The planet Jumbar was once home to a now-extinct race of aliens known as the Soomites. Their legacy remains, marked by a single structure: a vast, mysterious bridge known as the Iron Horizon. Though the Soomites are long gone, the bridge stands as a testament to their past, its secrets yet to be uncovered by the people who settled here 50 years ago, shortly after the discovery of wormhole travel. The Iron Horizon was more than just a bridge—no one knew where it led or what powered its ceaseless motion. It has called out to adventurers, explorers, and dreamers, yet only a few have returned to tell their tale. But today, a group down on their luck prepares to embark on the journey. After a devastating war severed travel and supply lines between planets, Jumbar was left to fend for itself. The people, cut off from the rest of the galaxy, must now survive against the planet's untamed wilderness and the fierce creatures that roam its surface.

From the tales of the few who returned, stories emerged of strange, glowing symbols etched into the bridge's steel, and of distant echoes that seemed to come from nowhere. Some spoke of seeing shadowy figures moving in the mist far ahead, while others claimed the air itself grew thicker the further they ventured. No one knows if any have reached the other side. There have been a few who never returned, but their fate remains unknown. Whether it was the promise of riches, the allure of knowledge, or the simple desire to escape the harsh life on Jumbar, the reasons for embarking on the journey were often vague, clouded by rumor and desperation. But for this new group of travelers, one thing was clear: the Iron Horizon was their last hope.

 

Kara stood at the edge of the Iron Horizon, her heart pounding beneath her worn leather armor. This was no ordinary journey—this was a venture into the unknown. Memories of past lessons flooded her mind, hard-won from traversing unexplored sectors of Jumbar. Behind her stood her trusted companions, each driven by their own reasons to confront the mysteries of the Iron Horizon.

Ryan Daros, a quiet but sharp-minded engineer, had joined Kara in the hopes of uncovering lost Soomite technology. His improvisational skills had kept them alive more than once, and Kara knew they would need his ingenuity to survive the bridge’s secrets. Ryan rarely spoke unless he had something worth saying, but Kara could always see the wheels turning in his mind.

Torik Vayne, a former soldier hardened by war, remained ever-watchful. His eyes scanned the horizon for threats both seen and unseen. Haunted by the war that had left Jumbar cut off from the galaxy, Torik viewed this journey as a final chance to escape the past—or to find a new purpose. Beneath his no-nonsense exterior was a fierce loyalty to Kara and the team, a quality that had proven invaluable on more than one occasion.

Then there was Zera Kallis, the rogue archaeologist whose boundless curiosity often bordered on reckless. Zera believed the Iron Horizon might hold the key to unlocking the forgotten history of the Soomites. She had studied some of the markings and symbols at the beginning of the bridge, recognizing similarities to those of an ancient race she had studied before the war. Her determination to uncover the truth sometimes caused friction with Kara’s more cautious approach. Still, her passion was contagious, and Kara couldn’t deny that Zera’s knowledge might be the edge they needed.

 

Not far away, trouble was brewing in the form of Captain Dorian Reeve. A hardened mercenary with a reputation for ruthlessness, Reeve had once worked side-by-side with Kara on a mission to scavenge supplies from an abandoned settlement. But that mission ended in betrayal when Reeve struck a secret deal, leaving Kara’s team to fend for themselves in a swarm of hostile creatures. Since then, Kara had sworn never to trust him again. Now, Reeve was preparing to lead his own team across the Iron Horizon, seeking whatever ancient power or treasure lay at the end of the bridge. His obsession with control and dominance clashed violently with Kara’s more measured approach, ensuring that their paths would cross sooner rather than later.

Reeve’s team consisted of Vekir "Vek" Nalor, a sniper and tracker whose cold efficiency made him a deadly asset. Vek’s unwavering loyalty to Reeve and his calculated precision in battle made him as dangerous as he was quiet. Alongside him was Lira Xathen, a cunning thief with a talent for infiltration and sabotage. Lira’s motives weren’t purely professional—her personal vendetta against Kara simmered just beneath the surface, and the Iron Horizon presented her with the perfect opportunity for payback.

 

Next