《Space Discoveries - An Exploration Collection》 SFDS - Chapter 1 One year passed since the aliens appeared. This was a long year for humanity, but even longer for those, who were directly involved, just like me. But let¡¯s start from the beginning. It was in 2028 October that humanity got its first unshakable proof of extraterrestrial life. This came in the form of an unknown spaceship right besides our Moon. The media picked it up, the world stopped moving and everyone looked out for what is about to happen. In the first days, there were many attempts to make contact. Different languages, codes, with the use of mathematics, but neither got an answer. I was a member of the organization responsible of space research under the Western Alliance. We were the first one to get media attention. The days passed, but nothing really happened. The force of the media grown, but we couldn¡¯t do anything. We didn¡¯t know if they even used radio signals or even capable of decoding our messages that we sent them. It was time to wait. We just sat and waited, waiting for what will happen. In the middle of the second week since detection, parts of the alien ship detached. From the scans it came to light that there was some kind of inner explosion. We were lucky, because the East took it as an attack and was close to using nuclear weapons in response. After this, many similar things happened. Again, thousands of speculations spread over the whole internet. The two biggest ones were that one of the Unions took a shot at it, the other was that they got damaged in a space battle and if that¡¯s true, the ones who attacked might be coming here soon. The spaceship indeed seemed damaged. The taken pictures shown that its shape got broken in numerous locations, there were things that were missing from one or the other side, breaking the assumed symmetry. For the next milestone we had to wait quite a lot. After four weeks of its appearance, we got a noisy radio signal from the general direction of the Moon. It was a binary code, with its content being ¡°Peace¡±, nothing more. The world sighed together. Our organization started bombarding them with binary coded messages. Early on, we had to wait for the responses, then they arrived more frequently, until it started to become cleaner, more complex. We only found out later that they had to learn and acquire all these skills on the spot. Our language, our writings, our coding and our less advanced telecommunication techniques. After the official report, it become clear to everyone. In short: The alien ship indeed got damaged in a battle and then ¡°jumped¡± to the first planet with life on it. They guaranteed us that the hostile ship wouldn¡¯t follow them here. The only thing they wanted was help. They would purchase natural resources from us to fix their ship. In exchange, we would get technologies. The Western Alliance accepted the proposal on short notice. Only that this event involves the whole world, they didn¡¯t make a move without inviting the Eastern nations into the deal. It was a good time to solve the long lasting hostility, or at least ellaviate some of it. There was also the chance that the Eastern nations would start a war because of said technologies. The Eastern block accepted the proposal due to citizen push, with that a new weak alliance formed. In many years, this was the first step towards a real unified world. We got nothing from the aliens for now, yet humanity already won something from it. A space program started and with combined resources, the first supply rocket successfully left the atmosphere in the sixth month since our contact. The space program¡¯s fantastical speed of evolution was thanks to the aliens and the two alliances combined work. From design to launching the rockets, everything happened uniformly. After the first rocket was launched into space, a grand scale operation was on the verge of beginning. To save costs and to make things easier, they moved the alien ship from its Moon route closer to the Earth. The operation was a success. The world rejoiced as one on the streets when the ship got a stable route on the arranged path, orbiting around the planet. In the next six months, a rocket left Earth each month and each of them were totally different, more advanced and more effective than the last. Technology that would benefit the citizens appeared around the ninth month mark. It touched mainly on our computer science and telecommunication, then achieved progress in our medical fields as well. The people started circulating the ¡°Third Industrial Revolution¡± which was a really splendid name for what was happening. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. As time passed, most of the aliens perfected their language and could use lingua franca. The information exchange happened with them. In time, our text messages changed to voice calls. Then video calls. Everyone was holding back their breath as the first video connection happened. The media broadcasted a live feed around the whole world. Everyone was curious how they looked. They then got surprised how much resemblence there were between them and us, as appearance goes. It was hard not to, the old scifi alien portrayal was the first thing that came to everyone¡¯s mind, but on first look, outside of their skin being a lighter grey, and due to cultural differences clothing and fashion might differ, there wasn¡¯t really anything noteworthy to mention as difference goes. It was in a way creepy how much resemblence there was. But let¡¯s jump to the present. It was a regular workday. Althought the meaning of regular changed in the meantime. Ever since the alien ship appeared, our abnormal turned into normal. The aliens were an everyday topic for start. Some even got paper, news portals, even television channels dedicated to them. I woke up in the morning then following my usual routine made my way to work. It was a wonderful friday morning in autumn, as I looked around