Location: Launch Complex V, Vandenberg Orbital Platform
Timestamp: UTC -7, 03:16
The launch chamber thrummed with restrained power. Beneath layers of reinforced steel and classified-grade ceramic shielding, the Arclight rested like a predator in slumber. Its triangular fuselage shimmered under the high-intensity arc lights, matte-black plating absorbing every photon like it was allergic to attention.
Outside, a low storm rolled over the California coast — thunder rumbling in the distance, lightning briefly silhouetting the contours of the launch tower. But inside, everything was still. Precise. Controlled. Cold.
In the observation tower, Voss watched the ship without expression. His knuckles were pale against the railing. Colonel Meyers stood nearby, tablet in hand.
"They're patched in. All crew aboard," Meyers said mechanically.
Voss didn't respond immediately. He kept his gaze fixed on the ship, a ship worth billions with a ragtag team that can barely fly this thing. He sighed, knowing if they screw up its his head that will roll.
After a long while. "Lock down public telemetry," Voss finally ordered. "Scramble orbital traffic reports for the next four hours." His tone carried a certain finality to it.
Meyers blinked owishly. "We're cloaking a launch this big?"
"If anyone asks, tell them it's a deep-space probe. Ice moon survey. Pick a moon." His grip on the railing tightened, the metal creaking beneath his hands.
A pause.
"And if someone digs deeper?" Meyers asked cautiously.
Voss gave a tired, lopsided smirk that did not quite reach his eyes. "Then we know who to add to the watchlist, and to order an additional bodybag from the supplier with their name on it."
Location: S.C.S. Arclight — Interior, Flight Deck
"Power grid green. Magnetic clamps disengaging in three… two… one."
A low metallic thunk echoed through the Arclight's hull as the launch cradle unlocked. Commander Sarah Roth's eyes remained fixed on her command display, helmet resting at her side, black gloves flexing once before returning to the controls.
"Final launch checks complete. All departments report in."
"Engines prepped," Tech Sgt. Holloway said calmly. "Fuel reserves at 100%, primary and secondary propulsion systems online."
"Structural integrity within launch tolerance," Jarod Wei added. "All internal compartments are sealed. Oxygen cycling is clean."
"Mission logs syncing with encrypted blackbox," El-Nouri called from the midsection.
Dr. Erin Kael didn't say anything. She was still hunched forward, eyes scanning signal feedback from the external relay array.
"Signal's still steady," she finally muttered. "Same decay pattern. Still looping. Still old."
"Is it saying anything new?" Roth asked boredly.
Erin looked up "No, for better or for worse it's still the same"
Location: Launch Control — Vandenberg Platform, Upper Deck
General Voss turned to the flight officer that stood right behind him.
"Give them the go ahead." His command crystal clear, his words echoing across the place like a judge's gavel in a courtroom.
A low chime echoed from inside the shuttle, with the system booting up and cycling through its systems and procedures the machine started to rumble and wake.
"All crew," Roth said, voice sharp and cutting like a knife. "We are green for launch. Better strap in, if you get plastered to the wall I will not help you back into your seat."
The fusion thrusters, somewhat recent technology, hummed to life with a startling roar, an artificial storm gathering right beneath them and their ship. Right outside various people, mainly technicians and guards, cleared the catwalks. Klaxons blared throughout the base and its surrounding areas.
Five.
Four.
"No sign of ballistic weapons fire, could be plasma? Looking at the scorch marks and supposed melting" El-Nouri murmured.
The floor was stable, but gravity was weak—just enough to keep them anchored with their boots, but not enough to walk normally.
"So… how old do you think this is?" Kael asked.
"I have no reference," El-Nouri whispered, still scanning the symbols. "These symbols are strange but they look similar to one of the ancient ones made by prehistoric humans, coincidence maybe? It definitely looks older than 500 years.
"Wonderful," Roth said. "Try translating as we go. Prioritize symbols near terminals or interfaces or ones that are repeated often."
Timestamp: 12:39 UTC
They reached a wide open chamber that dropped away into darkness below. Multi-level catwalks lined the edges. The floor had partially collapsed inward, revealing a cross-section of lower decks.
Dead lights flickered across the ceiling, some still semi-functional. At the far end, a tall central console pulsed with dim reddish-blue light.
Kael exhaled. "That's the first powered system we've seen."
"Caution," Roth ordered. "Holloway—check the area. Ibarra—secure the descent line."
While the others moved into position, Kael floated toward the console.
"Don't activate anything," Roth snapped.
"I'm not an idiot," Kael replied, brushing her glove across the weird looking circular console.
The console responded. Slowly. Soft patterns appeared across its surface—sine-wave overlays and spiraling clusters of symbols.
A low vibration ran through the deck.
Roth spun around given Kael a death glare.
"I didn't touch it!" Kael swore.
Lights flickered throughout the chamber—brief pulses that illuminated broken hallways, shattered bulkheads, and the desolate skeleton of a bridge above them.
This was a warship.
They weren't the first ones here.
But they might be the first to survive.
Timestamp: 13:12 UTC
They descended into a secondary compartment—a sort of storage bay or archive, going by the tall, server looking things.
Kael plugged in a portable interface module. "It's not responding to intrusion attempts."
"Don't force it," Roth said.
"It's not about force," Kael replied. "It's not even… rejecting us. It's just old. Like... asleep."
She paused. "Wait. One of them's responding."
A small segment of the monolith's surface lit up. A projection burst outward—flickering, incomplete, but there.
A figure stood, partially rendered, armored and going by the sword looking thing in its armoured hand. It appeared to speak something but there was no audio, clearly in distress, before an explosion happened and the feed cut.
But Kael froze.
"That pattern…" she whispered.
El-Nouri leaned in. "The pattern came from this console, this ship. It was a call for help, possibly a rescue mission."
Kael swiped a hand through the console and they watched.
The projection showed a celestial map, absolutely giant in size.
