Lost Among the Stars
Copyright© 2025 by Sol Tangoran
Chapter 3: The Dreadnought Calls
The figure stood motionless, its glowing red eyes locked onto me. Even though I knew it was just a projection, something about it felt alive, like it was watching, analyzing, judging.
I swallowed hard.
“You first,” I repeated, my voice steadier than I felt.
A long pause. Then, the figure spoke.
“I am G’Lan, artificial intelligence of this Narn vessel. This ship was damaged and abandoned during a conflict long ago. You are the first organic lifeform to enter since.”
My mind reeled. Artificial intelligence? Narn? Conflict?
“What ... exactly are you?” I asked. “I mean, you’re obviously not human.”
G’Lan tilted his head, the faint glow of his form shimmering as if considering the question.
“I am the last remnant of my crew. My function was to assist in navigation, tactics, and ship operations. Now, I exist without purpose.” His voice carried no emotion, but there was something deeply unsettling in those words.
I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to process everything. “Okay. So, let me get this straight—this ship is alien. You’re its AI. And I just happened to stumble in here, nearly breaking my damn leg in the process.”
“Correct.”
I exhaled. “Lucky me.”
G’Lan regarded me for a moment. Then, his next words sent a chill through me.
“You are not of this time.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Your biological signature, cellular composition, and genetic markers indicate an origin point of Earth during the late 20th century. However, current galactic records place this time period at least three centuries in the past.”
I stared at him.
“No. That—that’s not possible.”
“And yet, it is true.”
I felt dizzy. My hands clenched into fists as I struggled to wrap my head around it. Three hundred years? That meant ... everyone I had ever known—my family, my friends, my entire world was gone.
I took a step back, shaking my head. “No. You’re wrong. I was just hiking. A storm hit. I fell into this place—that’s it.”
G’Lan remained silent for a long moment. Then, he raised a single hand. A shimmering, holographic display appeared in the air, filled with star maps and data streams.
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