Lydia was so exhausted. Her eyelids refusing to move. An alarm clock ringing its bells profusely. She groaned. "It's too early...Mom...I don't want to go to school today." Her thin hand touched the clock and managed to actually stop it for once. Normally it would land on the floor while ringing nonstop. She soon found herself in a strange dream. She was walking into a forest. One she's never seen before but looks very familiar. As she walked she saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring at her. They weren't angry, just curious. Before she could say anything, a pair of jaws came to grab her.

She bolted upright. A gasp escaped her throat. What was that?! She thought. I didn't have that dream since I was in the fourth grade! She got up, put on her glasses and looked at the clock. Surprisingly, she was up earlier than normal. She looked around to see that her room was different. A bit cleaner with little decoration. Lydia sighed as she began to remember. "That's right," she said out loud. "I...have no home now. I agreed to go into space with Eva…" Her eyes began to sting with tears. She wiped them away immediately. "Ok. No time to cry now. Make a good impression for the voyage."

She went over to one of the boxes that was stashed in one corner of the room. Lydia knelt down and opened it. Thankfully, her landlady didn't toss out all of her clothes. She soon picked a white t-shirt with lace sleeves and an ivory skirt matched her white flats. She set up her braids as best as she could since her room didn't have much of a mirror. Lydia found herself shaking as she opened the door. As the knob turned, her stomach bubbled. She took a deep breath. Her head popped out of the doorway.

The hallway felt a bit cold and strict. The Ivory walls did little to comfort her. She hugged herself. Her fingernails dug into her skin. Her legs stiff as she tried to walk around. She had a hard time breathing. Her mind went into static. She looked around. There were a few soldiers and agents around but nothing else. M-maybe if I go into the kitchen, Lydia thought. I might be calmer with food.

Lydia opened the kitchen but there were more people than she expected. At least 10 working on breakfast for the staff and guests. She gave a nervous smile. Her hand made a weak attempt to wave. She quickly made for the counter and nearly knocked over some orange juice. "Sorry...Just couldn't sleep this morning." She laughed her usual laugh. She gulped. Gahhh! She mentally screamed. I suck at this! She sat down at the nearest chair. Fiddling with her fingers.

Suddenly, a plate that had cheese omelette with fried potatoes. The overbearing smell of herbs tingled with her nose. A large stack of pancakes soon meet up with it. Lydia looked up to see a smiling young woman before her. It was none other than Eva. Lydia blushed. "Miss Wei…."

Eva grinned. "Come on. Call me Eva." Then, it switched to a frown. "Hey...are you ok?"

Lydia gave a crooked smile. "Just had a nightmare. I suffer from them. Most of them being about Crogs." She shivered. Most of it was true. Half of her nightmares were about the Crogs coming to her apartment and killing her and her mother. She shivered. She looked up at Eva. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about my troubles since you seem to be excited about going into space."

"Don't be." Eva said. "Everyone has problems. I know opening up isn't easy, but...maybe you could at least tell me why you want to go to space."

Lydia was silent for a moment. She ate her pancakes quietly. Her tongue took in the warm texture. Then, she began to eat her omelette. Every amount of food gives her comfort. "Wow! This tastes great." Then, she looked at Eva in the face. "To be honest...There's no home for me here anymore…" She took a deep breath as she continued to explain further. "I lost my job because I was translating Nurasian as a side project. Then, my mom got sick and I got kicked out of the apartment because I wasn't able to pay some of the damages. So...Why not go into space? I have nothing left to lose after all." Tears soon came to her eyes. Suddenly, she felt Eva hugging her. For a long time, Lydia allowed herself to cry for the remainder of breakfast.

-(A few hours later)-

After a much needed cry, Lydia found herself enjoying her breakfast. Eva and Lydia talked about what they might see in space. Lydia even tried to do a few alien languages which made a few of the kitchen staff giggle. It didn't even feel weird when Don Wei joined in the conversation. Despite their fame, Lydia found them to be great people. They're both kind in their own way. Don Wei may be pushy but he means well. Eva is tough, but she has a good heart.

As the group was escorted to a rocket bay area, along with the president, Lydia found herself a little at ease. It was still a big mission, but with a journal and a camera, she was going to document all the alien cultures. She even did a side glance at her shoulder bag to make sure that the box contained those stones and the carving knife. Maybe be able to find Mercu's planet, she thought. She stepped out of the limo with great ease.

The hanger before them had a large ship. A pure white metal with the earth colony symbol painted on it. Sounds of computers, sparks and murmurs rang through the air. Scientists busily looked over data charts and calculations. Army men marching from one spot to another. Among the group was a strange alien. He had elf-like ears and red-ish brown skin. His blue eyes focused on the human scientist that he was with. He wore a ponytail that gave him a samurai look. A white space suit with blue streaks gave him a regal look.

Eva's eyes brightened at the sight of the alien. She ran over to him waving. "Akka!"

Akka looked up from his work to see a very familiar human. He smiled. "Eva!" Before he could react, he was soon met with a hug. He laughed as he hugged her back. "It's good to see you again."

Eva looked up at him. "Good to see you! What are you doing here?"

Akka frowned. "There's been strange occurrences happening around our planet, mostly children vanishing. Also...the Crogs want to find proof that they weren't involved with Earth."

Eva huffed. "Figures they'd be involved."

Lydia only looked on, confused. Do they know each other? She thought. Something about seeing Eva getting along with Akka made her heart happy. Yet...at the same time sink. Could she get along with the other aliens? What if they don't like her? What if she offends someone? Her mind whirled with anxiety. Suddenly, she heard Eva talking to her. Lydia stared at Eva. Her cheeks turned red. "Oh! Sorry!Just lost in thought S-so you two know each other?"

