The Oort Cloud was looming closer, twenty days after leaving the Genesis Platform, and I swear, I could feel the weight of this whole damn thing pressing down on me, like a fat, angry wrestler, and I couldn't help but wonder what I was doing with my life. The crew wasn’t new to challenges—we’d spent over four years fighting side by side, navigating the dangers of portals, monsters, and the chaos that followed, but at least before, there were backup plans and shit, and if I messed up big time, maybe my dad would be there to help me out. Now? Nothing. Out here, past the asteroid belt, we didn’t have a damn safety net. We didn’t have a Plan B, we didn’t have anyone to call, and it was all on me.

And yet, underneath the panic, I could feel a thrill, a shiver down my spine. This was freedom, right? No Earth, no orders from people who didn't know shit. And yet, it felt like I was about to step off a fucking cliff, instead of into the stars. The thought of engaging the FTL drive was both exhilarating and terrifying, and it was all mixed in up, that was the problem. All of our training, our systems, our routines, this was it. The final test to see if all that shit was worth it. I was going to make sure we made it, even though I felt like I was about to throw up. I wanted to make sure this crew was going to thrive, that I would make sure they all got home safely.

I wanted to, but did I actually have what it takes to do all that? Was I even capable of being the captain they needed? The questions ran through my head like a broken record, but the edge of the known was just ahead. It was like the moment you know you’re going to do something dumb, and you just lean into it and do it anyway, there was no turning back now, and honestly, I wouldn't, I couldn’t. I was excited, and scared, and a mess, and for some reason, that was exactly how I wanted things to be. Maybe. Probably.

Then Zoe’s voice crackled through the comms, cutting through the quiet hum of the ship. “Captain, we’re ready to activate the FTL drive and make the jump toward Alpha Centauri.” Her voice was steady, but I could sense the anticipation beneath it, that feeling that made you want to run in the other direction.

I grinned, pushing off the console and standing a little taller. “Everyone to the bridge, on the double.” My voice came out strong, confident. Even if I wasn’t totally sure I felt that way, I’d fake it till we made it.

The crew was already assembling on the bridge, slipping into their stations. I looked around at their faces—familiar, steady, each one a little anchor in this vast, terrifying void we were about to step into. Did they know how scared I was? Could they feel it? Probably not. Or maybe they did, and they just didn’t care. That thought didn’t help.

All of it—our routines, our systems, every damn thing we’d done to get here—was riding on this moment. The weight of it hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a second, I thought I might puke. Shit. Pull it together, Rossi. I could do this. I had to. I just needed to be... well, a little more me.

I tried to force a grin, taking in their faces as they settled into their seats, their gazes flicking to me now and then, waiting for the next move. They were looking to me for answers, and that almost made me laugh. Answers? From me? God help us. But it wasn’t just fear crawling under my skin—it was excitement. A thrill that mixed with everything else and made my chest tighten. And yeah, maybe a little bit of horniness too, not gonna lie. But mostly? I just wanted to see what was out there. What was waiting for us in the dark, and why the hell it felt like it was calling us.

My heart pounded as I stood by the captain’s chair, my palms slick against the armrest. Deep breaths, Luca. This was it. Everything we’d planned, everything we’d worked for—right here, right now.

I took a long breath, trying to savor the moment before giving the command to activate the FTL engine. This was really it. I was actually doing it. And for better or worse, there was no turning back.

***

"Everyone ready?" I asked, trying to sound calm, but my voice cracked a little. I was not as cool as I thought I was, and my heart was practically trying to escape through my ribcage.

Zoe, ever the professional, added, “All systems are green. Just waiting on your go.” I bet she was sweating as bad as I was, but you’d never know it, the cool bitch.

"Engage," I said with a grin, trying to ignore the way my palms were sweating as I pressed down on the controls. God, I hated this, I hated that I had to be in control.

“What is this, Star Trek?” Ryan said, a huge, goofy smile plastered on his face, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Of course, he’d make a pop culture reference, like this was all a big joke. I needed to calm down, but how was I supposed to calm down when I could see the fear in everyone’s eyes, mixed with the excitement? It was like looking into a mirror.

“Brace yourselves,” Zoe said, her voice tight, barely concealing a slight waver. It wasn’t just fear—it was adrenaline, a cocktail of what if and maybe we’ll be okay that was making my brain go a million miles a minute. “We’re about to make history.”

Everyone fumbled with their restraint harnesses, looking way clumsier than they probably wanted to. I caught Danny almost tangling himself up like he was trying to fight the straps, and Ryan rolling his eyes as he clicked his harness into place like it was no big deal.