"Is that our galaxy, someone asked"
The entire map is divided into coloured sectors, some bigger some others but the 3 biggest ones are the red one mainly in the north with enclaves in parts of the galaxy, they have the same symbol as the ship has. The blue faction is clearly bigger and focused on the core of the galaxy. It has a similar but distinct logo or are these their flags for their countries? The 3rd has a symbol that's different from the others and in green predominantly on the edges of the east and south east. There are dozens more all in different colours but we don't know their names since the language is different.
Then the image glitched out into static.
Timestamp: 14:02 UTC
The crew regrouped.
"We've mapped three decks. No active defenses. Gravity weak but consistent," Holloway reported.
"Several systems still show power draw. Engineering cores, databanks, bridge interface," Kael added. "No sign of any form of AI."
"Dead vessel," Roth concluded.
"But not meaningless," El-Nouri said. "The linguistic data alone could take decades to decode."
"We won't do it here," Roth said. "This platform is too unstable. Structural integrity is deteriorating."
She tapped her comm.
"Arclight, this is Roth. Begin prep for gravity tow. We're bringing it to orbit."
The crew's final path led them upward, toward what looked like a command centre shaft lined with interface stations, data wells, and observation slits facing deep space. Dust floated in the stagnant air like motes of ash caught in a spotlight. If there was ever crew aboard this ship, they were long gone — either evacuated or dust themselves.
Roth approached what had to be the helm—a raised platform encircled by a semicircle of interface nodes, in different shapes and sizes and colours.
"Kael, anything from this console?"
She climbed up beside Roth, crouching to inspect the consol."There's faint residual energy." She said somewhat surprised and intrigued.
Timestamp: 14:45 UTC
Roth gave the final order.
"We're done here for now. Prep for departure."
They retraced their path through the corridor network, careful to tag every viable power source, undamaged artifact, and log interface. Kael placed a beacon inside the command centre —just a small drone, still transmitting on low-band telemetry back to Arclight.
They moved slower now. Fatigue was setting in. Not physical — their suits compensated for most of that. But the mental strain.
The outer hull of the vessel shimmered as they exited through the carved opening. The faint light of Sol was still hours away from reaching them at this angle, but the void felt thinner somehow — as if their very presence had changed it.
Back aboard the Arclight, Wei sealed the hatch, locking in air pressure. One by one, the crew removed their helmets and sat in silence as the scrubbers purged the chamber.
Kael looked back through the reinforced porthole at the alien vessel floating just behind them, like a silent whale drifting through eternal black.
"It's beautiful," she said quietly.
"It's a grave," Roth replied coldly without emotion, unsnapping her helmet seals. "And we still don't know what killed it."
Vance Holloway uploaded the first data burst for Earth command—compressed telemetry, tagged visuals, encrypted log excerpts, and Kael's partial analysis. Roth began drafting the first full report.
General Voss would receive it within hours.
"We go back," Roth said, voice low. "We're bringing the ship with us. Earth needs to see this up close."
"And if someone's still listening on the other end?" El-Nouri asked.
"Then let them," she answered. "We've been listening for a century. It's time we understood what we were hearing."
Timestamp: 16:00 UTC
Commander Sarah Roth stood over the command terminal, arms crossed, face blank but behind her eyes her mind was racing. On the monitor before her, a full mission summary was being compiled by the Arclight's onboard systems, assisted by Kael's diagnostic overlays and El-Nouri's cultural pattern notes.
Behind her, Dr. Erin Kael leaned back in the co-pilot's chair, eyes red, sipping lukewarm electrolyte gel as she reviewed the recovered logs—partial data cores tagged with visual symbology.
Roth clicked her mic.
"General Voss, this is Commander Roth. The Deep Crown primary survey is complete. Initial findings confirmed: vessel is non-terrestrial in origin, derelict, no lifeforms. Structural integrity less than the predicted 65%, closer to 50% and around it. Gravity inconsistent, atmospheric pressure zero. No signs of active threat or automated defense.
Notable: some power systems remain responsive. Partial logs intact. Language pattern remains unidentified, but consistent.
Recommendation: initiate orbital tow to high Earth orbit for full containment and long-term study.
Uploading data packet. End transmission."
She hit send.
For a long moment, no one said anything.
Finally, Holloway grunted, "Now we wait."
Location: Fort Kestrel – Strategic Briefing Room
Timestamp: 16:17 UTC
General Marcus Voss with another coffee in hand, stared at the encrypted hologram slowly blooming to life in the center of the table. He didn't flinch at the alien images now rendered in sharper detail: control nodes, energy cores, writing etched into foreign alloys, strange tools.
He turned to Colonel Meyers.
"Start the orbital tow prep. We'll need a civilian science cover op. Move fast. And don't tell the UN. Not yet."
Meyers raised an eyebrow. "We're not coordinating this?"
"Not until I know which of them's planning to grab a piece for themselves."
Location: Moscow – Ministry of Aerospace Defense
Timestamp: 21:05 Moscow Time (UTC+3)
A flurry of encrypted intercepts scrolled across the tactical feed. One in particular was marked HIGH PRIORITY: Deep Crown Phase-1 Survey Report — Source: Fort Kestrel – Unauthorized Satellite Echo.
General Pavel Mirov exhaled through his teeth.
"Confirm that's real?"
"It's real, sir," said his aide. "Our orbital drone caught the burst relay before it was scrambled. The Americans have something."
Mirov stood. "Order our deep-space salvage array to standby. If they're towing it home, we'll see it. And leak it."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"...Or secure it for ourselves."
Location: UN Security Council Communications Annex – Geneva
Timestamp: 19:34 UTC
Secretary-General Élodie Karim stood at the head of the high-security annex beneath the Palais des Nations, flanked by encrypted screens, translators, and a live-feed window showing orbital traffic around Earth. The first ping from Arclight was confirmed.
"They're bringing it home," she said quietly. "So much for multilateral transparency."
The British and German ambassadors looked at each other grimly. The Chinese delegate sipped his tea in silence.
Karim turned to her chief advisor. "Find out who else knows. We can't let this spiral into an arms race."
Location: Strategic Resource Council Watch Node – Greenland Sector
Timestamp: 17:41 UTC
The room was dark. Monitors glowed faint blue across the faces of five executives—unnamed, unlisted, unaccountable.