Eva blushed back. "Yeah…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "It's kinda hard to explain."

A man in his early sixties walked over to them. He wore glasses just like Lydia's. His slate-gray hair down in a simple mop. His slacks and lab coat gave him an air of a scientist that is a little laid back. "Alright. Explanations will be played later. Right now, you girls are best to get changed into your suits." He paused for a moment as realization hit him. He slapped himself. "Of course. Forgive me for being rude. My name's Dr. Nongon. I just made these suits to help you adapt to whatever planet you land on. Just make sure you don't break it."

Eva looked at him. She gave him his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Eva Wei." She gestured behind Lydia. "This is my partner, Lydia."

Lydia's heart skipped a beat. She's never been called that before. She mentally shook herself. Be calm, she thought. Don't panic... Just move slowly. She walked with a stiff gait as if she was turned into a tin soldier. Her hand raised awkwardly. "L-Lydia Lin at your service!" It was taken in a strong handshake. She looked at his eyes. There was a strange spark in them. Something unsettling. Was it my imagination or did he recognize me from somewhere? A slight shiver went through her spine.

"Well. It's a pleasure to meet you Lydia." Dr. Nongon smiled. "The president told me you're quite the translator."

Akka nodded. "Yes. I understand that you were translating a love letter?"

Lydia blushed. "Uhhhh….Yes…" She fiddled with her thumbs. "Maybe we should discuss this more after the launch." She jumped at the sound of something hissing and rattling. "What was that?"

Akka sighed. "Oh dear. G'dar will get too restless if we don't take off soon."

"Whelp!" The Dr. said. "Time to launch. To the changing room, ladies!"

Lydia jumped. She briskly walked to her dressing room, her hand clutching the strap of her bag. She bumped into a wall. "...Ow…." Eva grabbed her arm to guide to the dressing room. In a matter of minutes, the two girls were soon dressed in their space suits. The spacesuits were white but Eva's was pink while Lydia's was gray. Lydia blushed as she stared at herself in the mirror. Here goes nothing, She thought. Once out, Eva said goodbye to her father. Something about seeing the duo act like this made Lydia's heart hurt.

The two girls soon joined Akka outside the ship. The three space wayfarers walked toward the door of the ship. A silence hung in the air. Each step felt like forever as if all of time had slowed. Lydia tried to ignore the stares that followed her across the catwalk. Once they arrived at the door, the trio took their seats. Lydia let out a sigh. Her whole vibrating. She adjusted her glasses.

Down below, the techs were typing away commands for the ship. Machines whirled. The engine of the rocket roared to life. A faint glow of fire underneath. In a small room, Don Wei and the president watched the monitors. Don Wei gripped the rails hard. The president merely watched the process. Behind them, Dr. Nongon held his board with a simple smile on his face as if he was proud of the project he created.

"Engines: Check."

"Fuel lines are in stable condition."

"The sky is clear."

"Activate launch sequence." Dr. Nongon commanded.

Don Wei looked at the president. "Mr. President...Are you sure this is wise?"

The president looked at him. "Your daughter has more experience in space than most of our men. As for Lydia, she seems to be the only one who's willing to go. Part of the reason we took her is because the other Linguists that we asked turn the offer down out of fear. These two are the bravest souls that we can afford right now. We can't afford further panic and distrust with our neighbors."

Don Wei's face soured. Says the man who wanted to annihilate the Crogs and nearly got everyone killed, he thought. He looked back at the screen. The countdown scrolled along the screen.

5...4...3...2...1...The rocket roared to life. The metal arms and pillars moved away as the rocket went straight into the air. A cloud of smoke spreading out like a flower. In a matter of minutes, the rocket went higher and higher into the sky until it finally vanished into the sky. Everyone clapped. Cheers rang throughout the building. The launch was a success...but the mission was ready to begin.

-(A few minutes later)-

Lydia took a few deep breaths. Let her heart calm down. Once Eva told her that it was ok to move. Lydia unbuckled herself. She pulled out the statue she was working on. Her hands immediately went to work on the finishing touches. As the eyes were finally carved, Lydia failed to notice Akka and Eva staring at her.

"What are you doing, Lydia?" Eva asked.

Lydia nearly dropped her stone and knife. She rightened herself. Her knife was immediately tucked back into her bag. She blushed. "J-j-just carving. It was something I thought to do while we're traveling."

Eva knelt closer. "Oh cool! It's a wild boar!"

"Actually it's a Red River Hog."

Akka looked at her curiously. He cocked a brow at her. During his short time on Earth, he never imagined he would get that many surprises. "I didn't know you could carve. Where did you get those stones?"

Lydia looked at the stone fondly. Her mind draws back an old memory. "I know this is hard to believe but I actually met an...interstellar being before." She blushed at the word interstellar being. "I was...kidnapped and tried to get away-"

"Wait," Eva interrupted her. "Kidnapped?"

Before the conversation could go any further, a loud boom resounded in the ship. An alarm rang throughout the ship. Suddenly, the monitor brought up one image of the ship's interior. The other of what seemed to be a space current.

Eva growled. "You've got to be kidding me! We've only been in space for ten minutes and already there's trouble." She strapped her seatbelt back on. She grabbed a hold of the controls. "Hang on! We've got to deal with the current before-Gah!" Another explosion caused everything to go off-kilter. The ship began to spin. An asteroid knocking them out of their intended path. Everyone screamed as they continued to be tossed into the unknown.

Stay tuned everyone. Lydia's going to find herself in BIG trouble very soon.