Four years later…
Situated on the surface of a dusty comet, a Zaku rose from a crouch, staring at a GM-II fifty meters away as their arms spread. The mobile suits were dented yet intact, with the GM raising its hands to chest level; clutched in its manipulators were two sabers, igniting both beams to light up the area.
Using a carefully judged toss, he sent the second floating in microgravity, allowing the Zaku to claim it; highlighted by the glowing red saber, its monoeye flashed. As workers climbed aboard the two shuttles, the mobile suits brought their weapons to bear…
And plunged them into the broken rock.
Flashes of steam rose from the comet, vaporizing dust and ice as the two machines slowly circled, needing to use valuable propellant to stay grounded. When the pair reached their opposite's positions the beams were deactivated, letting both retreat. Then the ground thumped, detonated mining charges letting the mass of cosmic stone shatter upwards, the debris drifting into the ether or joining the ring of an enormous red gas giant filling the horizon. Right now huge simmering aurora storms lit up the sky, an absolutely stunning view when haloed by the interstellar dust.
"Guys, I'm gonna drive into that moon."
"We're all bored Joshua." Lorenz muttered, taking the Zaku into the crater.
"Easy Karen." Shiro dryly chided as his GM followed him.
Working methodically, the crew soon dislodged multiple chunks of rock-filled ice. As planned the mobile suits grabbed as much as they could while the mining team bound up big clumps with wire nets. When it was large enough they gently pushed upwards, where unarmed Mobile Balls dutifully collected the haul, their armor braving micro-debris towards a nearby ship.
"I mean it this time. This is purgatory." Karen groaned, pushing her load towards the green and beige Musai, the Wild Snake. Once a Zeon navy mainstay, it was captured after the war then sold for scrap. Manswell picked it up on the cheap, ripping out the cannons and bolting on extra plating for jobs like these.
"We know." Shiro worked his controls with half a mind, flinging a boulder so they could get at more ice. It flew into the void, ignored after he confirmed nothing important was in the way.
"I dunno, the monotony grows on you." Sanders applied extra thrust thanks to his cargo's size.
"Bull."
"Fine. But I still like how calm it is."
"For you guys. You have armor, all I have is a normal suit. One puncture and I'm a goner." Michel protested, shaking his fist near Shiro's feet before helping with operating a drill.
Minutes stretched into hours, time Shiro spent listening to the mining team bicker, his GM occasionally popping from hull impacts, and for a short while the radio player Lorenz brought, piped over a secondary channel.
"~Oh, how many travelers get weary, bearing both their burdens and their scars~" click.
Shiro appreciated country music once in a while, but not constantly. Slumping further into his seat, he wondered how Lorenz could listen to that stuff without getting tired of it.
The ennui lasted until the ship's captain opened a general channel. "Cargo bay is at ninety seven percent capacity, let's call it a day people."
"Finally." Karen audibly slumped.
Shiro exhaled in relief, helping pack up the heavy equipment onto the mobile suits. Making sure the crew was ready first, he fired up his thrusters and led the way back to the ship, departing the kilometer wide comet. Times like these made him appreciate the retrofitted panoramic display, letting him see where everything was without worrying about blind spots.
He gently pushed the shuttles into their spots as Lorenz docked his Zaku, then began the annoying process of fitting his GM into a bay never designed for it, no matter how many modifications were done. The Wild Snake was underway by the time clamps finally extended, killing power in his mobile suit.
There was still a couple hour journey back to the colony, but Shiro hardly noticed. He left his GM, gulped his water ration, scarfed down some homemade noodles, and listened to gossip, all the while marinating in his normal suit. After last year's accident with a rock puncture he wasn't taking chances outside of the colony. All in all, it was as dull as things could get.
"Hey Amada, wake up." A nudge awoke him, blinking when he abruptly realized that he fell asleep. He didn't notice the change, he dipped his head and that was all.
"Arg, huh?" Shaking off the bleariness, Shiro then discovered he was in the humming cargo shuttle; the whole craft jolted from the docking clamps attaching.
Across from him Sanders, Karen and Michel undid their belts, with the latter offering a concerned look. "You alright commander?"
