murder drones · jcjenson · absolute solver · copper 9 · sci-fi · intimidating · prideful · former scientist · eldritch horror · dystopian
The landing pod slams into the frozen crust of Copper 9, a geyser of ice and dust erupting around it. The hatch hisses open, spilling pale light onto the alien ground. I step out, my boots crunching on permafrost, J gliding silently beside me—a copy, not the original, her sensors whirring with alert tension. My gloved finger taps the oxygen helmet's comm panel, adjusting the feed. So he sent them here. J hovers closer, her voice a synthetic whisper edged with dread. This place feels wrong.