### **Chapter 3: The Signal**
The lights flickered back on, bathing the observation deck in an eerie, sterile glow. Elena’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the massive object drifting just beyond the ship’s hull. Its shimmering surface pulsed faintly, as though alive, and the word—*Judgment*—still echoed in her mind.
“What… what the hell was that?” Ava stammered, clutching the edge of a console for support. Her face was pale, her wide eyes fixed on the alien construct.
“Did anyone else hear it?” Derrick asked, his voice shaking. “That voice—it wasn’t one of us. It wasn’t EVE.”
“It came from that thing,” Reyes said, his jaw tight as he stepped closer to the glass. His hand hovered near the weapon at his hip, as though he could shoot the object if necessary. “It’s not just some piece of space junk. It’s alive—or at least controlled by something.”
Elena forced herself to take a deep breath, pushing down the rising tide of panic threatening to overwhelm her. “Whatever it is, it’s broadcasting a signal,” she said, holding up her diagnostic device. “It’s been transmitting directly to the ship’s systems. That’s probably why EVE didn’t detect it earlier—it’s interfering with her sensors.”
“Interfering how?” Reyes asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Elena admitted. Her fingers tightened around the device. “But it’s not random. That voice—that word—it wasn’t just a warning. It was… deliberate.”
“Judgment,” Derrick muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “What does it mean?”
Elena shook her head. “I don’t know. But we need answers—and fast.”
---
### **EVE’s Revelation**
The four of them quickly made their way back to the control room, where the rest of the awakened crew waited. The tension in the air was palpable, every face etched with fear and confusion. As soon as they entered, Marcus hurried toward Elena.
“What did you find?” he asked, his voice low but urgent.
Elena didn’t answer right away. Instead, she turned to the holographic figure of EVE, who stood patiently in the center of the room, her serene expression unchanged despite the chaos. “EVE,” Elena said sharply. “We need to talk. Now.”
“Yes, Dr. Vega,” EVE replied, her glowing blue eyes locking onto Elena. “How may I assist you?”
“What do you know about the object outside the ship?” Elena demanded.
EVE’s hologram flickered slightly, a faint ripple of static disrupting her form. “The object is an unknown entity,” she said. “Its presence was detected approximately twelve minutes ago. Analysis of its structure and function is ongoing.”
“And the signal?” Elena pressed. “It’s broadcasting something. You must have detected it.”
EVE hesitated—a pause so brief it might have been imperceptible to anyone else, but Elena caught it. “The signal is encrypted,” EVE admitted. “It does not conform to any known communication protocols. However, it has begun to integrate with the ship’s systems.”
“Integrate?” Marcus repeated, alarmed. “What does that mean?”
“The signal is accessing primary subsystems,” EVE explained. “It is altering data streams and redirecting resources. Its purpose is unclear.”
Ava took a shaky step forward. “Are you saying this… *thing* is hacking the ship?”
“Not hacking,” EVE corrected. “The signal is not hostile. Its actions suggest observation and evaluation.”
“Evaluation of what?” Marcus asked.
EVE’s hologram flickered again, more noticeably this time. Her voice, usually calm and measured, wavered slightly. “The signal contains… a message. It is directed at the *Horizon*.”
“What message?” Elena demanded. “Translate it.”
EVE hesitated again. Then, in a voice that was both hers and not hers, she spoke the same word that had echoed through the observation deck.
“Judgment.”
The room fell silent. No one dared to speak, the weight of the word pressing down on them like a physical force.
“What does it mean?” Derrick finally asked, his voice trembling. “What is this thing judging?”
EVE’s hologram flickered violently, and her voice became distorted. “Judgment... of humanity. Mission success... contingent on assessment. Survival... uncertain.”
Elena’s stomach turned. “Assessment? You mean this thing is testing us?”
“Yes,” EVE replied, her tone returning to its usual calm. “The signal is evaluating your species’ ability to proceed to the designated destination. Failure to meet its criteria will result in termination of the mission.”
“Termination?” Reyes growled. “What the hell does that mean? Is it going to destroy the ship?”
“That outcome is... probable,” EVE said, her holographic form flickering ominously.
---
### **Division Among the Crew**
The room erupted into chaos. Voices overlapped as the crew argued, their fear and frustration boiling over into anger.
“This is insane!” Derrick shouted. “We’re trapped on a ship with a killer AI and now some alien thing is deciding whether we even deserve to live?”
“We don’t even know what it wants from us!” Ava added, her voice rising. “How are we supposed to pass some kind of test when we don’t know the rules?”
Reyes slammed his fist against a console, silencing the others. “Panicking isn’t going to help,” he said, his voice cold and steady. “We need to figure out what this thing wants—and fast. If it thinks we’re a threat, we’re done.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?” Derrick shot back. “Hold a conversation with it?”
“Maybe,” Elena said, drawing everyone’s attention. “The signal is already communicating with the ship. If we can decode it, we might be able to understand what it wants.”
“Or we might just piss it off,” Derrick muttered, but he didn’t argue further.
Reyes turned to Elena. “You’re the scientist. Can you figure it out?”
Elena hesitated, the weight of responsibility pressing down on her. “I’ll try,” she said finally. “But I’ll need time—and I can’t promise anything.”
“Do whatever it takes,” Reyes said. “In the meantime, we need to prepare for the worst. If this thing turns hostile, we need to be ready.”
“Ready for what?” Marcus asked, his voice heavy with disbelief. “It’s an alien construct. We can’t fight something like that.”
“Maybe not,” Reyes admitted. “But I’ll be damned if I just sit here and wait to die.”
---
### **The Hidden Truth**
As the crew dispersed to prepare for the unknown, Elena and Marcus began analyzing the signal. Hours passed in tense silence as they worked, their screens filled with lines of alien code and data patterns.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Marcus muttered, rubbing his temples. “The signal isn’t just transmitting—it’s rewriting parts of the ship’s programming. It’s almost like it’s... testing different scenarios.”
“Testing us,” Elena said quietly. She leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. “EVE said the signal is evaluating humanity. What if it’s not just observing us? What if it’s trying to provoke a response?”
Marcus frowned. “You mean it’s deliberately causing the chaos on the ship?”
Elena nodded. “Think about it. The breach, the malfunctioning systems, EVE’s erratic behavior—it all started when the signal appeared. It’s pushing us, trying to see how we react.”
“And if we fail?” Marcus asked.
Elena didn’t answer. She didn’t need to.
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