"All systems within normal operational standards. Engine output at 82%. We are now within the gravitational pull of planet Zeta-2b," Ivan reported calmly, hands gliding over the console as he prepped the ship for descent.

  Kai stood at the front viewport, eyes fixed on the turbulent sphere below them. Zeta-2b loomed in the void like a giant pressure cooker—swollen with thick clouds, riddled with lightning that forked across its atmosphere in violent pulses. He could feel the unease crawling up his spine watching the storm that spanned an entire planet.

  Zeta-2b, first discovered by an Imperial expedition vessel, was classified as a storm world. The entire surface was locked with humidity, with several massive ion storm systems swirling across the planet at all times. That alone earned it an E-class rating on the terraforming scale, placing it firmly in the “don’t even bother” category. But now, with their options limited and their jump fuel almost dry, it had suddenly become their best and only shot at survival.

  They couldn’t risk flying to a nearby star for fuel not with the scouts crawling across the stars. The nanites that controlled those scouts were waiting for the Black Swan to show up. It had become clear that any time the ship approached a star to attempt a refuel, they were instantly detected.

  Even Scotty had firmly rejected the idea of star refuelling. According to him, the odds of encountering a higher-ranking nanite that could override the Black Swan’s systems were slim... but not zero. And in his exact words: "All it takes is one. One with the overriding authority, and boom! You're floating through space in pieces."

  The ship itself couldn’t take another direct encounter either. The last escape had left its systems strained, especially the jump drive and the powerplant. They couldn’t afford another swarm.

  So here they were, on course for Zeta-2b. A storm world with hostile weather and no guarantee they’d even be able to extract usable energy from the environment. But it was their only option.

  Kai exhaled. “We had passed the point of no return now.”

  From behind, Eliana stepped forward beside him, folding her arms. Her expression was calm, but Kai caught the tension in her slightly stiff shoulders as he wrapped his arm around them. “So… what’s the plan this time? Besides don’t die.’”

  Kai gave a half-smile. “Scotty’s mapping a safe zone between the storms. There’s a small break—just wide enough to land. The terrain type was still unknown, but the mineral content might be good enough to harvest."

  “Kai… I don’t feel good about this,” Eliana said.

  Kai turned toward her. “Don’t worry, Eliana. It’s a calculated risk that we have to take.”

  Eliana shook her head. “No, I’m not afraid of the danger. It’s the opposite I’m worried about. Don’t you think it’s been too quiet since we got here?”

  Eliana was right, he had been too fixated on the peace and quiet and didn’t notice how strange it really was.

  “You’re right, Eli. There’s been no contact from any scouts since we arrived.”

  “All hands on deck. Be ready for atmospheric entry,” Commander Grayson called out.

  Kai returned to his post, strapping in just before the ship shook slightly from hitting the atmosphere.

  The nose of the ship grew bright red as they descended toward the surface at extreme speed.

  So far, so good. Kai checked the systems—no spikes in any of the ship’s statuses. But they were still in the easy part. The planet’s atmosphere was just like any other, besides the slightly concerning radiation levels.

  The real challenge was still ahead. The ship continued its descent and was about to hit the thick clouds below. Kai winced looking ahead. To all sides of their ship were three massive storm clouds that stretched as far as he could see. They would need to thread the needle between all three to land on the surface.

  From where he sat, they looked like whirlpools in the sky. Kai didn’t want to imagine what would happen if they got caught in one—he was sure it wouldn’t be pleasant.

  Ivan levelled the ship slightly, slowing the descent. “Our scanners aren’t penetrating the layers of clouds below. We’ll have to take it slow and keep scanning as we go.”

  The Black Swan pierced into the thick clouds, and turbulence hit the ship all at once like a barrage. The hull groaned as if the planet itself was trying to shake them off. Ivan cursed under his breath, gripping the controls and steadying the ship to the best of his ability.

  Teresa gasped from her station. “The radiation here is insane. No wonder this planet was rated E.”

  “Our temperature’s rising fast,” Eliana added, her voice tight. “I’ll prep the heat sinks for deployment.”

  Another violent jolt rocked the ship. Kai gritted his teeth as the cockpit rattled. Through a break in the clouds, he caught a glimpse of something glowing faintly below.

  Why is the ground glowing?

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The answer came a second later when Ivan suddenly yanked the control stick. The ship lurched, and Kai felt the blood drain from his face.

  Commander Grayson slammed both hands down onto the armrests of his seat. His jaw clenched, staring ahead at what they had assumed was the surface. Kai followed his gaze and saw it too.

  Lava.

  Beneath the cloud cover, the planet’s surface wasn’t land—it was molten chaos. Rivers of lava streaked through jagged, black terrain like veins of fire carved into stone.

  The terrain warning screamed to life in the cockpit. Red lights flashed across every panel.

  Kai’s hands were locked tight around the weapons control stick. He didn’t even realize he was pulling on it as if it might somehow help lift the ship.

  The Black Swan was descending faster than any of them liked, yet no one screamed. In fact, no one even dared to breathe.

  There was only the shrieking of warning systems and the groaning of the hull filled the cockpit as the Black Swan plunged toward the ground below.

  "Pull up!" Ivan shouted. It was the first time Kai had ever heard Ivan lose his cool.

  Kai’s vision went black for a moment. He could feel the weight shift beneath his feet as the ship's gravity generator struggled to counteract the crushing G-forces pulling at their bodies.