One screen showed images from inside the alien ship. Another listed Arclight's specs and orbital trajectory. A third was already generating schematics based on known alloys and observed energy transfer systems.
A voice crackled through a filtered audio system.
"They're towing it to Earth orbit. Fort Kestrel and Vandenberg are coordinating. We can intercept during the transfer phase if we move quickly."
A pause.
"But there's a problem. The UN is catching wind. If they go public before we can act... we lose everything."
Another screen flickered with red overlays: projected timelines, corporate teams, emergency authorization protocols.
"Then accelerate. This is our century-defining asset. I don't care if they want unity. I want control."
Location: UN Taskforce Analysis Center – Nairobi
Timestamp: 22:03 UTC+3
Karim's voice was steady but cold.
"So we have confirmation: an extraterrestrial vessel is en route to Earth, under American custody. By then, this will leak. If we act first—if we release the data—we control the narrative."
Her chief of staff frowned. "And the fallout?"
Karim nodded grimly. "There will be plenty. But there's one way to stay ahead of the chaos."
She tapped a screen labeled: Proposed Global Statement Draft.
At the top, in bold letters:
UNITED EARTH DECLARATION: THE DAWN PRINCIPLE
DRAFT EXCERPT — DAWN PRINCIPLE (PRELIMINARY)
We, the collective governments of Earth, hereby confirm the existence of an extraterrestrial object discovered near the edge of our solar system. Preliminary analysis confirms non-terrestrial origin, old age, and no signs of immediate threat.
The discovery of this vessel marks the beginning of a new chapter for humanity — not as fractured nations, but as a unified species.
We affirm that any unauthorized attempts to seize, conceal, or weaponize this artifact will be considered a direct threat to global peace and shall be treated under Article 1 of the Post-Terra Accord as an act of rogue terrorism.
Karim looked around the room.
"They want to act like pirates? Then let them. We'll call them what they are, and deal with them as they are." Eyes glinting with controlled anger.
Location: Fort Kestrel – Voss's Office
Timestamp: 00:10 UTC
General Voss read the intercepted document twice. Then a third time.
"They beat us to it," Meyers said.
"No," Voss replied. "They didn't win. They just made the first move."
He tapped the encrypted console and opened a blacklined channel to the Arclight.
"Commander Roth. You're cleared for orbital towing sequence. Maintain shadow altitude. Avoid all major skywatch radars. And get ready for diplomatic fallout.
Earth's just realized the stars aren't empty."
As Voss disconnected he told Meyers not to wake him up unless the aliens want their toy back.
Location: Interior – Unnamed Alien Vessel
The alien ship creaked with every movement. Not from the crew, but from its own decayed structure—pipes expanded with thermal bleed, fractured bulkheads shifted slightly as they were disturbed.
Commander Roth led the team carefully through the primary corridor. The gravimetric field was weak—barely registering. They moved in low-gravity mode, magnetized boots hissing softly with every step. Flashlights cut across walls of blackened alloy, sharp corners, faded crimson trim, and structural damage that told of violence, not decay.
"Structural integrity's maybe forty-eight percent, tops," Ibarra noted over the comms. "We're not pushing our luck beyond this deck without stabilizers."
"Logged," Roth replied. "Stay disciplined."
The ship was angular, heavy in its design—like a weapon more than a vehicle. Every chamber they entered reinforced that impression. The corridors were narrow and militaristic. What had once been lighting strips now blinked irregularly or not at all. Some rooms were lined with recessed alcoves — weapons racks? Cryo bays? They were too damaged to tell.
At one sealed door near the central node, Holloway forced open a rusted control panel and jury-rigged an override. Sparks flew as the bulkhead groaned open just enough for them to squeeze through.
They found a specious chamber possibly the commander's room. Partially collapsed. A large dais stood at the center, elevated by black steps. At its top was what remained of a control throne cracked, burned. All around were displays, shattered or dark. In the far corner, a faint red light blinked slowly on a wall-mounted interface, the only active signal they'd seen since boarding.
Dr. Kael approached carefully. "This thing's barely holding power. Secondary systems only. No interlink."
She plugged in a non-invasive diagnostic probe, then frowned.
"Nothing, its locked behind a passkey of some kind, biometric? I honestly cant tell."
"Of course aliens have passwords, why the fuck wouldnt they." Roth muttered.
Kael chuckled and replied, "Well, they took their cybersecurity lessons to heart."
Dr. El-Nouri had been scanning the walls and panels, tracing his gloved fingers over the strange scripts found on the consols and other places
"I've never seen anything like this," he said, wide-eyed. "Repetition of certain symbols. Could be military classifications, identifier or just their language."
Wei chimed in. "Found the same glyph in at least five different sections—here, here, and here." He pulled up a 3D overlay on his wristpad.
"Same pattern was carved into some of the outer hull panels," El-Nouri added. "This might be a faction insignia."
Kael frowned. "Or a language family. It doesn't match anything in our databases. Closes thing we have is prehistoric cave paintings and even they are slightly different."
Holloway knelt beside the central dais. He tapped the side of what looked like a hardened drive port—sealed shut and partially melted.
"This is storage. Physical. Not cloud or quantum. They didn't want it being pulled remotely."
"Can it be removed?" Roth asked.
"I can try. But I'm not guaranteeing it stays intact."
"Take it slow. We're not blowing our prize because we rushed a socket."
The engineering deck was even worse—caved in from a reactor collapse that seemed to have been contained mid-event. No fire damage. No radiation leaks. Just melted support struts and slagged plating. Wei's sensor picked up minor power signatures—a self-contained core still ticking somewhere deep beneath the wreckage.
Kael stared at a dark, crystalline panel on the far side of the room. "If I had to guess the ship was under some kind of attack, the attack hit the reactor and they had to shutdown before the reactor exploded the entire ship, well it exploded only a bit of it."
"This wasn't a colony ship," he said. "This was built for war."
"What makes you say that?" Roth asked.
He looked at her grimly.
