Tara took a deep breath. Her chest felt heavy, as though the suit that fit perfectly a few hours ago had grown too tight. There was no turning back now though; the time for their descent had finally arrived.

Each and every one of the Explorers stood in one of three lines leading up to the transporter. Tara stared intently at its translucent, round platform. Moderators stood close by in case it malfunctioned, though it was obvious that none of them took the job seriously.

"Look at them, gossiping among themselves," whispered Annah, who stood in the line to Tara's left, "They're probably jealous that they have to stay behind." The Explorers around the girl nodded in agreement. One of the uniformed individuals glared at her before turning to a colleague to continue their chat.

"They only look when they hear even the slightest peep out of us," added Janson, from the other line, "But I guess we can't complain due to their perfect record. No Explorer has ever gone off course before landing, let alone died."

Tara sulked. The private seemed to have moved on from the earlier encounter, much to her jealousy. It was nearly time, but she had yet to see Eren since he stormed off earlier.

"Attention Explorers," boomed a moderator. All heads turned toward the center of the room, with many becoming confused when they saw no one. A sigh sounded from the steps in front of the transporter.

The Explorers mumbled as a short, stout bearded man traipsed up the steps and onto the transporter. "I am Deeke, and I'll be keeping a watchful eye over each and everyone of you little ducklings today," the moderator continued with a patronizing tone, "Believe me when I say that we don't want to ruin our track record, even if it's for you ingrates."

Many of the Explorers, Tara included, rolled their eyes. Janson opened his mouth but was elbowed by a girl standing in front of him.

"What was that for?" he whispered. He received nothing more than a shush for an answer.

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Deeke, who hadn't noticed the exchange, continued. "Almost all of you know the drill, so let's get a move on." The man then stepped off the platform and motioned for the first Explorers from each line to come forth.

The group of three silently stepped onto the transporter and stood equidistant from one another. One of them trembled slightly, prompting another to take hold of their hand.

"Don't worry, it'll all be over in a moment," Deeke assured, before turning toward his subordinates, "Commence!"

A uniformed man sitting in front of the main control panel nodded. He then barked an order to two others, who placed their hands on the bioscanners located on either side. All of the lights in the room dimmed.

Did it malfunction? Tara thought to herself. All of a sudden, the sound of a switching lever echoed through the darkened space, causing the once translucent platform to glow. It illuminated the room with its immense light. Tara winced as electric bolts formed and began dancing around the three Explorers' boots, growing in intensity as the transporter brightened even more.

"Have a nice trip!" Deeke called out. He fluttered his fingers briefly before the trio vanished into thin air; not a trace of them was left behind.

"Phew!" said the stout man, "Alright, who's next?"

While none of the other Explorers had batted an eye, Tara felt her heart beating out of her chest. She understood that they were merely being teleported to the landing zone, but the process by which it was done remained ambiguous to her.

As the princess stepped closer to the transporter, her anxiety shot through the roof. Before she knew it, it was her turn.

"Take a few deep breaths, Tara," Annah urged, "Don't worry, I'll be right by your side."

Tara felt a cold sweat dripping down her brows. Her throat felt tight, making it difficult to breathe. With each step she took, she trembled as though her muscles were made of jelly.

She stared helplessly at the transporter and the man who stood beside it. "You must be that one individual the captain told me would need a little nudge," he bellowed, "Not to worry, little princess. We'll treat you just fine." He held out a hand to help her up the steps.

Despite her disdain for the condescending man, he reached out and grasped his rough, calloused hand. "As I said to the first group, it'll be over before you know it."

She, Annah, and Janson stood together on the platform. "Ready Tara?" her friend asked as she grasped her hand tightly, "Just hang on, okay?"

Deeke nodded to the man sitting at the control panel. Tara shut her eyes. This is it. My first mission begins now.