(I've been meaning to put some of my work out for a while. And yes, I did make use of Grammarly while writing it, of which I do not particularly like that I did use it, however, it did teach me a bit on how to properly write things , I will also note that it was a long time ago. its a work I'm fairly proud of though, in plot more so than grammar and stuff, hope you enjoy it despite its flaws :D )
It has been 107 long years since the war between Sol and the Coalition and since I first met my friends. Thanks to U.P.V. medical technology, I still look like I’m in my thirties. But as I prepare to reconnect with my old friends, a nagging worry creeps in: “Will they even recognize me?”
Today is the day of our long-awaited reunion, and I'm bursting with curiosity about what they’ve experienced over the past seven decades since I embarked on my journey through the cosmos. Travel by ship used to be commonplace, but the advent of teleportation technology has made it a rare treat. Yet I cling to my ship, the Aurora, for the freedom it gives me—the joy of soaring above a planet, watching the atmosphere shimmer and dance with refracted light. It's a sight many will never see, and they don’t know what they’re missing, and my condition makes that impossible, even if I wanted to.
Just as I’m lost in thought, the com-terminal buzzes, jolting me back to reality with a signal from the planet’s flight administration. I quickly open the channel. “This is the Flight Control of New Santiago Inter-Spatial Planetary Port. Please provide your ship ID.”
“This is the Aurora. I’m set for approach and sending the relevant data now,” I reply, my heart racing in anticipation.
“Aurora, you are cleared for landing. Enjoy your time at New Santiago!” the voice crackles back.
As I descend toward the planet, I feel the warmth of the atmosphere enveloping my ship. New Santiago is a recently terraformed paradise designed to be the first resort destination of its kind in the U.P.V., although many don't see the use in a resort world, as they can fulfill their every need and want through the replicators in their homes. Yet, New Santiago promises something deeper than mere material gratification. Their mantra boasts of “sights and experiences you’ll never forget,” and I can’t wait to discover them.
Touching down at the interspatial planetary port, I’m greeted by a vibrant tapestry of diverse species bustling about. While most can use teleporters, some rare exceptions either can’t or simply prefer not to. As I unload my ship, grab my luggage, and hop into my car, the lively streets of New Santiago come to life around me.
As I drive toward the hotel where my friends are staying, my eyes dart around, taking in the energy of the city. Weather control systems ensure the sky is always clear while the skyscrapers, which seem to touch the heavens, loom above, disappearing into the clouds. My excitement builds, and I catch snippets of conversations as I pass. A pair of vagmak nearby speaks in hushed tones. “Did you hear about the capital?" one murmurs. The other replies, “No, what happened?” I strain to listen as the first voice continues, “We’ve lost contact with them. The whole empire is falling apart; colonies are vanishing by the minute.”
With the weight of their words hanging in the air, I step into the turbo-lift, feeling that familiar rush of anticipation.
As the doors slide open on the 376th floor, I step out and walk down the corridor toward my friend’s door. Memories flood back from our chaotic past when we fled from gunfire, unsure of our fates and the impact we’d have on the war. I remember Anthony, still mastering his teleportation skills, J before her transition, Henry not yet the engineering whiz he is now, Alice doubting her own powers, and Amelia believing the Coalition were the good guys.
I take a deep breath, and the door opens. There’s Anthony on the couch, completely engrossed in a game on the holo-screen. His character is firing at enemies when suddenly he pauses and teleports next to me.
“Emma!” he exclaims, pulling me into an enthusiastic hug. “How long has it been?”
“Seventy years. Hi to you too,” I reply, laughing. He lets go, his astonishment apparent.
“Wow, I thought it was shorter,” he says, his tone tinged with surprise and sadness.
“Well, when you’re nearing 130 years old, your perception of time can get a little fuzzy,” Alice quips, leaning casually against the doorframe leading to the kitchen.
“Good to see you too, Alice,” I respond warmly.
“You too, Emma.” She effortlessly uses her psychic powers to grab a bottle of wine from the counter. “So, how was the adventure?” she asks, taking a generous sip.
“It was incredible! I met a whole bunch of fascinating people, but… we should probably wait until everyone’s here to dive into the details, right?”
“Okay then, uh, where is everyone?” I inquired, glancing around.
“Out exploring the place. We chose to stay behind to welcome you, except for J; she went to get the tickets,” Anthony explains.
“Tickets?” I start, but before I can finish, J bursts through the door, her energy clearly drained. “I’m tired, so I’m gonna take a nap in my room,” she states matter-of-factly, not even noticing me.
