Alan woke up long before dawn. Jennel, worried to see him so restless, sat on the edge of the bed.

  "Alan, you’re barely sleeping these days…" she said softly, concern in her voice.

  Alan, resting a hand on the edge of the table, sighed before turning to her.

  "I’m thinking about everything: the Base, the Survivors, the next steps. And then…" He paused, searching for words. "And then, I’m afraid I won’t be up to it."

  Jennel stood up and approached him, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

  "Alan, if anyone can lead all this, it’s you. Don’t forget that you’re not alone. I’m here. And so are they, even if they don’t always know how to help you."

  He gazed into her eyes, a faint smile forming on his tired face.

  "Thank you, Jennel. Sometimes, it’s your look alone that reminds me why I’m doing all this."

  She squeezed his arm gently before murmuring,

  "Then let me take care of you, at least a little."

  He prepared himself a hot chocolate. He was proud of this small victory. He had given Léa a half-melted chocolate bar found in his pocket, and she had programmed the synthesizer to reproduce a chocolate drink. A successful experiment. Now, the entire city had access to it.

  Then he used the waterless shower, though he still didn’t fully understand how it worked. It was apparently effective, but he missed the soothing sensation of water against his skin.

  He dressed in a simple yet practical gray outfit that radiated a natural authority. The finely textured fabric fit him perfectly, accentuating a confident silhouette without being ostentatious. Thin silver bands ran along the shoulders and sleeves, subtle but distinctive, as if only insignias were missing to complete his commanding presence. Jennel had designed it in the synthesizer, insisting on elegance and practicality while ensuring Alan had the aura of a true leader.

  He made his way to the main hall. It was dimly illuminated by the countless habitation slots, each emitting a soft glow that played across the metallic-looking walls of the Base. The shadows of the structures and walkways intertwined on the floor, forming fleeting patterns, while brighter lights from the still-awake apartments added depth to the space. It was a mesmerizing sight, reminding Alan of the vastness and complexity of the Base he now led.

  He settled in front of the interface of shifting colored beams and began his exchange with Léa. Intricate interactive holograms appeared around him: sketches, diagrams, plans, histograms, and other figures, which he manipulated with precision. He was so absorbed that he didn’t notice Jennel silently approaching him.

  She stood still for a few moments, fascinated by the glowing, moving forms, before reaching out and adjusting one of the figures. Alan flinched slightly and turned to see her. Jennel was smiling, intrigued.

  "It’s strange. I completely understand what I’m doing. These are the hydroponic cell productions, and you’re running a simulation, aren’t you?" she said confidently.

  Alan smiled, amused.

  "Well done, you’re going to surpass me quickly."

  "That’s a certainty," she replied teasingly.

  Alan turned fully toward her and took a moment to admire her. Jennel was wearing a black jacket with a slight neckline and matching trousers. Simple yet enhancing her natural elegance. He gave her an approving smile.

  "Léa, I want a world map with all the Base locations," she suddenly requested.

  The map instantly appeared before them, projected in three dimensions. Jennel frowned.

  "But you’re only showing four. Where are the other three?" she asked.

  "I don’t know. Only Alan does," Léa replied with absolute neutrality.

  Jennel shot Alan an inquisitive look, searching for an explanation.

  The morning was dedicated to familiarizing everyone with the Base. Jennel formed four motivated teams tasked with exploring the Base and helping others understand and feel reassured about its functions. Their main mission was to convince the inhabitants to use the hypno-learning helmets available in each slot, designed to teach them the structure of the city and how to best utilize the synthesizers.

  Not all interactions went smoothly.

  In one section, a skeptical man shook his head at the helmet.

  "I don’t want my brain washed!" he protested.

  One of the team members, patient, responded,

  "It’s not brainwashing. It will simply help you understand how to use the resources here, like the synthesizers. You can verify everything afterward."

  The man finally gave in, though not without grumbling.

  In another sector, a woman hesitated.

  "What if it changes the way I think?"

  Jennel, who was passing by, intervened directly.

  "I had that fear too. But I tested it first, and all it does is teach you practical knowledge. It doesn’t alter anything else. Try it, you’ll see."

  The woman, still hesitant, was finally convinced by Jennel’s determined reassurance.

  That afternoon, an official meeting of the community representatives and Alan’s close allies took place in a large hall on the first floor of the tower. The room, well-lit, was furnished with simple seats and a central table where Alan took his place.

