Your alarm blares at your side — a simple sweep of your hand above it makes it stop. Your windows display a gorgeous view of a bright and sunny sky, with exotic birds singing beautifully nearby, and—
"Ugh," you sigh, turning off the simulation. "I gotta find new ones to download. Nicole?"
Your partner already left. The room, now illuminated by the sea of stars from all over the galaxy, is a mess. Your clothes float around in the company of hologram projectors, including messages from your children — Ellis and Jordan — and an assortment of mission instructions. You grab something to wear; thankfully, the outfit you chose was already laundered using its self-cleaning system that probably activated while you were sleeping.
[[This is awful. I should probably clean up.]]
[[I should get going. They're probably waiting for me.]]You step out, seeing the corridor that leads to the kitchen and the main hold — which is where you find U'ccy.
"Ah, Amanda," they say. "Good to see you awake."
Floating just a few centimeters above the floor, the E'sokh don't have feet the same way humans do. Instead of two legs, there's only one, ending with a triangle shape pointing towards the ground. Using that appendage, they are able to conjure sparkles that connect to the ground. U'ccy quickly dashes toward your side, elegantly turning themselves to face the same direction you're facing. "Did you get back to Ellis and Jordan yet?"
"Hey, See-see. Not yet... my room is a mess," you reply. "You know, I wish you'd stop moving like that. It's... weird."
The E'sokh were discovered by some humans only a few months prior, just shortly before their planet exploded under mysterious circumstances. A pacific, yet incredibly complex species, they quickly showed their impressive perception to the human race. Just by listening to the tone of a sentence and reading a facial expression, they could connect the dots between topics of conversation. Their biggest flaw? Can't move above water.
"I also wish you would call me by my full name: //U'ccy//," they counter as their whole body turns pale red. The E'sokh have an intriguing feature: their tall bodies usually have an iridescent hue, phasing in and out of solid colors depending on the emotion they're feeling. The tone U'ccy showed just now could only be described as slightly angry.
[[Fair enough.]]
[[Ugh. Okay.]]"What the hell are you doing here, U'ccy?" you hiss, seeing them turning blue. You sigh. "Where are the others?"
The E'sokh have an intriguing feature: their tall bodies usually have an iridescent hue, phasing in and out of solid colors depending on the emotion they're feeling. The tone U'ccy showed just now could only be described as fear.
"Downstairs," they reply. Floating just a few centimeters above the floor, the E'sokh don't have feet the same way humans do. Instead of two legs, there's only one, ending with a triangle shape pointing towards the ground. Using that appendage, they are able to conjure sparkles that connect to the ground, being able to move at various speeds. This time though, they decided to wait for you. Their biggest flaw? Can't move above water.
"S'thepo and Nicole found an issue with your hyperdrive," they continue, as you both move towards the kitchen. "Working on it. No idea what it could be yet."
The E'sokh were found by some humans just a couple of months ago, just shortly before their planet exploded under mysterious circumstances. A pacific, yet incredibly complex species, they quickly showed their impressive perception to the human race. Just by listening to the tone of a sentence and reading a facial expression, they could connect the dots between topics of conversation.
"So, what's the plan for today?" you ask, as you both sit down at the kitchen table.
Still floating, U'ccy taps once on the table, and projects a very precise 3D simulation of the galaxy above the surface. "You need to look at sector... What do you call it again? 27-91DF," they point out, shifting their skin tone to a soft green tone.
"Yeah, yeah," you groan, as you bend the water bottle at an angle to aim at the cup — and miss it. "Dammit!" you snap, before letting out a sigh.
You hear a loud bang downstairs.
[[What's going on?]] "Sorry," you whisper. "//You-kee-cee//... where are the others?"
"Downstairs," they reply. "S'thepo and Nicole found the problem with the translator. But they also found an issue with your hyperdrive. They're working on it. No idea what it could be yet."
"Okay," you say, as you both sit down by the kitchen's table. "So what's the plan today?"
Still floating, U'ccy taps once on the table, and projects a very precise 3D simulation of the galaxy above the surface. "You need to look at sector... What do you call it again? 27-91DF," they point out, shifting their skin tone to a soft green tone.