I remembered how much the scenery around me changed in the last year. The previously dirty, lethargic big city changed into a flourishing, living one. The people enjoyed their everyday lives. The technological advancement brought a new color into the everyday man¡¯s grey days. Compared to how things were, sometimes I started thinking if it¡¯s really us who were saving the aliens or the opposite happened instead. I reached the building of the Space Research Organization. After checking in, I made my way towards the office on the twenty-third floor, which I shared with three of my coworkers. In the last year, the organization got plenty of new recruits due to expansions, while the building itself remained the same. Happily, our cozy office was big enough for the four of us. In the beginning, making contact was the priority of our work group, but later we got pushed out of this work and a more specialized group took our place. Like this, our job switched to relaying news towards the media. Which was interesting early on, but got boring quite fast. Nearly every day, we did the same processes, without change. Thanks to this, most of our day was trying to make ourselves not get bored with busywork, doing this or that. We watched movies or series, someone cut videos or happened to be talented enough to do animation work as well. Me? I stick to playing games or watching some TV series. ¡°Good morning!¡± I greeted everyone inside. ¡°I mean only to you.¡± ¡°Sup!¡± barked back to me Andrex, glancing up from a pretty important game fight ¡°You are late again. Aren¡¯t they bored of it?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they bored of you playing all day?¡± ¡°Most of the time I take the night shift. No one else is here at night. Who cares then.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± I agreed as I sat before my table. I did pretty much nothing related to work until my lunch break. After a long lunch, I made some small changes on the last report and handed it down, the first half of my afternoon was spent with similar high efficiency work. I was watching a video, when an ad popped up somehow. It was about some hiking boots. I closed it and continued the video. But after a short time, an itching feeling took over me that maybe it wouldn¡¯t be that bad to finally move out on the weekend a bit. ¡°Andrex.¡± I called out. ¡°What?¡± came back a lazy question. ¡°Would you be up for some hiking on the weekend? We could go up to some mountain, or something.¡± ¡°Just the two of us?¡± he asked back a little confused over the proposal. ¡°That would be way too romantic for me. Think about my poor heart.¡± ¡°Hehe. But seriously.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. Maybe next time.¡± he ended the conversation just like that. Can¡¯t say it didn¡¯t take the wind out from under me, but I was already determined to see this through, I will go to some mountain climbing on the weekend. Our time in work ended fast. As the people arrived for our shift change, we were on our way home. The route was uneventful, except me planning my little holyday for tomorrow. Around the city there wasn¡¯t any place for this, so I planned to go down to somewhere remote instead. After getting home I ate dinner and took a shower. I packed everything needed for tomorrow. I packed some extra clothes in case the weather would turn sour and a tent, so I don¡¯t have to sleep in the open. Everything else that might be needed, I purchased on the way home. After being done with this, I went to sleep. SFDS - Chapter 2 Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! SFDS - Chapter 3 It really was close to our camp site. After 15 minutes, we were there. First, I didn¡¯t even notice the machinery. Avry stepped forward, tapped around a bit, grabbed something, and opened its door. I was amazed by its optic camouflage. If I focused on it, I only noticed the small distortions it caused around its edges. Inside, it really looked like a machine fit for space travel¡ªat least as much as I could determine that. There were two seats inside and some buttons. It was obviously constructed in such a way that even those who weren¡¯t knowledgeable about it could use it. The glider made her tale somewhat believable, although I still doubted if everything she said was true. I surprised myself with these thoughts, since yesterday it was as if I took all of her words as facts. I couldn¡¯t really put a lid on the idea that she was a spy, either. And other fictitious things my brain came up with. I turned to her and questioned her: ?Did you come to spy on us?" ?Me? No way.¡± she said, seeming genuinely surprised. ?I told you yesterday what happened, remember?¡± ?You did. But everything feels so unrealistic. As if I were dreaming. Maybe you only drank from my blood to control me.¡± I surprised myself a little; I didn¡¯t want to sound so crude, but it slipped out and can¡¯t be taken back. ?W-where did you... B-but I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± She said it with hesitation in her voice, then tears appeared in her eyes. ?I mean, I didn¡¯t do anything like that out of practice.¡± She corrected herself: ?This is a side effect when we drink someone¡¯s blood.¡± She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and started crying. ?But if... I couldn¡¯t do anything against it... I would have starved. And... I don¡¯t... really remember it.¡± She couldn¡¯t continue anymore; she just cried while her eyes reflected sadness and guilt. I took her out and gave her a handkerchief. I felt sorry for her, but this time maybe from my own choice. So apparently what I thought yesterday, even if just part of it, was true. The control came to me from an old story. I didn¡¯t plan to accuse her of it, but as it appears, I hit the nail on that. This isn¡¯t simple. ?Sorry. I didn¡¯t want to hurt your feelings. I just felt that something was weird last night. I know that you might know many people who you knew, and now you are on an unknown planet with some stranger.