Mira worked quickly, her fingers moving with an urgency Kaelen hadn't seen from her before. The console flickered erratically, the screen showing broken data streams, corrupted files, and random patterns of static. But through the chaos, there was something coherent.
The signal. It was getting stronger.
"Kaelen, I think I can decode it. I think... I think it's a distress signal," Mira said, her voice low, a thread of fear running through it.
"A distress signal?" Kaelen asked, his throat tight. "From who? And why now?"
"I don't know, but the frequency... it's ancient. This signal has been sent for a long time," Mira muttered. "Whoever sent this, they've been waiting for a response. And we're it."
Kaelen's mind raced. The entity, the Vigilant—had everything they had experienced been a part of some larger plan? He could feel the weight of the unanswered questions pressing down on him. They had barely survived the last ordeal. Now this—this unknown signal—had them on the verge of another discovery, one that could either offer hope or lead to their ultimate destruction.
He stepped closer to Mira, trying to make sense of the situation. "Can we trace it? Can we reach them?"
Mira's fingers flew over the damaged control panel, her eyes locked on the screen. "I'm trying... But the signal is weak. If I can't boost the power, we won't be able to send anything back."
"Then we need to boost it," Kaelen said, determination in his voice. "Find a way."
Mira nodded, her expression resolute. "I'll reroute power from the lower decks. It's risky—if the ship's systems are too damaged, we could lose everything. But it's our only shot."
Kaelen stood back, his hands gripping the edge of the console. The thought of losing the Vigilant completely was terrifying, but it was the only chance they had of finding answers. And they needed answers—desperately.