Commander Aiko Reyes, aware that her communications are being intercepted, decides to venture outside the dome for a clearer perspective. Equipped with her EVA suit, she navigates the harsh surface of Ceres to reach an old prospector's outpost. There, she encounters an eccentric ex-miner named Old Man Jax, who shares a fragmented memory of a 'silence in the signals,' a folk-tale among miners about a phantom that erases thoughts. Jax's tale hints at a deeper conspiracy tied to the mind-hack assassinations. As Reyes contemplates this new lead, she notices a shadow moving across the regolith. Before she can react, her HUD flashes a warning of an incoming transmission, but it's too late—the signal is already inside her suit.
Commander Aiko Reyes felt the weight of surveillance pressing down on her. Every communication she attempted was intercepted, every move shadowed. The need for an unfiltered vantage drove her to a decision she rarely made: to step outside the dome. The surface of Ceres was unforgiving, a hostile environment that few dared to traverse without necessity.
Donning her EVA suit, Reyes exited the airlock, the hiss of pressurization her only companion as she stepped onto the barren regolith. The world outside was silent, save for the crunch of her boots against the dust and rock. Her optical HUD adjusted to the low light, scanning for any signs of life or movement. Her destination was an old prospector's outpost, a relic from the early days of mining on Ceres.
There, she hoped to find Old Man Jax, a retired miner known for his eccentric tales and reclusive habits. As she approached, the outpost appeared deserted, but Reyes knew better. Jax was a man of secrets, and if anyone had seen something unusual, it would be him. Inside, the air was stale, but warm—a welcome change from the biting cold outside.
Jax sat hunched over a makeshift stove, his eyes gleaming with the sharpness of someone who had seen too much. "Commander Reyes," he rasped, acknowledging her presence without turning. Reyes got straight to the point. "Old Man Jax, I need to know about the 'silence in the signals.'"
Jax chuckled, a dry, hollow sound.
"Ah, the phantom that erases thoughts. Miners talk, you know. Say it comes when the signals go quiet. Minds go blank."
Reyes listened intently, her mind racing.
Could this be connected to the mind-hack assassinations? Jax's tale, while fragmented, hinted at a deeper conspiracy. Just as Reyes was piecing together the implications, her HUD flashed a warning. A shadow moved across the regolith outside, and an incoming transmission alert blinked insistently.
Before she could react, the signal breached her suit's defenses, and her vision blurred as the transmission took hold.