  Alan stood up to address the assembly. With a clear voice, he presented a version of the situation that was both softened and truthful:

  "I promised you one year of safe shelter, and that promise still holds. But we can extend that security if we put in a little effort. Think of it as a one-year lease, renewable, but with a landlord who enjoys setting challenges."

  A few light chuckles rippled through the assembly.

  He continued, his tone turning serious:

  "The Gulls, as abominable as they are, enjoy playing games. They expect each Base to take control of others. However, we have a significant advantage: the other Bases only know the locations of four occupied ones, whereas we know all of them. That gives us an excellent starting point."

  He let a pause settle so that his words could sink in before continuing:

  "The prize of this competition? Access to the Gull spaceship in orbit. Now, I know that may sound overwhelming, but we have to play their game. The field that protects us from the nanites is shrinking. This isn’t an immediate threat, since we have the shuttles to compensate for any supply issues. But we need to understand their ultimate goal. And to do that, we must take action."

  Jennel remained impassive at this almost optimistic presentation of a dramatic situation.

  After a long silence, Imre spoke in a measured yet incisive tone:

  "How exactly do we plan to take control of these Bases?"

  Alan, having anticipated this question, replied calmly:

  "For three of them, we simply need to reach them by shuttle. The others… we’ll have to deal with on a case-by-case basis."

  Imre raised an eyebrow.

  "And what do we do with the Gull spaceship if we gain access to it?"

  Alan crossed his arms, his expression hardening slightly.

  "Impossible to know until we get there."

  A voice rose from the assembly:

  "What happens if the nanites reach here?"

  Alan turned toward the speaker.

  "That would mean less food grown on-site and the destruction of our green spaces. But again, we have the shuttles to compensate for those losses."

  Maria-Luisa didn’t seem satisfied.

  "The other Bases are going to do the same as us, aren’t they?"

  Alan nodded.

  "Yes, they will follow the same objective, using whatever means they have."

  She continued, her eyes glinting with worry.

  "Can they attack us?"

  Alan answered firmly:

  "They understand the power of our repulsion field since they have a similar one. For now, no Base has the military capability to wage war."

  A murmur rippled through the room before Rose pressed further:

  "Why this stupid game, after everything they’ve done?"

  Alan paused, letting a heavy silence settle. Then, he finally answered softly:

  "That is precisely what we need to find out."

  At the end of the meeting, people left, divided between confidence and perplexity. Alan pulled Imre aside.

  "Imre, I need you for something important. I’m appointing you Head of External Operations. You’re also moving up to Security Level 1 in the Base."

  Imre blinked in surprise but remained silent. Alan continued:

  "You’ll need to appoint a Chief of Security for internal police operations. But above all, we need to form and train small militarized groups. They’ll be deployed outside the Base, mainly to take control of the three Bases whose locations remain unknown to the others."

  Imre crossed his arms, visibly caught off guard.

  "That’s a lot to take in at once. But I suppose it’s an unavoidable step."

  Alan nodded.

  "Exactly. We can’t remain passive. Do you understand how critical this mission is?"

  Imre slowly nodded before asking:

  "Tell me: was your presentation earlier really true?"

  Alan gave a reassuring smile.

  "Completely. It’s just a matter of how it’s told."

  Imre studied him for a moment, then sighed.

  "Alright. I’ll start organizing everything."

  Alan placed a hand on his shoulder.

  "Thank you, Imre. I knew I could count on you."

  JENNEL

  What a day! What a performance from Alan!

  If I understood correctly, we’re at a mountain summer camp for a year. Longer if we win the reality show called “Gull Academy.”

  The grand prize? A space cruise. No details on any runner-up prizes, if they even exist.

  We earn as many points as Bases we capture, but we need seven points to win. And anything goes. This is going to be intense.

  I keep discovering new sides of my husband every day, but today… "he really outdid himself," as Johnny would say.

  Aside from that, he needs me as much as I need him. I have to support him more. Like this morning, when he finally had a moment to breathe.

  Operations Control Room.

  Alan was waiting for Imre, who arrived shortly after, looking serious. He wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by six recruits, lined up behind him.

  Jennel, Maria-Luisa, Bob, Yael, and Arman, who was now the Head of Security, stood discreetly in a corner of the room, observing without intervening.

  Imre introduced his team in a formal tone:

  "Alan, here are the first recruits selected for the tasks we anticipate."

  He pointed to each member in turn.

  "This is Laila and Alina. Both had military training before the Wave." Laila, a woman of Arab descent, stood straight, her piercing eyes showing determination. Alina, a Romanian, displayed an equally confident posture.