"The hull isn't just armored. It's layered. That's thermal reinforcement. And we found what looked like external turrets back in section C."
El-Nouri stepped over scorched debris, voice more subdued now.
Location: U.N. Joint Intelligence Fusion Cell – Brussels, European Union
The hologram hovered in the center of the chamber: a full scan of the alien vessel's interior. Engineers, military analysts, and exo archaeologists crowded the chamber, every eye fixed on the recordings.
"We're dealing with a ship approximately 750 years old," a senior analyst stated. "Based on micrometeorite impact layering and hull degradation. Possibly older. No translation yet. But the tech is clearly engineered—military-grade. Redundant systems. Sealed compartments. Modular weapon mounts."
A general interjected. "Any indication of species?"
"Possibly humanoid, or something similar in size at least to a human. Language is fully unknown."
Location: Strategic Resource Council Secure Line – Dubai Node
Encrypted signals bounced through the world's underbelly.
"They haven't cracked the logs," said a voice cloaked in distortion. "They have the ship, but not the key."
Another voice replied. "Then we wait. If they bring it to orbit, we move."
"Agreed. Get our contractors in position. I want interception scenarios. We don't need the whole ship. Just the language core and any working tech."
"We'll mask it as orbital salvage. Blame a rogue state."
"Which one?"
The voice laughed. "Whichever one we need."
Location: People's Defense Command – Beijing
General Lian Zhao stared at the projected structure of the alien ship, arms behind her back.
"It's a warship," she said flatly. "Of a design we've never seen."
Her aide nodded. "But we've traced similar energy readings to certain far off deep belt space anomalies—perhaps related."
"Deploy sensors. I want to know if this was alone. And double encrypt our own translation teams. The U.N. will eventually release partial findings. But if we crack the language first…"
"We own the legacy," the aide finished.
Location: U.N. Emergency Session – Geneva
Secretary-General Karim paced slowly, papers in hand.
"We've confirmed no life signs, but the interior is clearly militarized. The structure bears combat scoring. Whatever this vessel encountered—it survived it, then shut down."
Mallory, the British envoy, spoke next. "So it wasn't just lost. It was buried."
Harrington from the U.S. delegation leaned forward. "That logo—spiked rays, blood-red sigil. We've never seen anything like it. Could be factional."
"The public must not interpret this as a threat," Karim warned. "But we must also prepare. Secure the ship. Analyze everything. And make it clear: no one may act independently."
A French diplomat raised an eyebrow. "And if someone does?"
Karim didn't hesitate. "Then they're not acting as humans. They're acting as hostiles." Her face hardened and a cold smirk on her face "And will be treated as enemies of mankind, any and all collaboration with them will result in the same sentence."
Location: Capitol Defense – Washington D.C.
The President stood behind a podium in a closed emergency broadcast room.
"We've received the initial results of the Deep Crown mission. What they've discovered is of immense historic, scientific, and cultural value."
"We are not alone in this universe. And we were not the first."
"Though we cannot yet interpret what was found, or what these symbols mean, we choose to act in unity, not fear."
Behind the cameras, aides whispered to each other.
"They're going to use this to harden orbital defense."
"And to label rogue states as threats. Clever."
Location: Civilian Broadcast – Global News Network
A journalist speaks over footage of the rotating alien vessel.
"…what we do know is that this ship—older than the nation of the United States—was not built by humans. Its language is unknown. Its origins, unclear. But its purpose, based on expert analysis, is likely military."
Footage cuts to planetary protests and rallies.
Some shout for unity. Others call for weapons. Others simply kneel in the streets, eyes raised to the sky.
Location: Alien Vessel – Operations Deck
Timestamp: UTC +0, 04:12
Commander Sarah Roth stood at the makeshift command post aboard the derelict vessel, her helmet visor fogged at the edges. Lights flickered across the field display hovering above a portable workstation. The alien ship's skeletal corridors stretched beyond the viewport, dim and silent, like the veins of a dead colossus.
She keyed into the transmission relay with practiced precision. The others gathered nearby, breath visible in the cold, thin atmosphere. The environmental suits were holding, but power-saving measures meant every second of oxygen and battery was budgeted.
Dr. Rafiq El-Nouri stood beside Roth, wiping his gloved fingers across a cracked data slate. "We've cataloged over eighty individual terminals, five of which still emit residual power. The rest are charred, fused, or completely destroyed."
Tech Sgt. Vance Holloway, arms crossed, added quietly, "Weapons mounts too. Some of them look like point-defense systems. A few larger turrets still have intact power coupling, but they're dead."
Roth activated the uplink beacon, linking with Fort Kestrel's orbital satellite.
"General Voss, this is Deep Crown Actual. Stand by for a mission update and recovery recommendation."
A few seconds of static passed, then the general's voice cut through—calm, gravelly, and sharp.
"Go ahead."
"Vessel structure is partially collapsed in multiple decks," Roth began. "Estimated integrity between forty-five and fifty percent. No active systems remain aside from low-power preservation cores. There's no atmosphere. Gravity is unstable—artificial systems flicker on and off."
She paused and nodded at Erin Kael, who stepped forward.
"Recovered technology is extensive," Kael said. "Some systems appear modular—likely repairable. We've secured three active control nodes, six unidentified power cores, and twenty-two interface terminals. Some form of quantum logic array is still partially running in what we think was their bridge. Some rooms are still shut tight, not even we can cut through those panels. No AI response. No biological remains."
General Voss replied: "Any language or logs?"
"Untranslatable," Dr. El-Nouri answered. "It's definitely linguistic. Structured. Repeating syntax patterns suggest data storage or command sequences. But it's completely outside any known Earth-based linguistic roots, besides some similarities in cave paintings.. Whatever empire made this, their language is dead to us." He paused "Or forgotten to us."
Lt. Ibarra chimed in from the rear: "But the internal layout is clear. This was a warship."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then Commander Roth continued, her voice firm. "Our assessment is unanimous. This vessel cannot be left in deep space. Whatever it is—whatever its origin—it is too valuable, too dangerous, and too unstable to remain unmonitored."
