The journey to Solace Prime took about a few hours, the Vanguard’s jump drive carving a path through the vastness of space. As the ship emerged from the shimmering folds of hyperspace, Solace Prime came into view, a massive space station suspended against the endless void, its colossal ring structure rotating methodically.

Fleets of UFE warships patrolled the perimeter, their dark hulls glinting under the distant glow of nearby stars. The Vanguard descended and entered the docking bay of Solace Prime.

As the shuttle veered toward the landing pad, Arthur leaned back in his seat, his gaze momentarily flicking to Kael, who sat beside him with his usual composed expression.

Kael, noticing the glance, curled an eyebrow. “You look like you’re ready for a fight.”

Arthur exhaled, shifting his gaze back to the viewport. “Let’s just say I don’t like standing still for too long.”

Kael smirked slightly. “Well don’t worry, it’s not even a day ago you were fighting the Chimerians, it’s just a stress reaction.”

[A/N: When soldiers return home from war they experience frustration, it’s often referred to as “combat stress reaction” (CSR), essentially a psychological response to the trauma of war that can manifest in various ways, including irritability and frustration.]

Arthur muttered, “Yeah, well…”

The Vanguard’s landing struts hissing as they extended. The ship settled with a low thud, and the airlock depressurized, a gust of crisp, artificially controlled air rushed in, carrying the scent of metal and ozone.

Standing at the edge of the platform, waiting for them, was Lira.

She stood tall in her dark blue UFE uniform, her silver hair neatly tied back in a tight ponytail. She stood with her arms crossed, her striking amber eyes studying the two as they stepped onto the station’s platform. She gave a subtle nod in greeting.

“Arthur. Welcome back.”

Kael grinned. “Hey, no welcome for me.”

Arthur gave a small nod. “Good to see you again.”

Lira crossed her arms and jabbed at Kael. “No, if you have so much free time, do some charity work.”

Arthur chuckled at that.

Kael, scratching the back of his head and said with a pout. “Ain’t I already doing charity work?…so they put you on reception duty now?””

Lira scoffed. “I too can volunteer to do things. And the admiral wanted me to escort you two directly. Apparently, he’s eager to get this meeting over with.”

Arthur adjusted his collar. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”

Lira gestured for them to follow. “Come on, he’s waiting.”

…

The corridors of Solace Prime were pristine, illuminated by a soft blue glow emanating from the walls. The station hummed with activity, scientists, officers, and engineers moving with precise purpose. Arthur took it all in, his boots echoing against the reinforced flooring as they made their way deeper into the command sector.

After passing through multiple security checkpoints, they arrived at a large reinforced door, which slid open with a deep hum. Inside, the office was vast yet minimalistic, a massive holographic display in the center projected real-time updates of the space station, while sleek metallic desks lined the walls, stacked with classified documents and reports.

At the far end, Admiral Tiber Kane stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out of the transparent wall that overlooked Solace Prime bustling with activity. Even though he looked to be in his late forties, he must be centuries old, but he still remained an imposing figure, broad-shouldered, sharp-eyed, with a scar running down his left cheek, a relic from an old war.

As Arthur stepped inside, Kane turned, his piercing gaze settling on him.

“Arthur.” His voice carried the weight of authority, and direct. “Good work on the frontline. We’ve received the full debrief of what happened there. With the ruins you guys secured it could be an immense help for humanity to win this war”

Arthur gave a curt nod and saluted. “Admiral.”

Kane gestured for them to sit, Arthur sat opposite to him and asked. “I assume this is about Professor Carstairs.”

Kane stepped forward, activating the holo-display at his desk. A new data profile appeared, a holographic projection of an older man with graying hair and deep-set eyes, dressed in a high-collared UFE research uniform.

Kane gestured to the image. “Professor Eamon Carstairs. One of the most renowned experts in dimensional studies, quantum anomalies, and exotic matter research.”

Kane continued. “He’s spent decades researching rifts, parallel dimensions, and interdimensional energy signatures. His work was instrumental in detecting the early signs of the Chimerian incursions.”

Arthur studied the holographic image for a moment. “And he’s already on Solace Prime?”

Kane confirmed, “Yes. He arrived two days ago under high security. Given your… unique situation, I figured you’d want to speak with him directly.”

Arthur straightened. “Then I’ll meet him today.”

Kane raised an eyebrow. “You sure? You’ve barely had time to rest. I can schedule the meeting for tomorrow if you need…”

Arthur cut in and shook his head, “No. I don’t want to waste time.”

Kael glanced at Arthur, his expression unreadable. Lira simply folded her arms, watching the exchange.

Kane studied Arthur for a long moment before giving a curt nod. “Very well. I’ll have the meeting arranged immediately.”

Arthur added, “Also, If it is possible I would like to request a visit to the planet where I first arrived.”

Kane’s expression shifted slightly. “Hmm…that planet is in its development phase. If you want I can assign you a mission on the planet for a few days.” The admiral didn’t question him as to why he wanted to go to the planet, he thought it might hold some sentimental value to him. But the truth is Arthur wanted to retrieve the deposit of Element-M he encountered on the planet.

…

Arthur walked down the dimly lit corridor, his footsteps echoing against the sleek metallic flooring of Solace Prime. A soldier led the way, clad in standard UFE uniform.

They stopped outside a reinforced door labeled “Research Lab – Level 3”. The soldier turned, saluted crisply, and gestured toward the door.

