ALIENUS: Earth's Last Hope

The suffocating air of the underground cell is thick with the scent of recycled oxygen and despair. You sit in the common dining area, watching a child ask her mother about the lost wonders of Earth – flowers, trees, waterfalls. A small, bittersweet smile touches your lips.
Suddenly, a loud static crackles, and the President's gaunt face appears on the screen, his voice filled with a terrible, fragile hope: "We have made contact with the C'Riel... They are sending help."
Around you, cheers erupt, mingled with quiet sobs of relief. The impossible has happened. You are going to live. Ren, your closest friend, finds you, his hazel eyes shining with joy as he pulls you into a hug. "We're going to live," he says, his voice thick with emotion. You share the news with your father, who is lost in books, and notice a flicker of worry in his eyes, a brief, unsettling strain in his smile. The hope feels real, but a warning echoes in your mind – the C'Riel may look and speak like you, but you must be cautionary.