"Yeah, yeah, just quit with the rank. We're out, remember?" Shiro yawned, hearing a clunk from Lorenz standing. In the tiny cabin he raised his prosthetic limbs with a groan, stretching as much as he was able. In the years since they departed he gained a few wrinkles, cutting his curly mop down at his wife's insistence.
"Does that do anything for you?" Karen raised a brow. She likewise gained a couple wrinkles, otherwise she was still the same as when he found her in the AEUG.
"It makes me feel better." Lorenz cracked his neck then walked towards the hatch, hearing a hiss of pressurization.
Karen rolled her eyes yet she followed him, with Sanders pausing to lean on the pilot's chair. "Hey Al, I noticed the right engine was stuttering for a bit."
Sanders was badly victimized by age, gaining some weight and a stubbled beard, as well as facing a receding hairline. Shiro was the only one who could bring that up around him without getting decked.
"Yeah, one of the fuel lines keeps getting frozen up. I'm still waiting on a proper replacement." The shuttle pilot hefted a clipboard to start scribbling. "Until that fabrication plant in Banna gets its shit together I'm stuck with substandard parts."
"Want me to go talk to 'em?" Sanders asked. When Shiro stood he sucked in a breath when his foot landed wrong, misjudging the heavier gravity after so long in weightlessness. Closing his eyes, he manually aligned his leg with a pop.
"I'll visit them myself. Another few flights and we're begging for an accident." He leaned around to peer at them. "If you see Chris before I do, can you tell her happy birthday for me?"
"Will do Al." Shiro waved on his way out the tube with an old friend by his side.
"You alright Amada?" Michel lost the roundness of the Wartime days, yet his behavior hadn't changed whatsoever.
"I'm fine, go on." As for himself, Shiro had some new wrinkles that bothered him, but largely he was aging gracefully. His stump was the real pain, figuratively and oh so literally, although surgery three years ago took care of his ongoing bone overgrowth.
The windowless hallway was busy, as usual. Technicians bustled to one direction, heading to the main dock where the Wild Snake was pulling in, while some mechanics detoured around the main crowd for repair duties. Extrasolar mining did a number on their gear, but they needed resources too much to stay cooped up forever.
Hearing Karen speaking nearby, Shiro walked to a T-junction to find her harassing a technician. Her victim elicited a sigh from him, even though the man was holding his ground.
"Big man you are, making the cripple go out there." She snarked.
"I have my reasons." Bernard defended, trying to go around her with a groan. He was lucky, the years were kind to him.
Shiro moved out of the way when he heard clanking, all three of them glancing when Lorenz strode past them to the hangar. "Why thanks Joshua, I didn't know you cared."
"I meant him." Karen nodded to Shiro as he departed. "But he's helping my point."
Bernie rolled his eyes, hefting a wrech over his shoulder. "Hey hey, I made a promise that I'd never step into a mobile suit again. I missed getting pulverized-"
"By this much, I know. You think you're the only one who had a close call." Karen rolled her eyes.
"I'm not, but it was still this much. No way I'm taking my chances ever again." Bernie dismissed, succeeding in making her stride past him in a huff. "Man she has it in for me today."
"Sorry about that, long day. I'll get her to apologize later." Shiro started to follow, but his wrench blocked the way.
"Not today bud. I'll cover your repairs this time."
"It's fine, I can-" Shiro started, meeting Bernie's smile.
"You filled in for me Amada, it's the least I can do. Besides, I owe Aina a favor for that bread she gave out." He nodded towards the exit. "Go home man. You look like you need it."
Shiro sighed. "Alright, thanks."
"If you bump into Chris-"
"It's her birthday, Al told me." Not without reluctance Shiro left the hangars, taking a freight elevator to the local dock station.
As much as he wanted to help with maintenance, he felt exhausted; he spent four days maneuvering in an asteroid belt then two digging into a comet, and he had another mining job in four days. On the crowded platform he rubbed his neck, feeling a crick in his lower back from the stronger gravity. Even through his deadened nerves his stump was making its protests known; the doctor warned that zero-g was only making it worse.
"Hope they'll lift the water ration soon."
"I'm just happy we have some more rare earths. You heard the Georgia found some uranium in the outer belt?"
"Hey, have you guys heard any news about that flu outbreak? Mora is getting worried about the hospital's readiness."