Roth continues in the same steeled voice.
"It's dead, but not inert. And it's deteriorating. A decade from now, we might lose all recoverable data. If we want to understand who made it—what they were doing this far out—we need to study it in a controlled environment. With full planetary infrastructure."
"You'll have your final report transmitted in full within the hour," Roth finished. "We've done what we can here. But if you want answers, this thing needs to come home."
There was another pause before General Voss responded.
"Copy that, Commander. Relay diagnostics, trajectory math, and stress tolerances for a tow operation. I'll inform the Council."
The comm line ended with a soft click.
The crew turned back to their work, but the air felt heavier—like the decision had shifted the tone of the mission. They weren't just observers anymore. They were about to become the ones who brought it back.
Location: Fort Kestrel – Tactical Planning Hall
Timestamp: UTC -7, 23:14
General Voss tossed the data slate onto the polished table. The image of the alien ship hovered above it, spinning slowly, dull and shadowed but intact.
Colonel Meyers read the transmission log again in silence, brows furrowed.
"A kilometer-long starship built for war, parked past Neptune, belonging to an unknown species from 700 years ago... and you want to drag it back into Earth orbit?"
"I don't want to," Voss said. "I need to."
Meyers leaned forward. "Do you realize what kind of political firestorm this will trigger? The UN will want jurisdiction. NATO will demand access. China will accuse us of unilateral action. Not to mention every tech consortium on Earth will be wetting themselves to get a look at what's onboard."
"I'm counting on that," Voss muttered.
Meyers stared.
Voss continued, pacing slowly. "The only way we keep control of this find is to get ahead of the chaos. We bring it in. Under military containment. In orbit. Then we let the UN scream about transparency while we build a shield wall of protocols around it."
Meyers exhaled, nodding. "You already coordinated with the tow satellites, didn't you?"
"Five drones. Launched last month under a lunar gravity-mapping pretext. They'll reach the ship in eight days."
"Still needs mass-balance tethers, gravity control—"
"Already planned."
Meyers hesitated, then tapped the edge of the table. "You're betting this thing changes everything."
"I'm betting it already has."
Location: Geneva – UN Intelligence Committee War Room
Timestamp: UTC +1, 09:03
Michael Harrington, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor, read the decrypted recovery report from Deep Crown aloud to the chamber of stunned delegates.
The alien vessel. The stable systems. The intact hull. The recommendation to bring it home.
Across the table, delegates from the EU, China, Brazil, and India exchanged tight-lipped glances.
"The Americans are going to move it," muttered the Russian representative. "This is the moon landing all over again."
"No," Harrington replied, setting down the tablet. "This is bigger."
Karim, the UN Secretary-General, steepled her fingers. "If they do bring it into orbit... the world will demand access. The secrecy ends. So does the illusion of global balance."
The French delegate leaned back. "Then perhaps it's time we stop pretending. The age of hidden discoveries is over."
Karim nodded slowly.
"Then let's make sure we shape the narrative before someone else does."
Location: UN Data Fusion Hub – Geneva, Switzerland
Timestamp: UTC +1, 13:44
The dim blue light of the fusion hub pulsed over hundreds of integrated terminals. Deep within its encrypted walls, where global signals converged and intelligence was sifted like gold dust, an alert flashed red.
Keyword Match: DEEP CROWN
Origin: Unknown Node – Tier 3 Military Satellite Echo Route
Analyst Amira Takayama, stationed at the UN's cyber-intelligence node, leaned forward. She traced the packet trail — six reroutes through ghosted satellites, bounce relays off defunct comms arrays, then a masked uplink into a black-sector node over the Pacific Data Spine, recently flagged as compromised.
She widened her scan parameters and uncovered more.
Unauthorized replicating queries.
Satellite thermal logs accessed.
Telemetry dumps of the alien vessel pulled from a Vandenberg-linked data vault.
Then a cold shiver ran down her spine.
The data was being streamed — in real time — to non-state entities.
She was immediately drenched in cold sweat. With urgency she pressed the priority escalation key.
Location: Fort Kestrel – Black Archive Briefing Room
Timestamp: UTC -7, 06:02
General Voss stared at the decrypted file handed to him by Colonel Meyers. No words. Just lines of internal authorization codes, timestamps, deep-fake credentials — and a list of companies involved.
Four stood out:
Prometheus Core – Private military contractor with ties to orbital weapons testing, illegal arms sale, stoking conflict and carrying out false flag operations to stoke fires of war.
Zionica Ventures – A corporate conglomerate active in lunar and Martian rare-earth mining, known for their clandestine operations, bribery, blackmail, slavery anything to secure their dominance of the mineral market.
AeroTitan Dynamics – Leading in autonomous AI combat drones, known for unethical experiments, studying and carrying out forbidden tests, they are known to have their own slavery rings and sell their combat drones to the higher bidder.
Helix ReGenesis – Synthetic bioengineering group with rogue lab accusations on record, on the surface the cleanest of them all but beneath they are linked to multiple biological, chemical terrorist attack and inhumane experimentation including creating abominations, cloning and god knows what else..
Each of them had filed "exploratory space transport" clearances in the last week. One of them had moved a private launch vehicle into orbit. Quiet. Silent. Undetected. It would have stayed this way if they did not get overconfident in the power of bribery and they got sloppy.
"Jesus Christ," Meyers muttered. "They're trying to board it."
"No," Voss corrected him. "They're trying to claim it."
He looked up.
"Have INTERPOL run a deep financial track. If these groups are funding blacksite launch pads, we shut them down."
Voss, with a rare rage filled face gritted out. "I want deep checks on high up positions, our personnel, and soldiers, focus on soldiers. Once they are checked, post them in high alert positions but discreetly, frame it as expecting another country to sabotage."
