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Flying through space undisturbed was usually my favourite bit but I kind of missed Heather's company and all of the funny things she said and asked.
I counted down, keeping a close eye on the map as we neared the orbit of her planet. According to the speed we were currently going at, it wouldn't be long until we'd have to turn on the deflection shields so we could land without being detected.
"I'm starving," Katak complained loudly from the other side of the bridge.
Captain Ellabee sighed. "Then get some more ship guts."
"I'm sick and tired of guts. Did we really have to put the cook and all the kitchen staff in stasis?"
"Yes," the captain said firmly. "But we'll wake them soon enough. We're almost there, look." She pointed at a rapidly nearing blue dot in the visor.
"That's Earth?" I asked.
"If our maps are to be trusted." She called a holoscreen from her controlband. "Seven more clicks until we're there. Get ready to fly manually and start preparing for landing."
"When are we lifting stasis?" I asked, eager for Heather to wake up again. Since she'd gone into stasis, I'd read up on her planet and I had so many questions.
"We'll lift it when we've landed. I don't need any distractions or interruptions," the captain said in a voice that made it clear this wasn't a discussion. She stretched her arms and groaned. "Since Lini and Inil aren't here for support, let's be extra careful. I want a soft landing."
Katak glanced at me before he spoke. "Are you sure?"
The Captain nodded. "I don't need another accident. I don't think they have repair ports on this planet, so if the ship breaks down, we'll have to call for assistance and we could be stranded there for a good while."
That didn't sound that bad to me. I'd have Heather's company. That being said, if I let the ship crash, I'd be out of a job and probably, my bowels.
My gut twisted just thinking about a disembowelment and I focused my attention back on my control panel. The blue planet was nearing at extreme speeds and growing bigger and bigger with every moment. Blobs of green and brown were making itself known, with wisps of white throughout. It was quite pretty, especially because of how much blue there was.
It made me wonder if everyone on this planet was Heather's colour or if there would be some people with my skin tone too.
"Nearing Planet #47283’s orbit," Katak announced.
"Heard. Let's take her off autopilot," I replied, strapping myself in properly and reaching for the switch. "On my count."
"I'm with you," Katak said.
"Great. In three, two, one," I counted, flicking the switch off at the same time as my co-pilot. A green light came on.
"Autopilot off," a robotic voice said.
A thrill shot through me from having the ship in hands and knowing that one bad movement could lead to a disaster. It was a lot of power, responsibility, and one of the best parts of flying. It was certainly when I felt the most free.
Our external scanners showed a few small objects orbiting the planet, but no other ships. I instructed the AI to scan on a few more frequencies to detect any hidden vessels just in case. I was used to hundreds, if not thousands of spaceships circling Kyven, so not having any show up on my screen made me suspicious.
"How advanced is this planet?" I asked Captain Ellabee without turning away from my screens.
"Not very. They've barely reached their own moon. It'll be a long time until they're able to reach Kyven, let alone other planets even further away."
"Cute."
The captain chuckled. "Which is why we don't want to be spotted by the natives, so concentrate on your job. Are the shields up yet?"
"Of course. We wouldn't even show up on modern scanners, let alone whatever they rely on."
"Good. Katak, are you ready as well?"
"Aye, Captain. Waiting for your command to enter orbit."
We went through the motions, a well-practised team. I loved this part of my job. The thrill of flying manually paired with seeing a new planet for the first time. Planet 47283 didn't look dissimilar to Kyven, except that it was a little smaller and had a lot more water covering its surface. I couldn't wait to see what it looked like from down below.