"//We// need to," you correct, as you bend the water bottle at an angle to aim at the cup — and miss it. "Dammit!" you snap, before letting out a sigh. "You need to be a part of this too. You and S'thepo."
"We can't," they protest, shifting their tone to light blue. "We are exiles. Most E'sokh don't respect us. You also said—"
"I know, most don't trust you," you interrupt. "But there's no point in—"
You hear a loud bang downstairs.
[[What's going on?]]"Ugh" you groan, rolling your eyes. "//You-kee-cee//... where are the others?"
"Downstairs," they reply, turning a darker shade red. "S'thepo and Nicole found an issue with your hyperdrive. Working on it. No idea what it could be yet."
"So what's the plan today?" you ask, as you both seat down by the kitchen table.
Still floating, U'ccy taps once on the table, and projects a very precise 3D simulation of the galaxy above the surface. "You need to look at sector... What do you call it again? 27-91DF," they point out, shifting their skin tone to a soft green tone.
"Yeah, yeah," you groan, as you bend the water bottle at an angle to aim at the cup — and miss it. "Dammit!" you snap, before letting out a sigh.
You hear a loud bang downstairs.
[[What's going on?]] "Hey, guys," you shout, hoping the ship's communication array would pick up your words. "What's go—"
Another bang, this time followed by a loud explosion. Half of the ship — the one your partner Nicole was in... gone. Temporarily floating around in zero gravity, you see the wreckage moving away as a protective forcefield emcompasses your part of the ship.
"Escape pods," U'ccy instructs, as they turn white. "Now!"
As you attach your boots back to the ground, you see them turning gracefully to aim their triangle-shaped "foot" towards the ground, creating a few sparkles to stabilize again.
You both move in the direction of where the pods are, trying to move past all the items floating around. Once you arrive there, you see another problem.
[[The pods... All of them are damaged.]]"But without you, I can't find them," you protest. "We have no other lead but fuel from wreckage. That's not reliable at all!"
"They'll kill me, Amanda," they snap, turning blue. "My chances of surviving back on your planet are practically zero! I can't move under or above water. I can't go to your leaders without them shooting me first!"
[[But you you earned my trust! If anyone can do this, it's you!]]
[[Okay... I'm sorry.]]"You're right," you say. "We can't take any risks now."
"Yes," they reply, showing a blue tone. "I wish I could meet Ellis and Jordan."
[[Goodbye.]]"I'm sorry, U'ccy," you mumble. "I really am."
"Don't be," they reassure you, showing a lighter blue tone. "Thank you for having us here. Please don't forget to look for them."
[[Goodbye.]]You take the hologram device and give it to U'ccy. "Please," you ask. "Tell them I love them."
U'ccy enters the escape pod, and leaves immediately. You see them hurtling towards the planet below. Alone, with a remote chance of survival. But, if they make it, perhaps it would mean a brighter future for everyone. A risk you had to take. Once again. Maybe it will pay off this time.
You see a picture frame floating about. You and Nicole. A photograph of the moment you acquired this ship. You take your boots off and float towards it. You grab it, making sure this is the last thing you'll ever see."Goodbye," you say, as you sit down. "Thanks for everything."
As you see them enter, you firmly hold onto the hologram projector, not letting it go. You see them hurtling towards the planet below. Alone, with a remote chance of survival.
You activate the device again.
"//Mom,
The ships surrounding the remains...//" You speed it up towards the end. "//We love you, and we miss you. When we get back to the station, dinner is on us.//"
"//We love you, and we miss you.//"
"//We love you...//"
"//We lo—//""Goodbye, U'ccy," you say as the door closes. You see them turning an even darker blue tone — until they're out of sight.
You activate the device again.
"//Mom,
The ships surrounding the remains...//" You speed it up towards the end. "//We love you, and we miss you. When we get back to the station, dinner is on us.//"
"I know, babies," you whisper to yourself as you close your eyes. "Dinner is on me.""Sorry," you whisper. "//You-kee-cee//... where are the others?"
"Downstairs," they reply. "S'thepo and Nicole found the problem with the translator. But they also found an issue with your hyperdrive. They're working on it. No idea what it could be yet."
"Okay," you say, as you both sit down by the kitchen's table. "So what's the plan today?"