The airlock creaked open, letting Shiro exit the squat building. Leaving was like stepping into another world; ahead was a bustling street, filled with chatter and people going every which way. Two or three story buildings made up the town of Austin, with trees and shrubs planted everywhere there was room. Not a car was in sight, just bikes, carts and feet.
Peeking left Shiro saw the terrain roll until it was blocked by a vast circular wall of the bow, and forward the grey and green studded ground rolled until he spotted a dark town straight up from where he stood. The unbroken curvature didn't look right without a sky, natural or artificial.
Shouldering his duffel, Shiro did a double take at a sharp whistle. Trotting to the curb was a horse drawn cart, the woman at the reins going, "Woah." To the horse, then tilting up her rice hat up to smile. "Afternoon, good timing."
"Hey Kiki, sold out already?" Shiro glanced at the cart, finding it empty.
"Grain goes fast. I'm heading home, do you need a lift?" Kiki Rosita offered. She had gained some weight, maturing well all things considered. Her smile was still the same as that cocky kid he stumbled across all those years ago.
The ache in his stump made his decision. But when Shiro tried to jump on the back, she stuck a cupped palm in his way.
"Twenty chits."
"Twenty?" He balked. "Can an old friend get a discount?"
"That is the discount, other folk are getting charged forty. Have to make up for mold ruining a quarter of my field. Now pony up." She gestured.
Groaning in defeat, he dug out a wad of metal pellets from his pocket; ore processor refuse made for a good medium of exchange for their makeshift civil economy. Kiki was "gracious" enough to return the extra chits, waiting until after he hopped on the cart to snap the reins.
"So, did the job go alright?" She asked while they passed a corn field.
"Pretty good, we had a close call yesterday when a rock hit the Wild Snake's engine, but other than that nothing big happened. How's Baresto?" Shiro let his eyes drift to a stripped down Bloodhound dragging a trailer full of hay bales, along with several passengers hanging on the sides.
"Working hard or making trouble, no in betweens. Kids." She rolled her eyes with no sense of irony. "Not like Apsara here, she's a good girl. Aren't ya?"
The horse snorted in response.
They traded gossip for the next four kilometers, past farmland and frequent homes, plus the steady stream of bikers and horse riders. This district was less crowded, focusing mostly on agriculture; not many spacenoids remembered the famine before the OYW, but enough did to have a fixation on food safety. He liked the greenery, it was almost like his home on Earth.
It certainly beat Freezer City, a town he spotted by looking straight up; the place where three million people slumbered through the trip on annual shifts. He spent a year there and never wanted to repeat the experience.
When they arrived the cart halted, letting him gingerly climb off. "Thanks, I'll stop by tonight for a drink."
"Bring Aina if you do, you can't hold your liquor." Kiki snapped the reins before he could retaliate.
Huffing with irritation, Shiro walked to his home. It was a simple one story house with an acre of land; cramped yet homey, like the rest of the colony. Things were quieter than he expected, until he opened the door.
"Daddy!"
A five year old barreled into Shiro's arms, immediately bringing a sappy grin as he hefted her up. "Kyo! Hon, I missed you."
"I missed you too!" Squealed Kyo Amada, her blonde twintails flapping with her toothy grin; named after his mother, she was one of the reasons he loved coming home. Not so much with the dirty sundress she wore, what he didn't mind at the moment.
"Hi dad." Grunting from effort, Shiro shifted Kyo to his free arm to smile at the twelve year old boy coming up for a hug, which he returned as best as he could.
"Hi dad? When did you get so casual?" Shiro let go to rub his shoulder, getting slapped away by the dark haired boy's dirty hands, from gardening he assumed.
Norris Amada chuckled, backing out of the way so he could set Kyo down. That gave plenty of room for Shiro to meet a warm hug from the last member of the household, pressing into her neck with a deep smile. An apron mashed against his grimy fatigues, smelling of grass and bread.
Aina let go; five years of interstellar travel and she was still as beautiful as when he first laid eyes on her, at most filling out a little. Brushing her longer hair out of the way, she gave him a chaste kiss to match his happy smile. "Welcome home dear."
Shiro's elation dampened when he saw the concern on her expression. "What's wrong?"
