Twice, for no more than a second, the small thrusters fired; it was all that was need to divert the meager craft on it's new course. At over 120,000 km per hour it had taken 9 months to reach it's goal, now it was time to slow down.

Jupiter loomed ahead, a crystal clear confusion of spiralling ochers and browns, spectacular in it's chaos; but the great gas giant was not the destination. Skaði, a plain metal box with solar sails unfurled had it's mind set on another purpose, exploration of an alien world. The first landing on one of the Galilean Moons

For decades the European Space Agency planned and were now only days away from realising their dream; a landing on Europa. It hadn't been the first choice, Ganymede was the more obvious destination, but after NASA announced it's intention to land there the objective was reevaluated.

They needn't have bothered. The Americans never made it near Jupiter, not even leaving earth's atmosphere, falling to earth in a dazzling fiery ball. But by that time Europa was set in stone, calculations factored, hardware optimised, destination fixed. Now, in a little over four days Skaði would start her descent.

Silently, she slipped to her destiny.

But what the near blind vessel did not see was the pencil sized craft flying by her side, shadowing her every move, probing, examining, looking for the easiest way in without damaging the fragile machine. Finally, the chrome needle made it's decision, latching on just behind a lateral thruster, setting about it's task of penetrating Skaði's delicate shell. In minutes it had disappeared inside.

*********

 The buzzing phone jolted Cameron awake. It rattled on the bedside table until the scientist, still half asleep, snatched it from the surface.

"Hello," he said, still groggy, squinting as he turned on the light.

"Cam, it's me, Luca. You need to get to Operations," the Swede said, Cameron could hear the concern in his colleague's voice and full consciousness came instantly.

 "Is it Skaði? Is there a problem?" Fear quickening his heart.

"No, not with Skaði," he paused. "It's Europa."

"What? What do you mean Europa, what are you talking about?" Cameron demanded, as the brief relief faded, annoyance taking over .

"It's," there was another pause. "Well, it's gone."

Cameron creased his brow, running a hand roughly over his temple. Sighing, he looked over at his bedside clock.

"Luca, its 3.40 in the morning, just tell me why you've woken me and cut the crap."

"Europa is gone, Cam," Luca repeated, more forcefully this time. "It never reappeared from orbit behind Jupiter. It's over three hours late."

"That isn't possible," Cameron replied, slowly.

"Don't you think I bloody know that," this time anger tinged the voice. "I need you here, Cam. I don't know what to do."

Cam hesitated, head in confusion, struggling to cope with the impossible. "Ok, right, let me think," he eventually answered, slipping from the bed, heading for his neatly folded clothes. "Has anyone contacted you?"

"No, silence, but it's only a matter of time. America's only six hours behind, someone's bound to see it soon."

"OK, go to lock-down," Cameron ordered, gathering his thoughts. "No-one leaves. Get the rest of the team in, tell them there's a problem with Skaði, I'll call Jim at NASA and see what he knows." He hesitated, trying to calm his breath. "For the last time Luca, are you sure?"

"Cam, it would be pretty hard for me to lose something that big, Europa has definitely gone."

**********

Inside Skaði the slender intruder began to disassemble. First the chrome outer layer liquefied leaving behind a tight mass of golden thread. The silver mercury spread over the intricate circuitry, tentatively testing each board until it found it's objective. Pathways instantly formed, integrating and solidifying into new, infinitely complex architecture.

From the mess of thread, hair width legs sprouted, lifting the small bundle. The bronze spider scuttled over Skaði's circuit boards, pausing briefly, seeming to contemplate it's next move. After a few seconds, satisfied, more golden threads thrust from the main body, connecting a new network.

A small LCD flashed on as Skaði's systems sprang to life, the cursor slowly blinking before foreign letters and symbols started speeding across the screen, quickly deciphering the new language, eventually forming a simple command.

***COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVATED - TRANSMITTING MESSAGE***

**********

It was only a 20 minute drive from his flat in Darmstadt to the Operations Centre on the outskirts of the city but by the time Cameron reach the control room the world had noticed. He had called Jim Anderson, his counterpart at NASA, en route and after much convincing had the gruff American look to the heavens. His reaction was much the same as Cameron's.

The control room was chaos, many of the scientist and engineers on phones or glued to monitors, but the information was always the same, Europa just wasn't there.

"Anything new?" Cameron asked a sweating Luca as they entered his office.

