She maneuvered her ship closer, deploying drones to examine the asteroid’s surface. As she drilled into its crust, her sensors detected high concentrations of complex hydrocarbons—a characteristic signature of carbonaceous material. To her astonishment, the asteroid revealed itself to be rich in organic compounds, a rare find in this sector of space. Wendy realized she had discovered a carbonaceous asteroid, a potential cache of rare resources and perhaps, clues to the origins of life itself, hidden in the silent depths of the asteroid belt.