Ryan crouched by the stream, adjusting the water sensor as it hummed softly, its small screen flickering with readouts. The stream’s clear, steady flow rippled over stones worn smooth, reflecting faint, reddish hues from the filtered light overhead. Proxima Centauri’s sun, muted by the thick canopy, cast the water in dark, coppery tones. Zoe stood beside him, her almond skin gleaming with sweat, it was hot and humid. Summer, Danny had explained.


    “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Ryan murmured, stirring the water gently with his gloved hand. It shifted, rippling outwards, but something about the movement caught his attention.


    Zoe’s eyes followed the ripples, a thoughtful crease forming between her brows. “It’s weird, right?” she said, her voice low. “The flow... it’s like it’s responding to something.” She looked at Ryan. “You think there’s something biological going on here?”


    “Could be,” Ryan said, noncommittal. He pulled out the portable spectrometer, positioning it over the stream. “Let’s see what this thing has to say.”


    As the device began scanning, Danny strolled up, wiping the back of his neck with a rag. His red curls clung to his forehead, darkened with sweat. “So, what are we looking at?” he asked, leaning over Ryan’s shoulder.


    Zoe pointed to a spot where the water seemed to be swirling, creating a small, tight vortex. “There. It’s been doing that on and off. Doesn’t feel natural.”


    Danny peered at it, his black eyes narrowing as he processed what he was seeing. “Interesting...” He grinned, glancing at Zoe. “You know, it’s almost like it’s reacting to you.”


    Zoe blinked, caught off guard. “What? How?”


    Ryan, catching on, smirked. “Maybe it’s drawn to your charm, Zoe. You’re making the water dance.”


    Danny nodded, putting on a mock-serious expression. “Yeah, it’s definitely a Zoe-specific phenomenon. We should probably document this, ‘The Woods Effect.’”


    Zoe’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, darting between the two of them. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”


    Ryan struggled to keep a straight face. “No, no, seriously. Stand right there.” He pointed at the spot she’d been in before. “Now, move a little to the left.”


    She stepped aside, and the swirling slowed. She moved back, and the vortex picked up again. Her mouth dropped open slightly. “Wait, is it really?”


    Danny couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. “Oh man, you should’ve seen your face!”


    Zoe’s eyes flashed as she realized she’d been had. She punched Danny’s arm hard enough to make him wince. “You guys are jerks.”


    Ryan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, alright, sorry. We couldn’t resist.”


    “But seriously,” Danny said, more sober now, “it is reacting to something. Not you, but maybe the trace elements in your suit or even the equipment you’re carrying.” He pointed to the spectrometer, which had finished its scan. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”


    Ryan angled the screen so they could all see. “Looks like there’s a high concentration of iron and a few other metals dissolved in the water. But there’s also... something else. This spike here,” he said, tapping the display, “it’s showing traces of organic compounds. Could be microbial.”


    Danny’s eyes lit up, and he snapped back into scientist mode. “Alright, now we’re getting somewhere. Those organic compounds mean we’ve got native microbial life. We need to collect a sample, run a culture test, see how it behaves in isolation.”


    Ryan reached into the equipment case, pulling out a set of sterile vials and a long, thin pipette. He handed them to Danny. “Here, you do the honors, Science Officer.”


    Danny dipped the pipette into the swirling water, drawing up a small sample and transferring it carefully into the vial. He sealed it, then shook it gently, watching the liquid inside. “It’s faint, but see how it glows?” he pointed out. Under the dim light, a faint, eerie green pulsed and faded.


    Zoe’s eyes widened. “Is that... bioluminescence?”


    “Looks like it,” Danny said, holding the vial up. “Probably a byproduct of whatever microbial process is going on. We’ve seen stuff like this on Earth, but the exact wavelength is different.” He looked at Ryan. “We need to get this back to the mobile lab. If these microbes are producing light, it could mean they’re using some kind of photonic or chemical energy.”


    Ryan nodded. “Maybe they’re adapted to the low light levels under the red dwarf. It could be a way to photosynthesize or communicate. Either way, it’s definitely worth checking out.”


