Destiny Among the Stars - Scifi - LitRPG - Adventure

Chapter 111 - Departure - Day 70


The Percival's thrusters roared beneath them as it climbed away from New Dawn's surface, leaving behind weeks of ruins, death traps, and the discovery that would probably change the course of humanity.

Luca sat in the passenger compartment, Emily's head resting on his shoulder, her breathing steady against his neck. He should have been piloting, but his ribs had other ideas. Every breath felt like someone was stabbing him with a rusty knife. The best he could do was wrap an arm around Emily's waist and try to rest.

His interface chimed softly, displaying mission updates that made everything feel suddenly official. With their satellites running for the past couple of weeks, mapping the system, they now had enough information to lay out the rest of the mission.

[Charter Activated: Alpha Centauri Survey Expedition] Mission Checkpoints: Depart Sol System with a qualified crew - [Complete] Arrive in Alpha Centauri - [Complete] Map all planetary bodies and major asteroid fields - [64/64 Mapped] Conduct surface surveys on habitable zone planet - [1/2 Mapped] Return with verifiable data - [Pending] Reward: See Mission Compensation Table.

Proxima Centauri b's survey was complete. That much was clear.

[SURVEY PROGRESS] [Objective: Water Source Survey] (38/40) - COMPLETE [Objective: Collect Core Samples] (12/12) - COMPLETE [Objective: Alien Biosignature Detection] (40/40) - COMPLETE [Objective: Flora Sample Collection] (150/150) - COMPLETE [Objective: Fauna Sample Collection] (72/75) - COMPLETE

By his feet sat the source of his current headache: a midnight purple kitten with blue stripes that pulsed gently in the dim cabin light. Pixel mewed softly.

"So where exactly are you planning on keeping her?" Luca asked, nodding toward the kitten.

"In my cabin," Zoe replied, piloting the Percival up through New Dawn's atmosphere.

"And what about the next planet we touch down on?"

Zoe shrugged. "She's coming with."

Luca grumbled and squinted his eyes. This was not the plan. They were supposed to conduct surface surveys, collect samples, and get paid. Not adopt alien wildlife that would grow into panther-sized problems.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Luca muttered, grimacing as he reached down to scratch behind the creature's ears. The damn thing immediately started purring.

From the pilot's seat, Zoe called back without turning around. "Oh please, you were melting the second you saw her. Don't blame us for your soft spot."

"She's going to eat my ship, pee and poop everywhere," Luca grumbled. The kitten was absurdly cute, and Joey had assured him repeatedly that nyxocatuses could digest human food just fine. That wasn't really the problem, though.

The problem was what happened when they got back to Earth. When the United Earth Republic got their hands on the first alien life form anyone had brought back from the frontier.

They'd study her. Probably dissect her. Turn her into a lab specimen.

"It's going to be fine," Emily murmured against his shoulder, reading his thoughts like she always did. "We'll figure something out."

"What about decontamination?" Luca pressed. "How are we going to decontaminate her? The healing pods aren't exactly kitten-sized."

From the pilot's seat, Zoe called back, "Joey already said her biology is compatible. She'll be fine with standard decon protocols."

"That's not the same as—"

"Luca," Emily interrupted gently. "She's already here. We'll figure it out."

Behind them, the cargo bay was packed to the brim. The Centurion reconnaissance vehicle sat strapped down next to the Specter, the two machines crowding the bay until there was barely room to move. Mountains of survey samples, schematics, and plenty of new weapons and loot were stacked all over the place in crates. Weeks of survey work, delving, fighting, and nearly dying, all packed up neat and tidy.

Danny was hunched over his tablet in the seat across from Luca, uploading data from their scanners. "The biological samples alone are worth a fortune," he said, looking up with that gleam he got when science got interesting. "But those stasis readings... that's the real prize."

Joey looked up from his own tablet. "Those flowers, from the portal, did we ever see anything like them in New Dawn?"

Ryan glanced over from where he was organizing equipment cases. "Huh?"