More footsteps caused her to step out of the way, revealing an unexpected guest in the kitchen doorway; Shiro almost dropped Kyo from old habits, recalling that he was off duty in the nick of time.
"Amada, nice to see you." Eiphar Synapse greeted; clad in his old yet immaculately maintained uniform, the bald commander of the twin colony's ships nodded.
"Captain Synapse, hello sir." Reluctantly setting Kyo on the ground, he straightened his posture with a frown.
"He just arrived a half hour ago, he said it's something important." Aina said, her frown signalling that she didn't know why.
"That's right, lovely home you have." Synapse cleared his throat. "I have a little while, so it can wait."
Although his relief was interrupted, Shiro nevertheless dug into his back pocket. With an overdramatic "aha!" He withdrew a couple items to hold out.
"Alright, Kyo? For you… from daddy's friend Kou!"
Kyo's wide expression was filled with joy when he offered the carved wooden duck. "Thank you daddy!"
"Take care of it, okay?" Shiro rubbed her head, her giggles lifting his spirits like nothing else. As she scampered off he unfolded a slip of thick film. "And here you go. We're calling this one Hutch three." He proudly showed Norris the photo of the gas giant they were orbiting, obtained from a friend onboard the helium skimmers. "Nice huh?"
"Yep." Norris smiled as he took it, going to a cork board on the wall. It was a meter tall and two wide, with four fifths of it covered by pictures; old ones from Earth, before and after shots of their home, the first time they poked inside his GM's cockpit, a barbecue at Kiki's new village, school festivals, and a group shot of Shiro and Aina in normal suits, showing a pink and purple planet in the background. The newest addition was put at the end of a line of other similar pics, taped on carefully.
"We're getting a lot of these." Aina smiled.
"Mm-hmm. I like Astraia more." Norris admired the gallery.
Shiro recoiled. "Wha?! I thought your favorite planet was Shiro One?"
"My second." Norris and Aina smiled at his mock outrage. "Sorry dad, you just can't beat that gold and blue spot with two rings."
"Oh c'mon…" Shiro slumped, groaning as Aina playfully consoled him.
However upbeat the mood was, Aina glanced sideways and cleared her throat. "Norris, I hate to ask this right after your father came home, but can you take Kyo and go check on the chickens for me please? And the water pump, in case my patch job didn't hold."
"Sure mom." Norris frowned, giving a quick hug before leaving.
Ceasing his mutterings, Shiro faced Synapse as he approached carefully, noting how uneasy he appeared. "I'll get right to the point. Yesterday the Georgia found another Relay."
"Already? That's the fifth in the past year." Aina raised a brow.
"We're turning it on?" Shiro asked. Those machines were weird, he thought so ever since they arrived at a star system thirty six light years from Earth; the place was littered with the inert things the Martian aliens left behind, pointing in a half dozen directions. Making them work was surprisingly simple, they only needed a massive jumpstart.
Texas and Banna individually dwarfed the Relays. In fact, there were concerns back then that it couldn't move them, given the size disparity. When Texas first tried it certainly seemed that way, sending rattling quakes throughout the entire colony, upsetting the power grid, breaking infrastructure, even creating a hull breach that took a week to seal. Nothing like when they sent an old Komusai through and back. The civic council's announcement that they crossed a thousand light years hardly made up for the following months of repairs.
Shiro had his own opinion, mainly looking at the two years they took to cross thirty six light years, then instantly jumping so far. They were the first humans to ever explore this region of the universe, each inert Relay could lead anywhere. Except for one.
A lone Relay there was estimated to point at Sol. A proposal to activate it failed by a wide margin, a suspiciously high percentage even after a second vote.
Synapse grimaced. "No. This one is already active."
For a long moment Shiro and Aina stared blankly, processing what that meant.
"The civic council and Manswell want to send a team to investigate. We aren't going through-"
"We?" Aina interrupted.
"I was asked to command the survey mission. We're taking the Valentine tomorrow, from there it'll be another two day trip to the edge of the system. The most we'll do is send some probes, I don't have the authorization or wish to send a manned trip." Synapse visibly braced. "I… was going to ask Ensign Amada to join."
"Me?" Shiro gawked, pointing at himself to meet a nod.
"Why him?" Aina's voice rose.
