing now. Has rage already turned into cool calculation? Had he sent a whole squad of men after her?

Plach growled quietly, bringing her another stick, and this shook her out of her reverie. She looked at him with a warm smile and ruffled the fur on his head.

- You at least do not judge why I ran away," she said quietly, throwing the stick back. Plach barked happily and took off in pursuit again.

The question smoldering in Astra's mind was whether she would ever find a place she could truly call home.

Alex, with a bottle of bourbon in his hand, entered his cabin, closing the door behind him with a slight slam. There was a familiar twilight inside, with the only source of light being the reddish navigation lamp above the door. He set the bottle down on the desk top, unbuttoning his shirt, which was at least relatively dry until a few hours ago.

- Shower. God, how I need a shower," he muttered to himself, moving toward the small bathroom.

He opened the door and felt the familiar chill of the interior. The micro-bathroom was so small that he could barely fit in it alone, and any attempt to move required precise movements. He turned on the water and waited a while for the heating system to kick in. When the first drops of warm water fell from the ceiling, he sighed in relief, feeling fatigue slowly leave his muscles.

After a few minutes, he came out of the bathroom with a towel slung over his shoulder. He walked over to the mirror and rubbed it with his hand, glancing at his reflection.

- You look like someone who once went through hell," he said to himself, but a slight smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

He put on a fresh shirt, took a sip and approached the round barrel. Outside, in the glow of the campfire, Astra was throwing sticks to Plach. The dog ran enthusiastically, and Astra smiled slightly, as if she had forgotten, if only for a moment, what awaited them. Alex looked at the scene for a moment, nodding in disbelief.

- Damn, it's starting to look like a family vacation," he muttered under his breath. - I'm still starting to get disillusioned.

He moved away from the window and looked at the desk. Among the scattered tools, loose cables and empty ration containers lay the disk he had taken from the outpost on K-47. He took it in his hand, turning it in his fingers. The disk was covered with delicate, almost invisible patterns that shimmered with a subtle rainbow in the lamplight.

- Something tells me that you are the key to something bigger," he muttered, tossing the disk on the tabletop.

He sat on the edge of the bed, sipping bourbon, while his gaze fixed on the disk. He felt that there was more hidden in this small piece of metal and data than he wanted to know.

He sighed deeply, as if he had to convince himself of what he was about to do. He took one last sip, set the bottle down on the countertop and walked over to a small console built into the wall of his cabin. The system looked old and worn out, but Alex, as always, was able to squeeze more out of it than one would expect.

- All right, kid," he muttered, holding the disk in his hand. - Show me what you're hiding in there.

He plugged the disk into one of the ports on the console, and the screen flashed a pale light. The system froze for a moment, as if analyzing the new media, then began loading the data. The first symbols appeared on the screen - some resembled the language they had seen in the outpost on K-47, others were more familiar, though still incomprehensible.

- Great," he said with a wince, leaning back in his chair. - Hieroglyphics again.

The screen was flickering, and diagrams began to emerge from the data. There were images of technology - strange machines, structures that looked as if they came from a time long forgotten by humanity. There were also maps - blurred outlines of planets, coordinates that Alex recognized as areas familiar from the history of past colonialism.

- This is no ordinary junk," he muttered under his breath, approaching the screen.

A file labeled "Project Erebus" appeared on the monitor. Alex squinted, and his fingers hovered over the keyboard.

- Project Erebus," he repeated, clicking to open the file.

The screen flicked on and a video recording appeared before his eyes. It was a transmission from inside a laboratory - similar to the one they had seen on K-47. A group of scientists in white suits were leaning over a massive capsule, illuminated , similar to the one they had opened on the planet. Their conversations were muffled, but a few words could be picked out:

"...experiment... too unstable.... "

Alex felt a cold shiver run down his neck as a humanoid figure appeared on the screen - identical to the one they saw in the capsule. Her eyes, closed in the shot, suddenly opened wide, and chaos ensued on camera - screams, the clatter of broken equipment, and then a sudden cut.

- Well, and beautiful," he said, leaning back in his chair. - What was I actually thinking? That it would be a simple jump to Earth?

The video went out, and the screen displayed a message: "Incomplete data. Continuation requires full decoding."

Alex rubbed his face with his hand, getting up from the console. He knew he had gotten himself into something that went beyond his standard set of problems. He looked out the window at Astra, who was playing with Plache by the fire, throwing another stick to the dog. For a moment, he considered whether he should tell her about it at all.

- This had better be the last surprise," he muttered, returning to the console. - Because something tells me we haven't seen the worst of it yet.

He plugged the disk into another port on the console and entered a few commands. The screen flicked on, displaying the decoding progress - the loading bar moved slowly, as if the hardware needed a moment to digest the mysterious data.

