Gaeta sat at the window of the transport pod, gazing out at the illuminated belt of the Andromeda nebula. Next to her, clinging to the railing with even more concern, was her younger brother Leo. On the other side of the capsule, their friend Iker was flipping through a holomap with fascination. They had been travelling from Earth for weeks, and the unusual trip to Solaris Station - the largest civilian research facility on the edge of the galaxy - was a dream come true for them since childhood. Gaeta and Leo's parents were recruited to Solaris a few months ago, but it was only now that the siblings were able to join them. Iker, a passionate astronomer, had been given special permission to visit as a reward for winning school science competitions. All three were fourteen years old and felt they had the adventure of a lifetime ahead of them. As the capsule docked to the station's massive ring, the children felt the tension build up. Solaris was dazzling in its size - the station's gleaming segments formed an intricate maze of modules, and the sight of swirling solar panels resembled mechanical flowers in the midst of the blackness of space. At the entrance, they were greeted by an official message recorded by a robotic maintenance worker: "Welcome to Solaris Station. Please use caution and follow the safety signs." Gaeta looked around nervously - the station seemed quiet and almost deserted. She hoped her parents were waiting for them just outside the main airlock. However, when they crossed the threshold, only the quiet hum of the fans and the soft light of the control LEDs greeted them. None of the adults were in sight and the communicator was silent. Iker walked over to the information panel and moved his hand across the screen. All three felt a shudder: the system displayed "Communication network failure. Please wait for technical support." Leo tried to joke, but his voice betrayed anxiety. Instead of the planned welcome party, the children found themselves in an almost empty station. The sound of technical equipment coming from afar made the atmosphere increasingly tense. "We should find the parents," - Gaeta said, but before they could move on, a disturbing beep rolled through the alarm system. It was followed by a short message from deep within the station: "Alien object detected in section 17 - please remain calm. Survey team on its way." For a moment, all three looked at each other without speaking. Slowly, as if synchronising their thoughts, they turned their gaze to the map. Section 17 was not far from where they were to pick up their parents. Instead of going to the safe zone, as per the emergency instructions, Gajeta, Leo and Iker made an instant decision. With map in hand and accelerated breaths, they moved towards the research sectors, ready to face whatever awaited them there....