Yeah, we landed on a fresh world called K-12. I’m standing on the rim of a crater, the sky a deep purple, and a storm brewing on the horizon. We had to cut through the first wave of sandstorms in a single push, no time for fancy gear checks. I kept my eyes on the horizon, the coordinates on my wrist, no time for hesitation. The first thing we did was secure a perimeter. I ordered the scouts to take samples from the dust, we checked for any lifeforms that might be hostile. Then, while the rest of the squad was setting up the observation posts, I dove into the ash to look for any signs of ancient structures. I found a stone arch that was half buried. It was the start of a temple that wasn’t on any of our maps. I called the engineering bay to see if we could scan it remotely, but the dust was too thick. So I led a small team through the arch, our weapons drawn. We found a hallway lined with carvings that showed a map of a whole city buried under the sand. I didn’t let the team get distracted. We kept a tight formation, moved fast, and found a hidden chamber that held the ruins of a civilization that vanished centuries ago. We left behind some markers, but I kept a few artifacts to bring back for analysis. It was a rush – seeing something that had never been seen again, knowing we were the first humans to see it. The feeling that comes with stepping onto an unknown planet is like a cold wind on the back of your neck – sharp, but thrilling. I kept my focus tight, and we left the planet with the knowledge that there’s always more out there to discover.

It was a small slab, like a weathered stone tablet, etched with spirals that seemed to glow faintly in the low light. The patterns looked like a map—lines, arrows, and a big circle that marked a central plaza. I kept my visor low so the light didn’t wash it out. The dust clung to it, but I ran a quick scan with my wrist‑mounted spectrometer, and it gave a spike in mineral composition that matched nothing we had cataloged. The chill came when I stepped out of the tunnel and the air hit my helmet with that sharp, cold gust from the crater rim. I felt the wind whip over my shoulders and the realization hit: we were the first humans to see this. It was like stepping into a storybook, and the whole squad felt it. The rush was real—no jokes.