I stood in the airlock, ready to begin my mission. Neight was on the other side of the door, seeing me off. He, like me, was wearing a helmet so we could communicate during the operation. But he still couldn’t wear his suit properly because of the cast on his arm.

"Repeat the plan one more time," his voice hissed through the helmet's radio.

God, his overprotectiveness is starting to get on my nerves. I’m not a little kid that needs to hear the same thing ten times. Or who does he take me for?

But I didn’t argue. Deep down, I was glad he was feeling better.

"As soon as the door opens, I take the shot. If everything goes well, I step out, collect the water sample, and come straight back."

"Good. Proceed," he commanded.

I approached the control panel and entered the commands as he dictated. Immediately, the door leading to the ship closed, and a familiar hissing sound filled the chamber.

Alright, here we go!

Despite the simplicity of this stage, I felt a slight tremor of nerves. I was worried because the area outside was unknown, unexplored, and I had no idea what might be waiting for me out there.

The time had come. The hissing stopped, and the door to the outside creaked open. Instantly, the chamber filled with the sounds and smells of rain, so pleasant and calming. It almost felt like I was back on Earth; the sensations were so familiar and comforting.

"I don’t hear the shot," came a hiss from the helmet, killing my brief moment of peace.

"I just... haven’t done it yet…" I tried to explain, but was met with a disapproving sigh.

"You had plenty of time to prepare. You could’ve been ready," Neight continued to scold me.

Tch... So picky. Now, how was I supposed to stand again? Feet shoulder-width apart, slight turn, and keep the stock pressed firmly.

I took the stance, mentally double-checking everything. Then, I flipped off the safety and pulled the trigger. The barrel vibrated slightly, as if gathering energy, and then a powerful blast shot out with a piercing shriek. It surged forward like a lightning bolt, sparking and curving slightly until it struck a random tree in its path, snapping it in half with a deafening crack. The whole thing happened in an instant, over before I could even register what was going on. Only after a second did I realize what had just happened, staring ahead in stunned silence, my mouth hanging open.

Just as Neight had warned, there was recoil, unpleasantly jarring my shoulder, and I almost lost my balance, nearly falling backward.

What power! I thought to myself.

My hands were still shaking after the shot, and my heart was racing. I had never used a weapon before, especially one like this. My eyes fell on the gauge showing the remaining charges. As expected, after the shot, there were only five left. But after a few seconds, the charge bar crept back up, refilling to full.

Good. Looks like everything’s working as it should.

“Evie, how are you? Everything alright?” came the hiss from my radio. Apparently, I’d been so stunned by the shot that I completely forgot to report back to Neight.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, though I noticed my voice was trembling.

Damn! Get it together, Emma. You can’t let him even think you were scared!

"Hm... Got it. Assess the situation outside," he said.

I started to carefully examine the surroundings beyond the door. Surprisingly, it was rather calm and quiet. There were no signs of animals nearby. Even after the shot, no bushes rustled, no wings flapped as frightened birds flew away, no squeals or cries of scared creatures were heard. Only the leaves of the plants, swaying from the raindrops, created some movement, but it was steady, calm, and pleasant to the eye.

And why did Neight think that any wild animals would dare approach this huge, unknown mass that suddenly fell from the sky with an incredible crash? I’m sure they’re all terrified and won’t come anywhere near this place, I thought, analyzing the scene.

"All clear, no one outside," I reported.

"Good. Collect the sample and come back right away."

"Okay," I replied, trying to hide my irritation.

By this point, my hands had almost stopped trembling, and I stepped outside. As soon as I crossed the threshold of the ship, raindrops began tapping against my helmet. There was something soothing in that sound, making me want to close my eyes and take a deep breath of the fresh, damp air. My suit was completely waterproof, so it kept me from getting wet and cold, eliminating all the things I disliked about rainy weather. I felt protected from the elements, staying warm and dry, which allowed me to fully enjoy the rain’s melody. Yes, despite everything, I much preferred being outside in nature to being inside the ship’s walls.

However, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t forget about the mission. Otherwise, Neight would quickly remind me with his grumbling, which I really didn’t feel like listening to.

"I'm outside. All clear. Starting water collection," I reported.

"Understood."

I slung my weapon behind me, securing it in the holster attached to my suit, and felt it pull me backward, making me nearly lose my balance again. Regaining my footing, I pulled out a small metal flask attached to my belt, unscrewed the cap, and inserted a wide, collapsible funnel to help the water gather more quickly. It was amusing to watch how the raindrops, for a brief moment, seemed to bounce off the elastic surface of the funnel like tiny rubber balls before sliding inside.

I still can't get used to this. What an incredible place!

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Fascinated by the still-unfamiliar sight, I didn’t notice how quickly time passed. Soon, the flask was half-full, which was more than enough for testing.

"I'm done. Heading back to the ship."

"Great. I'll be waiting."

Feeling both pride in my flawlessly executed first solo mission, however simple it may have been, and sadness that I had to return so quickly to the cold, lifeless metal walls of the ship, I climbed up the ramp and found myself back in the airlock.

Neight greeted me, and I immediately handed him the flask with the water sample.

"Are you going to wait here while I run the analysis, or would you rather come with me?" he suddenly asked.

Wow, what a surprise. I actually get a choice! I thought with a mix of sarcasm and wonder.

"I think I’ll come along with you."

I figured it was better to go with him and monitor the process to make sure he didn’t tamper with the results. After all, I had a feeling he might be very interested in something "accidentally" going wrong so we could move on to his plan. Maybe it was just my paranoia and fear of being plunged into eternal sleep speaking, but I didn’t want to take any chances. Especially since he offered himself.