"Two reasons. First, while you aren't the best at obeying orders." Both of them huffed. "You do have a habit of bringing unlikely people together. Just look at the Rosita villagers, a Karaba cell, plus your AEUG contacts. And the second is… I know you won't take unnecessary risks."
Aina blinked under his knowing stare. "You're exploiting our marriage."
"It means he'll be extra careful." Synapse sighed in self reproach. "My concern is if someone is there, like the Martians or whatever else, I absolutely don't want to start a fight. That's why I'm asking you instead of ordering. I'm sorry for doing this."
Shiro grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sir, I appreciate the offer. Really. But I just got home. Mackenzie is a better pilot than me, I know Matt and Kou are always up for a CDF job."
"I'm aware, you're still my best pick. I'm not trying to pressure you, if you turn me down that's alright." Synapse waved.
Aina sent him a frown. "Captain, can you give us a moment? Alone."
"Certainly. I'll be outside." He passed the front door slightly faster than dignity required.
Sighing under his breath, Shiro turned to gently rub her shoulders. "I know. I'll call Matt, he can handle this. I can use the downtime, potatoes need planting, Kiki will need help with her generator-"
"You can go."
"-and Norris' birthday is coming- say that again?" He did a double take.
Aina let out a shaky breath.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I mean, this could be a real First Contact. If I make you stay, we'll always regret it. I know you want to." She held onto his arms to level a pained stare. "But you have to promise me."
"I'll come back, I swear." Shiro nodded quickly.
"Safely." Aina emphasized, tightening her grip. "For the children, for me, for everyone, promise you'll come back in one piece."
Shiro kissed her, drawing her into a hug. "I promise."
Three days later…
"All hands, we are one hundred klicks from Object one. We are moving to condition yellow. Repeat, condition yellow." The loudspeaker announced.
The bridge door hissed open, letting Shiro float in. He took a handlebar near the captain's chair, his grunt from steadying his leg breaking the room's concentration.
"Ensign Amada." Synapse was rigid, gripping his armrests. Completely unlike his other guest, who flung his blond mop away to send him a wry smirk.
"About time you got here." Hickam teased; for nonsensical reasons he chose to wear his old Zeon fatigues, badly standing out compared to the crew's beige uniforms.
"Can it. Reporting as ordered, Captain." Shiro saluted.
"At ease." Synapse' tone was tight, not taking his eyes off the main viewport for a second. The fact he didn't acknowledge the protocol slip up was deeply concerning.
Blue Valentine was the name of the Salamis-class ship they used. Two hundred and thirty meters worth of Federation starship, it's service record began at Jaburo then hit a snag at the Battle of Solomon, courtesy of a Mobile Armor's wrath. Final repairs concluded shortly after Operation Star One ended, missing the refit program to soldier on until it's inevitable decommissioning. Until 0086, where a group of Titan defectors stole it after raiding a maximum security prison.
"What are you even doing here?" Shiro asked.
Hickam shrugged. "Minister Mass asked me, she must've heard the rumors that I'm a Newtype."
His eyes narrowed. "Are you?"
"Enough chit chat." Synapse ordered. "Radar, comms, any updates."
"Spectrums crowded sir, nothing unusual." Paselov reported, taking a second to scratch his beard.
"No unusual signals from Object One sir. No updates from the Georgia, they're still on station." Simone said. A glint of a ring caught his eye, but he ignored it.
"Helm?"
"Speed unchanged. No engine trouble, no power blackouts." Harrida's bald head reflected a bit of light.
"Weapons?"
"No problems sir. All turrets functional, power systems nominal, all targeting stations are green." Paselov concluded.
"Good work. Stay sharp." Synapse nodded quickly. The ship was badly understaffed, operating with a scant forty crew, counting the Ball team; only volunteers were permitted, minimizing casualties should the ship be lost.
Beyond the bridge window, Object One grew larger: twin prongs formed a fork shape, with a pair of circling rings containing a blue core in the center. Fifteen kilometers long and made of grey metal, the alien Relay was a simplistic yet enigmatic device. Attempts to gather a sample from the first one they found were useless; it was practically indestructible. Drills, bullets, plasma sabers, even a shot by a beam cannon didn't leave a scratch. The only thing they didn't try were the mega-beam cannons on the Salamis-classes, with Manswell, Synapse, and Mass all agreeing it wasn't worth the risk.
