The beast of boredom

A battle‑scarred soldier, haunted by the endless wars that have followed humanity’s greatest achievements, slips through the mud‑filled ruins of a Martian canal to investigate a camouflaged shack. Inside, he confronts a frail alien who offers a glittering metal globe studded with jewels instead of a weapon, sparking a tense exchange that leaves the soldier both wounded and intrigued. As he pries the largest ruby free, the strange object begins to reveal hidden mechanisms and a faint, unsettling hum.

The globe proves to be far more than a simple treasure—it is an intricate time‑trap, a relic of a long‑dead Martian empire designed to ensnare intruders. Each time the ruby falls, the soldier experiences disorienting jumps between rooms, losing memory of his own movements. With the mystery of the device unfolding and the alien’s revenge looming, he must decide whether to dismantle the trap or become its next victim.