“J, wait!” Alice calls after her.
“It doesn’t matter; whatever it is can wait until later.” J retreats to her room, face-planting onto her bed and falling asleep almost instantly.
“Heh, J hasn’t changed a bit, has she?” I chuckle.
“No, she’s as consistent as ever,” Alice replies with a smirk, reaching for the tickets with her mind.“And to answer your earlier question, these tickets are for the attractions.”
“Can’t you just get those online?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, but apparently there’s a thing where a bunch of people are disappearing from the network, and you can’t fake it. If you’re wondering, the tickets contain some material that commercial replicators can’t replicate. They can only be made by state replicators,” Alice explains.
“Okay, then. Uh oh, hey, how’s life been?” I ask, trying to learn more about my friends.
“I got married 32 years ago. I have two kids,” Anthony shares.
“I got a girlfriend,” Alice adds.
“Oooh, that’s great, guys. I’m so happy for you!” I say just as I hear the door creak open and see Amelia and Henry enter. Amelia appears focused on her bag. “Sorry it took so long; the lines were sooooooooo—Emma?” Amelia says, clearly surprised at my presence.
“Hey, Amelia! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” I reply.
“Oh, this must be Emma,” a man says as he walks through the door, extending his hand for a handshake.
“Uh, who are you?” I ask.
“Oh, sorry! I got ahead of myself. I’m Elijah, Amelia’s husband,” he explains.
“Oh, oooooh! Well, it’s nice to meet you!” I respond, shaking his hand. Just then, I realized today would be far from what I had expected.
Yesterday, I was caught off guard when I overheard two Vagmaks in deep conversation, and what they were discussing left a pit in my stomach. The Vagmak coalition, known as the only interstellar power primarily comprised of Vagmaks, has always thrived on a militaristic culture, pouring nearly 70% of their budget into warfare. While they may not be the most technologically advanced force in the universe, they still outpace many others. Hearing that they are not only losing colonies but have also faced the fall of their capital sent a jolt of anxiety through me. What could possibly lead to such chaos?
Just as I began to ponder the implications, Alice stormed into my room, breaking my train of thought.
“Hey, Emma, we’re heading out to see this attraction—the ‘Garden’ or something. You in?” she asked, her energy infectious.
“You had me at ‘garden.’ Wait, is it just a plant garden or a flower garden?” I probed, intrigued.
“It has flowers. Beyond that, who knows?” she shrugged.
“Alright, count me in. I can’t let your planning go to waste,” I replied enthusiastically, getting up from my bed to prepare for the day’s adventure.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by an impressive holo-dome housing the garden. As we stepped through the entrance, the sight that unfolded was breathtaking—flowers and plants from every corner of the universe, a riot of colors and fragrances. One flower, in particular, captured my attention.
“Ah, the Athorcanium,” Elijah chimed in with a knowing nod.
“Is that its name? Sounds very scientific,” I remarked, intrigued by its unique appearance. Its stem was made of a bio-mechanical material, and the petals seemed to orbit a glowing orb of purple energy at its center.
“That orb contains pure soul energy. It baffled researchers for a while since that kind of energy shouldn't exist outside—”
“The Astral Forest,” Amelia finished.
“ Yep, this little flower revolutionized the medical field back in the 2050’s” Elijah added, excitement evident in his voice.
For two hours, we wandered the garden, entranced by the beauty surrounding us, until an unexpected announcement crackled over the speakers: “We regret to inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances, all entities currently outside of their rooms must return immediately.” Disappointment rippled through the crowd like a wave. J sidled up to me, concern etched on her face. “Sorry, you couldn’t enjoy it longer. I know how much you love flowers.”
“It’s alright. Besides, I still saw them anyway, so no big deal.” I replied. We made our way back to our hotel room, where Alice, utilizing her connections, managed to uncover these “unforeseen circumstances.”
“Millions of people have just vanished,” she said, her eyes wide with disbelief, the weight of her words settling like a leaden shroud over us. “No one knows how or why, but it has sent alarms ringing across civilized space. The U.P.V. is scouring every archival system they can.”
Anthony leaned in, concern flickering in his expression. “That’s bad news, right?”
“Really bad,” Henry replied, his frown deepening. “Especially with the issues surrounding the C.O.R.Es.”
J’s brow furrowed. “Wait, the C.O.R.Es? What’s happening with them?”
“I don't know much, I just know something that the C.O.R.E operators have had to push the C.O.R.Es into overdrive in order to compensate for something, what that thing is? I have no idea. ” Henry said, his voice grim and heavy with foreboding.
