“Ancient Alien Artifact”. Chapter 6. The corporate juggernaut. Anton Vibe Art
The emerald glow of the alien sphere was drowned out by the garish floodlights the arriving fleet had erected. General Marcus Rexford, a man whose chrome-polished medals seemed to outshine his personality, strutted through the artificial light, his boots clanging on the obsidian floor. Drones buzzed like agitated gnats, scanning, mapping, documenting everything in their digital eyes.
Elara watched the spectacle unfold, the tension tightening around her like a cold fist. “So, this is how the corporate invasion looks.”
Kaito snorted, fiddling with a data slate. “More like a military recon than a scientific collaboration.”
Anya pursed her lips, her scientist’s pragmatism battling with her rising indignation. “They have every right to be here, Elara. They funded the mission.”
Elara scoffed. “Funded it, yes. Owned it? Not quite. We made the first contact, unlocked the sphere’s secrets.”
A booming voice interrupted their conversation. General Rexford, flanked by two armed guards, towered over them, his smile as sharp as the blade at his hip. “Captain Elara Vance, I presume? The hero of the hour.”
Elara kept her face neutral, refusing to be cowed by the man’s theatrics. “General Rexford. What brings you to our humble corner of the universe?”
Rexford’s smile widened, a shark baring its teeth. “Ah, humility. A rare quality these days. But let’s cut to the chase, shall we? This artifact, this sphere… it belongs to the Stellar Corporation now. My team will handle all research, analysis, and, of course, security.”
Elara felt a surge of defiance. “With all due respect, General, that’s not how this works. We were here first, and we’ve established a connection with the artifact. You can’t just waltz in and claim it.”
Kaito stepped forward, his voice laced with steel. “And what happens if we say no? This discovery belongs to humanity, not some corporate boardroom.”
Rexford’s smile faltered for a moment, the glint of his medals dimming. “Captain Vance, your crew’s contributions are commendable. But let’s be frank, you wouldn’t be here without the Corporation’s resources. Now, it’s time for us to take the reins and ensure this discovery is exploited… I mean, utilized properly.”
Anya stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension. “Exploited? General, this isn’t a resource to be mined. It’s a living entity, with secrets that could redefine our understanding of the universe. You can’t treat it like some corporate trophy.”
Rexford’s eyes narrowed, the predator sizing up its prey. “Dr. Anya Sato, ever the idealist. But unfortunately, the real world operates on different principles. Principles like profit, security, and… control.”
Elara met Rexford’s gaze, her voice unwavering. “You can have your drones, your scanners, your press conferences. But the true heart of this place, the whispers of the sphere, those belong to us. We earned them. And we won’t let you silence them, General. Not without a fight.”
The cavern echoed with the unspoken challenge, the three astronauts standing firm against the corporate juggernaut. The battle for the future of the artifact had just begun, a clash of ideals and agendas played out beneath the watchful gaze of the pulsing emerald sphere. Whether Rexford and his corporation would succeed in their power grab, or whether Elara, Kaito, and Anya could safeguard the artifact’s secrets for the greater good, remained to be seen. But one thing was certain: the story of the artifact had reached a turning point, a thrilling precipice where courage, science, and corporate greed might collide in a spectacular, and potentially irreversible, way.