Meeting of the Minds

A lone, ancient being watches a glittering craft descend onto a forgotten world. Its memories are fragments—ruined cities, twin moons, a blue‑water canal—yet a single purpose still drives it forward. Despite the pain of every movement, the Quedak crawls toward the landing ship, hoping it might be a link to a new home where its service can continue.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Southern Cross has spent ten tedious days scouring the barren landscape, finding only a few shards of pottery and the whisper of possible life. Captain Jensen and his men are eager to finish their mission and lift off, yet a fleeting glimpse of something strange on a boot raises a moment of unease. As they seal the ship and prepare for departure, the alien observer slips aboard, unnoticed, clinging to the cold metal and feeling the rush of space for the first time in ages.