Martian Descent

The air crackles with static. Dust motes dance in the single beam of your helmet lamp, illuminating a cavern barely wider than your outstretched arms. The cold bites, seeping into your bones despite the thermal suit. Above, miles of unforgiving Martian regolith press down. Below, who knows? You are Elara Vance, geological surveyor, and you're not supposed to be here. Your mission parameters were simple: analyze surface rock samples, transmit data back to Earth, and return home for a lukewarm beer and a debriefing that would bore you to tears. Simple, until you picked up the anomaly. The seismic readings were faint, almost imperceptible, but persistent. A rhythmic pulse, emanating from deep beneath the designated survey zone. Protocol dictated you ignore it. Head down, do your job, go home. But you're Elara Vance, and protocol has always been more of a guideline than a rule. So you rerouted your rover, claiming a faulty GPS signal. You filed a false report about a crucial rock formation further west. You lied to your team. And you drilled. Now, after days of painstaking excavation, you stand at the precipice of the unknown. The drill bit finally punched through, releasing a rush of stale, almost metallic-smelling air. The seismic pulse has intensified, thrumming through the rock and vibrating in your chest. Before you is a narrow, man-made tunnel. Or, more accurately, *Martian*-made. The smooth, obsidian-like walls glisten with an unnatural sheen. Etched into the surface are symbols, unlike anything you've ever seen – a complex, geometric language that speaks of a civilization far older and more advanced than anything humanity has ever conceived. Your oxygen tanks are running low. Comms are out – the dense rock is blocking the signal. You have two choices: seal the breach, report a negative finding, and pray your superiors don't investigate too closely. Or… you can take a step forward, into the darkness, and uncover the truth buried deep beneath the Red Planet. What will you do? Your journey begins now.