In a cautious and de-escalatory tone Meyers started speaking. "Are you sure, this is kind of pushing it, they are one of the most power-"
That's when Voss lost it and screamed at Meyers. "FOR FUCK SAKE MEYERS." He slammed his fist on the wall. "They will start a fucking end war to get that thing"
Location: UN Security Council – Emergency Closed-Door Session
Timestamp: UTC +1, 16:30
The room was unusually tense, even for a chamber of calculated diplomacy. Secretary-General Karim stood at the center, reading aloud from a series of intelligence reports freshly decrypted from Geneva's cyber unit.
"Private actors — not sanctioned by any government — have accessed the alien ship's orbital coordinates, satellite coverage patterns, and portions of the Deep Crown signal archive. Some are actively preparing interception or boarding attempts while others are preparing interventions, terrorist attacks, blackmail and other things."
Murmurs broke out.
Harrington didn't flinch. "We've confirmed some of the same backchannels. Several of these groups have post-state sponsors—breakaway investment coalitions with no legal homeland. They're outside conventional law."
The Russian envoy slammed his fist on the table. "Then treat them as pirates."
"No," Karim said coolly. "We treat them as anti-human hostiles."
The word hung like smoke in the room.
She walked to the center of the chamber and turned to face them.
"We issue a global directive. Effective immediately, any unauthorized mission targeting the alien vessel — or attempting to seize its contents — will be classified as a rogue operation in violation of international security. No legal protections. No extradition appeals. Their assets will be seized. Their launches interdicted, any sign of armed resistance will be proof of guilt and will be shot if not surrendered."
"And who enforces this?" asked Vice Chairwoman Li Wen of China.
Karim didn't blink.
"Everyone who wants to stay at the table."
Location: New Delhi – Office of Strategic Threat Analysis, Indian National Space Division
Timestamp: UTC +5.5, 22:11
Inside the sunless conference chamber, a dozen advisors sat around a polished obsidian table, reviewing projections. A black-market transmission log flickered across the screen: encrypted comms from Zionica Ventures' Singapore facility, indicating coordination with a small fleet of stealth tugs launched from the equator under the guise of atmospheric monitoring.
India had not joined the race — not officially.
But silence, in this arena, spoke volumes.
General Suresh folded his hands. "They're not just trying to reach the ship. They're trying to extract something, someone apparently believe there's a hot alien in a stasis chamber." He gave a wry smile.
"We should prepare countermeasures," an aide said. "Should we approach the Americans to coordinate?"
The general shook his head slowly. "Not yet. Let them lead. If they fail... we decide what to do."
Location: London – Strategic Oversight Council, MI6 Liaison Briefing
Timestamp: UTC +0, 19:03
A dozen agents and diplomats sat in a concrete chamber three stories beneath Whitehall. The Union Jack was absent. There was no agenda. Just a single holographic projection: the alien vessel.
"This is our moment," said Director Allison Moore. "For the first time in recorded history, every nation is facing the same unknown. And instead of coordinating, we see scavengers with enough capital to build launch vehicles playing tug-of-war with the most advanced alien asset ever found."
"What's our angle?" one agent asked.
Moore smiled grimly. "We help write the rules. Quietly. Deliberately. And we ensure the first ones to break them... suffer publicly as to deter others."
Location: Fort Kestrel – Deep Crown Mission Control
Timestamp: UTC -7, 08:10
Commander Roth and her crew watched the live transmission from Earth as the alert bulletin was issued globally.
Kael, arms crossed, spoke first. "They knew. Even before we launched. Some of them were already making moves."
"Greed," said El-Nouri flatly. "It always shows up first."
PFC Wei stared at the symbol they'd found on the ship's data core — still untranslated. "And what if whoever built this ship is watching?"
Everyone paused.
Roth didn't answer.
She only turned back to the console and began drafting the final packet of data for relay to Earth.
They'd done their part.
Now the rest of humanity had to decide what came next.
Location: UN Central Broadcast Studio – Geneva
Timestamp: UTC +1, 20:00
Secretary-General Élodie Karim stood behind the podium. Lights glared into her eyes. Cameras blinked red. Over 3.2 billion people were watching live. Billions more would replay it over the next 24 hours.
Behind her: the symbol of the UN. Below it, the still image of the derelict ship drifting above Neptune, as captured by the Arclight probe.
She began:
"Today, for the first time in our history, humanity has confirmed the existence of a vessel — constructed by non-terrestrial intelligence — in our solar system. It is real. It is ancient. It is unlike anything we have ever encountered."
Her voice did not waver.
"We are bringing it into Earth orbit, not as a prize, but as a shared responsibility. The United Nations, in full cooperation with international allies, will oversee its study, containment, and protection."
She paused.
"And let this be understood clearly: any unauthorized attempt to interfere with this vessel — by state, corporation, or individual — will be considered a direct threat to global stability. Such actions will be prosecuted under the new Unified Planetary Security Act, ratified tonight by majority of the world nations"
Her next words carried steel.
"Today, we choose unity. Today, we choose knowledge. Today, we choose to face the unknown — together."
Location: United Nations Headquarters — General Assembly Hall, New York City
Timestamp: UTC -4, 21:00
The General Assembly chamber was thick with tension, more palpable than any previous global crisis. The enormity of what was about to be revealed had transformed the usual diplomatic formalities into something almost sacred. Representatives from every corner of the globe sat shoulder to shoulder, their faces illuminated by the glow of the giant screen above the podium. The world was watching.
Secretary-General Élodie Karim stepped forward, flanked by a rare coalition of global leaders — military commanders, foreign ministers, and heads of major space agencies — a visible symbol of fractured yet necessary unity.
Her voice cut through the stillness, calm but resolute.
"Esteemed delegates, citizens of Earth, today we step beyond the bounds of the known. For the first time in recorded history, humanity has encountered a tangible artifact from beyond our world, within our own solar system."
The screen behind her shifted, displaying detailed footage of the Deep Crown mission's launch — the sleek S.C.S. Arclight piercing Earth's atmosphere in silence, the crew's meticulous boarding of the alien vessel, and interior shots revealing cold, abandoned corridors coated in the dust of centuries.
"We have secured the vessel in stable Earth orbit. Our team's exploration confirmed the ship is of ancient origin — between seven and nine hundred years old — constructed by a civilization unlike any previously known to us, from a culture believed to have once dominated a galaxy far from our own," Karim said.
