Page 5 of I Fell for an Alien Popstar

I tapped my wrist comm, pulled up the app, and angled my own hologram toward hers. We tilted them close until the chime sounded and the words Pal Added blinked.

I smiled at my new contact. Her username, cosmicvelan37, glowed lime green.

“Stellar,” Pia’re giggled, looking down at her phone. “Spunky_potato15? Your username is high-frequency.”

I laughed nervously. “Yeah, I made it years ago. I’m still obsessed with potatoes.”

A mellow tone sounded overhead, then the boarding call for Lumara City, Vela, chimed with our gate number. I looked up as the gate door irised open in a smooth sweep. The shuttle waited beyond it—its silver skin catching the light like prisms.

Pia’re nodded solemnly. “Come on. That’s us. You don’t want to miss your first jump.”

At the threshold, my wristband vibrated. A new message from my mum popped up.

MOM: Hi, honey. Maybe you can call us when you get off work today. Try not to burn out, and stay hydrated.

I rolled my eyes. “Technically,” I whispered, “I’m getting off work for the next week.”

I flicked the message away. I wasn’t about to ruin my mood with my mother’s antics.

The boarding tunnel curved toward the shuttle, its walls throbbing with a slow, soothing light that was probably designed to calm nervous passengers. However, it mostly made me feel like I was walking through the throat of some bioluminescent creature.

“Where are you sitting?” Pia’re asked.

“Uh—” I checked my shuttle pass on my wrist comm. “Section C, seat twelve.”

She beamed. “Section C, seat thirteen for me! We can scream together during takeoff!”

“That’s very generous of you,” I said nervously. “Normally, I reserve my screaming for alien pop stars, but I’ll make an exception this once.”

We both laughed as we started to board.

I stood inside the shuttle and glanced around, noticing how it looked more like the inside of a sleek, luxurious train. Rows of soft reclining seats lined the space, while curved windows ran along the sides. A track of low ambient light glowed along the ceiling.

I found my seat by the window. Pia’re plopped into the one beside me.

“Lucky you. First jump, and you got the best seat.”

“Tell that to my intestines,” I muttered.

A trio of humans squeezed down the aisle, arguing about the best place to get something called Nebs in Lumara.

“What are Nebs, Pia’re?”

She looked over at me and smiled. “They’re like your human ramen, but better. More flavorful, in my opinion.”

Wow. If only my mother could see how noodles were essentially life across planets.

A Velan child hopped past me, their light threads bouncing with each step while a glowing safety band tethered them to an adult nearby.

A recorded voice chimed overhead in human and two different alien languages, politely reminding us to fasten our harnesses and refrain from trying to access the luggage compartments mid-flight.

I clicked my restraints into place, suddenly hyperaware of how thin the window separating me from the outside seemed to be.

Pia’re leaned over. “Regretting it yet?”

“Yes… No. Ask me again in…” I glanced at her. “How long does this flight take again? I can’t remember.”

“About five hours. We’ll do one jump, then coast the rest of the way. You’ll be fine.” She nudged my shoulder.