"The ones Ryan chewed up like a goat?"

"Nope, we haven't cataloged anything like them," Danny said, still focused on his data upload.

"Interesting," Joey murmured.

Chris called back from the front. "Why?"

"No reason, just wanted to examine them closely. We still have those from the portal, right?"

Danny nodded without looking up. "They're in a biobank."

The stasis chambers. Hundreds of sleeping Varnathi, waiting in the dark while their people's civilization crumbled to dust around them. The image was burned into Luca's mind, along with all the dark pods that hadn't made it. So many lives lost, and they'd just... documented them and moved on.

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"We did the right thing," Emily said quietly, like she could read his thoughts. "We'll get the data to Earth and let the experts decide. That's what responsible explorers do."

Luca nodded, but the weight in his chest had nothing to do with his broken ribs. They were carrying the coordinates of living Varnathi back to humanity, along with enough archaeological data to rewrite history books. But their contract wasn't done yet.

"Let's not add the Varnathi vault to the logs and the survey, not yet," Luca said after a moment. "I want us to think about what we want to do first."

"But that's a massive payday," Chris said from the front.

Luca ignored him for the moment. "How many more planets in this system?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Just one more planet to survey," Chris called from the co-pilot seat. "It's orbiting Alpha Centauri A, within the habitable zone. Could be another few months out here."

"We don't have a few more months," Luca said, running the numbers. "We're ten weeks in. It took us six weeks of travel to get to Alpha Centauri, another week to get here, and three weeks to do the survey. If we add in travel, plus returning to Sol, that's at minimum another eight weeks from Alpha Centauri A. This gives us barely seven weeks to travel around, take more samples, and finish the star survey, not including complications."

"It's going to be fine," Emily said as they hit a pocket of turbulence.

Luca looked down at Pixel, who was batting at the glowing stripes on her own tail. By the time they finished the full system survey, she'd be twice this size. Still small enough to hide, maybe, but growing every day toward that panther-sized problem they'd have to face eventually.

"At least we're leveling up and uncovering the next tier level," Ryan said from where he was organizing equipment cases. "TL9 schematics, two massive payouts. There might be more."

"That's what worries me," Luca muttered. The System had been guiding them, rewarding them for discoveries that seemed way too convenient to be coincidence. What else was waiting in this star system? What else was the System preparing humanity for?

"ETA fifteen minutes," Chris called back.

Luca closed his eyes, letting the vibration of the ship and Emily's warmth ground him. In fifteen minutes, they'd be back home aboard the Triumph, and the New Dawn phase of their mission would be officially over. They'd upload their data and prepare another probe to send back to Sol, while spending the next few days trying to wrap their heads around what they'd discovered.

Then it was on to the next world. And then the asteroid belts. Until they'd mapped every rock and moon in this systems.

Pixel mewed again, looking up at him with those impossibly large eyes. The fluorescent stripes pulsed gently, hypnotic in the cabin's dim light.

"You better not cause trouble on my ship," Luca told the kitten quietly. "We've got a long way to go before we're home."

Pixel settled more comfortably in Luca's lap, purring contentedly. Outside the viewport, the bulk of the Triumph of Darron grew larger, their true home in the vast emptiness between worlds.

They'd found the source of the signal. They'd discovered living Varnathi.

And they were only just getting started.

The docking process went smoothly, magnetic clamps engaging with familiar thuds as the Percival settled into the hangar bay. Within minutes, they were unloading their cargo and stumbling through the corridors of the Triumph, exhaustion finally catching up with them. Pixel would stay in Zoe's quarters for the time being while they figured out what to do with her.

An hour later, they were lined up outside the infirmary. Twenty minutes in a Healing Pod sounded like heaven, mostly because it meant lying the fuck down. But of course, there was the whole decontamination process first.

Joey stood at the door with his clipboard. "Alright, we're doing this by the book. You strip, go in, and get in the pod, and you stay there for the full twenty minutes."