  "Here are Samuel and Boris, former military personnel. Samuel, originally from Ethiopia, and Boris, from Russia. Their combat experience will be invaluable to us." Samuel nodded soberly, while Boris maintained a cold and focused gaze.

  "Finally, Mehmet and Khaled, two of my best guards. Mehmet, a Turk, and Khaled, originally from Egypt, have distinguished themselves through their discipline and reliability."

  All were dressed in the same uniform, specially designed for the occasion. A simple yet functional outfit, gray with black trims, reinforcing their cohesion as a team. Their expressions were serious, and though a quiet tension filled the room, they all seemed focused on their roles.

  Imre added:

  "To ensure military discipline, I have introduced ranks. They are all sergeants for now. I take the rank of captain. You remain, naturally, the commander."

  Alan gave a satisfied smile.

  "That’s perfect, Imre. Have you selected the best weapons?"

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Imre nodded.

  "Yes, we’ve chosen the most reliable and effective among those we recovered."

  In one section of the room, Léa projected a holographic map of the world. The four known Bases were marked in bright red. Alan stepped closer and observed the markers carefully. The others followed his gaze, silent but visibly curious.

  Alan focused, then began:

  "To locate our own Base, we are here, in the Ka?kar Mountains of Turkey. A strategic location, isolated and protected by its difficult access."

  He paused, allowing everyone to take in the Base’s position on the map.

  He then pointed to another location:

  "Here, in the semi-arid Karoo of South Africa, lies another Base. The region is characterized by its vast plains and rocky landscapes. It’s an area both hostile and beautiful, ideal for deterring outsiders."

  Alan slid his finger across the map and indicated another position:

  "The South African Base has taken control of the one located in Comoé National Park, in C?te d’Ivoire. The region, once rich in biodiversity before the Wave, is now suffocating under the spread of nanites."

  Finally, he stopped at a point in North America.

  "And here, in the Canadian Rockies, lies the Base of Banff National Park. Surrounded by towering mountains and glacial lakes, it’s a natural fortress that makes any outside access extremely difficult."

  Alan turned to face the assembly.

  "As for the three other Bases, they are still unknown to the others, but not to me. Their locations were revealed to me during my journey through Turkmenistan by an unknown ally."

  As he spoke, Léa added the new positions to the map in bright blue.

  "The first is in the Australian Outback, near Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas. A vast, arid land with impressive rock formations, completely isolated."

  "The second is in the Altai Mountains, at the border between Mongolia and China. These majestic and wild peaks are difficult to access but offer a remarkable strategic position."

  "Finally, the last one is in the Peruvian Andes, deep in the Sacred Valley. A mysterious area, surrounded by steep mountains and ancient ruins that seem untouched by time."

  Alan stepped back slightly, observing the red and blue markers on the map.

  "This information is our greatest asset. We must use it wisely."

  He turned to his companions.

  "The three blue Bases are accessible. We must explore and take control of them quickly. That will be one of the first missions for this team."

  He paused, then added:

  "Imre, make sure their training is rigorous. They must be ready for anything."

  Imre nodded, casting a firm glance at his recruits.

  "They will be, Commander. You can count on us."

  Jennel had been watching in silence, her arms crossed, but her eyes revealed a hidden concern. She finally spoke:

  "Alan, what happens if another Base discovers our movements?"

  Alan answered calmly:

  "We will have to act discreetly. Our shuttles are equipped to avoid detection. And if confrontation becomes inevitable, we will be ready. But I hope it won’t come to that."

  A brief silence settled in the room as everyone absorbed the gravity of the challenges ahead.

  Alan, Imre, and his team had followed a low-altitude route, skimming over the calm, shimmering waters of the Red Sea before flying over the endless dunes of the Arabian Peninsula. The shuttle then crossed the Indian Ocean, offering a breathtaking view of the vast blue expanse, punctuated by a few isolated islands. Upon reaching the Australian coast, the landscape changed dramatically: an arid expanse dotted with imposing rock formations and endless red earth stretched as far as the eye could see. From there, the shuttle drew a straight line towards Kata Tjuta.

  The majestic silhouettes of the Olgas gradually emerged on the horizon. Massive domes stood tall, imposing, like remnants of a forgotten past. Around them, sparse, yellowed, and fragile bushes dotted the arid expanse. The dry riverbeds snaked through the desert, remnants of a time when water once flowed freely.

