The dense mist inside the spacecraft Star Hunter was almost palpable, while Merko, leaning against his ergonomic armchair, looking at his bracelet, relived the mission with his friend Silion. The mission's memories haunted him. That day, he and his friend hovered over planet Earth, analyzing the impact of magnetic and gravitational fields on the inhabitants of that vibrant world. At the same time, they tested the accuracy of their calculations for time travel.

Merko remembered clearly the moment the radars of the US Air Force fighters detected them. The tension was almost physical.

"Activate anti-radar shields, Silion."

"Barrier activated, Sir, but a red light on the holographic panel shows a failure in the shield".

"What the hell? Turn the force field on!" The commander said. "Let's get out of here and try to get far away from the atmosphere. Speed up the spaceship as much as you can."

A cold sweat ran down Merko's forehead. The ship shuddered, struggling to gain altitude. But it was too late. Two F-16, agile as hawks, emerged in their field of vision. Guided missiles, equipped with heat detectors, followed the ship like furious wasps. A deafening explosion shook the spacecraft, throwing it in an uncontrolled dive.

"Commander! We lost control!" Silion shouted, grabbing his left leg. Blood pulsed between his fingers, staining his silver uniform.

Merko fought gravity, trying to reach the first aid kit. He grabbed a hemostatic gel tube and applied it to Silion's wound, while the ship spun wildly. The blood stanched, but the situation was critical. Pressing a button on the panel, Merko involved Silion in a protective capsule, a transparent bubble that would protect him from the imminent impact.

Looking at his friend, Merko knew that Silion needed urgent medical care. Irony was cruel: humans, the beings he had sworn to protect, were now the only hope of Silion.

"My friend, I have to go. But I'll be back, I swear!" Merko's voice failed.

Silion, trapped in the capsule, nodded with a slight head movement. He knew Merko. He knew he could trust him.

In the seconds that preceded the impact, Merko activated the teleportation. The pain of leaving Silion back was tearing, but taking him in that state would be impossible. He needed to survive, to elaborate a plan, to invade the military base where the humans would take Silion.

The ship, with Silion on board, fell into the American desert. The military transported it to area 51, the impenetrable fortress. There, surrounded by doctors and scientists, Silion had his injuries treated. But the cure was only the prelude of the nightmare. Experiments, analyzes, interrogations...

Even wounded, Silion could use his telepathic powers. He read the thoughts of the humans, their cruel plans. Despair invaded him.

Death would be the only way out. There was a major named John, the most inhuman among them.

"Captain... I won't resist..." Silion sent the telepathic message, the voice weak, distant. "I will use the Last Resort..."

"Silion, wait! Hand in there!" Merko begged, his mind on whirlwind. "I'll get you out of there! You have saved me so many times... Trust me!"

On the planet Life, scientists had developed the Last Resort: a self-destruction mechanism for time travelers. An implanted chip, activated by the power of the mind, released a substance that paralyzed the heart and brain in an instant. It was the last defense against capture, the guarantee that their secrets would never fall into the wrong hands. The future of humanity depended on that.

While Silion fought against pain and despair, the Alpha-Omega team went into action. With its white overalls and surgical masks, they isolated the area, fearful of some kind of alien contagion. They injected substances into Silion's bloodstream, collected skin samples and bone marrow, scanned every inch of his body. As for his bracelet, they were unable to remove it. They would try later.

"Let's unravel the secrets of these extraterrestrials!" Keith Willison, one of the team's scientists, exclaimed while watching the data on the monitor. "Just imagine, mastering interplanetary travel technology!"

"And the weapons!" General Schwartz intervened, his eyes shining. "They must have unimaginable weapons! We can dominate the world!"

"I want four armed men, 24 hours a day, watching this alien. Once the sedatives have effect, we will start the interrogation", the agent, Ronald Steighem, determined.

The general agreed with his head. He looked at Major John, Lorena's husband, and ordered:

"Major, I want you to extract everything you can from this extraterrestrial. We cannot fail."

"I will do it, General," John said, with a cruel smile. "He will talk. And when he has nothing more to offer us... We will get rid of him."

Silion, listening to everything, felt a chill through his body. Death by the hands of those soulless beings would be a miserable end. He closed his eyes, concentrating.

"Merko... Forgive me... I will use the Last Resort... Escape... Save yourself..."