The bridge rumbled as the FTL engine engaged, and a low hum filled the air, vibrating through the deck and up into my chest. Time seemed to slow down—or maybe it sped up. I couldn’t tell. My brain was racing, throwing every what if at me like a machine gun. Did I forget something? Were the numbers right? What if Ryan hadn’t tightened a bolt? Did I even check the fuel levels? Shit. Was that weird light by Ryan’s console supposed to blink like that? And—oh god—did I even put on my harness? I glanced down to see the straps secured across my chest.

Through the viewport, the stars outside stretched, twisting into streaks of light before vanishing completely. The sensation hit like a roller coaster drop that just kept going, pulling us through... something. It wasn’t just space. It felt like we were being dragged through a dimension I couldn’t even describe, like everything around us was folding and unfolding at the same time. My stomach flipped, and for a second, I wondered if this was what dying felt like.

And then it was over. Just like that, the pull stopped, the hum eased, and we were back to normal speed. I stared out the viewport. Where there had been streaks of light there was now nothing but pitch-black nothingness. No stars, no streaks—just the void. I stared at it, half-expecting to wake up and realize we’d crashed, or maybe that we were just... dead.

***

Zoe was the first to move, her fingers punching away at her console as she checked the trajectory. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and I found myself staring at her face. Was she scared? If she was, she didn’t show it. Stone cold warrior, as usual.

Emily let out a long breath, leaning back in her seat, her eyes locking with mine. That sigh? It might’ve been the most beautiful sound I’d heard all day. I grinned at her, a weird mix of anticipation and pure terror bubbling up in my chest. We did it. We actually did it.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Holy shit,” Ryan muttered, pulling off his harness with a grin that stretched across his face. He reached over, slapping Danny’s shoulder. “We’re alive, man. Alive.”

Danny blinked, like he was still processing, before a grin broke out on his face. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking like he’d just hit puberty all over again. “We’re alive.” He lifted his hand for a high-five, and Ryan met it with an echoing smack that made the whole room feel a little lighter.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, the weight in my chest easing up as I looked around. Everyone was smiling now, even Zoe, though hers was faint, more relieved than anything else. Goosebumps prickled along my arms, but for the first time, it wasn’t from fear—it was from the sheer holy shit of what we’d just done.

“Well,” I said, my voice cracking just enough to ruin the moment. I cleared my throat, trying to sound more captain-y, whatever the hell that meant. “Looks like we’re off to Alpha Centauri. Zoe, ETA?”

Zoe glanced at her console, her fingers dancing over the keys. “We should get there in two, maybe three weeks,” she said, her tone clipped, but there was a hint of excitement behind it. “The ship’s still accelerating. Assuming no major changes in course or unforeseen events, we’ll hit deceleration on time.”

Her words hung in the air, and for a second, the relief faded just a little. Unforeseen events. Because nothing we ever did was without risk. We were just kids—twenty-somethings pretending to be adults, running headfirst into the unknown. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

I leaned back, the captain’s chair suddenly feeling way too big and too small at the same time. Captain’s log, I muttered to myself. Today we made the jump to Alpha Centauri, and I almost threw up.

The bridge erupted into cheers once Zoe confirmed we were on course. Ryan fist-bumped Danny so hard I thought they might break something, while Joey leaned back in his chair, letting out an exaggerated sigh of relief. Even Zoe cracked a small smile, though she quickly busied herself with recalculating our ETA, probably to avoid acknowledging she had emotions like the rest of us.

I didn’t even bother hiding my grin as Emily clapped me on the shoulder, her excitement spilling over into laughter. “We did it!” she said, her green eyes sparkling like she’d just discovered a new planet.

“Hell yeah, we did,” I replied, the tension finally starting to bleed out of me. For a moment, the bridge felt less like a control room and more like a celebration—a shared victory that made all the risk feel worth it.

Ryan spun in his chair, pointing at Zoe. “We’re alive and on course. Admit it—you’re impressed.”

“I’m satisfied,” Zoe deadpanned, but there was a glint of humor in her eyes that said she wasn’t as unshakable as she pretended.

The celebration didn’t last long. One by one, the crew started peeling off to their stations or other tasks, the burst of energy settling into something quieter. Ryan and Joey headed to engineering to run diagnostics, Zoe stayed at her console double-checking trajectory data, and Danny mumbled something about reviewing inventory before scurrying off, looking half-dazed.

Eventually, the bridge quieted, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Well, almost alone—Emily was still at the systems station nearby, tapping away as she finalized the daily schedule. Zoe was still focused on her calculations, her face lit by the soft glow of the monitors.