“Hey, I know this is serious, but it’s getting late. Things will probably be sorted out by tomorrow, and we’ll need all our energy for exploration,” I suggested, trying to make the limited amount of time I have last. A chorus of agreement followed, and we settled in for the night, unaware of the storm that was brewing just beyond our walls.
Then, just past midnight, everything shifted. A violent tremor shook the ground beneath us, and my holo screen flickered to life. A garbled announcement crackled through the static: “Please proceed to your desi—(static).” My heart raced as explosions rippled through the night, their distant roars sending our hearts into our throats. I bolted into the living room.
“What’s happening?!” J exclaimed, panic lacing her voice.
“It can’t be an attack! We’re fifty light-years from the border! Iron-Strider or any of the other border worlds would have warned us!” Alice shot back, her gaze darting around in disbelief.
“We need to leave! My ship is at the interport. Grab what you can!” I urged, adrenaline surging through every vein. We scrambled to gather our belongings when another explosion rocked the building, this one terrifyingly close. The tower groaned, a giant overwhelmed by its own weight.
“Everyone, back to the living room! NOW!” Anthony’s voice cut through the chaos with an authoritative command.
Inside, Elijah was frantic. “Why aren’t we escaping?!”
“Because there’s another way out,” I replied, a fierce determination igniting within me. In an instant, Anthony focused his energy, and we vanished in a flash of light. He gasped in exhaustion as we landed, doubling over with his hands on his knees. What awaited us outside was a scene straight out of a nightmare. The tower we had just escaped from collapsed in a cacophony of destruction, obliterating everything in its path. Above us, the sky was ablaze, shattering like glass as chaos erupted in a fierce battle among the stars. An overwhelming sense of dread enveloped us as fear and madness flooded the streets, with debris raining down from both the towers and the warships locked in combat.
We sprinted toward the interport, but along the way, we saw ships beginning to evacuate survivors off-world. Naturally, we wanted to board one of them, but before we could reach the ships, something crashed into one of them, destroying the ship and leaving a small crater, causing widespread panic and fear. We looked in horror as something began to move in the crater. IT then crawled out. A creature shrouded in the smoke and fire it had just created, except for its white eye. We ran, hearing the sounds of screaming and gunfire as we continued toward the interport.
When we finally arrived, wreckage lay scattered before us; the once-thriving hub was now a graveyard of twisted metal and despair. Desperate figures scavenged through the rubble, seeking anything that could aid their escape.
“Why do we keep ending up in war zones?!” J shouted in disbelief.
“I know a teleporter that might still be working. Follow me,” Amelia exclaimed, a spark of hope igniting in us. We navigated the crumbling remains, our hearts pounding as we approached another building that stood remarkably intact. Its holo screens flickered like guiding stars in the dark.
With cautious optimism, we pressed forward, the air thick with anticipation. Just as a flicker of hope pierced the weight of our dread, Amelia's triumphant voice echoed through the chaos. “It’s still working!”
A surge of excitement swept through the group, propelling everyone toward the teleporter—until I shouted, “Wait! Stop!” They froze mid-stride, confusion flickering across their faces.
“What’s going on?” Henry asked, concern etching deeper lines on his brow.
“I have Q.R.E.S.,” I replied, letting the gravity of my condition hang heavily in the air. “Quantum Resonated Essence Syndrome. For me, demat-remat systems are a death sentence—if I try, I die.” I mustered a wry smile, a bitter remnant of humor in the face of our dire circumstances. “But... I’m getting close.”
“When did you find out?” J asked, her voice trembling with distress.
“Seventy years ago. When I discovered my fate, I set out to see the universe. I wanted to experience everything before my time ran out.”
“Isn’t there any way to cure you?” J pressed, desperation coloring her tone.
“There isn’t one—not a good one, anyway. The cure would change my very soul. What’s the point of living if I’m no longer me? I’ve found treatments that ease the pain, but…” My voice faltered, the weight of my reality crushing me.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Henry asked, his gaze piercing through my defenses.
“I didn’t want to burden you with my suffering.”
“You don’t have to go through it alone; we can help you,” J said earnestly, trying to lift my spirits.
I smiled faintly, but before I could respond, Amelia asked, “If we can't get through the teleporter, then how will we escape?” We fell silent, pondering the question, until Alice broke in. “The U.P.V. wouldn’t have left us behind; they must have contingency plans, right?”
Suddenly, Henry stepped forward, tearing apart the remnants of the demat-remat system. “What are you doing?” I asked, astonished.
