Solaris Unveiled

Episode 1: "Descent into the Unknown"

The Stellar Resolve orbited Solaris, casting a long shadow over the planet’s burnt-amber atmosphere. Inside, four crewmembers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, peering out through the main viewport.

Liam adjusted the interface on his wrist, scrolling through the dense readings of Solaris's atmosphere. "Surface scans are coming back strange. It’s...almost like a fluid composition,” he murmured, eyebrows furrowed.

“Define ‘strange,’ Captain,” Alex muttered, hands resting on his belt. The broad-shouldered security officer stood tense, one foot tapping an anxious rhythm on the metallic floor.

"Unstable." Liam’s finger traced the hologram above them, showing the atmospheric layers. "Higher than usual densities of micronized compounds...could cause interference. Just means we’ll need extra caution on re-entry.”

Beside him, Maya gave a low whistle. “Would you look at that—so much energy here, it’s practically buzzing,” she said, eyes bright as she zoomed into a thermal map. “We could power ten space stations off one quadrant of this place.”

“Or melt down ten if we’re not careful,” Alex grunted. He looked away from the viewport, adjusting the collar of his suit.

Sarah, the ship’s doctor and biologist, leaned in close to the display, her curiosity palpable. "If it's so unstable, why the botanical readings? Plenty of greenery down there. Not to mention...a mild, Earth-like climate. It’s a paradise.”

Liam gave a curt nod. "Paradise or not, our job’s to get in, gather samples, and get out." He tapped his wrist control. “Suit up. We’re making landfall in five."

---

In the cargo bay, they checked each other’s suits and comms, the subtle hum of life-support systems buzzing in their helmets. Each suit was a streamlined graphite gray, reinforced for high-pressure atmospheres and equipped with HUD interfaces.

“Ready?” Liam’s voice crackled through their shared channel.

“Affirmative,” Alex replied, doing a quick sweep over his suit’s status.

Maya winked at Sarah through the transparent helmet panel. “Good to go.”

The landing was smooth, the planet’s gravity almost identical to Earth’s. As they stepped out of the airlock, their boots sank slightly into soft, reddish soil. A warm breeze swept through the clearing, and they breathed in the unfamiliar, sweet scent of Solaris's air.

“Feels a bit too…perfect,” Sarah said, eyes darting across the forested landscape before them.

“Give it a few minutes,” Alex replied. “Paradise always has a catch.”

They took a few steps forward, moving in formation. The HUDs in their visors flickered as they began running scans. A low beep sounded, and then Liam's visor dimmed.

"Hold up." He tapped the screen at the side of his helmet. "I’m losing suit data."

“Same here,” Maya muttered, giving her wrist controls a frustrated flick. “System just kicked me off readings. Whatever’s in this air, it’s disrupting the suit sensors.”

“Let’s keep going,” Liam ordered, more firmly than he felt. "Stay close.”

A minute passed. Another breeze stirred. Maya shivered, brushing her arm reflexively.

“Did anyone else feel that?” she asked.

“Feel what?” Alex’s voice was tense, his hand instinctively moving to where his sidearm would be, if not secured beneath layers of specialized fabric.

“Uh, air.” Maya glanced down. "It's…it’s getting cooler."

A loud pop echoed through their earpieces as Alex’s suit status dropped offline. He let out a string of curses as he slapped at his control pad. “Captain, I’m losing integrity. My seal light just went off.”

“I’m seeing it too,” Liam replied, checking his own HUD. “It’s not just one suit malfunctioning—Sarah?”

“Suit failure. Oxygen levels holding…for now,” Sarah said. Her voice tightened. “But temperature readouts just bottomed out.”

A faint tearing sound made them pause. Sarah looked down, gasping. The seams along her sleeves were starting to split.

“Liam, my suit’s disintegrating,” she whispered.

“Mine too!” Maya’s eyes widened, pulling at her sleeve as it came away in her hand, leaving her arm exposed to the warm Solaris air.

Liam's brow furrowed as he tugged on his own sleeve and saw the material flaking away like ash, scattering in the breeze. “Back to the ship. Now.”

But just as they turned, the disintegration accelerated, seams and fabric crumbling to nothing. In seconds, their suits fell away entirely, leaving them vulnerable, their breaths coming fast and shallow as the reality sank in.

They were standing on Solaris, naked.

---

For a moment, the crew was paralyzed, shifting between glances, each of them trying to process the surreal sight of their bare skin in the warm, dappled light filtering through the planet’s strange, rust-colored canopy.

Alex’s voice broke the silence. “This…this has to be some kind of atmospheric attack. Contamination protocol—Captain, we need a solution, fast.”

“No indication of toxins,” Sarah murmured, her cheeks flushed, her fingers brushing her shoulder. “Breathing fine. Pulse steady.”

“Still. This—” Alex cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at the others. “I mean, this can’t be standard procedure.”

Maya’s laughter cut the tension, nervous and surprised. “Well, it’s a first, that’s for sure. I can’t say I saw a naked alien reconnaissance mission in my career plan.”

Sarah chuckled, though her gaze softened as she looked around. “It’s almost…natural. Isn’t it?”

Liam’s jaw tightened as he looked out into the distant haze. “We don’t have the luxury of philosophizing right now. Ship’s two clicks east. We’ll walk in single file.”

Maya grinned, a hint of defiance in her eyes. “Liam, we’re not exactly blending in here. I think formation protocol’s a bit out of the question.”

They set off through the undergrowth, their bare skin brushing against strange, soft foliage. The sensation was unfamiliar, an odd reminder of their vulnerability, and yet, Sarah found herself mesmerized by the alien flora around them.

Minutes passed in silence before Liam’s voice broke through, low and frustrated. “No one mentions this in any report. Clear?”

“Clear,” they muttered in unison, each adjusting to the sudden intimacy of the situation.

The Resolve was visible ahead, but as they neared the landing site, a faint hum sounded from their left. A figure emerged, tall and human-like, wearing no clothing but standing at ease. They glowed faintly, their skin shimmering in the sunlight, giving them an ethereal quality. The crew froze, eyes widening.

“Who…are you?” Liam’s voice barely rose above a whisper.

The figure inclined their head, their expression gentle. “My name is Iona. We have been expecting you.”

Liam’s hand went to the empty spot on his hip where his sidearm would’ve been. “Expecting us?”

Iona nodded, a serene smile playing on their lips. “We have watched your approach for days. You came from across the stars, carrying much…clothing.”

A ripple of surprise passed through the crew as Iona continued. “Clothing is…unnecessary here. It distracts from the unity we share. On Solaris, you are free from all constraints.”

Alex’s jaw tensed. “What, so we’re just supposed to embrace…this? Whatever this is?”

Iona gave a slight nod. “In time, yes. But I sense your discomfort. We are patient.”

Sarah took a tentative step forward. “What about…protection? Our technology? We need it to survive, don’t we?”

“Survival?” Iona’s eyes met hers, unwavering. “That is a foreign concept. You are alive, and so are we—only, unencumbered.”

Maya tilted her head. “And why should we believe you?”

“Because,” Iona replied, gesturing to the landscape beyond, “on Solaris, what is true will show itself, just as you are shown now—unhidden.”

The group stood silently, absorbing Iona’s words.

“We will be here when you are ready to begin,” Iona added, her voice calm and sure. And just as she had appeared, she turned and vanished into the foliage, leaving only the faint shimmer in the air where she had stood.

Liam let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “We need answers. Fast.”

To be continued…

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