¡± I said, then stepped up to her to hug her. She reciprocated. Our body heat and the feeling of both of our heartbeats slowly calmed her down. I calmed down as well, and then Avry¡¯s crying stopped as well. I asked around, with some fear in me. ?Anyway, yesterday you wanted to ¡¯control¡¯ me?¡± Now I say it a lot more softly. ?So I take the situation is better? Do you plan to try doing that later as well?¡± ?I understand that I don¡¯t have much credibility, so I only ask you to trust me.¡± she said while wiping her eyes. ?And yes, I did try, but it didn¡¯t work. I hadn¡¯t tried it many times before, but usually it did. And...¡± she looked at me before looking down. ?...I don¡¯t want to control you, but I have to drink blood.¡± ?I understand.¡± Maybe I wasn¡¯t as calm as I believed, and my voice gave it away since Avry looked at me. ?But we will solve that somehow. ?I cut it short, then turned towards the glider. ?And what will we do with this? Is there anything useful inside? How long can it camouflage itself? Maybe it¡¯s not good if someone finds it.¡± Avry thought for a moment, then answered: ?I don¡¯t know. The food is gone; I don¡¯t know what else is inside of it. And I don''t know how long the camoflage lasts. But I hope for a long time.¡± Obviously, she just speculated, ?What do you think?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected the question. It¡¯s true that I work at a place whose whole job is space research, but I don¡¯t know anything about how my work is done. I can¡¯t imagine how a spaceship might work, more so an alien one, so I just shrugged. ?We can¡¯t do much then. For now, let¡¯s get home; maybe there is something in the news.¡± I turned to walk away but suddenly remembered, ?Oh, right. We have to do something with your appearance.¡± ?Why?¡± She asked back in quite a sulking voice. ?Do I not meet your standards or something?¡± ?God, if she knew what I thought about her figure and appearance... but anyway, I have to solve this misunderstanding.¡± I thought to myself. ?No way. I don¡¯t talk about that. But if you appear in these clothes, they will immediately think that something¡¯s not right. Bringing attention to yourself while from one side you are being chased and from the other... I don¡¯t know what would happen, but surely nothing good. We have to do something with your clothes. Your hair is fine, and your skin color is...¡± I stopped here for a moment because I didn¡¯t know if she knew what racism was; hopefully she didn¡¯t misunderstand. ?...we will do something with it.¡± As the anger disappeared from her face, I calmed down. ?But I don¡¯t have other clothes.¡± She said sadly. ?I thought so. Luckily, I have some change clothes. Most likely, it¡¯s big for you, and it¡¯s male clothes, but better than nothing.¡± As soon as I finished, I put down my backpack and dug into it. What I took out was a spare pair of pants and a sweater, then gave them to Avry. ?Easier if you just use it over what you have on.¡± ?Not necessarily. These clothes accommodate outside temperatures, so if I put something over them, it might confuse the sensors.¡± She said it, blushing. I knew why, but I hope she doesn¡¯t think that she has to change in front of me. And also, what the hell kind of high-tech stuff is that? ?Then best if you get inside and change there, no? Is there enough space inside?¡± I said, closing the problem short. ?I think there is.¡± She said she was shy, then hopped in and closed the door. Minutes passed. There was no noise coming from the glider. While waiting, I started thinking. I had to realize that I had stumbled into a weird situation. I don¡¯t want to leave her alone, but that she needs blood and can control mine or others thoughts might become a problem later. She might even be a spy or something, but we will see. And okay, we go home, but then what? I have work tomorrow; maybe it¡¯s not the best idea to leave her alone. My thoughts were cut short by the clicking of the door. Avry came out, using the clothes I gave her. She didn¡¯t look as weird in it as I thought she would. ?You were right. There really were some things inside.¡± She put her back into the cabin and pulled out two clothes, the same as what she had just worn before. ?One of them is mine, but you can have the other.¡± She gave them to me, and I put them away in my bag. They were pretty light, and while the texture was interesting, it seemed comfortable to the touch. Around the collar, there was something hard, but I didn¡¯t care enough and just put the clothes away. ?And there is this as well.¡± She leaned back into the cabin once more and took out some tablet-like thing. ?It¡¯s a PDA that we used on the ship. I didn¡¯t know there was one here as well. But it doesn¡¯t work without the network.¡± I put that away as well and stood back up. ?Would those clothes even fit me?¡± I asked. If I have the chance, I want to try it out. ?Yes. When you put it on, it will accommodate your figure.¡± ?So that¡¯s why it fits you so well. Understandable; I just didn¡¯t expect it. Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Finally, we turned away from the glider and started our way towards the village. Going down from the mountain was a lot easier than going uphill. We had a good tempo; by noon, we were at the border of the trees. The view didn¡¯t change from two days ago. The yellow-leaf trees show the change of the season. The signal came back to my phone. I got some notification from work that they want me back as soon as I can go. They didn¡¯t go into details, but I expect it to be something related to Avry and what happened to her. I had a bad feeling about it. ?What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asked Avry ?Your face turned gloomy, when you looked at your communicator.¡± I sighed. ?Something is happening, and most likely nothing good.