“I’m building a tachyonic signal converter. If they’re using all available transmission systems, we’ll hear if they have a plan,” he replied, determination etched on his face.
We stood back, watching him scavenge through debris and components as he crafted the device. When he flipped the switch, static crackled to life, and a voice broke through: “This is the captain of the U.P.V.S. Alexandria. We have search parties on the ground, but we need to leave within the hour, so please make yourselves known to them or find them yourselves. Enemy ground forces are planetside, so if those THINGS manage to find you… Pray the gods have mercy on your soul.”
Panic surged through us, and we moved quickly. Gripping the tachyonic signal converter, we navigated through the ruins of New Santiago, smoke and ash obscuring our path. The distant sounds of explosions and gunfire echoed all around us, a haunting soundtrack to our desperate escape.
But as we pressed on, we heard something enormous approaching, but it wasn't in front of us; it was behind us. A tentacle erupted from the dark and pierced through Elijah's stomach. He gasped in pain, blood dripping out of his stomach and mouth, and the THING began to drag him into the dark.
“Noooo!!!” Amelia yelled desperately, trying to pull her husband away from the creature. We heard the stomping get louder and more numerous. “We can't save him, we have to leave now!!” I yelled, “We can't leave him!!!” Amelia yelled back
Weakly, Elijah spoke, “You can't save me, they’re coming, please… save yourself,” sadness laced in his voice.
J grabbed Amelia managing to restrain her with her arms using her superstrength we saw Elijah being pulled into the distance white lights began to appear in the dark but we knew it wasn't help, we ducked into a crumbling building, holding our breaths as massive legs thundered by, ominous white eyes scanning for survivors.
Once it left, we entered the building. Amelia sat down in the corner and began to cry.
Suddenly, a voice called out, breaking through the tension. “Hey, you guys okay?”
We turned to see a small flying machine hovering toward us. “I heard some commotion and spotted you. I take it one of those big ones came through?”
“Yeah, it took one of us.” Henry sighs in exhaustion. “Do you know what's going on?” Henry asked,
“No idea,” the newcomer replied. “I was in my room when the announcement came. I came here for shelter, had to dodge a lot of those things outside, though.”
“My name is Emma, and this is Henry, J, Anthony, Alice, and Amelia,” I say, my voice slightly breaking at the thought of Elijah.
“Oh, well, my name is Tessa,” they introduced themselves with a wary smile on their screen.
“Nice to meet you, but we are in a bit of a hurry. Can you tell us where we are?” Alice interjected urgency in her voice.
“We're actually in a museum where I work,” Tessa explained, visor brightening slightly.
“A museum?” Henry echoed, incredulous.
“Yep, a museum! This place has stuff from the Sol-Coalition War and even some stuff from the one-hour massacre. But the only exhibit remaining is the Sol-Coalition section, which we’re currently in,” Tessa added.
“What, I need to see this!” J exclaimed, stepping deeper into the exhibit.
“Wait, J!” Alice called out, but it was too late.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fi… wow, they have everything here!!” J’s voice trailed off in awe.
We cautiously followed her into the room, and our eyes widened as we took in the sight. “Is that a DA-6 Hell Drake attack fighter, a WF-12 Hell Wyvern fighter, and an A.I.D-5 Blizzard automated infantry bot?! This place is bringing back a lot of memories!" Henry exclaimed. “Wait, does this place have an HL-32?”
“HL-32? What’s that?” J asked, curious.
“It was the main model for Sol heavy lifting—used to bring supplies from orbital transports to ground operations. If we can find one, we might just have a way to get onto that U.P.V. warship hovering above us,” Henry explained, determination igniting in his eyes.
Tessa then led us to an HL-32. “They took off the elementium plating and removed the celestium as well as the fuel, but even with the fuel, it won't fly; it was designed for a 1g planet. This is a 2.54g planet unless you have any other ideas on how to get off this planet,” Tessa said
“Well then, let's get to work,” Henry responded. Henry, along with Tessa, began to scrap the surrounding vehicles and tech, and they also began to fuel up the ship by using a nearby replicator.
We all began to help Henry and Tessa work on the ship, but after some time, I decided to help Amelia. I sat next to her and said, “If you need to talk—”
“What do you know about talking? You left Elijah behind when I asked for help,” Amelia interrupted me.
“You know that we—” I started to say, but she cut me off again. “I know?! I KNOW?!!!”