“This is the place, sir. The professor is expecting you,” he said, before turning on his heel and walking away.

Arthur watched him leave and stepped forward. The door slid open with a smooth hiss, revealing the laboratory within.

The lab was a chaotic expanse of technology and research materials. Holographic projections flickered mid-air, displaying rotating models of dimensional rift signatures. Data streams cascaded down various screens, filled with indecipherable equations and graphs. The scent of ozone and sterilized metal hung thick in the air.

At the far end, hunched over a sleek workstation, was Professor Eamon Carstairs.

He was an older man, he looked to be in his sixties but Arthur knew he might be centuries old, with a head full of unruly gray hair and deep wrinkles etched into his face from years of intense study. 

His lab coat was slightly unkempt, sleeves rolled up, revealing calloused hands stained with traces of conductive gel and other materials. He was utterly engrossed in a complex-looking device, muttering to himself as he made fine adjustments with a specialized tool.

Arthur stepped forward, waiting for acknowledgement. When none came, he cleared his throat.

“Ahem.”

The professor paused but didn’t look up immediately. He let out an annoyed sigh before turning his head slightly. His gray eyes, sharp despite his age, narrowed as he examined Arthur.

“You’re not a lab technician,” he remarked dryly. “So who the hell are you?”

Arthur crossed his arms. “Arthur. I had a meeting scheduled with you today.”

Carstairs blinked, then straightened up suddenly. “Oh! Right, right, Arthur!” His tone shifted instantly from dismissive to intrigued. “Yes, yes, of course! Admiral Kane told me you’d be stopping by. Forgive me, I get lost in my work sometimes.”

He wiped his hands on his coat and extended one toward Arthur, who shook it firmly.

“A pleasure,” Arthur said.

Carstairs grinned. “Oh, the pleasure is all mine. You, my boy, are quite possibly the most fascinating subject I’ve ever encountered.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “That’s… one way to put it.”

The professor gestured toward a nearby chair. “Sit, sit! I have so many questions. First and foremost, tell me exactly how you ended up here. Every detail.”

Arthur took a seat, resting his forearms on the desk. He briefly recounted his first memories in this universe, how he woke up in an unfamiliar world, the confusion, the struggle for survival, and his eventual contact with UFE forces. He left out certain key details, particularly anything about Element-M, but gave Carstairs enough information to work with.

The professor listened intently, occasionally jotting down notes on a holo-tablet. When Arthur finished, Carstairs leaned back, rubbing his chin.

“Fascinating,” he murmured. “Truly fascinating.”

Carstairs tapped on his holo-tablet, and new data projections appeared in the air. “We’ve detected dimensional anomalies before, but they were always associated with objects, never people. Artifacts, materials, things that seemed to appear from nowhere, carrying energy signatures that don’t belong to our dimension. But a living breathing being? Never.”

Arthur frowned. “So what does that mean?”

The professor’s grin widened. “It means, my boy, that you are an anomaly unlike anything we’ve encountered. Your existence is impossible by all prior research. And that, Arthur, makes you a revolutionary discovery!”

Carstairs continued. “Ah, well we’re going to test a few things.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes. “Test?”

The professor was already moving, collecting various devices, scanners, and data pads, setting them on a circular analysis platform in the center of the lab. “Yes, yes, of course! If you are truly dimensionally displaced, then your very body should carry a unique energy signature, a frequency that differentiates you from native entities of this dimension. Which could be valuable research data.”

Arthur remained seated but activated his technopathy, letting his mind reach out to the devices as the professor prepped them. He felt their purpose, their inner workings.

They were designed to scan for interdimensional energy signatures.

Carstairs turned toward him, a glint of excitement in his eyes. “Shall we begin?”

Arthur gave a slow nod. “Go ahead.”

…

The test lasted over half an hour.

Carstairs ran multiple scans, taking various readings from Arthur’s body, bioelectric frequencies, thermal signatures, exotic energy traces. Arthur sat still, letting the professor work.

Finally, Carstairs frowned deeply.

The old man rubbed his temples, muttering to himself as he examined the data. Then, with a sigh, he turned to Arthur.

“Alright,” he said slowly. “Either I’ve just made a mistake, or you are the single greatest mystery I have ever encountered.”

Arthur leaned forward slightly. “What do you mean?”

Carstairs tapped the holographic display, showing energy frequency charts. “By all accounts, if you were truly dimensionally displaced, you should be emitting a unique energy signature, an exotic frequency that doesn’t match with anything in our universe.”

Arthur kept his face neutral. “And?”

Carstairs exhaled, shaking his head. “And you’re not emitting any such energy.”

The professor scratched the back of his head in frustration. “You’re not emitting the expected frequency! Objects we’ve detected from other dimensions always carry residual traces of their dimension, subtle but measurable. But you? Nothing. You’re reading as if you’re a normal entity of this universe.”

Arthur let the words settle in. His mind raced with thoughts. ‘Is it because I transmigrated and not actually dimensionally displaced?’

Carstairs crossed his arms. “Either I’m missing something, or we’re dealing with a completely new phenomenon.” He gave Arthur a sharp look. “Are you absolutely certain you are from another universe?”

Arthur met his gaze hesitatingly. “Yes…I should be.”

Carstairs exhaled, rubbing his chin. “Then we have a lot more work to do.”

Arthur remained silent, not knowing what to think of his situation. And after discussing some more important details he left the lab and went towards the quarter designated to him.

***

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