Immediately, the others ran after him.

When Chance reached the lock doors in the small cargo bay, he had a train of crewmen behind him. The rest of the crew waited by the doors with Corrin, the Prophet smiling joyfully. Chance didn’t hesitate as he entered the bay.

He pulled the lever that opened the twenty foot-wide, ten-foot-tall lock doors. A breeze blew in from Alturin and Bound’s crew sucked it in like a delicious drink. The air smelled fertile and flowery.

A short, wide ramp extended as the doors opened. Chance didn’t stop his walk as he went past his crew and onto the platform. Any of them could have had the honor of stepping first. But they knew it was Chance who had brought them there, Chance and Corrin. In their minds, they were the followers and the two leaders should go first.

“I’ve dreamed of a place like this,” Chance said, losing himself in the wonder of adventure and discovery. “And to think I’d never have seen this if Corrin hadn’t…”

Corrin broke his concentration.

“Captain, stop,” Corrin said as Chance neared the end of the platform. Chance stopped and turned his head. “There is a proper way to do this.” Corrin joined the captain on the platform, the crew still waiting eagerly at the doors, and stood there with him. As she did, a long, thin ramp came out of the front of the ship in front of Bound. It extended fluidly to the ground as a little door opened at the top.

Out stepped a man wearing a dark blue uniform fringed in silver. Several dots indicating rank told Chance this was the ship’s captain. He stepped down and was halfway to the end of the long platform when a woman in white followed after him.

It was Matriana, Chance had no doubt. Her crown glistened in the alien sun as she walked with long, swaying strides down the ramp. They reached the end and stood side by side. The two groups of captain and Prophet were about fifty meters away.

“Thus is the distance broken, thus is the mystery revealed, thus is humanity’s purpose fulfilled and our greatest achievement realized,” Corrin said, her eyes glistening on the verge of tears. She put her hand out to indicate Chance was to walk. Matriana did the same. With a slight nod of their heads, the captains began to move. “Now.”

Chance’s foot touched ground as he walked upon the newly discovered planet. He didn’t know who or what he was walking toward, but it made him excited enough to fly.

The greeting for those from Home was to shake hands. So when the two captains met halfway from either ship, Chance stopped and put out his hand. Both captains appeared smiling, yet cautious.

The other captain didn’t put his hand out. He put a hand on Chance’s shoulder instead. Neither knew what the other was doing. But as they exchanged confused glances, they realized what they’d done. So with his right hand, Chance waited for the other man’s grasp. He moved his left on top of the captain’s shoulder, as the captain had done. At the same time the other captain kept his left hand on Chance’s shoulder and moved his right to clasp Chance’s. This odd, combined form of greeting made each smile. The hands shook and the shoulders were gripped, and both men smiled true.

“Greetings, Captain,” they each said simultaneously.

They moved their arms down and relaxed. Chance was surprised these people referred to their ship’s leader as a captain. He’d expected something different. He was also surprised they were human in every way. He was too eager to wait for the man to speak first, though.

“I am Captain Chance Miles of the Home Fleet. And I’m very glad to meet you,” Chance said with a smile.

“I am the captain of Greenscape Defender, Orvin Racer, which flies with the great fleet of the United Planets of Prosper,” Captain Orvin said with pride.

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It was in this moment that Corrin had the biggest, most joyous smile on her face. Matriana showed the same amount of glee as the two Prophets ran laughing off their ship platforms. Chance watched them with an interested eye as the women embraced next to him.

“Oh, Matriana, we’ve done it!” Corrin said, stifling a tear.

“All these years,” Matriana said, and couldn’t help wetting her eyes.

“Done what?” Chance asked.

The other captain seemed just as curiously ignorant as he was.

Corrin cleared her throat and Matriana composed herself. They stood regally and addressed them very ceremoniously. Chance rubbed his smooth chin.

“The mission of the Sevens Prophets is fulfilled. We have brought together two planets that were once separated out of sight and knowledge,” Corrin announced.