She paused as the assembly absorbed the gravity of the statement.
"The ship is currently in a fragile state. Approximately 45-50% percent structural integrity remains, with critical systems offline or malfunctioning. While much of the technology aboard is dormant or irreparably damaged, some components have been activated and show promise for further study."
Karim's expression hardened. "However, we must face a harsh truth: the very discovery that could usher in a new age of knowledge and progress also attracts those who seek power through domination and chaos."
Her eyes scanned the room, locking briefly with every member present.
"Intelligence has uncovered attempts by private organizations and rogue factions aiming to seize this technology for weaponization and disruption of global order. These groups operate beyond the law, with little regard for the consequences of their actions."
A murmur rippled through the hall. The threat was clear and immediate.
"To counter these threats," she continued, "the United Nations has enacted a robust international security framework. This includes strict oversight of all operations involving the vessel and its technology. Unauthorized interference will be met with unified and decisive action, including classification of offenders as terrorists."
She took a breath before continuing.
"As of now, vetted special forces from most countries have launched a unified, coordinated strike targeting these illegal operations throughout earth and its orbit, arresting many of those people responsible, the people who were getting bribed and blackmailed are also being rounded up as we speak.
She turned toward the screen once more. A symbolic image filled the display — a blue flag with a white circle, representing Earth united beyond borders.
"We call on all nations, corporations, and individuals to join under this flag, to foster cooperation and mutual respect. This mission transcends political differences. It is a common chapter in the story of humanity's future."
The Secretary-General's voice softened as she concluded. "This vessel is not a prize to be conquered or a weapon to be wielded. It is a burden and an opportunity — one that must be approached with responsibility, caution, and unity."
Global Reactions
Tokyo, Japan — Public Square Broadcast
In the heart of Shibuya, thousands gathered around giant holo-screens broadcasting the speech. The normally vibrant crowd was hushed, faces a mix of awe and apprehension. News anchors debated the potential for scientific breakthroughs: energy systems far beyond fusion, materials that could revolutionize construction, propulsion tech promising faster space travel.
Yet, under the optimism was a vein of fear. "What if this technology falls into the wrong hands?" an older woman asked a reporter.
Unbeknownst to them, Japanese special forces are silently taking down people associated with these enemies of state, just a single wall away from all these people watching in Shibuya.
Moscow, Russia — State Media Headquarters
The state-controlled channels framed the discovery as a testament to Russian scientific vigilance. Anchor Dmitri Volkov spoke solemnly, "The Russian Federation reaffirms its commitment to defend Earth's interests against any threat — foreign or domestic — that endangers our sovereignty or peace."
Behind the scenes, military intelligence intensified security protocols around their own space assets, preparing contingencies against sabotage or theft, with elite FSB units storming into homes and dragging people into unmarked vans, sometimes with their entire families never to be seen again.
Beijing, China — Ministry of State Security Briefing
In a windowless room deep within the Ministry, officials pored over classified reports. Vice Chairwoman Li Wen's office was filled with data streams and intercepted communications.
"The United Nations' call for unity is a welcome gesture," she remarked, "but China must ensure its own security and interests. We will cooperate — under conditions that safeguard our technological and strategic assets."
China accelerated deployment of additional deep-space tracking arrays and cyber-defense units, wary of espionage or sudden moves by rival nations.
Li Wen, was distracted by a phone number she did not recognise. She picked it up and asked. "Is it done?" Followed by a gunshot from the other side and a picture being sent her way.
"It is now my lady."
New Delhi, India — Public Protests and Government Statements
Across India, public protests erupted, fueled by grassroots groups demanding transparency. "Why should this belong only to governments and corporations?" chanted thousands in Delhi's central plaza.
The government responded cautiously, promising "inclusive policies for any technological advancements" but stopped short of detailed commitments, mindful of the political volatility, and fearing that turning the protests violent would create another bloody uprising like in Gujarat 5 years ago.
Washington D.C., United States — Political Polarization
In the U.S., the discovery exacerbated political divides. Some hailed it as the triumph of American leadership in space and technology. Others criticized the secrecy and military control over what some called "a treasure for all humankind."
Congressional hearings were scheduled amid intense lobbying by private space companies and defense contractors eager to participate in the research and development efforts.
Underground Networks and Conspiracy Theories
Far from the official narrative, encrypted channels buzzed with speculation and paranoia. Hackers leaked fragments of data intercepted from rogue transmissions. Theories proliferated: was the ship a relic of an ancient war? A message from hostile forces? Or a dormant weapon waiting to be unleashed?
Social media exploded with hashtags like #AlienTech, #DeepCrownTruth, and #UNSecrets. Independent researchers called for whistleblowers to reveal the "real story."
Some did not take it seriously and hashtags like #AreAliensBreedable and #AliensAreNerds trending throughout social media.
Governments struggled to maintain control over information flows, battling misinformation while trying to keep the public calm.
Fort Kestrel — Mission Control
Back at the mission's nerve center, the crew gathered in a secure viewing room. On the screen, news clips from around the world flashed — ranging from sober analysis to wild conspiracy.
Commander Roth's gaze was steely.
"We gave them the facts. Now it's out of our hands."
Erin Kael, seated beside her, exhaled deeply.
"Hope they're ready."
Dr. El-Nouri nodded thoughtfully.
"This moment will be remembered — whether for unity or for division."
The crew exchanged looks of sober acceptance. Their journey was only the first step. What came next belonged to a world much larger — a world struggling to find common ground amid chaos and opportunity.
Location: European Parliament, Brussels
Timestamp: UTC +2, 23:30
As the broadcast ended, the European Parliament's chamber was a whirlwind of whispered debates and hurried phone calls. The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Michal Karras, stood at the center of the discussion.
"This is unprecedented," he said, voice steady but heavy with responsibility. "We are witnessing the dawn of a new era, and Europe must respond with strength and unity."
His advisors nodded. The EU had to balance scientific collaboration with political prudence. Karras immediately convened an emergency task force to coordinate Europe's scientific efforts with the global framework established by the U.N.