¡± I answered, then I closed this chat from my side. I didn¡¯t have much idea what might happen or what could be done against it. And with empty speculations, you just waste time.¡± We should get home fast. Nothing noteworthy happened on the way back to the village. Avry stopped sometimes to look at some interesting plant or animal. Since it was Sunday, we met no one. After leaving the village, it was the same. One or two people walked by but didn¡¯t even look at us. The streets were empty. As we reached the train station, you could hear the happy chatter that came from houses over mealtime. The station was different, though. Many people were out and inside the station. A lot most likely goes to work in the city and only comes back on the weekends to meet the family, then on Sunday they go back to work. The crowd was as positive to us as it was negative. It¡¯s easier to disappear in crowds, but there are also more eyes that could look at us. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I go purchase the tickets; you just stay here.¡± I said, then got in line before the counter. The line wasn¡¯t long and moved at a good tempo. As I stepped forward, I always looked at Avry to make sure if anything happened, I could get there on time. As soon as I purchased the tickets, I got back to Avry. We walked out to the platform and sat on an empty bench. There were only a few minutes until the train arrived, and we got here on time. While sitting, I drifted away into my thoughts. Everything went okay; I don¡¯t know why I was so afraid something would happen. I noticed from the corner of my eyes that Avry was slightly swaying. Avry¡¯s gray skin was white as snow. I found it funny that even with that color, they can turn pale, but surely this didn¡¯t mean anything good. She slowly looked at me; her whole body was shaking. She didn¡¯t speak. I grabbed her hand, which was ice cold, and when I put it over her forehead, it was hot. She had a fever¡ªa quite high one. The train arrived at the station. I tried to pull her up as discreetly as I could, and then we slowly got up to the train. After a short search, we could find an empty cabin at the end of the train. I made her sit inside, then looked over her. She looked pretty sick. I took off my sweater, put it on her, and sat beside her. ?How do you feel?¡± I asked softly. ?N-not good. I hope this isn¡¯t some specific illness.¡± She said it with a cracked voice. ?Specific? What do you mean?¡± ?That it¡¯s not something that is usual for earthlings but deadly to an outsider race.¡± ?I hope not. Try to take a rest; the road is a few hours long.¡± It sounded pretty bad. I hadn¡¯t even thought of such a thing, but it was true and not a good thing. Avry moved around, and then she was fast asleep a few minutes later. I stood up, careful not to wake her up, and got out to the toilet. In there, I called Andrex; maybe he can tell me something about what¡¯s happening at work. ?Hey! What¡¯s up? Is there a problem?¡± I started, but I only got an answer after a long silence. ?Sup! Everyone¡¯s out of their minds. There¡¯s a news blackout; no one can say anything, so once you come in, you will see.¡± said Andrex, then ended the call. I sit back beside Avry. I felt like a storm was building over my head. I don¡¯t know what I really stumbled into, nor do I know how I will get out of it. I checked my watch; most of the train ride was still in front of us, so I made myself comfortable and tried to take a nap. The nap went well. When I woke up, we were already in the suburbs. The sun was still visible on the horizon. While the train filled up with people, no one really cared about us. I made my sleepiness go away, then stretched myself. That¡¯s when I noticed that Avry had given up her previous position, and now she leaned against my shoulder. Her forehead was sweaty, and sometimes her body shook. The train slowly arrived at the station. I warily woke up Avry, who slowly opened her eyes, then smiled at me. ?There will be no problem.¡± I said it silently, then stood up and picked up my bag. I helped her up, then slowly got off the train. The station¡¯s noisy crowd helped us safely reach the taxi waiting area. Normally I wouldn¡¯t use it, but right now it seemed like the best solution. I chose the closest car, motioned with my arm to the driver, and then we got in. I told him my address, and we were on our way. The minutes passed slowly. Luckily, the driver didn¡¯t really take an interest in us. His face showed that he was tired and wasn¡¯t in the mood for anything. Normally, maybe it would bother me, but this time I was thankful. The traffic wasn¡¯t busy. After 15 minutes, we arrived at my place. I paid for the taxi, and we walked up. When I closed the house door behind me, a sudden, big relief washed over me. We got home without any problems. I made Avry sit on the couch, then I pulled down the shutters. After that, I went to the kitchen for some water and medicine. When I was back, I sat down beside Avry. ?I don¡¯t know what effects the medicine will have on you, but this is what I have.¡± I said, then showed her the boxes. ?Antipyretic and antibiotic.¡± ?We aren¡¯t so different; it should work.¡± She said it with a weak, muffled voice. ?I hope they work.¡± I gave her one of each, and then the water. Avry gulped them down, then laid down on the couch. I sat there for a few minutes until I was sure she was sleeping, then went to do my things. First, I unpacked my bag. I put the two overalls into a box and slid them into the lower half of the cabinet, making sure they weren''t in front of prying eyes. Then I focused my attention on the tablet-like thing. It looked a lot more advanced than ours. The display, when turned off, was slightly transparent; the bezel was thin, and only one side was wider. That side was thicker, which helped hold it easier. I sadly couldn¡¯t come up with how it works, so I just put it in one of the drawers of my writing table. I was tired and hungry. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to cook something, so I decided to order pizza. I thought about Avry as well, but I didn¡¯t know what kind she would like or if she even knew what it was, so I ordered two different ones; one of them might just be to her liking. While I was waiting for the delivery guy, I decided to wash off the dirt and grime from me. I undressed, then went into the bathroom. I spent a lot of time in the shower because it felt too good. The notification that the delivery guy was slowly here put my wandering mind back in place, and I finished up fast. I dressed up, and then, as usual, I made myself comfortable on the couch. Avry gave out some groans as a sign of dislike. For a moment, I totally forgot about her. I turned on the TV, set the volume to low so she wouldn¡¯t wake up, and watched it until the delivery arrived. Around 5 minutes later, I heard ringing. It was the delivery guy. I paid for them and wished him the best. I put down the pizzas on the table in front of the couch, then went to the kitchen for some knives and drinks. Then I noticed how all the last week¡¯s stuff was in the sink. So I put them in the dishwasher and then went back. Avry was awake; she was watching TV. She must have heard that I was coming, since she turned towards me and smiled. The color returned to her face, and she looked much better. I looked at my watch. Nearly an hour passed, and the medicine might be doing its job. ?Feeling better?¡± I ask as I sit down. ?Absolutely.¡± She answered happily, then pointed at the pizza boxes. ?I ordered dinner; you must be hungry. There are two kinds." I said this as I opened the boxes and turned to her. I noticed that she unzipped her sweater. She was leaning forward and wasn¡¯t really hiding what she was doing; I felt a little embarrassed. I looked higher, and she was looking at me, slightly confused. ?Ohh, one of them has four kinds of cheese, and the other has ham. I don¡¯t know which one you want, mire, so I ordered two; maybe you like one.¡± I said hastily, turning my eyes elsewhere, hoping we take it like nothing happened. Luckily, Avry didn¡¯t really care. She put her hand in the box and took a slice out. She slowly bit into it first, then her face brightened up. ?It was a long time ago that I ate something this tasty. On the Proxomus, the food was mostly flavoured later.¡± In the middle of the sentence, she was already reaching for another one. ?Proxo... mus?¡± ?The name of our ship. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± She said it between bites with a full mouth. ?It didn¡¯t come up yet. But nevermind. Enjoy your meal!¡± The pizza was gone fast. Avry had a good appetite; she ate most of it. After dinner, she went to shower as well. While she was gone, I prepared clean clothes, although I could only do mine. I opened the couch and prepared it for bed. Not long after Avry finished showering, she stepped up to me. ?What are you doing?¡± She asked interestedly. ?Just preparing the bed.¡± I answered. ?Do you want to sleep in or out here?¡± Avry was deep in thought for a moment. ?I-I don¡¯t want to sleep alone. This world is so scary and unfamiliar. I was scared in the forest as well.¡± She said it with a somewhat scared expression, then closed her eyes. ?W-Well, why not? We can sleep together.¡± I said it with some hesitation, somewhat uncertainly, but Avry¡¯s face brightened up. Leaving the couch behind, we went into my room, where she happily hopped onto the bed. I was anxious. I turned off the lights, then slowly tumbled onto the bed with the help of the lights from outside. I stopped beside it and carefully sat down on the edge. When I started lying down, Avry suddenly grabbed me and pulled me beside her in the bed. It was scary, but at the same time, it was funny. Her childish behavior helped me calm myself. For a moment, I only looked at the ceiling, then turned towards her. ?Good night.¡± I said, but she was already sleeping. I put a blanket over us and fell into deep sleep too. The vibration of my phone signaled that morning had come. It was wiggling on the nightstand, the wood making the vibration louder. Out of habit, I was already leaning to turn it off, but my body suddenly felt heavy. Avry was lying half on top of me. Her left arm was wrapped around my neck, while her head rested on my chest. For a second, I froze, then leaned for my phone again, but failed. I gave up and laid back again. It was unusual, but a comfortable feeling. In the end, the phone¡¯s adamant ringing ended this situation. Avry slowly opened her eyes, and then, without lifting her head, she looked at me and smiled. ¡°Good morning.¡± She said it softly, in a still-sleepy voice. I answered with an embarrassed smile and stuttering words. But it seems it didn¡¯t surprise her; instead, she found it funny. Avry chuckled a little, then pushed herself up from the elbow. A big, solid saliva mark signaled to me that she was in deep sleep. I didn¡¯t hesitate and finally turned off the phone, then jumped out of bed. From behind me, I heard a laidback yawn. ?Do you want coffee?¡± I asked with a somewhat awkward voice, and then without waiting for an answer, I went into the kitchen. ?I don¡¯t know.¡± I got the answer when I reached the door. ?What do you don¡¯t know?¡± ?I don¡¯t know what¡¯s a ¡¯coffee¡¯.¡± She was slightly taken aback. ?Do your kind don¡¯t drink it?¡± I was surprised, but then a thought came up: maybe she just doesn¡¯t know our term for it. ?I will make you one then.¡± I prepared it and then turned on the coffee machine. While it boiled, I escaped into my thoughts. Quite fantastical things happened to me in the last few days, and today morning wasn¡¯t an exception. I¡¯m not used to such things in any way you look at them. Despite how chaste her behavior was at the glider, right now she seems like a different person. Or spacekind. The machine poured out the last drop of coffee and pulled me out of my mind. Our culture is different, that¡¯s for sure. I closed the chain of thought inside me. I finished up the coffee and turned around to put it on the table. Avry was standing beside the kitchen table and looked at it with great interest to see what I was doing. Her expression was sleepy, and her hair was a little messy, but maybe that¡¯s exactly what made her look cute at that moment. As I saw, only the shirt was on her from the clothes I gave her. I slowly put the mugs down and sat at the table, then, with a hesitant hand gesture, I tried to make her sit down as well. ?It smells good.