The shimmering nebula of Orion, a tapestry of stardust and swirling gas, framed the viewport of the *Andromeda Ascendant*. Captain Eva Rostova, her face etched with the familiar lines of countless starlit nights, adjusted the comms frequency. Silence. The automated systems beeped, a reassuring counterpoint to the vast emptiness of space. This was the mission's tenth year. Ten years scouring the Orion Arm for habitable planets. Ten years of hope, frustration, and the quiet, gnawing despair of the unknown. The initial excitement of discovering a promising exoplanet, Kepler-186f-B, had faded, replaced by the cold reality of logistical nightmares and scientific dead ends "Analysis complete," a disembodied voice crackled through the comms. "Kepler-186f-B, atmospheric composition suggests the presence of... organic compounds."Eva's heart quickened. Organic compounds. A tantalizing possibility. But hope was a dangerous thing in the vast, indifferent expanse of the cosmos. The *Andromeda Ascendant*'s crew, a ragtag collection of scientists, engineers, and explorers, prepared for the first tentative landing. Eva, however, felt a prickle of unease. The whispers had started subtly, murmurs amongst the team about the past, about whispers of lost expeditions, about the inherent dangers of exploring the unknown. Had they disturbed something better left undisturbed?
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