“Behold!” Matriana shouted, “the planets of Prosper and of Home have come together in peace!”

The Prophets stood beaming at the captains as their respective crews began to exit their ships. Chance noticed that there were a lot more people on Orvin’s ship. Ashley had her eyes and mouth wide in amazement as she gazed at all around her.

“So this is the first ever meeting between intelligent life?” Orvin asked as he looked at Bound’s crew. He didn’t seem unimpressed. He was impressed they’d fared so well in space, but he was slightly disappointed they looked so similar to his crew.

“Aside from the Sevens Prophets, yes,” Corrin said, still smiling. “And to honor this occasion, we can now finally reveal to you why the Sevens Prophets exist.”

Matriana took up the speech without flinching, and said, “Countless years ago, many planets were created. The idea was that these planets would grow in peace over many years. Their goal in creation was to eventually discover the other planets, for all thought they were alone.”

Chance could feel his heart throbbing. He’d always wondered why the Prophets were created. And from the looks of the other people, they were all very curious as well. As Corrin gave her speech, Chance kept looking at the Greenscape Defender. Its design and systems made him nearly drool with anticipation in what it could do.

Corrin jumped in to say her part. “But no planet ever came close. Our nature to be curious and wanting to improve ourselves, the characteristics that should have allowed us to find the other planets, caused humans to compete and fight against each other. War raged on each and every planet for thousands of years.”

Chance was nearly taken aback at Corrin saying us.

Matriana looked sad as she continued the tale. “It soon became evident that humans would never unite as long as we fought each other. So something had to be done.”

Corrin and Matriana bowed.

“And that’s why the Sevens Prophets were created,” Orvin said with a grunt. “To stop the wars and unite the planets.”

The two captains met eyes and grinned at each other, noting a shared and irritating experience. Chance noticed that Orvin’s eyes kept darting to Bound, examining the ship in the same way Chance was with the Greenscape Defender.

“True, Captain,” Corrin said. “But not quite. You see, we couldn’t force the people to unite. They had to do it on their own. It had to be a natural progression, otherwise they would not be ready to meet people so different from themselves. But we could help by stopping wars and leading as an example.”

“That’s why you didn’t shield us before,” Chance said, a tiny hint of gratitude in his voice. “You wanted us to figure out for ourselves that Captain Orvin wasn’t a threat.”

“I thought you were Outskirts Pirates,” Orvin said with a shrug.

“No problem. We’re at peace now, right?”

“Don’t see any reason not to be.”

“And we wanted you to make that decision on your own,” Matriana said. “But we couldn’t let you kill each other and start a planetary war.”

“I see,” Chance said.

“War will not come between Home and Prosper. I can give you my honest word on that, Captain,” Captain Orvin said with great pride and anticipation. “Our people haven’t had a major war for a millennium, and we want nothing more than to trade and hope with our new friends.”

Chance nearly laughed he was so pleased. “Home hasn’t had peace for that long, my new friend,” he said with a grin. “But I can assure you that we want nothing less than that same hope for prosperous peace.”

“Hope,” Orvin said with a smile. He looked at the ground and at the sky. The same thought had crossed the two captains’ minds simultaneously.

“Hope,” Chance said with a nod.

“It is a good name,” Corrin said.

Chance laughed, and put a hand on Orvin’s shoulder. “Walk across Hope with me, friend. And let’s see this big ship of yours. Corrin…” Chance looked at the Prophet with unwilling humility. “Thank you.” He spat on the ground and turned back.

Corrin smiled.

“Drink?” Orvin offered as they walked toward the Greenscape Defender.

“Strong. You have coffee, right?” Chance asked.

“Brewed on my own farm.”

Chance rubbed his hands in eagerness. “I’ll have to show you something later, then. I want to know more about these pirates, Orvin.” Chance and Orvin both chuckled. “But first, tell me about your ship.”