Humanity discovered extraterrestrial life in the early 2200s, something that had previously seemed unattainable.
They discovered a primitive but well-organized species of microscopic organisms hidden beneath the moon's icy craters. The world saw it as a victory, evidence that humanity was no longer in isolation.
The species was given the name "The Selar."
However, what was heralded as the greatest discovery of the millennium would soon turn out to be the source of humanity's biggest error.
A number of Selar specimens were returned to Earth by scientists eager to study their biology. The planet's inappropriate atmosphere caused the creatures to wither and die within hours. The research teams came to the conclusion that they were not dangerous. Humanity was persuaded that the Selar were harmless due to their incapacity to communicate or adapt.
The cycle persisted for almost a millennium—
find, move, research, perish, and repeat.
Every death provided fresh information. They got closer to understanding with each experiment.
Then came the breakthrough.
Scientists discovered something remarkable from the sacrifices made by innumerable Selar:
"The ideal temperature for Selar to survive is -50°C."
It appeared to be an unimportant fact. However, they were unaware that this was a warning rather than a weakness.
Because those who remained on the Moon had started to change, while the Selar on Earth had died.
observing.
Awaiting.
studying...
And eventually they would come back—not as research subjects,
but as signs of impending extinction.