  Since the exact position of the Base was undetermined, the shuttle flew in concentric circles over the area.

  Though the journey had taken two hours at the cautious altitude chosen, another hour passed before they finally located the city. The wait weighed heavily inside the shuttle. Some began to question whether the Base truly existed or if the intelligence they had received had been flawed. Worried glances were exchanged, and a murmur spread among the team: "Were we sent here for nothing?" Imre nervously checked the holographic indicators. Alan, though focused, couldn’t help but wonder if he had overestimated his information, a brief flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

  The shuttle detected the repulsion field, but Alan's presence was necessary to pass through it. Even that wouldn’t have sufficed if the Base had already been activated by another Chosen One. The city that appeared before them was an exact replica of their own.

  They made several low passes, but Alan detected no Specters.

  There were no available landing pads inside the Base. Its three platforms were already occupied. The shuttle had no choice but to land on a flat area outside the structure. Imre’s soldiers were the first to disembark, securing a perimeter despite the apparent lack of danger, as Alan had assured them. Their methodical movements testified to their rigorous training.

  Alan briefly observed the preparations before joining the group. Once the perimeter was secured, they advanced toward the main entrance, which stood wide open, as if waiting for them.

  Alan immediately climbed the staircase leading to the control room, where the dome glowed softly at the center of the chamber, radiating an almost hypnotic light. He hesitated for a moment before extending his hand with a certain apprehension. As his palm touched the dome’s surface, a diffuse warmth spread through his fingers. His hand penetrated the dome, and his ring appeared on his finger. He grasped the material ring of the Base, and his own ring split into two around his middle finger. The dome now contained only an immaterial ring.

  And in an instant, the Base came to life.

  The walls faded, revealing a panoramic view of the Base’s surroundings. Alan spoke:

  "Local AI, connect to Léa and subordinate yourself to her protocols."

  A brief silence followed before the AI’s neutral voice responded:

  "Connection established. Priority reassigned to Léa."

  "Deactivate the invisibility and repulsion fields. Keep only the anti-nanite protection active."

  The AI confirmed:

  "Fields adjusted. The Base is now accessible as a reception point."

  Alan sighed, feeling the tension leave his shoulders. He turned and rejoined Imre and the team, who were waiting impatiently.

  "It’s done. We can return."

  Leila, Alina, and Mehmet had learned to pilot the shuttles; they took command of the three Base shuttles and joined Alan’s for the return journey.

  The four crafts returned without incident along the same path.

  Upon arrival, Jennel was waiting, visibly stressed. She ran toward Alan the moment he set foot on the ground, urgency flashing in her eyes.

  "Come quickly! You need to see this!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with no further explanation toward the main hall. Alan, intrigued, let her lead him.

  Upon reaching the dome, Jennel pointed at the glowing structure, her excitement mixed with palpable relief:

  "Look! For the past few hours, there have been two immaterial rings."

  "That confirms the transfer of control was successful," Alan murmured, his expression marked by restrained satisfaction.

  Still visibly energized, Jennel added:

  "Two rings! That means we have centralized control, doesn’t it?"

  Alan nodded with a smile:

  "Exactly. Everything is working as planned."

  Jennel, reassured, let out a long exhale and leaned against the wall, finally feeling the tension drain from her shoulders.

  For the journey to the Peruvian Andes, Alan decided to depart with two shuttles. Imre piloted the first, with Alan and four soldiers on board, while Alina commanded the second, accompanied by Mehmet and three new pilots. The shuttles, precisely synchronized, followed a carefully planned trajectory.

  The journey began with a crossing towards Iceland, where the clear sky offered a spectacular view of black lava fields and shimmering glaciers. Deep fjords and steep mountains painted a landscape both majestic and desolate. The shuttles briefly slowed to adjust their sensors before continuing westward.

  Arriving over Newfoundland, the scenery changed dramatically. The rocky coasts, lined with dying forests, were bathed in soft light, and remnants of a vanished humanity appeared here and there: deserted villages, silent ports. Alan, fascinated, observed every detail through the transparent walls, remaining silent.

  "It’s strange to see so much beauty and so much solitude at the same time," he murmured.

  Imre nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the ocean stretched endlessly.

  The shuttles then followed the Atlantic coast of Brazil, offering an impressive view of endless beaches and tropical forests that, though in decline, still held patches of green vitality. The contrast between the lingering life and the absence of human presence deepened the eerie nature of this dying world. Mehmet, in the second shuttle, made some humorous remarks about the visible heat and humidity, which triggered laughter across the crew communications.

