Twenty-eight days had passed since Astrais picked up the signal. Only three days remained until the unidentified ships reached Earth. During that time, Axel had monitored their movements closely from the command bridge of Astrais, currently cloaked and drifting behind Saturn's outer rings.
With every passing hour, the resolution of the long-range scans improved. And now, finally, the design of the approaching ships became unmistakably clear.
A chill crept down Axel's spine.
He had seen them before—sleek, armored, almost reptilian in design. That signature crest and hull shape, the triangular structure, and propulsion layout—it suddenly all clicked.
"Battleship," he muttered to himself, gripping the edge of the console. "The 2012 movie... They're the same."
The invaders were here.
In his past life, it was fiction. Now, it was real.
And worse yet, he knew what had summoned them: NASA's deep space signal. The one transmitted in the movie. A connection to a distant solar system. Only this time, the events weren't constrained to the screen. Axel's heart sank as the implications dawned on him. Earth wasn't ready.
Without wasting a second, Axel initiated a secure communication line to the Dunphy house. It was the only place on Earth he felt a bond strong enough to reach out to.
The screen flickered. Then, Alex's face appeared, concerned and surprised.
"Axel? Where have you been? I—I thought you..." Her voice cracked with relief and confusion, her words getting lost in a sudden swell of emotion. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to contain herself. "I thought you were gone forever... you didn't call, you didn't text... I couldn't sleep, Axel. I couldn't focus, I just kept thinking something happened to you." She wiped at her face quickly, but more tears followed, her breath hitching with every word. "I missed you so much. It's been hell without you."
Axel hated doing this over a screen. "Alex, listen to me. I can't explain everything right now, but I need you and your family to leave the city. Go somewhere inland, away from the coasts. Somewhere remote and safe."
"What? Why? Axel, you're scaring me. Where are you? What happened to you?!"
He paused. Hearing the worry in her voice hurt more than he expected.
"I can't tell you. Not yet. Please, just trust me. You need to leave. Take Luke, Haley, your parents... get somewhere safe. Promise me."
Her voice trembled, strained by a storm of emotions. "I don't understand... but okay. I trust you. We'll go. Just... please come back."
The call ended, and Axel stared at the now-dark screen. He let out a shaky breath and turned back to Astrais' navigation deck. The Earth he had grown attached to, the people who had welcomed him, now sat under threat. But despite everything, he wasn't going to intervene.
Not yet.
Axel would not reveal himself to Earth—not after working so hard to remain in the shadows. He didn't know what more this universe was hiding.
The current plan was to observe. To watch. Astrais was equipped with stealth technology so advanced it practically made it invisible to current Earth and alien detection systems. As long as he didn't act, they wouldn't know he was here.
The five enemy ships drew closer, forming a tight v-formation as they entered the outer limits of the solar system. Their trajectory was clear.
Earth.
On one of Astrais' many screens, a live feed displayed global space agency activity. The various ground stations hadn't picked up the incoming threat yet. Axel figured they would soon—when it was already too late.
He had the power to intervene. Astrais, with all its upgrades, far surpassed anything humanity had, and even likely outmatched the alien crafts from the Battleship universe. But Axel wasn't ready to reveal himself to Earth—not after working so hard to remain in the shadows. He didn't know what more this universe was hiding.
He needed more information.
His fingers danced across the console as he initiated a detailed sensor scan of the enemy ships. Internal life signs, engine composition, heat signatures—anything that could help him understand their purpose.
Back on Earth, the Dunphy family was packing up, confusion written on their faces. Phil kept insisting it was probably just "a gas leak" or "a real estate dispute gone very wrong." Claire was more skeptical, especially after seeing Alex so shaken.
Only Alex stayed quiet.
She stood on the lawn, looking at the sky, whispering a single thought to herself.
"Come back, Axel. Please."
Back aboard Astrais, Axel sat alone in the command chair, watching the stars.
He knew the calm wouldn't last much longer.
And the storm was only three days away.