    Zoe crossed her arms, her earlier irritation forgotten. “So, what you’re saying is, there might actually be something here reacting to us?”


    Danny nodded. “Or at least to the environment we’re creating around us. It’s possible the vibrations, the electromagnetic fields from our equipment, or even just the heat from our bodies are affecting the water. The real question is what that tells us about this ecosystem.”


    Zoe smirked, jabbing Danny’s shoulder again, this time lighter. “Alright, you’re off the hook, for now. But I’m not falling for any more of your tricks.”


    Danny raised his hands in mock surrender. “Scout’s honor. But hey, at least we got you to pay attention to the science.”


    “Shut up,” she said, but there was a grin on her face. “Let’s get this back to camp. Luca’s gonna want to hear about this.”


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    <hr>


    Joey adjusted the core sampling drill, tightening the clamps around the rocky ground to keep it stable. The loud mechanical screech of the drill filled the air, grinding into the strange, untouched world. He glanced up at the towering, purple-hued trees, their leaves shimmering like metallic scales under the muted red light.


    He tapped his comms, connecting to the base. “Luca, you reading this?” His voice crackled through the channel, clear but tinged with concentration. “Make sure the drill data’s coming through. We need those core readings logged as we go.”


    I glanced at the Peregrine’s monitor, watching as the data streamed in real-time. Density readings, mineral composition, and preliminary fluid detection scans flickered across the screen.


    “Yeah, I’m getting it,” I replied. “Looks like you’re hitting mixed mineral deposits, some rare metals in there. Could be worth something.”


    Joey grinned, feeling a flicker of satisfaction. “That’s what I like to hear. Keep an eye on it. I don’t want to lose any of this data if the connection drops.”


    “Relax, Joey,” I replied. “It’s solid. Just keep that drill steady and try not to break anything.” We had one drill, some spare bits up in the ship, but just the one machine. No need to burn it out.


    “Hey, I’m the careful one,” Joey shot back, adjusting the controls as the drill dug deeper. “You focus on keeping things running back there.”


    “Copy that. Keep me updated. This looks promising.”


    Nearby, Joey and Emily crouched beside the drill, carefully packing soil samples into sterile containers.


    “We’ll bag the core samples for full analysis later,” Emily said, sealing another vial. “But I’ll run a quick scan, it might give us an idea of the deeper composition.”


    She pulled out a handheld scanner, passing it over the freshly unearthed core. The device beeped, displaying a breakdown of elemental signatures.


    Joey nodded. “If we’re lucky, we might find something valuable, or at least get a clearer picture of how this planet’s crust formed.”


    The drill hummed, extracting a dense core of layered rock and soil. Joey tilted his head, inspecting the distinct bands of color that hinted at the planet’s geological history.


    “You’re doing good work, Em,” Joey said, his tone softer, more mentoring. “Just remember, it’s not about rushing to find the big discovery. It’s about gathering all the pieces, letting the data speak. Our job is to make sure the smart folks back home have everything they need to put the puzzle together.”


    Emily looked up, a bit of soil smudged on her cheek. “I know, but it’s hard not to get excited. Every time we hit a new layer, it’s like unwrapping a gift.”


    Joey chuckled, nodding as he glanced at the core sample in his hand. “I get it. But don’t forget, if we screw up the data collection, all those gifts go to waste. Slow and steady, alright?”


    Emily smiled. “Yeah, I get it. I’ll be careful.”


    Joey tapped a few buttons on the drill’s console, activating the next sequence. The machine whirred to life, boring deeper into the alien soil. “Emily, keep an eye on the fluid reservoir,” he said, glancing at her. “We’re looking for any underground water or liquids. I’ll monitor the seismic feedback for any signs of tectonic activity.”


    “Got it,” Emily replied, crouching near the equipment, her hands steady as she worked with the samples. The faint vibration of the drill echoed through the ground as she checked the display, her expression calm and focused.


    Joey studied the readout as it updated. “Hmm. Low-level tremors, seems like inactive plate movement. That’s good news for stability.”