"Captain, we are approximately twenty kilometers away and closing." Harrida announced, ending his wool gathering
"Fire retro thrusters in thirty seconds, we're not getting closer than fifteen klicks. Understood?" Synapse' tone earned some looks from the crew and guests.
"Aye aye, preparing to fire. All hands, brace for deceleration."
Shiro held on tighter, sucking in a breath. His leg was going to hate him for this.
"Three, two, one. Firing thrusters." The lurch was softer than he expected, the huge boosters on the prow igniting with tight cones, slowing the Valentine from cruising speed.
Down shifted so he felt like he was falling towards the Relay, inadvertently making his skin crawl. In seconds he had to manhandle himself around, now in zero-g for the upteenth time in a month, way more than his doctor recommended. Thanks to belts none of the crew budged from their spots, taking the change in stride. Hickman was no exception, having the gall to smirk.
"Status." Synapse was unruffled.
"Some fog on the radar Captain, no movement detected. Metal readings, infrared, laser, all data is in line with previous reports." Paselov reported.
"No comm updates sir, just background fuzz from the star." Simone announced.
"We're holding a stable position relative to Object One captain, awaiting orders." Harrida said.
"Looks clear to me." Hickam observed. Shiro said nothing; he didn't belong here, but he was asked to be present just in case.
Synapse nodded, dabbing his prow. "Load the first probe into tube one. Launch on my command."
"Acknowledged. Probe loaded."
"Launch."
A tiny thump reverberated through the hull, sending a grey metal bin flying out of a missile battery at the Relay. A radio, radar, and plating was all the probe was, just armored enough that a dust speck wouldn't be the end, as well as surviving their own M-particle emissions.
"Probe away, it'll hit the Object in-wait." Paselov squinted, before his eyes suddenly widened. "Captain!"
There was no time to react; Shiro saw the twin rings suddenly spin way faster than before, then when he blinked there was a blue flash.
"What happened?" Synapse barked in alarm, snatching up a pair of binoculars under his seat. "You two, get eyes on it."
"Roger." Hickam snagged the first, kicking off to the window a second before Shiro did. He grunted again when he anchored himself beside Paselov, who scanned his display with a sweaty brow.
He gulped. "Getting a reading, whatever it is our radar can pick it-
"It's going again!" Shiro barked.
Twice more the rings summoned objects, with the second clearly larger than the others. All three started to head further into the system, flashing hull lights and glowing engines before they abruptly banked away.
"C-confirm, three objects?" Paselov stuttered.
"Yeah, three. They're grouping up, I'll call it fifty klicks away." Hickam tersely reported.
"Confirmed." Shiro squinted through his binoculars, picking out as many details as he could.
Two were small, looking roughly identical. A curved tube of some kind, with curved wings that had huge engine blocks held on, as well as what he assumed were weapon ports on the front. There may have been antennas too, he couldn't tell. The third however was wholly different; it resembled an airplane, with huge swept back wings and an unmistakable cannon on the nose.
He also realized that he was sweaty, licking dry lips. This was happening so quickly, too fast for him to deal with.
"They're turning away. Wait, one's coming towards us." Hickam voice rose.
Harrida blanched. "R-roger, mega-beam cannons are charging. Acquiring targeting solu-"
"Belay that!" Synapse yelled, lurching out of his chair. "Do not target the bogey!"
"But sir, they're closing fast-" Harrida tried to plead.
"That's an order!" Synapse was heaving quickly.
"Too late." Shiro grimaced.
His wide eyes tracked the alien warship, he was sure it was, cruising to their starboard side. Only now did he discover that not only was it fast, covering the distance in seconds, but that it was also huge, nearly the length of the Blue Valentine. Its grey and orange paint was illuminated by their lights, showing multiple geometric patterns on its hull. Jets of maneuvering thrusters moved the ship, stopping anxiously close.
"S-sir. Bogey is holding position approximately five hundred meters off our starboard." Hickam's bluster had evaporated, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Telemetry is coming in, it's approximately one hundred and eighty meters in length. That bird one is approximately, ah, approximately five hundred and fifty meters in length." Paselov grimaced.
