Research Station on Kryxalis-9 Vanishes: No Survivors Reported

RELEASE NEWS: TOTAL DAMAGE TELLS ON RESEARCH STATION PLANET KRYXALIS-9

Galactic News Network (GNN) Special Report
Transmission Date: Stellar Cycle 7429.3

Now the remote research base on Kryxalis-9 has been decimated by what is reported as a record-breaking alien strike. According to official sources, all research staff and facilities have been confirmed to have been destroyed.

Some preliminary sightings from distant scanning ships suggest a giant unseen object rose from the planet’s purple desert, accompanied by what looks like a legion of crystal skeletal combatants. The strike was swift and complete, the entire research base was reduced to boiling debris within the planetary rotation timescale.

Elena Rodriguez, xenobiologist at the Interstellar Research Consortium, told a panic call: We’ve lost all contact with the station. First sensor readings predict a pandemic of an unprecedented scale. One improbable account suggests that only one of the survivors – an elusive single rider found on the planet before the strike – might have seen everything. However, this claim remains unverified.

The Galactic Defense Council is in an emergency session. All neighboring star systems were urged to remain at high risk and elevated alert levels for all defense forces.

This is a developing story. Check back with GNN for more news.

Reporting from Galactic Central Command,

Rachel Starling
Senior Correspondent, Galactic News Network

[Workflow: The image was created through a multi-step compositing process. Individual elements were generated using NightCafe's AI-powered image prompts and then the canvas was expanded using FreePik. I added layers of dust motes and particles and other minor changes within Affinity.]

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Alien Camels

Here is a collection of alien camels I created during a session with NightCafe with only a few hand edits in Affinity.

The Lone Camel Rider of Xylophee-V

The planet Xylophee-V, a distant and unforgiving world, has been the subject of much speculation and mystery throughout the galaxy. For centuries, astronomers have gazed up at the stars, searching for signs of life beyond the reaches of their own planet. And yet, it was not until the dawn of the 23rd century that the first recorded sighting of an extraterrestrial being was made on this desolate planet. A lone alien, perched atop an Earth-like camel, traversed the barren desert wasteland.  After months of remote observation, these are the only two lifeforms discovered... so far.

[Workflow: The image was created through a multi-step compositing process. Individual elements were generated using NightCafe's AI-powered image prompts and combined into a cohesive whole. A painted texture layer was added to enhance the overall aesthetic, followed by layers of dust motes and particles to add depth and visual interest. Targeted hand edits were made to correct any AI-generated glitches. Affinity's color mapping tools adjusted the tone and color palette for the final result.]

Hi-rez image link [2160px tall]

The Vale of Desolation [The Lost and Found: Uncovering Hidden Comic Book Treasures]

We traveled only during the night. And rested during the day. We were going in a southeastern direction along the rim of the Kalaghari Desert. Major Ali Mupha came over to me as I was resting on a chair. "Mr. Winston,' he began. I have a feeling that somewhere in the past the two of us met. I will admit that the money you did offer us was a great temptation to come out here. No native would dare to make this trip. This section of the desert is known as the Vale of Desolation. For your money. I took leave from the Security Police Department. And then managed to get men who are willing to do anything for money. They are not afraid of Death. For that is a kind of occupational hazard in their work. Paul Dumont is a Frenchman; Raul Garbano is a Spaniard; Hans Klepper is a German; and Marc Harley is an Australian. They have agreed to follow you in the jaws of Hell if necessary. And also, I do assume because they are curious. Out here where all you have is wind and sand - what can you be looking for?" The time had come for me to explain the object of this small expedition. Consisting of the men he named, two jeeps, and a supply truck.

"We never met before in our lives. But I still am familiar to you. My name is John Winston. I am the identical twin of the late Herbert Randolph. If I shaved off my beard you couldn't tell us apart." "Then your mansion here must somehow be connected With the death of your late brother. But why do you have a name different than his?" "Because my maternal uncle adopted me," I informed him. "He wanted me to carry on his name. And he left his fortune to me. What I tell you now, you may or may not believe. I don't care much about it. All I care is that you take me to where I want to go. I have travelled throughout the world. I could sense any message my brother wanted to send me. And in the same way I could reply to him.  Remember, that identical twins are really one creature and in the view of the ancients they thought and acted as one being. By the death of my brother, his partner. Frank Howell inherited the entire business property and the death insurance of half million dollars."

"That means you are implying that your brother's partner killed him. Why, that is impossible!" "Why is it impossible?' I demanded. "Greed does a lot of peculiar things to any human being." "But many people saw your brother get into his plane. At that very moment, Frank Howe!l was in Cairo. The plane headed out to sea. It exploded in the air and that is how your brother died." Major Ali Mupha stopped for a minute. Looked at me. Then added, "Or did he?" "My brother's ghost communicated with me." I continued, will tell you how he died. The two went out here in a jeep loaded with supplies. My brother had an idea that he could find where the legendary Roman treasure had been hidden when the Romans were attacked and the Third Roman Legion was wiped out. He didn't want anyone to follow them, so they left secretly. He made one big mistake. He told his partner he was aware of the fact that the books had been falsified. That Frank Howell had been stealing partnership funds. So that is why he Was killed. His body was dumped out on the sand. His partner returned. The rest was easy. He hired an aviator. Had him wear a facial mask to look like my brother. Take the plane up. Blow it up and parachute to safety. Frank Howell also killed him and the man who made the mask. If we find my brother's body, and we will, then you have the evidence to convict his killer."

The next two days we traveled during the late afternoon. I knew what I was looking for. Then came the message: "l am here, John. Right here. Dig under the sand where you are standing." On the way back, the Major was very quiet. He was doing a lot of hard thinking. Then he spoke his thoughts to me. "It could be that somehow you learned where your brother had been buried. But I dismiss that. Only his killer was with him. So I am forced to accept that from beyond the grave messages be sent. Worry not. Justice will be done."

• story author uncredited
• title header illustrator uncredited
• story featured in Haunted #10 (January 1973) 
• published & copyrighted by Charlton Comics

Here is the list of characters from the short story:

1. John Winston (identical twin of Herbert Randolph),
2. Herbert Randolph (John's twin brother, deceased)
3. Frank Howell (Herbert's business partner)
4. Major Ali Mupha (leader of the mercenaries)
5. Paul Dumont (French mercenary)
6. Raul Garbano (Spanish mercenary)
7. Hans Klepper (German mercenary)
8. Marc Harley (Australian mercenary)

Disclaimer: As the original publisher is no longer in operation and has not issued digital reprints, this collection serves as a valuable archive of these classic tales for the benefit of researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts. By making these stories available, I aim to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of comic books, while also acknowledging the original creators and copyright holders.