¡± She said as she sat down. ?I hope it¡¯s good. I¡¯m not a professional barista.¡± I said this as my hand reached for the sugar. Which wasn¡¯t there, nor the milk. ?Oh, I forgot the sugar and milk.¡± I jumped up from my chair and picked them out of the fridge and shelf. As I turned back to the table, out of my control, thanks to the size of the shirt, I could take a peek at what was under it. I stopped for a moment, and exactly just for a moment, with some guilt building up inside me, but I enjoyed the view that blessed my eyes. Avry looked up at me and wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. ?H-Hey!¡± She said it with a pouty face as her face turned faintly red. But she didn¡¯t seem mad about it. I turned my gaze away as soon as I could, and my face flushed a little too. ?S-Sorry.¡± I said it repentantly, then sat back down. I put down the sugar and milk, then, with habitual movements, started flavoring my coffee. Avry was still a little red, but her expression showed great interest in what I was doing. ?I don¡¯t know how you would like it better; this makes it sweeter, and this makes the taste softer.¡± I said as I pointed at the sugar, then the milk. ?Try out what you prefer.¡± After this, my morning was uneventful. I looked for minutes at how Avry familiarized herself with the art of coffee flavoring. Time passed by quickly. I dressed up, then showed Avry where she could find what was in the house. There was food; I thought not much, but we can order again tonight. ?Bye! Be careful!¡± I said as I stepped out of the door. ?Bye. Come back fast!¡± Said Avry kindly. I closed the door behind me, and I was on my way. SFDS - Chapter 4 This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. SFDS - Chapter 5 If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. SFDS - Chapter 6 If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. SFDS - Chapter 7 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. SFDS - Chapter 8 [END] I heard Avry¡¯s voice from far away. The voice gradually drew nearer, yet I was unable to pinpoint its origin. I felt as she touched me, pulling me multiple times. Gently, but with resolve. Then, as if I were pulled out of water, I got to myself. A few seconds, and everything becomes clear. We survived the launch. I blinked as I looked around, then looked out left to me through the window. I set my eyes on the earth. ?Beautiful.¡± ?Yes. Although I seen such a scene many times before.¡± ¨C Said Avry. ?By the way, are you alright?¡± ?I¡¯m fine. Where are we?¡± ?Halfway there, I think. They already launched the rockets, they will catch up to us right before Proxomus.¡± ?Ahh. Then everything¡¯s good. Thank God.¡± ¨C I felt relieved. ?Copy.¡± - The radio came to life. ?Everything¡¯s alright? Did Brandon wake up?¡± ?Yes, right now.¡± - I answered. ?Everything¡¯s good here as well. Are we on track?¡± ?Happy to hear that you woke up, and yes, everything¡¯s according to our calculations. Estimated time until arrival is 26 minutes, 18 seconds. We will call in 15 minutes if there are no problems. Over.¡± Our radio connection ended. The view was breathtaking. To see the Earth, Moon, and the neverending darkness of space at the same time. I can hardly believe this is really happening. ?I was in awe the same way as you when I first got out to space. ¨C Said Avry. ?It¡¯s not as unusual anymore, but you can always see something new, and it can surprise you.¡± ?How many missions you had so far?¡± ¨C I asked. ?This is the ninth one. This is the most exciting one so far, for sure.¡± ?Call...¡± The radio spoke up again despite how only a few minutes passed. ¨C ?The Eastern also launched numerous rockets to Proxomus. Their estimated arrival is unknown.¡± Suddenly, in the back, you could hear voices from the radio. ?Everyone, hands up!¡± ?My God...¡± ?Can¡¯t you hear? Do it now!¡± ?From this point onward, you are alone on this. Good lu-? ¨C After some white noise, the radio fell silent. ?Do you think... Did they killed them?¡± ¨C Asked Avry. ?I... I don¡¯t know.¡± ¨C I answered back honestly. ?You aren¡¯t better than us either.¡± ?What... do you mean by that?¡± ?Everything you shown from your world, what was that, some kind of facade?¡± ¨C Cried up Avry. ?In reality, you are the same kind of murderers as us.¡± ?There¡¯s always good and bad people. That¡¯s just how it is.¡± It seemed like Avry got surprised by my answer. She stayed silent for a bit. ?I didn¡¯t think about it like that until now... but you are right. I always looked down on those who killed. Even those who had no other choice. But you say it¡¯s inevitable?¡± ?At some point, yes. Inevitable.¡± ¨C I answered. ?Good and bad lose their meaning...¡± I took a break to tie my new topic into it. ¨C ¡°But I don¡¯t think anyone got hurt down there. You will see once we are back. But now let¡¯s focus on the mission.¡± ?Yes... You¡¯re right.¡± ¨C Said Avry more calmly. ¨C ?With the connection lost, we can only work with the simulations. We wouldn¡¯t know about any unseen conditions.¡± ?How much is left until arrival?¡± ?12 and a half minutes. Nine until the start of breaking. We have to activate the camo in 1 minute and 10 seconds.