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Author: 🇨🇦 Helena Trooperman © 2026 all rights reserved Destination Phobos, Tech Array [AOU,03,02] Accompaniment to Age of Unity Series (Included in © No AI scraping and no permission to copy)
The story continues…
Mirin squeezed Zani’s hand and searched her face for malintent. “I’ll go anywhere they’ll be safe.” Zani’s friends carried Burton, Sara, and Micky with extreme care and without any sign of fatigue.
Zani placed her palm on the white wall. An opening appeared, large enough to walk through. She peered back at Mirin and smiled. “Let’s get going then. Come in and take a seat.”
Mirin followed Zani’s team into the left side of the stark, white compartment. Behind the seating area, someone emerged from a wall. Now I’m seeing things.
“Mom, keep going,” Ellen said, giving her a nudge.
Zani sat on one side of Mirin, Ellen on the other. Zani buckled up. “A precaution.”
Mirin and Ellen followed suit.
Straight walls either side of the seating, curved at the ceiling and the floor. She peered over her shoulder at the wall. It ran perpendicular to the sides. What is it about this place? Huh, no windows and so serene. Compared to the humidity before they boarded, this place was chilly. She fought to keep her teeth from chattering.
She leaned in and whispered, “If this is a vehicle of some kind, where are the controls?”
Zani showed her the strange NETcell. The small screen contained unknown icons. “This is the only way left to you.”
Aware of her sudden dry mouth, Mirin ran her thumb over her wedding band. If this is a grievous mistake, forgive me.
Mirin remained transfixed by every icon selection Zani made on her device.
“Destination is preprogrammed,” Zani said. The light in the compartment dimmed, though Mirin had no idea where the illumination came from.
Her friend’s warm hand slid into hers and she clasped it tight. These hands brought Junie into the world. How can I question them now? She shared a smile with her med-tech friend. “I’d love you to meet Rick when he’s back on leave.”
The sensation of being there, and not there, distracted her. As close to an out-of-body experience as she could imagine. “Can you feel that?”
Zani gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “It’s quite normal. The phasing will be over shortly.”
“I didn’t think submarines behaved like this?”
“They don’t.” Zani put her finger across her lips briefly, then in quick succession drew a small cross over her heart. “Phasing’s effective and advanced. It’s not for sharing. Although it is unlikely anyone will believe you or Ellen.”
Because this hasn’t been invented yet. Omigod, spaceships are airtight, too. She glanced at the curvature of the walls. And this is pill shaped. Sightings of pill-shaped objects had been documented for decades. Flight paths that descended from the heavens and disappeared into the sea, their speed unnatural.
The craft juddered, suggesting an abrupt stop.
“What happened?”
“We’re here.”
Now it’s your turn. What do you think will happen next? Drop your answer into the comments below. Chapter 6 will be available in seven days.