Luca thrust a sheet of paper into his bosses hand and Cameron scanned the black ink, shaking his head.

He turned to his colleague, eyes full of wonder. "All of them? Every single one?"

"As far as we can tell, yes," Luca confirmed. "All 67 moons orbiting Jupiter have either stopped or are in the process of slowing down. We noticed Europa first because we're so focused on it at the moment but they're all doing the same thing."

Cameron slumped in to his seat. "What the hell is going on, Luca?"

There was a sharp wrap on his door and Prisca, a systems analyst, popped her head in without waiting for an answer

"Professor MacIntyre, we need you in Ops," she said. "It's Skaði, she's woken up."

 "What, who gave the command?" he asked, perplexed.

"Sir, you need to come and see," was all Prisca said.

The three strode to Ops where they found most of the team huddled round one screen. A strange hush filled the room, dazed people talking in anxious whispers. They parted, letting Cameron into the control console. On the screen a simple question sat.

Greetings, Earth. To whom am I speaking? was all it said.

Cameron looked round the confused faces.

"What is this?" he asked, motioning at the screen.

"It's from Skaði, sir," one of the engineers said, nodding, confirming what Cameron already knew.

There was silence in the room.

"What do we do, Cam?" Luca asked.

"I really don't know, Luca. I really don't know."

***********

Skaði waited for an answer. She knew it would take time for a reply; the human technology was far below her own and communications would be delayed by distance. She also knew in first contact situations confusion and denial could also play their part. But this race had been studied for many years and she was confident the Earth's naturally curious inhabitants would ultimately reply to her message.

Professor Cameron MacIntyre, who is this? came the reply.

Ah, a scientist, good. It was always easier to deal with a being of learning rather than that of legislation. That would undoubtedly come but for now the conversation would be pleasant.

It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor. For the moment I shall be known as Skaði. A rather pleasing name, the Norse Goddess of Winter if I am not mistaken. Now, I am sure you have a lot of questions. The first, no doubt, being who am I?

Yes, that's a start. Cameron replied.

You are a man of science, correct? Skaði did not wait for an answer, the delay too great. And as a man of science you must have contemplated life on other worlds. What you would be surprised to know is just how much life there is. In your galaxy along there are a plethora of civilisation with a countless number lifeforms; it really is quite busy out here. We have decided it is time for you to join us, that is why I have been sent.

 As you can imagine, I am finding this rather overwhelming, Cameron replied. I'm not sure I should be the one you should be talking to.

Why ever not? It was you who sent out this vessel for exploration, it was you who had the vision to learn more about the universe, to discover the unknown. I can think of no-one better, Skaði assured him.

Imagine I have just reached your shores for the first time and I come with a great wealth of knowledge and understanding. Now imagine to, that I come bearing splendid gifts to amaze and astound you from far off lands. Believe me when I say I posses all of these things and I'm willing to share. Skaði continued. We have watched your civilisation develop over many years at an astonishing pace and believe you could be a true asset to our organisation.

Your organisation? Cameron questioned.

Yes, we are a loose alliance of planets and civilisations that work together in partnership to better ourselves and for mutual understanding. Skaði answered. To that end, we wish to give you a gift. Soon our conversation will end as something wonderful is about to unfold. I have modified this simple craft to allow you to see this miracle. Soon a new world will emerge from the chaos, a planet for the people of earth to call a second home.

We will talk again, Professor MacIntyre, but for now this is goodbye.

************

 Please, I have more questions, Cameron frantically typed but no reply came.

He turned to one of the computer engineers.

"Was that real, were we being hacked, was the signal being piggy-backed from somewhere on earth?" he asked.

The wide eyed man just shook his head.

"Bloody hell," he said , slumping back in his seat.

No-one talked, the enormity of the last half hour taking time to sink in.

Gradually, the view screens flickered into life all over the room, the main projector last to turn on; Jupiter dominating. On the other panels, computer simulations, statistics, equations, all manner of information scrolled and flashed before the numb scientists eyes.

"Cam, look," Luca pointed towards the projection.

As they watch, small explosions and shock waves could be seen in the swirling clouds of the huge gas giant as one by one the once stationery moons sped towards the atmosphere. At an ever increasing pace the satellites bombarded Jupiter, it's pronounced bands beginning to distort and blend as huge plumes and bulges formed all over the planet.