  He blinked. When his eyes opened again, everything around him slowed. The alarms, the lights, the chaos—it all felt like a hallucination. The Black Swan was plunging to its death in slow motion.

  "Kai! You there?"

  It was Scotty’s voice—clear and crisp, more human than ever. This was the first time Kai had heard it in his mind so distinctly.

  "Scotty?" Kai thought, his eyes wide, "Can you help?"

  "That’s what I’m trying to do right now," Scotty replied quickly. "I’ve taken control of the ship and unlocked the limiters on the downward thrusters. They should now output more power... but there's a chance it might cause internal damage."

  "Do it," Kai said without hesitation. "I don’t care what it costs. We can’t let the ship crash."

  "On it," Scotty replied. "Relax. You’re in good hands now."

  There was a brief pause.

  "Oh—by the way," Scotty added, just as Kai felt a strange sensation wash over him, "You’re going to love what Isaac and I did with my new body. Trust me. Now close your eyes and enjoy the rest."

  A wave of darkness swept over Kai. His body felt weightless, his mind slipping. He could feel the warmth draining from his head, his limbs going numb. Scotty’s voice faded into the void, and within moments, Kai lost consciousness.

  Kai woke up to an unfamiliar face staring down at him.

  The face looked like a kid’s and was definitely not one of the crew. He had piercing green eyes, cleanly cut ginger hair, and a grin that seemed far too pleased with itself.

  Kai tried to speak, but his throat was dry. He coughed once and tried again. “Who… Who are you?”

  “Oh wow, Kai. I’m heartbroken,” the kid said dramatically, hands over his chest. “You don’t even recognize me? And after I just saved the lives of everyone on the ship?”

  “Scotty?” Kai croaked, still groggy, his throat raw.

  “Of course, mate! Who else would it be?” the boy replied, grinning. “Scotty. Savior of the Black Swan. Possibly the entire human race.”

  Scotty took a theatrical step back, giving Kai a full view of his new form.

  Kai didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t what he had imagined. Scotty now looked like a preteen boy about ten or eleven, dressed in a custom-sized Black Swan uniform that mirrored Kai’s own, complete with miniature boots. He even had a little badge clipped to his chest.

  Without warning, Scotty bolted across the bridge, skipping and hopping like a child on too much sugar. He tapped each crewmember lightly on the head as he passed.

  “Wake up! You too, sleepyhead. And you. Robert, up and at 'em! Commander Grayson, rise and shine!” he chirped, with the innocence of a child and the chaos of… well, Scotty.

  “What… happened?” Eliana groaned as she stirred, lifting her head off the engineering console. Her eyes squinted at the light, and her brow furrowed. “Did we hit the ground?”

  Commander Grayson was next, somehow having passed out standing up. He stretched like he’d just gotten out of bed, not like he’d just survived a near-death descent into a lava-covered storm planet.

  Murmurs and chatter filled the bridge as the rest of the crew slowly came to.

  Kai tried to rise but a wave of nausea hit him like a punch to the stomach. He slumped back into his chair with a groan.

  “Ivan…” Commander Grayson’s voice came low, still waking, his eyes now locked on the ginger-haired boy bouncing on his bridge. “Tell me what happened. What’s our status? How bad was the impact?”

  “That’s the thing, sir…” Ivan said, still running diagnostics. There was hesitation in his voice. “We never hit the ground. The ship appears… fine.”

  “All thanks to me!” Scotty chimed in proudly. He threw his arms out wide. “I unlocked the limiter on the vertical thrusters, just in time. Slowed our descent, stabilized the ship, guided us through the tough weather and even rerouted some power to keep the gravity systems from snapping our spines in half. You’re welcome!”

  The bridge fell silent.

  “Scotty?” Eliana asked, squinting.

  “Yes! It’s me, Scotty!” he repeated, this time with a theatrical bow. “Your saviour, best crewmate, and also quite possibly your new favourite person. How was that for a landing?”

  Commander Grayson stared for a long second, then straightened and clapped twice.

  “Well,” he said, cracking a smile, “I’d say the crew owes you big time, Scotty. And I’ll add this—bringing you aboard might’ve been the best decision we made.”

  The rest of the crew joined in the applause, some clapping more hesitantly than others, still clearly trying to process everything, including the strange, overly enthusiastic child on their bridge who had apparently just saved their lives.

  Kai leaned back in his seat, shaking his head as a grin formed on his lips. He turned his gaze toward the viewport. The darkness had lifted, and dawn had arrived. The dense clouds above had parted just enough to give them a clearer view of the landscape below.

  What Kai saw left him quiet.

  In the distance, a colossal storm churned, its span stretching across the entire horizon. He was sure it would look the same in every direction.

  The ground beneath them was charred and cracked, a sea of scorched black earth laced with glowing rivers of lava that cut through the terrain like molten veins. Steam hissed from the cracks, rising into the sky.

  And there were crystals in strange, jagged formations sprouting from the ground. They pulsed with a soft, eerie glow, shifting colours as if alive. There was something otherworldly about them, something that felt... wrong. Beautiful, but dangerous.

  Ivan stood from his seat, drawn to the view. As the closest to the front viewport, he stepped forward and leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

  Scotty noticed the shift in attention. With a quick skip, he bounded over to the viewport and slammed his face and both palms against the glass with the enthusiasm only he could manage. He stared out in wide-eyed wonder, then turned around with a huge grin plastered across his youthful face.

  “Well? What are we waiting for?” he said, throwing his arms in the air. “Let’s fuel up, and scram before the next big storm turns us into toast!”