***

It was strange, this sense of calm that had settled over the ship. Just an hour ago, we’d been bracing for disaster, holding our breath as we crossed the threshold into the unknown. Now, everything felt... normal. Terrifying, sure, but also comforting in a way I hadn’t expected. The ship was moving. The FTL drive had worked. Ryan had actually pulled it off, Zoe was keeping us on course, and we were alive. Against all odds, it felt like we might actually make it.

I was halfway through a mental checklist of maintenance tasks when Emily stood abruptly, stretching her arms over her head, and just like that, my brain short-circuited. Damn it, Rossi, focus.

She approached me, her movements light and unhurried, but there was something unreadable in her expression that made my heart hammer in my chest. Bright green eyes locked onto mine, and before I could figure out what was happening, her hands were on my shoulders, pulling me closer.

Her lips met mine, and everything else vanished. The hum of the ship, the faint tapping of Zoe’s keyboard—it all faded into the background. The warmth of her touch, the softness of her lips, the faint scent of her hair—it consumed me. My breath caught, my hands hovering awkwardly by my sides before instinct took over and I steadied her gently by the waist.

Oh my God, this is happening. This is actually happening.

The weight of it hit me, heavy and warm, like something in the universe had shifted and I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for it. When she finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her grin equal parts mischievous and daring. My heart was racing, my face burning, but I didn’t care.

“That was unexpected,” I managed, my voice rougher than I intended. I felt like I’d been caught stealing something, but I also didn’t want to give it back.

“Was it really?” Emily replied, her tone light but her expression so earnest it almost knocked the air out of me.

I blinked, my thoughts a total mess—a whirlwind of what the fuck mixed with more please. Emily Carter had just kissed me. Emily. The girl I’d been crushing on since we were, what, twelve? Thirteen? Back when the biggest disasters in my life were high school math tests and trying not to stare at her lips every damn second of the day.

Over the years, we’d grown close—closer than I ever thought possible. Fighting side by side through Sandworth, leveling up, clawing our way back to some version of normalcy. But all that? It was behind us. Now we were here, moving light-years away from everything, floating in the void where there were no rules. We could do whatever the hell we wanted. And this? This was completely unexpected territory. I was lost. I was buzzing. I was so ready for more.

Emily tilted her head, her smile softening, her eyes locked on mine in a way that made my chest feel like it might actually explode. “You okay?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper that sent shivers straight down my spine. My heart skipped, and, yeah, and my dick stirred, of course it did..

“Yeah,” I managed, brushing the back of my neck like that would somehow ground me. I was trying to act cool, but inside, I was freaking out. God, Rossi, get it together. “Just… wasn’t expecting that.”

Understatement of the century. And I hated that I wasn’t smoother, that I was a stuttering, blushing mess. But she didn’t seem to care. She just laughed softly, leaning in again, and this time her forehead rested against mine.

My whole body buzzed, the electricity cranked up to eleven. I could feel her warmth, smell the faint floral scent of her hair, and every nerve ending in my body was screaming. I was officially losing my mind.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” she murmured, her voice low and steady, like this was the most natural thing in the world.

I exhaled sharply, a laugh escaping before I could stop it. “Glad you did,” I said, and it came out so breathless and ridiculous that I almost cringed. But then I saw her grin, and suddenly I didn’t care anymore. I was grinning too, my face heating up like I was on fire. And all I could think about was touching her again. More. Again. Always.

Emily Carter—the Emily Carter—had kissed me. On the bridge of our ship. Moving, fuck knows how fast, away from Earth. And somehow, the vast unknown ahead didn’t seem so terrifying anymore. In fact, it felt... possible. Exciting. Like maybe, just maybe, this whole thing was going to be okay.

Across the bridge, Zoe sat at her console, pretending to be completely engrossed in whatever calculations she was doing. But I caught the slight twitch at the corners of her mouth, that telltale sign she was enjoying every second of this. She turned away, muttering something under her breath, but the faint sound of her giggle didn’t escape me. She was on to us.

And honestly? That just made me want to kiss Emily all over again.

Emily nudged my arm gently, her voice low but carrying that spark of mischief that always made my chest tighten. “Wanna head up to the observation deck?” she asked, her green eyes locking onto mine, full of something that made it impossible to think straight. “I hear the view’s pretty spectacular.”

Just like that, the air shifted. We were in a completely different place. A new normal. Something I hadn’t planned for but suddenly couldn’t imagine not having. It wasn’t just exciting—it was electric, the kind of moment that made you feel alive in ways you didn’t even realize you needed.

Captain’s log, I muttered to myself as I followed her lead, my heart hammering like I’d just sprinted a mile. Today, Emily kissed me. And I think I’m in love. And also, maybe this is it. Maybe this is where everything starts. Or maybe… I’m just a horny mess. Who knows?

Whatever it was, I wasn’t about to miss it.