    “Stable ground makes for a safer outpost,” Emily said, not looking up from her task. “We’ll confirm with additional data, but so far, this spot checks out.”


    <hr>


    The sun dipped below the horizon, throwing long, coppery shadows across the alien landscape. The air turned crisp, the kind of sharp cold that sneaks up on you after a long day. Even the weird pulsing plants seemed to dim their glow, like the whole world was winding down for the night.


    Above us, the planet’s rings stretched across the sky, faint but undeniable, with two moons hanging like silent sentinels. Yeah, that was a sight.


    I took a slow sip of lukewarm, bitter coffee, leaning back against a crate, watching the crew settle in. The exhaustion hanging over everyone wasn’t the bad kind, it was the earned kind. The kind that came from a damn solid day’s work.


    Over by the Peregrine, Joey crouched next to the portable transmitter, his datapad casting a faint glow in the growing darkness. A neat row of core samples sat beside him, each one sealed, labeled, and double-checked.


    He tapped at the screen, triggering the upload command.


    The transmitter hummed, its antenna extending skyward, data shooting up to the Triumph, still hanging in orbit.


    I glanced at the progress bars filling up on his screen, mineral compositions, soil analysis, radiation readings, everything we’d gathered was being logged and stored. A digital footprint of our first real day on this world.


    Joey didn’t move, watching the screen like a hawk, waiting for errors that wouldn’t come. There was no interference of any kind, clean air, no radio signals, and our transmitter? Rock solid. When the final confirmation blinked green, he exhaled, leaning back on his heels.


    Data secured. Mission accomplished.


    Emily and Danny had finally finished packing the last of the soil samples, and Danny muttered something about falling asleep standing up.


    “Not my fault you work slow,” Emily quipped back, stuffing the last container into the secured case.


    Danny groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I’m gonna start labeling these with insults if I have to keep doing this shit.”


    I smirked, taking another sip of coffee. “You do that, and I’ll make sure every scientist back on Earth sees your tired-ass handwriting.”


    Danny grumbled, but the tension was light. The day was over, the work was done, and for the first time since we landed, I felt like we were actually making progress.


    <hr>


    Zoe and Ryan were still by the stream, packing up their gear, her sarcastic voice carrying over the crackling fire. Something about drinking alien water. Ryan laughed, easy, natural, like they weren’t circling each other like a couple of dumbasses. Maybe they didn’t notice it. Or maybe they did. Either way, it wasn’t my business.


    The firelight bounced off the strange purple plants, their glow dimming as the alien night settled in. Around me, the crew was unwinding, Joey making sure everyone had food and coffee, Chris already halfway through his MRE, Danny looking like he was about to fall asleep standing up.


    But I wasn’t watching them.


    I was watching Emily, the firelight catching in her green eyes as she sat cross-legged on a blanket, looking like she belonged here more than any of us.


    This was the part of the day I looked forward to the most, the quiet, the crew together, no tech malfunctions, no one yelling, no surprises. And yet, my mind kept drifting.


    I wanted to grab Emily’s hand and disappear into the dark, find somewhere we could forget about the mission, the crew, everything, for just a little while.


    Ryan’s voice cut through the quiet, dragging me back.


    “And no portals.” He was smirking, the bastard. “Not a single one. Kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”


    I shot him a look. “Ryan. Don’t.”


    Zoe lobbed a twig at his head. “Shut it.”


    But I could tell it was on everyone’s mind. No System interference. No threats. Just us, an entire alien planet, and... peace.


    Danny leaned forward, poking at the fire. “Still weird, though. Feels almost normal.”


    Zoe shrugged, eyes on the sky. “Almost.”


    I let my gaze wander past the flames, toward the dark horizon, where nothing lurked. No portals. No mobs. Nothing. It should’ve been a relief. But it wasn’t.


    Emily leaned into my side. “It’s kind of romantic, isn’t it?” she murmured.


    I looked down at her. “Sure, Em. Romantic.”


    I kissed her, quick and soft, because I wanted to, because I always wanted to.


    She must’ve felt it too because after a moment, she whispered, “Come take a walk with me.”


    That was all I needed to hear.