Akira — brilliant, arrogant, untouchable in her confidence. She's well known for being the astronomical genius of the century, she'd discovered secrets of the galaxy that others had only dreamed of seeing — exoplanets hidden in distant systems, the subtle dance of cosmic dust, anomalies in stellar motion that defied expectations.
Yet beneath the brilliance, there was an obsession. Every telescope, every simulation, every sleepless night pulled her deeper into the cosmos.
She grinned gleefully as she pulled out a document.
-╔══════════════════════════════╗OBSERVATORY LOGSPROJECT: LUMEN PROJECT╚══════════════════════════════╝
◈Location - High-altitude orbital observatory (HAOO)
◈Objective - measure the true structure of a light year
◈Secondary Objective - map a viable route to the Andromeda galaxy
◈Power source - Experimental Stellar Core Reactor
◈A light-year is distance, not time - But what if distance bends?
Signed off by
-Professor Peter Travosky
"Hmm...?" Akira hummed in confusion before glancing at the team of workers behind her.
"Why aren't we launching the reactor?" Her voice cut through the lab like a blade.
A young technician swallowed nervously. "It's nowhere near ready yet, Dr Akira… we don't even have a complete understanding of what we're looking for—"
"Shut up." Her eyes, cold and unrelenting, pinned him to the spot. She flicked her wrist dismissively, a motion that made the room feel smaller.
The technician froze, knowing there was no arguing. Even her assistants had learned long ago that her brilliance came paired with a ruthlessness.
Akira took a slow step closer to the console, her gaze scanning the myriad of blinking lights, wires, and data streams.
"Get on with it, turn it on."
The air in the lab seemed to hum, as if responding to her command. Machines whirred to life, the reactor's core glowing with an almost blinding intensity.
The lab erupted in blinding light. Akira clenched her eyes shut, forearms raised to shield her face, grunting as the brilliance seared her vision. Then, as suddenly as it began, the illumination dimmed. The steady hum of the Reactor slowed.
Akira exhaled sharply, adrenaline and excitement coiling together. "Wha…did it work?!" she murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief and anticipation. Without hesitation, she closed the distance to the reactor in a few strides, leaning over the console.
*beep… beep…* Numbers and symbols flashed rapidly across the screen.
"What…?" Her breath hitched as she scanned the display. "Something nearby… it's coming in...all directions?" Surprise edged her tone, but it was quickly swallowed by urgency. Her gaze snapped to the trembling technician from earlier.
"Get a move on! Go! To the telescopes are you stupid?!" Her voice cut through the room like a whip, every word laced with panic and command. The assistants scattered, machines clattering under their hands, while Alira stayed rooted, eyes glued to the reactor.
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The results were back in no time..."nothing?" Akira grumbled in confusion, glancing at the Reactor. "Nothing?!" she huffs, slamming the file onto the counter. The workers stood awkwardly. Akira walked over to the Reactor. Then picked up the files again.
"No...my creation isn't wrong.." she glances at the images, noticing an odd blur.
Her eyes widen in realisation, she drops the files. Stumbling as her legs go weak. Dark matter? We...we are surrounded..by dark..matter?