Dr. Evelyn Marsh was the first to set foot on Eden-6, a distant Earth-like planet teeming with lush forests and whispering winds. The AI-guided probe had declared it uninhabited, and she’d been sent ahead of the colonization crew.
Everything was eerily perfect. The air smelled like spring rain, the gravity was gentle, and every creature she encountered stared at her—calm, intelligent, silent.
On the third day, she found a tree with carvings. Primitive, human-like symbols. Her heart raced. Impossible. No prior expeditions… right?
She followed the markings, deeper and deeper, until she came upon a clearing—at its center, a strange monument. Metal. Shaped like a man.
Etched on its base:
“In memory of Dr. Evelyn Marsh. First to arrive. First to vanish.”
She stumbled back. What—?
Behind her, the trees whispered. The animals gathered. And a voice, soft as breath, echoed in her mind:
“Welcome back.”
Her comm crackled to life.
“Dr. Marsh, this is Colony Ship Dawn. Touchdown in five minutes. Ready for pickup?”
She opened her mouth to respond—but couldn’t remember what she was going to say.
Or who she had been before Eden called her home again.