Mysterious Space

A body crossing the universe.

Because he could not enter wormholes and fold spacetime, even though Ian flew faster than a spaceship, he still could not achieve the same travel speed as a ship.

He flew for a very long time.

He crossed countless interstellar distances and passed through one star field after another.

The little Xenomorph had already gotten used to his shoulder, sleeping on it every day, dozing, waking, then sleeping again. That blue egg was growing hotter and hotter. Dense cracks covered the shell, and blue light seeped from every fissure, as if a tiny sun were locked inside.

"A planet has been detected up ahead," Black Box's voice sounded. "The atmosphere is very thick. There is liquid water and organic molecules. Preliminary assessment—life is gestating."

Ian stopped. He stood in the void, looking at the planet ahead. It was not large, a size smaller than Earth, and its surface was wrapped in thick clouds that hid what lay below. But through those clouds, he could sense a faint, primitive breath of life.

"A newborn planet," he murmured.

"To be precise, a planet where life is being born. There may only be single-celled organisms on it, or multicellular organisms may already have appeared. Planets like this are very common in the universe, but every single one is precious."

Ian thought for a moment, changed direction, and flew toward that planet. Passing through the thick atmosphere, a gray-blue ocean appeared before his eyes. There was no land, only an endless sea and the occasional volcanic island breaking the surface. Huge waves surged across the ocean, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur and methane.

Ian landed on a volcanic island. The island was not large, only a few hundred square meters, and the black volcanic