¡± ¨C Answered Avry. Until the start of the breaking system, we waited silently. Sometimes looking out the window, sometimes at Avry. It seemed she was really thinking it through what we talked about before. I didn¡¯t think it would hit her like this when she is in the military. Thought she did mention she is there to stop any bloodshed possible. The breaking nozzles we installed started working. The space glider slowed down, it could be felt but was nothing compared to the launch. As time passed, Proxomus showed up. First a small dot with lights on it. Then it grew bigger, its form could be seen better. ?We arrive from the side. Which is good. The docks are a bit further from the middle of the ship. You have to switch to manual controls in 56 seconds.¡± Said Avry. I grabbed the control machinery and waited. On the panels there was an installed switch to turn to manual controls. The seconds passed slowly, but surely we got closer to the time to break. ?The rockets should be here shortly.¡± ¨C I said, then noticed something from the corner of my eye. ¨C ?Fuck! There come the Eastern rockets!¡± Numerous small lights raced from Earth in the direction of Proxomus. From their directions, I think they will cross us, but maybe they got there faster than us. In a few seconds, the proxomus shot back at the rockets. ?That¡¯s the prevention system.¡± Said Avry. ?It will destroy most of them, but with this many, some will reach the ship... Prepare yourself...! Now!¡± Avry gave the order then pushed up the switch. The space glider turned unstable for a moment, then calmed down. I controlled it with small corrections towards Proximus, exactly where the dock is. The Easterners rockets gave off pulses, and the debris reached us, which started pushing on the glider. I slowed down more, then focused on getting closer. The Proxomus became bigger and bigger before our eyes as we got closer. The explosions stopped for a moment but then continued behind us. The promised rockets arrived, and they were very close to us. The explosion became more frequent, and the push from them was stronger. The Proxomus took up all our view when Avry finally talked. ?There it is on the right, a little lower.¡± ?That thin opening with the four red flashlights?¡± I asked back. ?Yes. Though it¡¯s strange that the dock is open.¡± She noted. I was a nervous wreck. I felt my heart in my throat. I put all my attention into putting the ship in the right directions so we can safely land inside the dock. But I forgot to slow down more as my attention was taken away. ?Slow down!¡± Shouted Avry. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. But it was too late. I pulled on the switch, and the glider started to slow down, but not in time. As we got to the opening of the dock, it was obvious we wouldn¡¯t do a safe landing. I tried to corrigate so we slam down inside the dock rather than against the opening, but I could only hope. I turned down as hard as I could, trying to force down the glider, with less than stellar success. We prepared ourselves. As we met with the ceiling, a big thumb could be heard. The emergency signal inside the ship flickered up at the same time. But the machine was still under control. I tried to put down the ship, trying to minimize more damage. Thanks to slamming against the ceiling, our speed disappeared too, so I had an easier job. With a thud, the glider touched the ground, and everything was silent. ?Are you alright?¡± I asked Avry. ?I think. At least I am alive.¡± She answered back. ?Could have been worse. But we should go, right?¡± ?Right. They could notice any moment we got inside.¡± We put on our helmets so if we meet someone, we aren¡¯t busted too fast, then stepped out of the ship. The camo crapped itself, and the ship was in bad shape too. On the inner side of the docks, many ships stood in order, the same kind as ours. The opening we came through now had an orange hue on it. Its job is most likely keeping air in. Avry went forward, and I followed. We arrived at the door on the inner side of the dock. Avry did something with the panel, then the door slided to the left silently. Inside, we stepped into a corridor. Avry zipped through with a goal in mind. I followed suit, sometimes looking behind us. The corridor had some kind of gray layer on it and on top a line of yellow lights. It nearly looked the same as in any Earth sci-fi. As we progressed through, I noticed the strangest thing that I hadn¡¯t noticed until now. There was artificial gravitation. ?How far is it?¡± I asked. ?Approximately ten minutes before we reach the construction part of the Nova. We have to go down 5 levels towards the ship''s nose.¡± ?And... How will we deactivate it?¡± I asked the question that somehow up to now slipped out of our talks. ?Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± Answered Avry. ?I thought about it a lot, but I don¡¯t actually know how that weapon works.¡± ?How complex can it be?¡± ?Most likely very.¡± ?Then it¡¯s enough if we break some things in it, no?¡± ?Maybe.¡± Said Avry before she started slowing down. Two strangers ran towards us in the dark clothes and helmets. Luckily, they didn¡¯t care about us. They signaled us with their hands, and we did the same. After what felt like hours, we reached the weapon. On the way, we stumbled into the crew of the ship, but our clothes worked wonders. From the corridor, we reached the Nova through a massive door. The dock looked the same. The Nova was cannon-like gigantic machinery, which was set before an opening. In that opening, we could clearly see the Earth. For a minute, we just stood beside the weapon in awe. But then a sound could be heard. It came from everywhere; most likely it was the ship''s internal radio. ?They most likely got to the glider. They know we are here.¡± Said Avry with nervousness in her voice. The voice continued, then stopped. The Nova¡¯s chamber at the same time started flashing with red lights on the wall. ?They will fire with the Nova!¡¯ Shouted Avry as she ran to the control panel beside the weapon. ?Can you stop it?¡± ?No. I don¡¯t know how it works.