📜 In Search of the Artifact: Part II 🕹 Three long years of arduous exploration had yielded nothing but disappointment and misfortune. Mars, the Red Planet, proved inhospitable to its uninvited guests. Desperation and disillusionment had compelled many to abandon their quest and return to Earth, leaving the once fifty-strong team reduced by half. The situation seemed bleak. Yet, amid their struggle against the unforgiving planet, the astronauts held a powerful advantage. Legions of spider-like robots had just completed a comprehensive volumetric model of Mars. Now, the researchers and explorers were confident that no ancient artifact could elude their vigilant gaze. And they were right. The model revealed a network of well-concealed underground tunnels buried deep beneath the planet's North Pole. Located dangerously close to the core, these infernal labyrinths seemed unfit for any practical purpose. The ancient civilization had intended to send a message to those who would discover their secrets. As the planet's inner depths were obliterated in an instant, the enigmatic hieroglyphs of a long-lost language danced like poetry. The melodic tongue of the cunning lizards taunted the researchers. Lacerta, the first piece of the puzzle, was no mere speck on the vast canvas of the cosmos. It was the entire constellation. Had the explorers journeyed to the constellation bearing the ancient scroll, the stars would have vanished from the night sky, and the brilliant light of the Artifact would have illuminated the planet's surface. Their failure had led to the scroll's destruction. They now realized it was not a test of technology, but rather an examination of intellect and cunning. The lizards could not be trusted. 🗣With a renewed sense of purpose and the hope of uncovering traces of the enigmatic lizards' past, the second team embarked on their interstellar frigate. They set forth at a velocity that defying the laws of gravity, venturing deeper into the unknown.