  Finally, the Andes appeared on the horizon, their towering peaks standing like a natural barrier. The shuttles began their approach toward the Sacred Valley. The foothills of the mountains were marked by ancient agricultural terraces, remnants of past civilizations. Below, a winding river reflected the sunlight as it snaked through the valley.

  The shuttles slowed to conduct concentric circles above the valley. Imre monitored the sensors, searching for signals confirming the presence of the Base.

  "It’s here," he finally murmured, his eyes fixed on a particular point in the valley where the light seemed to flicker. The shuttles descended toward a flat area surrounded by mountains, ready to uncover what this new Base had to reveal.

  "Activate your invisibility fields immediately," Alan shouted to the pilots. He had just detected a high concentration of Specters near the Base.

  The shuttles approached cautiously. Groups were forming a few hundred meters from the repulsion field, and columns of people arrived via trails ascending and descending the slopes. Imre searched for Alan’s reaction.

  Alan lightly tapped his temporal communicator, establishing an immediate link with Léa, and asked if the Base was activated. The answer was negative. What was happening?

  Alan thought for a few moments, pinpointing the nearby Specters, and made his decision. He ordered Mehmet to hold position outside the field. He instructed Imre to penetrate the field and hover in a stationary position in the middle of the square. Imre let out a long sigh.

  The descent was a true test of skill. Imre, focused, maneuvered the shuttle carefully, avoiding the suspended walkways and housing blocks that seemed to emerge from nowhere within the dense structure of the Base. Occasionally, he had to abort a maneuver, climb higher, and adjust his approach to find a safer passage. Despite the anti-gravity systems, the shuttle trembled under abrupt direction changes, and warning lights on the console flickered frantically as they neared obstacles. Finally, after a tight final turn, the shuttle reached a stable position at the center of the square, surrounded by the towering structures of the Base.

  A man stood on the terrace in front of the central tower, looking up, alerted by the sound of their approach. Imre realized he had barely avoided colliding with some of the structures.

  Then he wondered why their arrival had been so narrowly timed. He suspected the coincidence wasn’t natural. Boris suggested eliminating the man before he could enter the tower. Alan felt that something was missing and that there were no true coincidences.

  "I’m going out," he said. The man had no visible weapon.

  "Commander... " Imre began. Alan stopped him with a gesture, instructing him to disable the invisibility field and open the shuttle doors, ordering the others to remain out of sight.

  He stepped out.

  The man seemed petrified by the sudden appearance of the shuttle, staring as Alan approached.

  Alan analyzed his Specter. The man instinctively reached for a weapon that was no longer at his side. Alan stopped.

  And he began to speak: he welcomed him to his Base, stating he was pleased by his presence but that the wait had been long. He introduced himself and asked for the man’s name. The man hesitated, his voice trembling as he answered, "Inti."

  Alan continued calmly:

  "How long have you been waiting here? Your people are gathering outside. Why are you here?"

  The questions piled up. The man hesitated, glancing around furtively. Then, at last, he spoke, his voice shaky but distinct.

  Inti told a strange story.

  He explained that he was not the one the gods had been waiting for and that he was asking for their forgiveness.

  Inti had a friend, Carlos, who had taken him to "Inti Llaqta" (The Light, in quechua) at the temple of Sacsayhuamán in the Sacred Valley. There, the god Viracocha had spoken to Carlos at the temple altar and shown him a path. His friend Carlos had wanted to lead everyone there, but a group of white men had forced him to reveal the route.

  The white men had returned without him and had gone down to Cusco to gather explosives.

  Inti had followed the path his friend had entrusted to him.

  When he reached the base of a steep trail… Inti hesitated before speaking, as if reconstructing the events in his mind. He explained that he had found Carlos wounded, groaning in pain. He had tried to help him, dragged him to a safer spot, then attempted to remove the bullet that had struck him. He stammered through his explanation, recalling how, in panic, he had made a fatal mistake. Carlos had struggled, there had been blood—too much blood. Inti swallowed hard, his voice breaking, avoiding saying outright that he had been the one to kill him.

  He had continued alone, and at last, the City of the Gods had appeared before him. Seeing its towering structures and imposing contours, Inti felt a profound mix of awe and fear. The architecture, which he perceived as divine, surpassed anything he had imagined. Every detail seemed imbued with mystery and power.

  "You’re lying," Alan interrupted. "You couldn’t have entered the Base alone."