In a frenzy of motion the last of the moons peppered the outer layer and the whole planet seemed to swell, threatening to blow itself apart. But just as bubble appeared at bursting point countless spiralling whirlpools began to form, the clouds of debris and gas compressing at astonishing speed, sucked to the core of the world.

As the gases began to clear one moon appeared hovering still. Europa, with its scarred surface, remained untouched by the chaos below, ice glinting in the sunlight, distinct in the black. It was now moving again, continuing it's familiar path, speeding in orbit around the forever changed planet.

On Jupiter the condensing gasses and material reached critical mass and paused. The broiling surface was a mass of molten flame and electrical storms; a turmoil of chemical reactions. The colour began to shift from orange to red until an intense white light seemed to erupt from the planet's crust; a visible shock wave surging into space, hurtling towards Europa and the now stationary Skaði.

As the wave hit the gleaming moon vast chunks of ice split from it's surface, stripping the small celestial body of it's frozen shell. Beneath, a pristine chrome orb remained, unmoved by the immense forces at work around it.

On Earth, Cameron and his team watched in awe as the wave approached Skaði and waited for the inevitable. Within seconds all connection was lost, every screen in the control room going blank, the data ceasing it's endless flow, cut off from the now destroyed craft. But it lasted a mere moment as one by one they sprang back to life with new information and calculations.

Cameron shook with adrenalin and emotion, unable to speak, eyes fixed on the projection before him. The old Jupiter was gone, replaced with a brown, crusty orb. Molten cracks encompassed it's surface, jets of ash and vapour pouring thousands of kilometres out from the fissures. Eventually he pulled his gaze away.

"Talk to me people, what is happening out there?" he shouted above the now raucous control room.

The noise lulled and as he cried out names and his team relayed what little they had manage to discern back to their leader. There was an atmosphere, gravity, water, all the basics for sustaining life.

"It's early, Cam," Luca said. "But the information says everything is there for a habitable world."

"Yes, the information says so but where the hell is the information coming from, Luca?"

Luca turned toward the screen. "As far as we can tell, there," he said, pointing as the smooth metallic Europa slowly drifted into view.

*********

As Ilif regained consciousness, the liquid metal slid from his bald skull, retreating back into the headrest of the machine. Running his slender pale fingers across a sweating scaly brow, he blinked his glassy eyes several times, again becoming accustomed to the bright light. He didn't mind the Converse Pipeline Machine, in fact, he found it a rather pleasing experience. Inhabiting such an archaic machine such as Skaði wasn't something he got to do often and he found it rather exhilarating.

Trudjar stood not far away, an excited expression on his long, chalk white face.

"Well?" he asked eagerly.

"It's early days but I think they are willing," Ilif replied.

"And the planet, you terraformed the planet?"

"Yes, all done. We'll need to check the readings from the monitoring station on Europa but it looked to go ok," Ilif reassure his understudy. "Don't worry, Trudjar, I've done this many times before, it'll just take some time to manoeuvre them into action. These things can't be rushed or we run the risk of it all blowing up before we get started."

"Do you think you made the right choice with the Europeans, don't you think the Russians or Americans would have been a better bet?" Trudjar asked.

Ilif sighed. He had been over the finer intricacies of The Game many times with Trudjar, trying to explain how to go about stirring conflict slowly. His student still failed to see that you needed to breed animosity and distrust gradually to avoid all out confrontation before the race for Jupiter could start in earnest. Not that it was going to be a problem stirring these humans into anything; they were one of the most naturally aggressive intelligent creatures Ilif had ever encountered.

"The Europeans were the obvious choice. Their orginisation is made up of several countries which will make it neigh on impossible to keep our communication a secret from the world. If we went with the other larger nations they would have tried to suppress this information and keep it to themselves; that is why I destroyed the previous American probe before it left earth," Ilif explained. "You have to remember, Trudjar, we are in this for the long haul, The Game won't start over night."

"I'm just so excited. I can't wait for it to start," Trudjar said, rubbing his hands, long black claws clicking together as he did so. "I've got a feeling this match is going to be a good one."

"I agree," Ilif said, nodding. "The human race is perfect for The Game. Their short life span and appetite for breeding means the turnover in new personal will be fascinating."

"Now, we need to go and notify the players, draw lots to see which nation they are appointed and assign them their starting technologies that can be allocate to their designated team. Then I shall address the broadcast feeds and inform them of the imminent start of The Jupiter Wars."

Trudjar turned to his boss, smiling. "Let the Games begin."