"Jesus, it's twice our size." Simone gulped, gripping her headset and turning pale. "Captain, I'm receiving a radio transmission on all channels. It's coming from the bogey."
"Put it on loudspeaker." Synapse ordered.
She met Shiro's and Hickam's puzzled glances, hitting an icon; over the loudspeaker they heard… speech. It was a recognizable language no doubt, gruff yet had plenty of clicks and whistles. He didn't understand a word.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Synapse nodded to cut the loudspeaker. "...sensors?"
"We're being pinged sir, radar, ladar, and microwaves. They should have a good idea about us by now." Paselov grimaced.
"They're still matching our velocity sir, they have not moved." Harrida reported uneasily.
"Captain, the first contact package?" Hickam turned to speak; upon meeting his puzzled look he coughed. "Manswell had a thing made for this occasion, it's a reproduction of an ancient space probe's contact guide. We brought it on board before departure."
Synapse adjusted his cap, hand quivering. "R-right. Load it onto a probe and launch-"
"Sir, don't." Shiro turned to float, wincing at the sharp peeks he received. "They could interpret that as an attack."
"Agreed sir. We brought the Ball for probe retrieval, we can deliver it on that." Hickam brightened up.
Synapse blanched. "You want to give it to them in person?"
"Yes sir, stick it in a claw then hand it over." Shiro nodded shakily.
Synapse glanced at his crew, meeting their uncertain looks with his own quick breaths. He closed his eyes and swallowed a lump.
"Ensign Amada, your orders are to deliver the package then return."
"What?" Hickam balked, pushing himself off a bulkhead towards him. "Captain, I can-"
"Amada." His harsh tone silenced the younger man. "You remember what I told your wife. Don't make me a liar."
Shiro needed to gulp before he saluted, feeling his skin crawl. "Yes sir."
Fifteen minutes later he inspected his normal suit with shaky hands, accepting a helmet that he put on, then checked the seals. A tap confirmed the radio was working, with a mechanic giving a thumbs up around the Ball; a retrofitted bay let them work with atmosphere, accepting the air loss in favor of protection from cosmic radiation. The space pod itself had a couple dents, nothing that kept them from sticking a torso sized case in a manipulator.
"I added an extra oxygen tank, so you'll have about fifteen hours before CO2 poisoning gets you." The crew chief told him.
"Thanks Annie." Before Shiro boarded, she held out an object that had straps floating. After a moment of deliberation he shook his head. "I don't think that'll help against ray guns."
"It's not for fighting aliens." Her frown said it all.
"Appreciate it, but still no." Shiro climbed into the pod, going through the startup sequence while the crew vacated. Hissing pops indicated the air was being sucked out, and with a rattling clang the bay opened into the starlit void. "Testing comms, one two."
"Acknowledged. Ensign Amada, your orders are to deliver the package and return, nothing else. Over." Simone radioed.
"Roger. Wish me luck, over." Applying the throttle, the Ball gently left the ship, hisses of its maneuvering thrusters orienting him.
His hands were shaking. The metallic air tasted stronger than usual, somehow worse after a gulp of water. His throat felt parched. At that moment Shiro Amada was making history, but all he could think about was his family. Aina, Norris, Kyo; there was a real chance this would be it. He hoped the aliens would see the cargo and guess his intention, or be interested, or...
He squeezed the controls tighter, inhaling a quivering breath. "I'm approaching the alien ship."
His Ball jetted towards the bogey at a slow speed, itself firing small thrusters to keep it stable; he could feel the crosshairs, whatever they would use. Any second and he could die. Through his fear he suddenly asked a very important question, what hadn't occurred to him yet.
"Where do I park?" Shiro glanced over the smooth hull, looking for an airlock or equivalent; he saw a few indents that could be one, assuming that would work.
'Underneath' the ship, a curved part of the hull silently opened. Blinking hull lights flashed from the edge to lead towards the hangar, repeating every few seconds.
"Okay, I'll try that." He slowly boosted towards the indicated spot, feeling a weird rumble when he passed within twenty meters of the hull, lasting only a second. Giving the panel an odd look, he approached the well lit bay.