¡± The despair started to take us over. Avry just looked at the panel, sometimes clicking something on it. I just stood there, not being able to do anything, just looking at her and the cannon. I tried to go to the other side of the weapon; maybe I noticed something, and luckily I did. In one corner, there were lots of worktools with a few-meter-long bar. Without hesitation, I picked up one of the steel bars. The Nova roared. I stood beside it and trying to believe in miracles, started smashing the side of it, until Avry stopped me. ?Stop, there¡¯s no point.¡± She said sadly. ?There has to be.¡± I collected every drop of power in my body for one last strike. The steel bar in my hand slipped off the side of the cannon and landed on the ground, right into a pipe system of it, and suddenly, white steam escaped from it. I reflexively hid my face to protect it from the heat, but soon realized that it¡¯s not actually steam. On the walls beside the blinking lights, an ear piercing sound started to ring as well. Avry run to the control panel. ?The temperature stabilizer¡¯s pressure is declining. The Nova¡¯s core temperature is drastically climbing too.¡± ?Will it explode?¡± ?Maybe.¡± Said Avry. ?Better if we run for it. ?Right.¡± Before we left, I tried pulling out the steel bar from the pipe system. It didn¡¯t give in easily, but a few good kicks worked wonders. The white steam poured out faster. ?What did you do?¡± ?Just pulled out the steel bar.¡± ?Now it woll explode. Only minutes are left.¡± ?Then let¡¯s run for it!¡± We ran out of the door and dashed towards the docks as fast as we could. On the corridors, we met a lot more crew members now than before; everyone runs somewhere. It was complete chaos. We reached the dock when the radio voice rang up again. ?What did it said?¡± I asked Avry. ?They said to evacuate the ship because the Nova will explode.¡± We arrived at the dock entrance; it was already open. As we run inside, we see how the last space glider left through the opening, leaving only our wrecked ship behind. We got in and closed the doors. ?No. Don¡¯t do it!¡± I shouted. ?Looks like this is the end.¡± Said Avry with a desperate voice. ?But I¡¯m happy I¡¯m not alone at the very end.¡± ?No. It can¡¯t end like this. There has to be something...¡± I noticed that the automata and manual controls aren¡¯t on the right switch. I turned it to the other side and tried to make the ship move again, now with success. The space glider slowly turned around, and when it looked towards the exit, I pushed the power switch to the top. The machine slowly but surely started to speed up. In its movement, one could feel its war wounds. As soon as we left the docks, a deep voice rang out behind us. ?Is that the Nova?¡± I asked. ?Might be. We can¡¯t get enough distance.¡± ?Don¡¯t give up!¡± But she was right. A few moments later, the genocide weapon¡¯s explosion blast reached us with soul-shattering sound, and the small space glider was pulled in different directions. I let go of the joystick; there was no reason to fight against it. I just prayed that the machinery lasts. The shaking slowly subsided and then stopped. From the window, you could see the core of the explosion, which also meant that we turned around. The core was a beautiful skyblue swirl, like a stormy sea. In the far distance, it was like it stopped still. ?It will collapse!¡± Shouted Avry. ?We have to get as far away as we can!¡± I clutched the controller again, but it was late. The pulse the collapse brought with it reached us and, with unbelievable speed, started pulling the ship towards the core. As we got closer, one could see a black spot inside the core. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what that might be. ?Do you see that?¡± Asked Avry. ?Y-Yes. But I hope it¡¯s not what I think it is.¡± ?Why? What might it b...¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence. We reached the core. More precisely, the black spot in the middle of it. Through space glider seemed to stretch, and it felt like my body was ripping apart on the cell level. I felt as though my consciousness was fading away. I woke up to my clothes warning beeping. I was cold. My head hurt. The space glider¡¯s control panel was all black. I looked left. Avry was unconscious, but from the looks of it, she isn¡¯t wounded. The door on her side was pretty much totally destroyed. I shook her in desperation. ?Avry. Avry! Are you alright? Are you alive...? Say something!¡± For long seconds, she gave no life signal, then with a weak, muffled sound she spoke up. ?Yeah... For now. Where are we? What happened.¡± ?I don¡¯t know. I was unconscious like you until now.¡± Avry suddenly twitched. She looked around. I hoped she come up with something. ?What if...¡± She spoke up in a cold voice. ?What if it was a black hole?¡± ?I dunno. But if it was, then where are we.¡± ?We can be anywhere.¡± She said and reached for my hand. ?How much oxygen do you have?¡± ?Around four and a half minutes worth.¡± ?Same as me.¡± Avry unclapped her belt and floated to me. ?But at least we could save your planet.¡± ?At least.¡± As I said that, I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears. ?I¡¯m sorry I pulled you into this.¡± ?It¡¯s not a problem. If I wouldn¡¯t wanted to come, I wouldn¡¯t have come. Thr most important thing is that we are still together.¡± ?These past few days were so short. But I was so happy... I hope, in a new life, we will meet again.¡± I said, while hugging Avry tightly. ?I love you. I will love you forever.¡± ?Me too. Forever and ever.¡± We stayed like that, hugging each other. Our oxygen slowly but surely got used up. I could feel death coming for me. The only thing I regret is that I can¡¯t touch her for one last time. The seconds passed. I felt Avry¡¯s body twitch as she tried not to cry. Through my closed eyelids, I could see lights. I opened my eyes, then noticed some objects through the glass coming this way. The countdown for my oxygen was at ten seconds when it got close enough for me to see its a small spaceship. It raced towards us, but I couldn¡¯t see it reach us anymore.