Chapter 3: The Descent begins

The screen dimmed, but the pulse of what Rose had just witnessed still throbbed in her chest.

Dr. Mercer straightened, her arms uncrossing with practiced grace. “I’ll coordinate with the retrieval team from my office,” she said crisply, her silver-streaked bun barely shifting as she turned. “Prepare the lower labs for potential containment. We’ll reconvene once the craft is secured.”

Without another word, she left, the metallic click of her heels echoing through the corridor like a final gavel strike. The door hissed closed behind her, sealing Rose and Dr. Cross in the sterile silence of Lab 4.

Dr. Cross exhaled deeply and turned toward her, a gentler expression softening his normally analytical face. “I know this is a lot,” he said. “But you handled yourself well.”

Rose nodded slowly, though her thoughts swirled like a storm. Handled herself? She wasn’t even sure she was breathing properly.

“We’ll need your expertise, Rose,” he continued. “Start preparing for the cellular analysis—anything we can scan once we have the subject. Choose one person you trust to assist you. No one else. I want your team small, discreet, and efficient.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice barely audible.

He reached for his tablet, eyes already scanning logistics. “I’ll be heading to the site with the retrieval team. Once we have it, we’ll bring it here under full containment protocol. You’ll be the first in line for data review.”

There was pride in his voice. Trust.

Rose nodded again, firmer this time. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know.” He offered a small smile. “Stay sharp. We’re making history today.”

With that, he turned and exited through the secure hall, leaving Rose alone beneath the flickering blue lights of the lab.

Her breath escaped in a slow exhale as she gathered her notes, the reality of what lay ahead pressing down on her shoulders. She stepped out into the corridor, badge swinging at her hip, and began the long walk to her office.

Each step echoed louder than it should’ve. The silence in the lab wings felt heavier than usual, as if the very air held its breath. Her thoughts ran wild—about the spacecraft, the energy readings, the eerie calm in Dr. Mercer’s voice when she said “containment.”

Was this really happening?

An alien craft. Real. Close. Alive.

The world outside would keep spinning, oblivious. But inside these walls, everything was about to change.

She turned the corner—only for a sudden grip to seize her shoulder.

“Boo!”

Rose let out a gasp and spun, heart leaping into her throat.

Lisa grinned like a devil in a lab coat.

“Lisa!” Rose swatted her arm. “Are you insane? I nearly screamed!”

“That was the goal,” Lisa said, laughing. “You looked like a ghost walking these halls. Had to bring some color back to your face.”

Rose shook her head, trying to slow her pulse. Lisa had always been the mischievous one—brilliant, reckless, and absolutely incapable of reading a room.

“Well, mission accomplished. Now come with me,” Rose muttered, already marching toward her office.

“Ooh, serious tone,” Lisa teased, falling into step beside her. “Did someone finally smuggle in a cute intern or are we in real trouble?”

Rose didn’t answer, her expression tense.

Lisa’s smile faded. “Wait… What happened?”

“I’ll explain inside,” Rose said, quickening her pace. “And shut the door behind you.”

The door clicked shut behind them, muffling the hum of the corridor. Rose took a breath and leaned against the edge of her desk, facing Lisa with a seriousness that immediately caught her friend’s attention.

“This isn’t just about some new project,” Rose began. “Something happened this morning. In Lab 4.”

Lisa folded her arms, leaning slightly closer. “Go on.”

Rose recounted everything—Dr. Mercer’s call, the energy readings, the craft’s descent through the atmosphere. The silence in the lab. The flicker of light on the screen. The orders from Dr. Cross.

By the time she finished, Lisa’s expression had morphed from disbelief to something brighter—almost giddy.

“No way,” she breathed. “Like—real alien contact? Actual craft? Not debris?”

“Fully intact. Or so they think.” Rose crossed her arms. “They’re retrieving it now.”

Lisa’s eyes widened like saucers. “Holy crap. This is—this is everything! Rose, do you know what this means?”

“Yeah. That our lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated.”

Lisa gave a quick, giddy laugh and twirled a loose strand of her ponytail. “I promise—I won’t say a word. Not even to Mark. You know I can keep my mouth shut.”

Rose raised an eyebrow.

Lisa winced. “Okay, not always—but this time I swear! I’ll be your ride-or-die alien research buddy. No leaks, no accidents.”

Just then, a knock tapped on the door.

It swung open before either could respond.

Mark stepped in, holding a small stack of files, lab badge clipped askew on his hoodie like always. “Hey, Lisa, you forgot the reagent forms again. Grant’s asking for them.”

Lisa groaned and flopped back into Rose’s guest chair. “Ugh, paperwork. Tell Grant I died.”

Mark tilted his head with a smirk. “Or you could walk two doors down and—”

“I can’t. Rose needs me. Urgently.” Lisa clutched her chest dramatically. “It’s a matter of life and death. Research and destiny.”

Mark’s brows lifted, glancing at Rose for clarification. Rose simply shrugged.

Lisa grinned up at him. “You’ll do it for me, right? Pretty please?”

Mark rolled his eyes, but a soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Fine. But you owe me lunch.”

“Deal. You’re a gem!”

As soon as he left, Lisa sprang up. “See? That’s what a healthy relationship looks like. Now, where to?”

“The data review room,” Rose said. “We’ll start prepping our end while the team retrieves it.”

They headed down the quiet hallway together, coats flaring behind them like trailing shadows.

—

Far away, nestled between jagged stone peaks, the retrieval convoy rolled to a halt at the mountain basin. Snow crunched beneath their boots as Dr. Cross stepped out of the lead transport, his eyes narrowing against the wind.

Above them, clouds churned like restless beasts.

“Positions,” Dr. Mercer’s voice crackled from the comm speaker.

Dozens of figures moved like clockwork, blending into rock and frost, weapons slung and safety locks checked. The tension was sharp, electric—anticipation humming through every breath.

Dr. Cross adjusted his headset. “Thermal scans?”

“Still clear,” came the response. “No radiation spikes. Entry zone is stable.”

He nodded, his gaze fixed upward.

Silence fell.

Then—light.

A soft glimmer shimmered in the sky, far above the mountain ridge. It wasn’t a flare or a star—it moved with intention, descending slowly, steadily, casting a silver glow across the snow-dusted stone.

Dr. Mercer’s voice was calm, but firm. “Hold your positions. It’s here.”

Dozens of eyes turned skyward.

The air shifted.

History was falling from the sky.

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