Support My Short Stories - #AD Glowing Remote

The message arrived exactly 127 years after Earth went silent.

Commander Elias Chen stared at the blinking console aboard the deep-space research vessel Aurora. Humanity had abandoned Earth generations ago after the oceans rose and the atmosphere turned toxic. Since then, thousands of probes had scanned the old planet, but none had detected anything alive.

Until now. The signal was faint, almost lost in cosmic radiation. “Repeat transmission,” Elias said quietly. The ship’s AI replayed it. A human voice echoed through the bridge speakers. “If anyone is still out there… we are still here.” Elias felt his stomach tighten. That was impossible. Earth had been declared completely uninhabitable nearly a century earlier. “Trace the origin,” he ordered. Coordinates appeared on the screen. They pointed directly to the ruins of New York City. Elias leaned back in his chair, heart racing. “Prepare a jump course to Earth.”

The AI paused.

“Commander,” it replied calmly.

“There is something else you should know.” A second signal had just been detected.

But this one wasn’t human.

End of Note 1

Follow this stream to read the next transmission from Earth.