"Alright, let’s go," he said calmly.

He didn’t seem worried. In fact, his tone made it sound like he didn’t care either way. Or maybe he was just pretending.

God, I’m trying to see hidden motives in everything he does... Maybe I’m overthinking it?

----------------------------------------

"I have good news," Neight announced, checking the data from the analyzer. "The local rainwater is drinkable. Of course, there are some impurities, but nothing critical."

"Oh, that’s great."

To be honest, I was surprised that he took this information so positively. In general, it seemed like he was in quite a good mood. Moreover, what worried me was that during the entire time we sat in the kitchen waiting for the results, Neight didn’t once try to talk me out of continuing the mission. I wondered what might have changed during my short absence, but I couldn’t find an answer.

"I see you’re in a good mood..." I said cautiously.

"Yes. Why wouldn’t I be? Especially when everything is going according to plan," he replied as if nothing were amiss.

Yeah… Just not according to your plan. So why are you so pleased?

"I’m also glad everything’s going well so far. It’s just funny that this time you didn’t even ask if I wanted to quit the mission," I added casually, trying to frame my words as a joke, even laughing a little for believability.

Neight gave me a sly, fox-like smile, narrowing his eyes as he looked at me intently.

"So, does that mean you’ve changed your mind?"

"No, no. Of course not," I blurted out immediately, fearing he had taken my words too seriously. "It was just a silly joke."

Right, note to self: this guy has absolutely no sense of humor.

"Got it. So, it’s time to move on to the next stage, and actually the last one for today. Will you take the containers outside to fill them with water?"

"Yes, will do!"

"And don’t forget to report on the situation."

----------------------------------------

After carrying the third and final container outside, I exhaled in relief. Once again, everything went surprisingly smoothly. At least for now, while the containers were completely empty, it was easy. It would be harder later, dragging them back in once they were filled with water.

I wonder how long we’ll have to wait?

The rain continued to drizzle. Its drops drummed loudly against the bottoms of the containers I had set up, slowly forming a thin layer of water.

Yeah… They definitely won’t be full by the end of this half of the day. So, my job for today is done.

I raised my eyes to the sky and began to gaze at the slowly drifting dark clouds. I wanted to enjoy the fresh air just a bit longer before returning to the ship. It seemed like I could stand here forever, staring at the rainy sky.

But then, my attention was drawn to a small break in the distance. Golden rays of sunlight were breaking through the dark clouds. In contrast to the rain, which brought coolness and freshness, these beams of light seemed to carry warmth and peace. At any other time, I would have admired the beautiful scene unfolding before me without hesitation, but not now. Not now, when we desperately needed the rain to last. What worried me the most was that, though slowly, at a tortoise’s pace, this break in the clouds was getting closer and larger. Gradually, it dawned on me that my mission might be doomed to fail.

What do we do now? The rain might stop much earlier than I expected… And what if we don’t even manage to fill the containers?

My mood sank completely.

And Neight won’t let me go alone to search for other water sources… I can imagine how happy he’ll be that we’ll have to use his plan...

And then it hit me.

That jerk! He knew all along! Now it makes sense why he had that smug look on his face!

Everything inside me boiled and churned. I was filled with resentment and anger. How could he? He didn’t even warn me! Did he just want to present me with the facts when nothing could be done? I could picture him fake delivering the bad news, pretending to be upset too.

Well, no, I’m not going to dance to your tune!

While I fumed with rage, a brilliant plan formed in my head. Right now, I was outside, armed, and Neight was somewhere inside the ship.

And what can he do to me in his current condition? And later, when I return, he’ll even thank me… And maybe he’ll finally start considering my opinion.

At the climax of my thoughts, right on time, the radio crackled.

"Evie, is everything okay? You said you were done, but you haven’t returned yet…"

"Yes, everything’s just perfect," I replied, feeling on top of the world. "But I’m not coming back right now."

There was a brief silence. I was willing to bet that my answer completely caught him off guard.

"What do you mean?" Neight finally said.

I had been expecting that question, and feeling a sense of euphoria from my incredible foresight, I promptly responded.

"I’m going to look for a permanent water source. You know, a river, lake, stream. The rain’s about to stop, so we’ll need to adjust the plan."

"Wait, that wasn’t the deal. It’s too dangerous. You need to come back immediately."

I could hear in his voice that he was holding back from shouting, trying to sound calm. But he didn’t convince me one bit.

"I’ve already made up my mind. I’m not coming back until I find water, period. This conversation is over."

Feeling pleased with myself, I smiled from ear to ear and turned toward the thick forest, heading in that direction.

Suddenly, I heard an irritated clicking sound through the radio.

"You know what, Evie? I’m not letting this slide. Just so you know, you were the first to break our agreement."

His words sounded extremely serious and threatening. For a moment, I even felt a chill run down my spine. But I quickly tried to reassure myself that he couldn’t do anything until I returned. Even so, I still felt a bit guilty, so I decided to try and smooth things over a little.

"Oh, come on, don’t be so mad. I’ll be back in a flash. Fine, if I don’t find anything in two hours, we’ll use your plan, okay?"

But Neight didn’t respond.

He’s probably really mad…

By the time I reached the edge of the forest, I didn’t feel as confident in my plan, but I wasn’t going to back down. I wanted to prove to Neight and to myself that I was capable of something. But then, unexpectedly, I heard a familiar hissing sound behind me, and I froze in place.

Wait, he’s not going to…? No, that can’t be! That’s crazy!

My heart sank because the sound I had just heard came from the ship’s airlock.

Damn it, he’s coming after me! I’m in deep trouble!