Chapter 8: The Lost Signal

The silence that followed the fusion between the Nebula and the alien crystal was oppressive. The entire ship seemed to hold its breath, as if it needed time to adjust to the new energy coursing through it. The lights, which once illuminated the interior with a cold white tone, now pulsed with a faint violet glow, perfectly in sync with the crystal that now dominated the heart of the command room.

Lara stood, gripping the edges of the console, staring at the monitors displaying incomprehensible data. Rune was hunched over his station, sweating but with eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's... it's working," he murmured, almost in disbelief. "The ship is stabilizing. The crystal has perfectly integrated into Nebula's systems."

Lara turned to him, still skeptical. "What exactly does that mean? What kind of ship have we become now?"