The ALKEN ship floated silently through the stars, its engines shifting course toward Earth. London awaited, but no one on board felt relief. Not yet. Gestronio had been erased, and silence was the only thing that followed.
Inside the command deck, Londo stood in front of the holographic display, his back straight, lips tense.
"All right," he said sharply. "Everyone, to the main briefing hall. Now."
Minutes later, the team gathered—still bruised, still shocked.
Kiara sat with her arms crossed, biting her lip. Anna was standing near the control screen, tapping a pen against her datapad. Kimberly clutched a warm tea. Taze leaned back with his arms folded.
And in the middle of the room, standing like a statue—Steven.
Londo stepped forward, cleared his throat, and began.
"What happened on Gestronio was... not planned."
A collective breath in.
"I know what you all saw. I know what it looked like. But it wasn't a sanctioned launch. The 78TA bomb was activated by a system anomaly. We had a glitch—an override—I still don't know how. I'm working with Earth Command on a full internal report."
Anna's voice cut through.
"That wasn't a glitch. I work in the intel system. I monitor that console daily. There are five safety locks on antimatter launch protocols."
Londo's jaw clenched.
"I said anomaly. And I stand by that. I expect cooperation from every one of you. Now—"
"Wait," Kiara snapped. "So... we just nuked a planet. And you're telling us it was a 'whoopsie'?"
Kimberly raised a timid hand. "Were there... any survivors? On the surface?"
"No," Londo said flatly. "Not a single one."
The room went silent. Then Taze, deep-voiced, asked, "Why weren't we briefed before that kind of weapon was even on board?"
Londo's expression hardened. "Because it wasn't your concern."
Anna stepped forward, clearly trembling with frustration.
"Colonel—sir—this isn't just about concern. You made a decision—whether it was direct or not—that wiped out every single data point, every trace of life on a planet we were supposed to scan. Not destroy."
Londo turned to her, voice dropping low.
"I'm not here to be liked. I'm here to win wars, Earth doesn't even know it's fighting."
A beat.
"I need to step away for ten minutes. Lana, finish the debrief."
He turned and stormed out, the door sliding shut behind him.
All eyes turned to Lana. She straightened her uniform, exhaled.
"Okay. We continue."
Her voice was composed, but something in her eyes shimmered. Doubt. Disgust?
"We'll arrive back on Earth in four days. Landing scheduled in London, ALKEN HQ. Debrief with Earth officials is pending. I'll speak for the team. None of you are to answer any external questions until cleared."
Kimberly murmured, "Do they already know?"
Lana nodded. "Leonardo Ceccoli knows. He's furious."
Kiara raised her hand with fake innocence. "Question—are we getting promotions or prison?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Can you stop being flirty for one second?"
Kiara leaned toward her, grinning. "Nope."
Then, silence fell again.
All heads slowly turned toward Steven.
He hadn't said a word. Not a sigh. Not a joke. Not a sarcastic clap. Just... stood there. Completely still.
"Steven?" Lana asked.
No response.
Taze tilted his head. "You good, man?"
Steven didn't even blink. His arms rested at his sides, eyes unfocused but alert.
Kimberly whispered, "He's not even... moving."
Kiara frowned. "Okay, now I'm scared."
Lana cleared her throat. "Meeting's over. Back to your quarters. Debrief with Earth in four days. Rest, recover, and stay silent. Dismissed."
The team slowly scattered.
Steven didn't.
He stood there for a moment longer, then turned around and walked out without a word.
Earth – Nighttime. Leonardo's Apartment.
The giant screen flickered with static before the live feed stabilized.
"Where the hell is the full report?!" Leonardo shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
No one answered.
He grabbed his communicator.
"Caitlyn. Get in here. Now."
No answer.
His eyes narrowed. He stood up, threw on his coat, and left the room.
Caitlyn's Apartment.
A soft jazz record played in the background. Purple curtains swayed gently from the open balcony.
Caitlyn Theresa stood barefoot in lavender slippers, a tight violet tank top clinging to her, and matching satin shorts hugging her hips. Her makeup was flawless, eyeliner sharp, and lips painted the same glowing purple.
Her long hair, half-wet from a recent shower, trailed over her shoulders as she sipped Chambord from a crystal glass.
Suddenly—BANG.
Leonardo kicked the door open.
"Where the HELL were you?!"
She turned slowly, completely unfazed.
"Sweetheart. We're not married. You don't get to yell like that."
"You knew," he hissed. "You knew they weren't heading to Venus."
She smiled and leaned against the wall.
"I said I was on vacation. Maybe you should try one. Your blood pressure's a disaster."
He stormed over and pinned her against the wall, hands gripping her waist.
"You're playing games. Again."
Her lips curled upward. Her voice was a whisper.
"If you want more than a partner, Leo... you'll have to work harder for it."
She winked.
His hands loosened. He stepped back, exhaling in frustration.
"I've lost communication with the ship. Total radio silence."
"Oh no," she said, sipping again. "Anyway... want some more Chambord?"
"Caitlyn—"
"Fine. I'll help," she said, finally softening her tone. "But on one condition."
"What."
"Stop acting like the end of the world is your personal headache. Now sit. I'll get the files."
Back on the Ship – Hallway
Steven walked silently through the dim corridor, his eyes scanning every angle like a machine.
He turned the corner and came face to face with Kiara.
She wore nothing but her sports bra and shorts, hair messy, eyes tired.
"Steven?" she blinked. "You okay?"
He kept walking. Didn't respond.
She raised an eyebrow. "Hey, perv! Say something!"
He turned his head slowly. His voice was quiet, eerie.
"Hmpf?"
Kiara stepped forward. "You feeling alright? You're not usually this... mute."
He stared at her for a second. Then said:
"I feel noises in my stomach. And a craving in my mouth. Is there... something to chew?"
She squinted. "Chew? Are you... Are you high? What kind of line is that?"
Without warning, he turned away again and kept walking, right past her, shoulder brushing lightly.
She froze. Blinking.
Inner monologue:
"Why... why is my heart racing?
Why am I sweating?
Why am I smiling like a dumb teenager?
Wait, why do I feel like I'm gonna explode?!
Why am I sexy?
...Okay, that's unrelated.
But WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"
"STEVEN! Wait for me, baby!"
She ran after him.
Later That Night – Taze's Quarters
Taze sat on his bed, flipping through mission logs, trying to relax.
Steven entered without knocking.
"Hey."
"Sup," Taze replied. "You good?"
Steven sat in the chair. Crossed his legs. His voice? Calm. Refined.
"I find this method of processing data... fascinating. Language is so limited, isn't it?"
Taze looked up. "What?"
Steven tilted his head. "You, for example. You interpret gestures, facial cues, and hormone fluctuations. But words... they're just placeholders."
Taze blinked. "Okay. Who are you, and what have you done with Steven?"
A pause.
Steven smiled. "I'm evolving."
Taze stood up slowly. "This isn't funny."
But Steven just stood, nodded politely, and left the room.
Bridge – Empty.
Steven stood alone at the window, staring at the stars.
His reflection shimmered against the glass. His lips moved without sound.
Internal thought:
"They burned my home.
They killed my kind.
They call it 'victory'.
Soon... I'll redefine the word."
He smiled.
Not human.
Just close enough.
To be continued.