She stood up, looking down at me. “I know you left him to die when I asked you for help! You forced ME to leave him, and now he is either dead or worse.” She chuckled to herself. “First, it was my parents, then my brother, now my husband. What’s next? Me?! The others?!!”
She yelled, her voice sharp enough to cut through the tense air as I sprang back up, locking eyes with her. “I’m sorry, but that wasn’t me,” I replied, urgency flooding my words.
“Like hell that wasn’t you! Tell me, what’s your power again?!” she demanded, her frustration palpable in every syllable.
“Stop!” Henry interjected, stepping between us, his expression serious. “Don’t you hear that?”
We paused, straining to listen. A faint but ominous sound of breaking echoed in the distance, steadily growing louder.
“One of them is coming for us!!” Tessa exclaimed, her voice lined with alarm.
“We need to get on the ship, now!” Henry shouted. “I’ll handle the firing sequence!”
We scrambled onto the ship, debris scattered around us from our frantic preparations.
Henry, with a sense of urgency, began flipping switches and pressing buttons, disconnecting fuel pipes with swift, practiced motions. He climbed back into the cockpit.
Suddenly, the thrusters coughed to life, flames licking at the ground beneath us. The ship began to lift, but just as we were about to break through the ceiling, the creature smashed through the wall, its massive form shattering our sanctuary.
A tentacle shot toward us, piercing the ship with a sickening crunch. “It hit the fuel tank!” Henry yelled, panic rising in his voice.
Chaos erupted as the ship flailed to escape the creature's deadly grip, but it tightened its hold, dragging our ship closer to it. “I have an idea!” I shouted, unbuckling my harness with determination.
“What are you doing?!” Alice yelled, fear lacing her words.
But I knew there was no time to explain. It was now or never.
I open the rear hatch. The creature's white eye meets mine, and the fuel leaking from the holes it had just made begins to drip onto the creature. It launches more tentacles ready to stab through us. I grab a fusion pistol that lies on the wall, and I activate its fusion reactor. The weapon begins to form a small star within its core. I throw it, the reactor becoming unstable, it detonates, the star grows and engulfs the creature, igniting the fuel, and the explosion launches us out of the building.
As we ascend into the sky, Henry grips the controls tightly, stabilizing our ship against the turbulent air. The door begins to seal shut behind us, revealing a haunting sight: the sun rises over the city, but it’s a grim spectacle. The streets lie deserted, shrouded in a thick veil of smoke and ash, while monstrous silhouettes loom overhead, raining down beams of annihilation on the helpless below.
I settle back into my seat, rebuckling the straps, feeling the sting of the explosion from moments ago still fresh on my face. Glancing over, I catch Tessa feverishly patching up the ship’s battle scars.
“Without that fuel, we won’t make it,” Henry’s voice crackles through the intercom, heavy with concern.
“Doesn’t matter! Keep pushing forward! Hopefully, they’ll spot us,” Alice shouts back, her determination cutting through the tension.
With a fierce roar, the ship reorients, climbing higher and higher, breaking the planet’s gravitational grip. The air outside shifts, warping into a searing plasma as we burst through the atmosphere.
We press onward, the planet diminishing beneath us, slowly becoming a mere speck in the vastness of space. But then, like a guillotine, the fuel runs dry.
“We’re dead in the water now. I hope you’re right, Alice, because if not... well, you know what happens,” Henry mutters grimly, fiddling with the signal transmitter.
As the chill of the void creeps in, a faint beep suddenly cuts through the mounting silence. “Sorry, we couldn't come earlier! We saw you make it out, but we were fighting for our lives!” A U.P.V. Harbinger-class carrier materializes on our sensors, approaching fast.
Voices erupt from the intercom, urgency in every tone, and strange objects loom in the distance. “Seems you’ve caught their eye!” the captain barks orders at people out of view, and the carrier jump into the strange vessel's path, intercepting their fire. The carrier's weapon batteries swivel and begin their barrage, missiles and torpedoes fire rapidly from launch tubes, but the strange vessels press on, undeterred.
“Sorry, but I’ve got to get you out of here!” With a sudden jolt, we find ourselves ensnared by a tractor beam, yanked into the carrier’s hangar. The door bursts open, revealing a swarm of frantic deckmen ready to pull us to safety.
As the ship's main FTL drive hums to life, readying us for a desperate leap to safety, I steal a glance through the hangar doors rapidly closing. A wave of regret washes over me as I look at the planet before us in ashes, thoughts swirling about the people I've unintentionally harmed with my power. Just as reality begins to unravel around me and the darkness closes in, a profound sense of sorrow settles heavily in my chest.
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