Still floating, U'ccy taps once on the table, and projects a very precise 3D simulation of the galaxy above the surface. "You need to look at sector... What do you call it again? 27-91DF," they point out, shifting their skin tone to a soft green tone.
"//We// need to," you correct, as you bend the water bottle at an angle to aim at the cup — and miss it. "Dammit!" you snap, before letting out a sigh. "You need to be a part of this too. You and S'thepo."
"We can't," they protest, shifting their tone to light blue. "We are exiles. Most E'sokh don't respect us. You also said—"
"I know, most don't trust you," you interrupt. "But there's no point in—"
You hear a loud bang downstairs.
[[What was that?]]"Ugh" you groan, rolling your eyes. "//You-kee-cee//... where are the others?"
"Downstairs," they reply, turning a darker shade red. "S'thepo and Nicole found an issue with your hyperdrive. Working on it. No idea what it could be yet."
"So what's the plan today?" you ask, as you both seat down by the kitchen table.
Still floating, U'ccy taps once on the table, and projects a very precise 3D simulation of the galaxy above the surface. "You need to look at sector... What do you call it again? 27-91DF," they point out, shifting their skin tone to a soft green tone.
"Yeah, yeah," you groan, as you bend the water bottle at an angle to aim at the cup — and miss it. "Dammit!" you snap, before letting out a sigh.
You hear a loud bang downstairs.
[[What was that?]]"Hey, guys," you shout, hoping the ship's communication array would pick up your words. "What's go—"
Another bang, this time followed by a loud explosion. Half of the ship — the one your partner Nicole was in... gone. Temporarily floating around in zero gravity, you see the wreckage moving away as a protective forcefield emcompasses your part of the ship.
"Escape pods," U'ccy instructs, as they turn white. "Now!"
As you attach your boots back to the ground, you see them turning gracefully to aim their triangle-shaped "foot" towards the ground, creating a few sparkles to stabilize again.
You both move in the direction of where the pods are, trying to move past all the items floating around. Once you arrive there, you see another problem.
[[The pods are damaged...]]"They're all... gone," you gasp. "All of them."
"Not true," U'ccy notes, as they turn black. "That one is still salvageable. Only one of us can make it, though."
They float around the room, looking at everything but you. The E'sokh always avoided eye contact when going through a complex thought process. It was an ominous phenomenon.
"You are the one who should go," they observe, turning grey. "The humans won't trust me — we know that. You have your family. Please, go and find my brothers."
[[No! You have your family, too!]]
[[Yeah, I should be the one to go.]]"You're right," you say. "We can't take any risks now."
"Yes," they reply, showing a blue tone. "I'm sorry for Nicole."
They dash towards some items floating around, picking up a photo frame. You and Nicole, when you first got this ship. "Take it. And, please, don't forget to look for the E'sokh."
[[I won't.]]
[[<Enter the escape pod.>]]"//Please//, U'ccy," you beg. "You got this far, didn't you? I trust you now. Who's to say that can't happen again? You're the only one that can keep this mission alive."
"But—"
"I know, I know," you reassure them, as they turn dark blue. "I'd feel the same way. But if we don't take risks sometimes, we wouldn't get anywhere. That's something humans do all the time."
They fade back to a lighter blue tone and turn towards the escape pod.
[[Take care, U'ccy.]]"Please," you say, looking at them. "Take care of yourself out there, U'ccy."
U'ccy enters the escape pod, and immediately leaves. You see them going towards the planet below. Alone, with remote chances of survival. But, if they make it, maybe a brighter future for everyone. A risk you had to take. Once again. Maybe it will pay off this time.
You see a picture frame floating around. You and Nicole. The moment you got this ship. You take your boots off, and float towards it. You grab it, making sure this is the last thing you'll ever see."I won't forget," you say, looking at them. "I promise."
You enter the escape pod, looking at the picture of you and Nicole — now the only memento you have of her. You remember Ellis and Jordan — your memories of them left behind, but their futures still ahead.
You hold the picture as hard as you can, closing your eyes. You enter the escape pod, not looking back, with the picture in your hands. You look at it - now the only memento you have of her. You remember Ellis and Jordan - their memories left behind, but their future ahead.
