The Forgotten Colony

In the year 2460, deep in the uncharted regions of the galaxy, Captain Elias Hart of the Starfinder stood at the edge of an alien world lost to history. His crew had followed a centuries-old distress beacon, discovered by chance while charting a nebula. The source led them here — a forgotten colony on the barren planet of Kalos-7, its existence erased from all known records.

The colony had been silent for over 200 years, its inhabitants presumed dead. But the signal, weak and distorted, had persisted. Now, as the crew prepared to descend, the mystery of Kalos-7 awaited.

“Captain, we’re ready to launch,” said Commander Zane, standing at the entrance to the shuttle bay. “I’ve run every diagnostic twice. The colony’s atmosphere is thin, but breathable.”

Hart nodded, staring out at the planet below. The settlement was barely visible, crumbled buildings hidden beneath layers of dust. “We don’t know what we’ll find down there,” he said quietly. “Stay sharp.”

Minutes later, the shuttle touched down. Hart, Zane, and Dr. Mira Volkov, the team’s xenobiologist, stepped out into the eerie silence of the abandoned colony. The buildings, though decayed, still stood like the skeletons of a forgotten civilization.

“The distress signal’s origin is just ahead,” Zane said, his scanner glowing faintly. “It’s coming from the central command tower.”

As they approached, a sense of unease settled over them. The colony was too quiet — no signs of life, no debris from what might have caused its abandonment. The stillness felt unnatural, as if the planet itself had swallowed the colonists whole.

“This place shouldn’t exist,” Mira muttered, looking at the ruins. “No records, no transmissions for centuries. It’s like they’ve been erased from history.”

Hart’s hand rested on the pistol at his side. “And yet, someone sent that signal.”

They entered the command tower, its interior cloaked in shadows. Dust-covered consoles blinked weakly with power, flickering from the remnants of an old generator. At the center of the room, a single terminal still hummed, its screen displaying a looping message.

“Captain,” Zane called, pointing to the terminal. “This is it. It’s been broadcasting on a loop for over 200 years.”

Hart leaned in, tapping a few keys to translate the message. A voice recording began, faint and distorted by age.

“This is Administrator Liora Kade, last survivor of Kalos-7. If anyone receives this… do not follow. The colony is… compromised. We are not alone.”

The recording cut off abruptly, leaving the air thick with tension.

“Not alone?” Mira whispered, glancing around. “What does she mean?”

Before Hart could answer, Zane’s scanner beeped loudly. “Captain, I’m picking up life signs. Multiple. They’re… inside the walls.”

A slow, grinding noise echoed through the tower as the walls around them shifted. From the shadows emerged figures — humanoid, but wrong. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light, their bodies twisted and fused with metal, as if the colony itself had consumed them.

“Run!” Hart shouted.

The crew bolted for the exit as the twisted colonists advanced, their mechanical limbs scraping against the ground. The shuttle door slid open just in time, and they sped away from the planet.

Back aboard the Starfinder, Hart stood in silence, watching Kalos-7 fade into the distance. The colony had been lost to time, but its dark secret remained.

“They were never alone,” he whispered. “And neither are we.”