Ryan and Luca were up first. "You sure that big bruise from the acid spit hasn't turned permanent yet?" Luca joked, grinning as he started peeling off his shirt.

Ryan snorted, pulling off his gear. "At least my bruise will heal. Those vine scratches are gonna scar."

Joey raised an eyebrow. "Some of us actually want to get some sleep tonight, and we've got a line waiting."

Ignoring him, Luca lunged for Ryan's leg. Ryan yelped, jumping out of reach.

"Can't wait to hit the gym again," Ryan commented as he examined Luca's scarred chest. "You've definitely lost muscle, Luca. You look like the Pillsbury Doughboy."

Luca gasped. Low blow. He flexed his arms and puffed out his chest, displaying the claw marks on his skin. "I'll have you know these scars only add to my rugged charm," he joked.

With a sigh, Luca climbed into the pod, trying not to show how much he hated these things. The confined space felt like a goddamn coffin. But he forced himself to close his eyes and breathe as decontamination gas filled the space.

Joey guided Ryan out afterward and handed him scrubs. "Here, put this on and head straight to your cabin. No wandering around until we're all cleared."

Ryan rolled his eyes, tugging on the scrubs. "Fine, but I'm stealing extra blankets. That pod was freezing."

Danny came in next, already unzipping his suit with relief. "What's taking Luca so long? He's not building a pillow fort in there, is he?"

"Just standard processing," Joey replied, though there was worry in his tone as he glanced at the vitals flashing across the screen. He gave Danny a smile and motioned him toward the pod. "In you go."

After Danny's cycle, Emily walked in, giving him a quick pat on the ass as she passed.

She raised an eyebrow at Joey. "You look stressed. Aren't we all coming out clean?"

Joey rubbed the back of his neck as he flipped through Luca's scan results. "Yeah, for the most part. But you know Luca. Turns out he's been hiding an injury."

Emily's face fell. "What kind of injury?"

"Twisted ankle and some broken ribs. He's been dealing with the pain just to get everyone out safely. Probably would've kept quiet about it if I didn't have the scans."

Emily let out a slow breath. "God, he could have punctured a lung. Why doesn't he ever tell me when he's hurt? Stubborn idiot."

Joey's smile was tight at that comment as he nodded. "He's tough, but I'll have him stay put longer. He needs the extra healing time."

Emily moved to Luca's pod, pressing her palm against the glass. The healing light cast strange shadows across his face, making him look younger. More vulnerable.

"How long has he been walking around like that?" she murmured.

"Probably since the guardian fight. Maybe before."

She traced a finger along the glass, following the line of a scar on his shoulder.

"The bone fusion will fix everything?" she asked.

"Better than new. The synthetic reinforcement will make those ribs stronger than before."

She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. In sleep, without leadership weighing on his shoulders, he looked almost peaceful.

"Just... keep an eye on him?"

"Always do," Joey replied. "Now get in that pod before I have to sedate you too."

Emily finally stepped away, moving toward her own pod but looking back until the glass lid sealed around her.

Once her pod opened, Zoe stepped out, rubbing her arms. "All clear, finally. I was starting to feel like a lab rat."

Chris laughed as he climbed into the pod. "Right there with you."

Zoe slipped on a medical gown, then walked over to Luca's pod with a mischievous grin.

"So, our fearless leader's been playing tough guy again?" she asked Joey, peering through the glass. "Bet he's been limping around like an old man when he thought we weren't looking."

Joey chuckled. "Something like that. He'll be back to his usual reckless self soon enough."

"Good. Someone's gotta keep us entertained." She gave the glass a gentle tap. "Don't scare us like that again, Cap."

After Chris finished, Joey retrieved a cartridge labeled Bone Fusion Repair and inserted it into Luca's pod.

Chris watched the process. "Need a hand with anything?"

Joey smiled. "Actually, yes. Help me get in? I still need to go through this myself."

Chris nodded as Joey stripped down and settled into the empty pod, the glass lid sliding down with a soft hiss of decontamination gas.

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