Unsure of what comes next, you hold the picture as hard as you can, closing your eyes."Yeah, no. This mess can't stay."
Using your boots to magnetize yourself to the floor, you slowly grab your possessions and put them where they belong. It takes a few minutes, but you manage to finish cleaning up most of it.
As you look at one of the hologram projectors, you realize you almost missed something. "Is this...?" You activate it.
"//Mom,
The ships surrounding the remains of Qo'noS have detected traces of fuel that are clearly not remnants from their destroyed ships. Some of them managed to escape before the planet exploded. We don't know where they've gone to, but maybe this can help us find where the E'sokh could have gone.
Stay safe, please. We love you, and we miss you. When we get back to the station, dinner is on us.//"
"Sorry, kids," you whisper, putting the device in your pocket. "I'll get back to you sometime today."
Lastly, your favorite part. You grab all of the other projectors and hover them close enough to each other so they are magnetically attached, like a perfectly aligned pile of books. Then, you toss them towards the table. They connect to the wall above it with a straightforward click.
"Ha! Never gets old," you cheer to yourself, leaving through the door.
"You're late, Amanda," a familiar voice says as soon as you step out. "I was about to check on you."
[[I'm okay, See-see. Sorry I took so long.]]
[[I told you not to come here. Where are the others?]]"Don't worry, See-see," you reassure them. "I was just cleaning and found—"
Floating just a few centimeters above the floor, the E'sokh don't have feet the same way humans do. Instead of two legs, there's only one, ending with a triangle shape pointing towards the ground. Using that appendage, they are able to conjure sparkles that connect to the ground. U'ccy quickly dashes toward your side, gracefully turning themselves to face the same direction you're facing. "How are Ellis and Jordan?"
"I, uh... didn't get back to them yet," you explain, as you both continue to move forward. "That's why I have it with me. I wish you'd stop moving like that, you know. It freaks me out."
The E'sokh were found by some humans just a couple of months ago, just shortly their planet exploded under mysterious circumstances. A pacific, yet incredibly complex species, they quickly showed their impressive perception to the human race. Just by listening to the tone of a sentence and the person in question's facial expression, they could connect the dots between some topics, as long as they knew what they were. Their biggest flaw? Can't move above water.
"I also wish you would call me by my full name: //U'ccy//," they counter, as their whole body turns pale red. The E'sokh have an intriguing feature: their tall bodies usually have an iridescent hue, phasing in and out of solid colors depending on the emotion they're feeling. The tone U'ccy showed just now could only be described as slightly angry.
[[Right. I keep forgetting that.]]
[[Ugh. Fine.]]"They're all... gone," you gasp. "All of them."
"Not true," U'ccy notes, as they turn black. "That one is still salvageable. Only one of us can make it, though."
They float around the room, looking at everything but you. The E'sokh always avoided eye contact when going through a complex thought process. It was an ominous phenomenon.
"You are the one who should go," they observe, turning grey. "The humans won't trust me — we know that. You have your family. Please, go and find my brothers."
[[What? You have your family too!]]
[[I agree. I should be the one to go.]]"//Please//, U'ccy," you beg. "You got this far, didn't you? I trust you now. Who's to say that can't happen again? You're the only one that can keep this mission alive."
"But—"
"I know, I know," you reassure them, as they turn dark blue. "I'd feel the same way. But if we don't take risks sometimes, we wouldn't get anywhere. That's something humans do all the time."
They fade back to a lighter blue tone and turn towards the escape pod.
[[Please, take this hologram to my kids.]]
[[Goodbye, U'ccy.]]"But without you, I can't find them," you protest. "We have no other lead but fuel from wreckage. That's not reliable at all!"
"They'll kill me, Amanda," they snap, turning blue. "My chances of surviving back on your planet are practically zero! I can't move under or above water. I can't go to your leaders without them shooting me first!"
[[I trust you! If anyone can do this, it's you!]]
[[I'm sorry.]]"I'm sorry, U'ccy," you mumble. "I really am."
"Don't be," they reassure you, showing a lighter blue tone. "Thank you for having us here."
They dash towards some items floating around, picking up a photo frame. You and Nicole, when you first got this ship. "Take it. And, please, don't forget to look for the E'sokh."
[[I won't.]]