  He stammered again, explaining that Carlos had been gravely wounded, unable to move. He had dragged him to the Base, as Carlos had asked. That was when he had tried to remove the bullet.

  But he had been overwhelmed by a deep anxiety. The fear that he had committed sacrilege by walking a path he was not worthy of treading. He had prostrated himself repeatedly, whispering prayers, begging the gods for forgiveness.

  "Why did you let me come here if I am not worthy of crossing your doors?" he wondered, heart heavy. Every step he took was filled with reverence and a visceral fear of judgment.

  For days, he had waited for their arrival, but his provisions were nearly gone. With each passing day, his hope of being welcomed faded further. Inti was consumed by doubt, convinced that the gods had abandoned him for daring to enter this sanctuary.

  "Are you here for me? Or to punish me for my sacrilege?" he asked, his eyes filled with doubt and a glimmer of hope.

  Alan pondered what to do with Inti.

  "Do you want the people outside to come into this city? I promise they will find food."

  "Not the white murderers. The others, yes."

  Alan nodded, understanding.

  "Men, not gods, are in this machine. They are my guards, so you have nothing to fear from them."

  Alan gestured for Imre and the others to exit the shuttle. Inti, paralyzed, stepped back slightly upon seeing the men disembark one by one. Alan approached slowly, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

  "Do not be afraid," he said gently. "They are here to help me and to help you. Look, they mean you no harm.”

  Imre and the others adopted a non-threatening stance, their movements deliberately slow. Alan took a few nutrition bars from his pocket and handed them to Inti.

  "Take this. Eat something, you must be exhausted," he added, offering a reassuring smile.

  Inti hesitated but finally accepted the food, his hands trembling. Alan watched as the man devoured the bars, a clear look of gratitude in his eyes, then abruptly straightened.

  "Stay here for a moment. I need to do what we came for."

  Rushing towards the dome chamber, Alan found the door open. He proceeded as before: the two rings on his finger split into three.

  The Base’s AI activated instantly, and Alan commanded:

  "Subordinate yourself to Léa."

  "Link established. Léa is now the primary command authority," the artificial voice responded.

  Alan stood still for a moment, absorbed in thought. He called Mehmet via his communicator.

  "Mehmet, describe the activity outside."

  After a short pause, Mehmet replied:

  "A group of about ten armed men is at the edge of the field. They are keeping the others at a distance."

  "What are the others doing?"

  "They seem to be under surveillance, Commander. They're digging along the perimeter of the repulsion field, but their movements clearly indicate they are working under duress, threatened by the armed men."

  Alan's expression hardened.

  "Keep watching them."

  Alan wasn’t worried about their efforts. They were unaware that the repulsion field wasn’t just a dome but a sphere extending underground. He figured that a group of raiders was controlling the area outside, but given the increasing number of newcomers, their position was weakening by the hour. They must have been desperate to get inside.

  "Good," he thought with a fierce smile.

  "Everyone into the shuttle, including Inti," he ordered.

  Alan walked back at a measured pace while contacting the AI:

  "Deactivate the repulsion and invisibility fields."

  He added:

  "Mehmet, position the shuttle in front of the Base's main entrance."

  Alan climbed into his shuttle and called out to Imre:

  "Get us out of here and join Mehmet."

  The exit was as challenging as the entry, with the crew preventing Inti from leaping into the seemingly endless void; thankfully, only an optical illusion created by the shuttle’s panoramic view.

  Alan had been right. After the initial shock, the ten raiders rushed toward the Base, shooting behind them to prevent anyone from following. A few people collapsed, and the crowd froze. The raiders made it halfway to the Base when the shuttles reappeared and all hell broke loose. The shuttles weren’t heavily armed, each equipped with only a single thermal cannon at the front.

  The thermal cannons of both shuttles opened fire. An unbearable wave of heat engulfed the air around the raiders, and flames erupted, incinerating everything in their path. The men screamed, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the intensity of the fire. Within moments, nothing remained of them but an indistinct mass of ash and charred remnants, scattered across the ground.

  Alan, impassive, ordered:

  "Reactivation of the repulsion field."

  This allowed the crew to disembark Inti and the pilots while securing three additional shuttles.

  Alan took the time to give Inti a brief tour of the Base and attempted unsuccessfully to explain the function of the synthesizers. Frustrated, he finally instructed the AI to prepare complete meals in every slot, hoping that more curious or resourceful individuals would eventually figure out how to manage the situation themselves.