December 6th, 2017 16:04 GMT

After the meteor swarm-incident had happened three months ago, the journey went smoothly, until now. Luckily Miller made full recovery, barring a few mild scars on his face. The journey's highlight was crossing near venuses current position, enabling them to catch a glimpse of a balloon sized image of the love god's planet.

The mood on board had been very optimistic right after the incident, the crew's faith in human engineering renewed, but soon after turned into dull tension. As the distance to the final coordinates shaved away kilometer by kilometer, the small group grew more and more restless. After all, the turning point in human history drew ever so slightly closer.

Every single one of them could feel it in their guts; something that would change mankind's fate appeared on the edge of the known. The thick veil engulfing humanity in blissful ignorance was about to be torn off. And it was their very own privilege and duty to pull away the curtain that ever so carefully concealed the truth. The answers to questions as old as mankind itself, about to be revealed. Where did we come from? Who ignited the flames of life on our insignificant blue planet? And why?

'So far away. We are so far from the place that is our home. When we get lost no one will ever know what happened to us.'

'Maybe it is all a giant hoax. Then the world will continue turning without hassle.'

'I hope we find something. I hope we find nothing. I hope we find something.'

Those thoughts started popping up in the crew's minds and it made them even more uneasy. Rarely at first, almost constantly now that the target was within arms reach, they felt anxiety wash over their souls, eroding their will. And yet they pressed forward out of stubborn principle, spiting the temptation of sweet surrender.

Communication with GC became impossible a week ago. The sun, our solar system's heart, blocked every signal from reaching earth, which was hidden behind that blazing ball of fire ever since.

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"All crew, be advised. Phase 3 has ended, phase 4 will start now. The main objective now is reconnaissance and deceleration. Trutheim, i need you on observation deck, tell me if you can see anything at target site. Everyone else, maintain your designated positions. Reel out." sounded through the inter-com in a hoarse voice.

Robert put down the headset and, with a loud sigh to brush off his inner uneasy, began typing new engine parameters for braking speed. They would exactly cross target coordinates at relatively low speed in a few hours.

Hours later. "You found anything yet?" spoke Katarina's headset in the voice of Robert. She had been using the large sensor-array for four hours non-stop. But, so far, nothing.

The inter-com was set to broadcast all conversation because everyone was on edge, unable to bear not knowing what awaited them even a second longer than necessary.

"Nothing yet, Captain." Just as Trutheim spoke those words, a spike flared on a diagram representing radar contact. Not enough to trigger LRCD yet, but definitely something. Her pulse rose to unhealthy heights. The sudden rush of adrenaline made her voice tremble as she shouted into her microphone.

"THERE IS SOMETHING. *Ahem* ", she forcefully lowered her voice: "I found something! Two-hundred-eighty km five degree starboard, seven degree downward."

For a brief moment, silence. Then everyone brabbled at once:

"Fuck me!"

"What is it??"

"Tell us!"

"Come on, what is it?"

"Please tell me it is nothing!"

Robert Reel established order. "Shut up, all of you! That is an order. Now, Trutheim, report, quickly." His breath a bit ragged towards the end.

"We are too far for in-depth details yet, but it is huge! At least compared to us. And it is either the strangest natural body in space i've ever seen or it is not of natural origin at all!! Holy shit.." Katarina was speechless as she didn't know how to express what the sensors told her.

"Come on, Katarina, give us more information.." As Blackwood was still trying to get her talking over the inter-com, Taku came rushing into the observatory, along with Robert and Miller. In the face of revelation, the bridge was left unmanned. Which was okay because Reel had enough logical thinking left to momentarily activate auto-pilot.

Right after them, Blackwood and Baguette burst into the room as well. Even Alina, until now ever so unchangingly calm, took bigger than usual steps as she arrived last, slightly blushing from excitement.