But behind closed doors, he admitted the truth to her closest circle: "There are factions within member states, private entities, even intelligence agencies that will try to leverage this for their own gain. We must remain vigilant."
Location: Silicon Valley, California — Corporate Boardroom
Timestamp: UTC -7, 22:15
In a sleek, glass-walled boardroom overlooking the San Francisco Bay, tech magnate Glen O'connell addressed a gathering of the world's leading technology firms.
"The vessel's technology — even in its damaged state — holds the potential to revolutionize every sector from energy to AI. But the U.N.'s mandate limits direct commercial exploitation," O'connell stated. "We must innovate within the constraints and position ourselves to lead when broader access is granted."
His strategy team had already begun lobbying national governments and international regulatory bodies, seeking fast-track patents for technologies inspired by preliminary analyses leaked from the Deep Crown team.
"We are at a crossroads," O'connell concluded. "Those who move first will shape the future — and those who hesitate will be left behind."
Location: Cairo, Egypt — University Lecture Hall
Timestamp: UTC +2, 20:45
Dr. Abdul Mahmoud, a renowned anthropologist, spoke to a packed lecture hall, streamed live to millions worldwide.
"The discovery challenges everything we know about ancient civilizations," he explained. "If the ship is indeed linked to a culture resembling the Sith Empire described in recovered galactic texts — texts previously dismissed as myth or fiction — then this is a paradigm shift for human history and cosmology."
His message was both awe-inspiring and cautionary.
"History teaches us that knowledge can be a double-edged sword. The cultural and ethical questions posed by this discovery will demand global dialogue beyond science and politics."
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa — Street Level
Timestamp: UTC +2, 21:00
On the streets, reactions were as diverse as the people themselves. Some celebrated the announcement as a symbol of human progress and unity, waving banners painted with Earth's new flag.
Others viewed it with suspicion and fear.
"There's talk of alien invasion," whispered a shopkeeper to a customer. "Some say it's a test, others that it's a trap."
Religious leaders delivered sermons interpreting the event through spiritual lenses — some embracing the vessel as a sign of divine intervention, others condemning it as a harbinger of doom.
Community leaders struggled to maintain calm, urging critical thinking amid waves of sensationalism.
Location: Kremlin, Moscow
Timestamp: UTC +3, 22:30
President Viktor Solovyov convened an emergency meeting with his top generals and intelligence chiefs.
"The U.N.'s statement frames this as a unified effort," he said. "But national interests cannot be subordinated so easily. Russia must ensure access and control over any recovered technology, particularly in defense sectors."
He directed cyber units to intensify monitoring of private organizations suspected of illicit activity related to the vessel.
"We cannot allow Western or corporate dominance to dictate outcomes. Prepare contingency plans for rapid deployment of assets if the situation escalates."
Location: Beijing, China — Zhongnanhai
Timestamp: UTC +8, 23:00
President Li Wei sat with her inner cabinet, reviewing intelligence from the Ministry of State Security.
"The U.N. press release was as expected," she noted. "But the real game is beneath the surface."
China's space program was accelerating covert research, testing advanced propulsion prototypes and encryption-breaking algorithms inspired by preliminary data.
She ordered increased engagement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to secure allied support for exclusive research rights.
"Any nation or group seeking to disrupt the order will face coordinated opposition," Li Wei declared.
Location: Washington D.C., United States — Capitol Hill
Timestamp: UTC -4, 22:45
Congressional hearings commenced with bipartisan urgency. Senator Rachel Mendoza, a member of the Senate Committee on Science and Space, addressed the chamber.
"The American people deserve transparency and leadership. We must ensure the Deep Crown mission's success, but also guard against private profiteering and rogue interference."
Lobbyists representing defense contractors argued for expanded funding and legislative frameworks to secure U.S. preeminence.
Meanwhile, activists and civil liberties groups protested outside the Capitol, demanding public accountability and warning against militarization of space discoveries.
Despite official statements, whispers of shadowy groups grew louder.
In underground forums and encrypted chat rooms, a group calling itself The Helios Consortium circulated leaked schematics, claiming to have ties to industrial and scientific leaders in multiple countries.
They proposed an alternate agenda: rapid commercialization of alien technology with minimal oversight, promising "a new industrial revolution" but with little regard for geopolitical consequences.
At a clandestine meeting in a private island villa, representatives debated their next moves.
"The governments are hot on our heels, we must secure at least one major piece of the ship's technology before we are all dead," said a sharply dressed man known only as Cairn. "Our future and lives depends on it."
Others voiced concern.
"If we push too hard, we become public enemies. The world's militaries will hunt us, for now we still have some wiggle room and leverage that's why we didn't wake up with a bunker buster going through our windows.."
The faction split between aggressive acquisition and strategic patience.
Governments and private groups alike engaged in an information battle, employing disinformation campaigns and cyber-espionage.
News outlets received conflicting reports — some suggesting imminent breakthroughs, others claiming sabotage and internal leaks.
Intelligence agencies expanded cyber operations aimed at protecting or stealing data related to the ship.
Experts warned of growing public distrust and called for greater transparency to avoid social unrest.
Across the globe, the discovery sparked artistic and philosophical movements.
Writers and filmmakers imagined new futures, blending science fiction with current reality.
Philosophers debated humanity's place in the cosmos and ethical responsibilities tied to alien contact.
Religious communities reexamined doctrines in light of the cosmic revelation.
Educational systems scrambled to include the new knowledge, inspiring a generation of students to look to the stars with renewed curiosity.
In a quiet moment after the day's announcements, General Marcus Voss sat alone in the control room. The weight of the world's eyes — and fears — pressed on his shoulders.
He reviewed incoming reports — military deployments, diplomatic cables, intelligence warnings.
The mission's first phase had been a success, but the real test was just beginning.
Outside the window, the alien vessel glimmered faintly against the backdrop of Earth's orbit — a silent sentinel and a reminder of the unknown.
Voss whispered to himself, "This isn't just about what we found. It's about what we do next. For all of us."