The Lost Universe
A Science Fiction Serial
Author: Tarek Kajol
Episode 2
The Red Ring and the Descent:
The green sphere grew steadily in the viewport, its vibrant hue a stark contrast to the bold red band of its upper atmosphere—an unusual, beautiful, and slightly unsettling sight. For days, the Velocity15 maintained its steady deceleration, the silence of our cabin broken only by the hum of the engines and the soft data clicks from Niya’s internal systems.
“Niya, what is the composition of that red band?” I asked, leaning closer to the main display.
The robot turned her exquisite, perfectly human face toward me, her eyes—a deep, liquid amber—focused. “Scanning, Nijhum. The spectroscopic analysis is unlike anything in our database. It’s a dense layer of iron-oxide particles suspended in the upper atmosphere, interacting with the stellar radiation. Essentially, a ring of highly charged cosmic rust. It’s shielding the planet from a significant portion of the universe’s high-energy gamma rays, which explains why the lower atmosphere is so Earth-like.”
“A massive, natural shield,” I murmured, my initial apprehension giving way to fascination. “It’s almost too perfect.”
As we approached the red boundary, the ship’s internal temperature subtly rose. The Velocity15’s hull began to glow faintly with frictional heat as we entered the protective, yet volatile, red band. The journey through this layer was turbulent. We were buffeted by powerful atmospheric currents, the spacecraft rattling like a tin can caught in a whirlpool. Warning lights flashed crimson across the control panel.
“Stabilizers holding at eighty-three percent,” Niya reported calmly, her mechanical hands moving with graceful precision across the console, overriding the autopilot’s frantic corrections. “Brace for descent through the mesopause.”
The viewscreen was completely obscured, awash in a furious, swirling crimson that made the very air seem to vibrate. Then, as suddenly as it began, the turbulence ceased. We burst through the lower boundary of the red layer and into a clear, blue sky—a sky uncannily similar to the one I’d known on Earth. Below us, the planet revealed itself.
It was a world of striking, almost alien symmetry. Vast, emerald landmasses were separated by deep violet oceans. I saw no chaotic mountain ranges, only gently rolling plains that transitioned into immense, perfectly circular forests. There were no visible signs of urbanization—no cities, no lights, no roads—yet an unmistakable sense of intelligent design permeated the landscape.
“No technological signatures detected, Nijhum,” Niya confirmed, echoing my thought. “No radio waves, no thermal exhaust, nothing to indicate an industrial civilization. Yet the atmospheric data is still holding: breathable air, 22% oxygen, stable temperature, and low magnetic interference.”
I lowered the altitude toward one of the large, circular forests. Through the forward viewport, I saw a wide, crystalline river snaking toward a delta that emptied into the purple sea. On the riverbank, something moved—something massive.
“Encountering an enormous biological entity at three kilometers,” Niya announced, zooming the display.
I leaned forward, my heart hammering against my ribs. It wasn’t just massive; it was a structure. Towering over the river, at least two hundred feet tall, was a creature that looked like a colossal, six-legged stag, its body covered not in fur, but in a shimmering, deep-blue carapace. But its antlers were what held my gaze: they weren’t bone, but an array of perfectly geometrical, glowing purple crystals, radiating a faint, rhythmic pulse of light into the sky.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, almost forgetting to breathe. “It’s alive.”
The creature—the Chrysalid Stag—tilted its head, and I had the unnerving sense that it was looking directly back at us, its large, phosphorescent eyes tracking the Velocity15 with ancient intelligence. We were no longer simply observing the unknown; we were being observed. The strange thrill from before now sharpened into a knife-edge of pure, exhilarating peril.
Our landing zone was a lush, flat clearing beside the river, just within the shadow of the colossal creature. The spacecraft settled softly onto the foreign soil. We had arrived.
“Powering down the main engines,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline. I glanced at Niya, her face serene, her systems ready. “Let’s see what this lost universe has in store for us.”
I reached for the cabin release control, the alien air suddenly within reach….To….Be… Continued…
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
