Event Horizon

Echoes of the Past, Shadows of the Future

The Event Horizon hung in the vastness of Earth's orbit, its hull dwarfed by the enormous warships stationed around the planet. The silence on the bridge was suffocating as the crew absorbed the impossible sight before them.

Earth was no longer the fragile homeworld they had left behind. It was fortified—transformed into a dominant power among the stars.

The holographic display continued streaming live tactical data, revealing an even more immediate crisis. The reptilian war cruiser that had pursued them was here as well—dragged through the singularity jump like an unwilling passenger.

And now, it was waking up.

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A Nightmare Resurfaces

"Captain, I have an emergent energy spike!" Dr. Alexandra Pryce's voice was tight with alarm. "That reptilian warship—it survived the jump!"

Vance's hands clenched. "Where is it?"

The viewscreen adjusted, revealing the massive, battle-scarred vessel tumbling just beyond Earth's gravity well. The reptilian warship, still reeling from the jump, flickered with damaged power systems, its engines sputtering to life.

Then the comms panel flared red.

"Captain," Lieutenant Adrienne Cormac whispered, "we're receiving an open-broadcast distress signal from the reptilian ship… but it's not for us."

A static-filled transmission pulsed through the speakers—guttural, violent, laced with electronic distortion. Whatever the enemy was saying, one thing was clear:

It was calling for reinforcements.

Vance's stomach dropped. If that message got out, this wasn't just humanity's problem—it could become a full-scale invasion.

"Open a channel to Admiral Kain," Vance ordered.

The transmission from Earth's defense fleet reappeared, Admiral Dominic Kain's expression unreadable.

"You brought an enemy warship into Earth's orbit," Kain stated, his voice devoid of emotion.

"It wasn't intentional," Vance responded. "But it's here now, and it just sent a distress beacon. If we don't act—"

Kain cut him off with a raised hand. "We're already acting."

Outside the viewport, the sleek black hulls of Terran battle cruisers shifted position. In perfect synchronization, they aligned their weapons toward the floundering reptilian vessel.

"Target acquired," came a cold voice over the fleet's broadcast.

Vance barely had time to react.

A ripple of energy pulsed from Earth's defenses. The warships unleashed a barrage of gravitational disruptors and high-energy particle lances. The reptilian cruiser barely had time to raise its shields before the first salvo struck—its protective barrier shattered instantly.

The second volley carved through the warship's thick hull as if it were paper. The bridge crew of Event Horizon could only watch as the enemy vessel—one that had once seemed invincible—was torn apart in a violent explosion, sending debris scattering into the void.

Silence followed.

A silence heavier than any they had known before.

---

The Weight of an Unfamiliar Future

Dr. Jonas Ibarra was the first to speak. "That… was a fully armed warship," he said quietly. "And they destroyed it like it was nothing."

"They didn't just destroy it," Pryce murmured. "They dissected it."

Vance turned to the holographic display. "Casualties?"

"None," Cormac replied. "The enemy vessel never got a shot off."

The realization settled into the crew like a cold weight. Event Horizon had barely survived its first encounter with the reptilian warships. Now, those same enemies were powerless against Earth's newfound might.

Patel, the helmsman, exhaled sharply. "I don't understand. We spent years working on defensive measures for deep-space travel. The shield technology we used was supposed to be top-of-the-line… but whatever they just used made our systems look like antiques."

"And did you see the way they moved?" Vasquez, the chief engineer, muttered. "Those ships are built with technology way beyond what we had access to before we left."

Pryce remained fixated on the readouts scrolling across her screen. "Captain, I'm detecting gravitational manipulation technology embedded in those ships. That's not just an advanced propulsion system—these ships are bending spacetime around themselves. They aren't flying… they're slipping through gravity wells."

Vance's stomach sank. "You're saying they have singularity drives?"

"Not just singularity drives. They've refined them."

That revelation sent a fresh wave of unease through the bridge. The singularity drive was humanity's crowning achievement, a breakthrough that had taken the combined intellect of the world's greatest minds to create. They had left Earth as pioneers—only to return as relics.

Before Vance could fully process the implications, an incoming transmission lit up the communications panel.

A face appeared on the screen—a man, older but ageless in appearance. His uniform was crisp, his expression unreadable. His eyes, however, held something deeper.

Recognition.

"This is Admiral Dominic Kain of the United Earth Directorate," the man said, his voice steady. "You are an unauthorized vessel entering restricted space. Identify yourselves immediately."

Vance stared at him, then at the Earth behind him—an Earth that had changed beyond recognition.

He took a slow breath before responding.

"This is Captain Elias Vance of the Event Horizon." He paused. "We've returned home."

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, Kain exhaled.

"My god," he murmured. "It's true."

The transmission cut off abruptly.

Outside, the defensive warships began moving into formation—toward Event Horizon.

Vance's grip tightened on the armrest of his chair.

The crew had no idea how much time had passed.

But something told him they were about to find out.

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