The five explorers, including Dr. Elara, slowly descended into the liquid ocean beneath Europa's icy crust, buried 10 kilometers below the surface. Sunlight could not reach these depths, yet they weren't blind.
They were equipped with a hypersensitive opto-acoustic camera system, combining underwater LIDAR and high-frequency sonic mapping. This technology emitted ultrasonic waves and captured the returning echoes after they struck objects. The reflected data was rendered into a real-time 3D visual map.
The result appeared as a transparent blue holographic display, floating before them—an interactive space that moved with them, revealing the unseen ocean.
It didn't take long before a flicker of light shimmered in the distance.
"Bioluminescence detected," Elara reported calmly.
Before them floated a translucent jellyfish, its bell shimmering like a crystalline umbrella emitting soft greenish-blue light. Sensors confirmed the glow was produced via luciferin-luciferase biochemical reactions, similar to deep-sea jellyfish on Earth.
Surrounding them, other strange creatures emerged from the dark:
A long, eel-like fish with a ribbon-shaped body and a continuous fin along its sides. It lacked eyes, likely relying on electroreception to detect movement or electric fields in the water.
Another species, larger and bulkier, had a shell-like armored body. Scientists suspected its outer layer contained silica and calcium composites, possibly formed from deep-sea hydrothermal deposits.
But the most startling was a massive creature that slowly drifted nearby. It resembled a hairless bear, moving with four webbed limbs. Its pale skin was coarse, like stone or coral, and its body contained compression-resistant gel layers—a feature observed in extremophiles like tardigrades on Earth, known for surviving the most extreme environments.
The creature showed no aggression. It simply passed by and disappeared into the blackness.
"This… isn't just exploration," Elara whispered. "This might be a hidden ecosystem."
With the discovery of various life forms beneath Europa's icy surface, many long-standing theories from scientists around the world were finally validated. The hypothesis that an independent ecosystem might exist below the ice—supported by energy from hydrothermal vents—was now confirmed.
Dr. Elara was thrilled. She immediately began documenting and categorizing the strange creatures they encountered, especially the large creature they dubbed the "sea bear." Using spectral imaging, she analyzed the creature's natural pigmentation, discovering that its skin absorbed specific light wavelengths, allowing it to camouflage in the darkness.
Among the team were two trained divers—Kael and Miro. Both were equipped with high-tech diving suits designed to withstand Europa's extreme cold, high-pressure environment, and chemically unique waters.
Water analysis from the ship confirmed that the ocean was still safe to explore using the team's five artificial organs and reinforced adaptive armor that filtered out harmful compounds.
The pressure made movement underwater difficult, and their motions were noticeably slower. Despite the total darkness, their suits were equipped with thermal cameras and 3D sonar imaging, allowing them to map and navigate the alien environment in real time.
Kael swam to the left, Miro to the right, maintaining distance for safety.
After nearly two hours of exploration, Kael came across a disturbing sight—an enormous strand of kelp-like vegetation was actively trapping a massive shark-like creature. The plant appeared to have tooth-like barbs along its body, which it used to ensnare and tear into the creature.
"That plant is eating a shark!" Kael shouted over comms as he made his way back. The footage instantly went viral on the livestream. The global chat exploded with reactions—some were panicked, others in awe, and a few even invoked myths or divine omens.
Meanwhile, Miro discovered something even more shocking: a sunken submarine, partially buried in Europa's seafloor mud.
What truly baffled the team was the writing etched into the inner walls of the submarine. After scanning and processing the symbols, the onboard AI identified them as proto-Sumerian script—an ancient form of writing from Mesopotamia dating back to around 3000 BC.
Scientists were stunned. How could an ancient Earth language be present on Jupiter's moon? Was this proof of extraterrestrial contact—or had humanity once traveled far beyond what history remembers?
While two of the team members dove beneath Europa's icy surface and one stayed behind to document the aquatic creatures, the remaining two ventured across the moon's surface. Equipped with ultra-durable anti-radiation armor designed to withstand Jupiter's intense radiation, their mission was to observe the gas giant itself—an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight—and to search for signs of life on the barren plains of Europa.
Jupiter loomed in the sky like a swirling, titanic eye of color and power. On the icy white surface of Europa, the chance of finding life seemed slim, but hope remained. After some time, the deep-diving vessel resurfaced, bringing with it several edible fish species collected from the subsurface ocean.
Soon after, a dimensional gate was constructed and linked directly to Mars. This allowed safer and easier travel back and forth without passing through Europa's extreme conditions.
As time passed, the number of Evolusioners continued to grow. Rai, monitoring the expanding registry, was overjoyed to see that the total had reached 200,000 people.
These 200,000 Evolusioners were now actively exploring Mars. Despite their vast numbers, new caves and tunnels were still being discovered almost daily. Inside those caverns, they found abundant Gomu, a unique and nutrient-rich organic substance. It became a favorite food among the Evolusioners—so much so that some underwent the full 5-organ enhancement procedure just to be able to consume Gomu safely and efficiently.
Rai continued to train doctors tirelessly in the intricate procedures required for the Five-Organ Operation, while also developing two external support organs. His goal was simple yet profound: to one day free himself from earthly limitations and explore the universe without restrictions.
It was his dream—his driving purpose.
From the command center, Rai watched the live explorations of Venus and Europa unfold. He observed every discovery, every moment of danger, and every breakthrough with quiet determination, knowing that each step taken by the Evolusioners brought humanity closer to the stars—and him, closer to his destiny.
Rai's eyes stared intently out of the control room window. On the large screen displaying outer space, two points of light slowly orbited the gas giant—Jupiter. These were Callisto and Ganymede, two of the four major moons circling the giant. They appeared peaceful, as if inviting exploration.
After the successful establishment of the dimensional gateway on Europa, a new mission was quickly organized. This time, it wasn't just researchers and scientists, but also evolutionists ready to explore the two more "hospitable" moons. Io, the fourth moon, was still off-limits. Its surface, covered with volcanic eruptions and flowing lava, was constantly changing, too dangerous even for the best armor.
But Ganymede and Callisto were different.
> "They're calm. But that calm often hides something," Rai whispered as he gazed at the hologram of Jupiter's orbit.
Ganymede, with its strange and unexplained magnetic field, was believed to harbor energy crystals that could enhance artificial organs. Some theories suggested that unique life forms living beneath its surface may have adapted to this magnetic field. Meanwhile, Callisto, with its ancient surface covered in craters, hid underground caves and layers of ancient ice, which could potentially be home to microorganisms—or something much larger.
The expedition team was now preparing—two teams would be sent in shifts through the Europa dimensional gateway, then fly toward Callisto and Ganymede using light spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter.
For Rai, this was not just an exploration mission. It was the next step in a new civilization, where humans, now evolved with five artificial organs, could become part of the universe, not just its observers.