- Go ahead, show what you're hiding," he muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair.

After a while, he made sure the process was running stably. He entered a few more commands, securing the decoding in case of an unexpected reset. The system began to hum quietly, and a message appeared on the screen: "Estimated completion time: 94 minutes."

- Great. Just enough for a nap," he said, turning off the main light in the cabin and turning on the subtle, warm glow of the side lamp.

Alex stretched until his bones protested loudly, and then cast a quick glance at the window. Behind the glass, he could see a stretch of beach and a starry sky that seemed so unreal he might have considered it the work of a painter. Astra was still by the fire, rubbing Plach and throwing him sticks.

- Darn it," he muttered with a smile that might as well have been a sign of amusement as of fatigue. - A family vacation, like nothing.

He collapsed on the narrow bed, which, though uncomfortable, seemed at the moment the best place in the world. For a while he lay in silence, staring at the ceiling.

- Erebus," he said quietly, tasting the word on his tongue. - Something tells me this is not going to be an ordinary walk in the park.

He rolled over onto his side, closing his eyes. The sound of the console quietly running became a monotonous background that quickly began to put him to sleep.

He awoke abruptly as the echoes of laughter and the loud splashing of water reached his cabin. He opened one eye and then the other, wincing at the thought of his interrupted sleep. He wiped his face with his hand, got out of bed and walked over to the small circular porthole that offered a view of the beach. What he saw made him faint for a moment.

Astra chased her dog in the shallow water, throwing sticks and splashing each other. Her sonorous laughter carried across the calm surface of the ocean, and Plach ran around in circles, barking happily. Suddenly, Astra jumped into the water, diving for a moment before emerging with an amused cry. Her hair, drenched and shiny from the moonlight, clung to her face, and drops of water ran down her shoulders and slender neck.

At this moment she began to emerge from the water, pulling her hair away from her face and adjusting her bikini top. Alex froze for a moment, watching the moonlight reflect off her perfectly sculpted figure.

Her body was almost mesmerizing - slender, but with finely defined muscles that betrayed years of physical activity. Her hips naturally lined up in a gentle line, and her narrow waist accentuated the body's proportions. Her legs, long and athletic, moved gracefully, and her arms and hands were subtly muscular, betraying strength but not losing their femininity.

Alex, leaning with one hand against the wall next to the porthole, felt his smile turn into something more complicated.

- Heck, if I were these thirty years younger, I'd be there in your place right now," he muttered quietly to himself, glancing at Plach, who was running in circles around Astra.

Her skin, illuminated by the moonlight, seemed to almost glow, and her wet bikini highlighted every detail of her figure. Astra did not realize she was being watched. She laughed, threw sticks to the dog, and looked like someone who, for a moment, forgot all the weight of reality that so often crushed her.

Alex finally turned away from the porthole, shaking his head.

- What is wrong with me," he muttered, returning to the bed. - She's just a customer. A damn pretty one, but still a client.

Before lying back down, he sighed, trying to ignore the strange warmth he felt inside, and then took one last look at the consoles.

One word pulsed on the display: "Decoding completed." He furrowed his eyebrows, then approached the stand. His curiosity grew with every second, but at the same time he felt a familiar tightness in his stomach - the one that always accompanied him before discovering something that could change everything.

He sat down in a chair, dragged his hand across his face and looked at the screen. He hesitated for a moment, as if there was a battle going on inside him. Then he clicked the icon that opened the decoded file. Data appeared on the screen, and Alex froze.

At first, his brain tried to process what he saw. Diagrams, reports and strangely familiar corporate symbols scrolled before his eyes. In the center of one document was a huge, stylized sign - the logo of a corporation he knew all too well. Terra Gen Corp. - a company that had its hands in everything from industry to genetic experimentation, and whose methods of operation were questionable, to say the least.

His gaze came to rest on one particular file. He opened it hesitantly, and the image that appeared on the screen made him feel his heart speed up. It was a map. A map of the Earth. But not the kind he knew from stories or archives. There was a series of markings on it, as if pointing to the locations of hidden installations whose existence had never been revealed before.

On the next slide he saw what looked like data on population and genetic anomalies - something associated more with experiments than research. Underneath were signatures and seals with dates from decades ago, all pointing to one thing: Earth was more than just a utopia under domes. She was an experimental field.

- Fuck," he gulped through his teeth. He leaned against a chair, looking at the screen as if he had seen the devil himself. - What the ...

He cursed loudly, slamming his fist on the table while his mind worked at top speed. What was Terra Gen Corp. doing on Earth? And how was it all connected to K-47?

He glanced through the porthole at Astra and Plach, playing on the beach. He drew in air, feeling his hands tremble.

- Well, here's the problem... Fuck," he said quietly, to himself, knowing that what he had discovered could turn their entire trip upside down.