The Derelict

Jeff Thorne wakes up half‑buried in the brackish tide of a Martian polar beach, his head pounding from the strange, poisonous drink called t’ang. A small crew from International Airways pulls him from the water just as a group of well‑dressed tourists watches, half‑amused and half‑concerned about his fate. Their guide, a weary young officer, promises the sight of the famed Vulhan caves beyond the dunes, insisting the tide will not claim the derelict.

As Thorne stumbles to his feet, the desert heat and his own cynicism drive him to sneer at the polite expedition, all while a soft‑spoken woman with a red‑white bag surveys him with a mixture of curiosity and sorrow. The promise of glittering crystal formations and relics of a forgotten battle hangs in the air, hinting at both wonder and danger for anyone daring enough to follow. The stage is set on this lonely world where survival, temptation, and hidden secrets collide.