"Silion, please resist! Don't do that!" Merko begged, projecting his voice in his friend's mind. "I'm already close to the base. I have a plan!"

Anguish eroded Merko. Silion, stuck in that concrete and steel den, surrounded by hostile beings, was about to trigger the Final Resort.

"Merko, you know... We were trained for this... We can't take risks..." Silion's voice in Merko's mind was a weak, distant whisper. "Our technologies... Can be dangerous... For humanity..."

"I know, my friend, but trust me!" Merko insisted, determination growing in his chest. "Give me another day! Just another day!"

Merko had always been a brilliant strategist, able to find creative solutions to the most complex challenges. And now, with Silion's life at stake, his mind worked on overdrive. He teleported for the vicinity of Area 51, his skin molding, the bones rearranging, until he assumed the form of a human soldier. He observed the military men entering and leaving the base, analyzing their movements, their routines. Merko needed to know where he could teleport to. The only hope was infiltration.

"Silion, how are things inside?" Merko asked, anxiety vibrating in his mental voice.

"Many soldiers... Scientists... Preparing to analyze me... They are waiting for someone...", Silion said, with difficulty. "It seems that the interrogation will be tomorrow."

Merko intensified his vigilance. The scientists were waiting, anxious. Agent Ronald and Keith prepared everything assisted by the military men. Major John had gone out for dinner. The next day, alll would be ready for the interrogation, the syringes loaded with serum of truth, the instruments glowing under the cold light of the laboratory.

And then Merko saw him: Major John, leaving the base. It was the perfect opportunity. He followed the major, teleporting from shadow to shadow, maintaining a safe distance. He needed a moment of distraction, a breach in the military man's armor.

The night fell on Base 51, and Merko followed the major to his house. In the garden, hidden behind a bush, Merko revealed himself.

"Good night, Major!" He called, his voice firm. He would not attack an enemy from behind.

The major turned, surprised by the unknown soldier. Seeing the stranger in his garden, his hand instinctively sought the pistol at his waist. He fired.

Merko raised his hand, and the bullets stopped in the air, suspended like frozen rain drops. The Major, astonished, saw his gun be torn from his hands by an invisible force. Merko fired his stunning weapon. The Major staggered, but did not fall. He ran towards his rival, furious.

In the dimness of the garden, the two fought. Blows, falls, sweat dripping... The major was strong and trained, but Merko was more agile. He grabbed the major, pressing his fingers against the back of his neck until he faded.

Merko, using a cellular extraction device, collected the Major's genetic material. In seconds, his body transformed, assuming the exact appearance of the military man. It was a perfect disguise to get into the base.

He dragged the unconscious Major to the garage. He needed to buy time, keep the Major sedated until he could rescue his friend Silion. He prepared an injection with a powerful sleeping sedative, but before he could apply it, the major stood up, agile like a feline. He drew a combat knife and stabbed it into Merko's leg. The pain was searing.

The major smiled cruelly. He realized that the enemy now had his appearance and looked at him, scared. He decided to finish him, but Merko used his powers to throw the knife away. He grabbed the Major by the neck, but the military freed himself, pushing Merko strongly. Merko fell, his vision blurred. The major, without hesitation, fired.

The bullet hit Merko's shoulder. He staggered, but managed to get his gun. Without realizing that the power regulator had moved to the maximum during the fall, he fired. The major disintegrated, reduced to dust. Merko, horrified, contemplated what he had done. He was not a killer. He just intended to stun the opponent.

Suddenly, a voice called him. A beautiful woman with curly light brown hair was watching him from the window.

"John? Is that you, dear? I thought you would spend the night on that horrible base! Enter, dinner is ready!"

Merko hesitated. He couldn't get into the base now. He was injured. He would find a way to heal his injuries with his planet's technology.

"I'm going!", he answered, forcing a smile.

He entered the house, surprised by the warm reception. The woman, Lorena, noticed his injuries.

"John, what happened? You are hurt!"

"It was nothing, honey... Some thieves... Attacked me..." Merko improvised.

"Let me take care of you", Lorena approached, worried.

Merko, tired and wounded, was carried away by the care of that kind woman. She was surprised because she was used to living with her truculent husband who now seemed very different and polite. He needed to rest, recover his strength, and find a way to save Silion.

Destiny once again launched an unexpected challenge.

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