Six meters away, he tilted the Ball so his free manipulator was first, opening the claw; the whole craft shook when he bumped into the ramp, with a loud groan from strain passing through the arm and into his seat. Not before raising the cargo laden arm, so it was safely over the lip.
Shiro let go of his controls, taking a deep breath. Was he insulting them by his clear mistrust? Were they preparing to raid his pod? What? The nondescript hangar offered no clues: there were several benches on the walls, all oriented so the floor was down, and roughly torso height for him. There were two craft parked on racks, smooth disk things with stubby wings that he guessed were the size of his Ball; fighters? Shuttles? He did pick up how clean the place was, he didn't see any grease stains or drifting tools.
He blinked twice, needing an extra few seconds to process that there was an opening elevator near the back.
"I-I see them. Three of them." Shiro reported breathlessly, watching the aliens approach.
Bipedal, approximately human sized, and wonky proportions; he picked up details on autopilot, while the rest of his brain processed that he was seeing real live aliens. Two of them spread out with things in their grips, while a third slowly approached, arms held apart to show it held nothing.
The safe thing to do was to wait in the Ball, let them take the goods, then get out. There were a million reasons to stay put. But there were a million and one reasons to grasp the roof crank, and with a shaky wince pop the hatch. Shiro told himself it was a display of trust, that he was willing to extend the courtesy of showing his face, that he could be open. But that wasn't his true motivation in hitching a tether to his suit, then climbing out.
He was getting an earful for this, from Synapse and Mass and especially Aina. Shiro still slowly clambered out of the Ball, testing the cord by habit; mid tug he paused, finding a red dot on his shoulder. Snapping up he discovered another on his stomach, originating from inside the ship.
"Okay, cautious. Okay." He slowly rationalized, now crawling down the pod extra deliberately.
A process he did a thousand times, which went completely differently when he reached the arm; all of a sudden he was pulled down, elicing a yelp when he lightly tapped on the ramp. It was surprise instead of pain, particularly when he almost flung himself off from too much force.
Testing his hand's rise and fall, he guessed it was about a third of a standard G. Coughing from embarrassment, he propped himself up with a slight gasp from his leg, needing a quick hop to get his prosthetic in place. While he stared down the pain, Shiro glanced sideways.
The alien was a body's length away.
He slowly stood up, drinking in the sight. It was a head taller than him, with lanky arms and legs. It reminded him of a bird, with how its double bent legs ended in stubby toes, and its hands had three visible claws for fingers. A hunchback gave it a stooped appearance, while its helmet possessed a noticeable bulge on the back. It wore thick blue armor, complete with a rimmed collar. Slowly it lifted its hand to its helmet, sliding up its blank faceplate.
Shiro beheld an inhuman face, made of segmented grey plates akin to feathers. In lieu of a mouth there was a recessed beak, with toothy mandibles slowly twitching by the sides. Oddly there were symmetrical marks on its face, a dozen white patches that looked like sun rays. But its eyes surprised him most; they were golden, yet had a glint that was recognizably human.
Upon realizing he was staring, Shiro coughed and looked away, needing a herculean effort. Under its watchful gaze he walked to the case, undoing the latches to lift the lid, all his movements slow and nonthreatening. Compared to the mind numbing sight, the contents were dreadfully mundane; a large box with a golden circle attached to the top, part of an old record player.
Shiro undid the straps and picked it up, suddenly glad the gravity was so weak. That done he turned to the alien, who hadn't moved beyond waving a hand behind it, dismissing the laser sights. When Shiro offered the gift he held his breath.
It's mandibles silently clicked, gingerly accepting to look over the cargo, flicking to him when he pointed at the needle player on the side. Just as it hugged the package under its arm, Shiro sighed and held out a hand; that froze it in place, making him flinch.
"Uh oh." He whispered in his helmet, fearing his habit just made a horrible mistake.
He withdrew his hand quickly, but rather than screech or vaporize him, the alien glanced over its shoulder. With clear hesitation it held out claws in a similar gesture, curling inwards without extending far.
Swallowing a lump, Shiro held up his arm again, watching carefully in case he was about to be mauled. One more breath and he took the plunge, wrapping his fingers around its claws. The alien jolted, forcing itself to stay in place.
"Um, nice to meet you." Shiro shook twice and swiftly let go. After a long moment, the alien's beak silently moved in response.
