" The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself. "
- Carl Sagan -
(SIX MONTHS LATER: YURI GAGARIN COSMONAUT TRAINING CENTER, STAR CITY, MOSCOW, RUSSIA)
The Kree-Lizard hybrid spent almost everyday of his life in Star City with the Ryliea family which he found a new family to be with. On his first day in his new home, he got to know Trifa, the astronaut's wife and Enenra, the son. In giving back to their generosity, the hybrid boy helped around the household chores which he initiated. He spent moping the floor, washing the dishes, and wiping the windows. He also helped Trifa and Shadra in cooking meals. The whole family enjoyed his company. For that matter, Smolder decided to have the boy's Russian sessions.
At first, he got baffled to learn which he never had written or read anything in his life. Learning Russian became more difficult, since he had communicated in English for more than two decades. The boy tried his best to cope up in learning to write, read, and speak
the language. Smolder patiently and restlessly taught him until the hybrid got used to language. Days turned to months, the Kree-SCP 682 hybrid boy fluently expressed himself in Russian which he sounded like a native. But still, he started to read books about space exploration.
While learning the language, the boy also got challenged by Enenra, the astronaut's son. After his Russian classes in the morning and doing some chores, the spider Faunus surprisingly tackled him and loudly yelped. The hybrid curiously looked at him and scratched his head.
" Why are you doing that? " he asked.
" Hey, Svet! Wanna do a running race? " Enenra raised his eyebrows in suggestion. " Papa and Mama want you to become strong if you go to space someday! "
" Well...I'm supposed to take some swimming lessons with your father later. "
" Please..."
The Kree-Lizard hybrid sighed and smiled as he joined with the teenager at the grounds. Enenra came along with him and stopped at the porch. He pointed at the tree near the manmade lake where it served as the finish line.
" Okay, Svet, " the Spider Faunus boy said. " The tree will be our finish line. Whoever runs the fastest is the winner! Got it? "
" Sure, " the hybrid smiled.
" Ready, Set...Go! "
The two boys dashed their way when they felt their hearts heavily and quickly pounding. The wind breezed towards them while they were extending their feet and touching the earthly ground. Enenra was faster and more agile than the Kree-Lizard one. He enjoyed running with his family. But with his new friend, he was so glad to do that. The Kree-hybrid became tired in running and felt heavy which he was too big for this race. He reached the tree and touched its trunk, but Enenra came first.
" You cheater! " the boy teased.
" I get used in doing it! Come on, " the Faunus laughed. " Papa says this is part of your cosmonaut training. We should do this everyday! "
" Fine, thanks a lot! "
" Enenra, good job for your initiative, " his father called him. " You may go back in helping your mother. "
" But Papa..."
" Now..."
Enenra had no choice, but to follow his father's instructions and sighed. He waved at the Kree-Lizard boy. The hybrid waved back and then turned to Smolder. The old Remnite astronaut composed his thoughts before speaking and scratched his beard.
" Dolzhny li my nachat'? (Should we start?) " he gave his mentor a suggestive look.
" Priyatno slyshat', chto vy vyuchili yazyk meneye chem za god. Da, my yest'. (It's good to hear you have learned the language in a span of less than a year. Yes, we are.) " Smolder smiled and then continued in English. " Svet, I have understood from your story before. You drowned in the middle of the Bering Sea, right? "
" Yeah, I did. "
" That's why we are having swimming and diving lessons, because this is your initial phase of weightlessness training, if ever you get to space. "
The boy got surprised and nervously gulped to what the former astronaut had said. He clearly remembered the day when he almost died in sea. Smolder looked intently at him and waited for his response.
" R-right..." the hybrid nodded.
" This is your way to face your fears, Svet. To become a space man, you need to set aside your negativity and deal with it positively. Now, get into the water. "
The Kree-Lizard hybrid stepped himself into the water. He felt shivering, thinking of going back to the ground. Smolder watched him coming as the boy slowly walked until he was neck deep. He swam closer to him.
" Good, " the astronaut smiled. " So, you're part reptilian, you can breathe through your nose and lungs. "
" Yes. "
" You can stay longer in water than most humans. Now, I need you to take a deep breath and stay underwater, " he explained and showed the boy. Smolder took a large amount of air and made bubbles for few seconds and then he floated underwater and dove. Then, minutes later, his head returned to the surface.
" Amazing! "
" Yep, " he panted and asked. " Now, can you do it? "
" I'll try..."
The boy followed the instruction and submerged himself two minutes longer than his mentor did. He gradually learned to float and made it to the surface. The boy smiled and felt pleased for his achievement as Smolder observed him.
" YA eto sdelal! (I did it!) " he happily exclaimed.
" Potryasayushchiye! Khoroshaya rabota, Svet! Ubedites', chto vy nikogo ne napugayete v vode! (Awesome! Good job, Svet! Make sure you won't scare anybody in water!) " Smolder joked and laughed while praising him.
" Pochemu eto, ser? (Why is that, sir?) "
" Oni budut dumat', chto vy krokodil! (They will think you as a crocodile!) "
The Kree-Lizard boy wryly grinned and chuckled as he knew what the joke meant. Although he had no intention of bringing havoc to everyone in water, he really needed to learn how to swim in order for him to experience weightlessness and buoyancy. From them on, he became interested in swimming as he learned very fast until he got used to swim and dive into great depths.
As he learned to communicate in Russian and swim, there was a time he got into a pool where the replica of the Zarya station was found. The siblings Shadra and Enenra joined him to his underwater simulation practice in how to deal with weightlessness and extravehicular activity like repairing some broken parts of the station. The parents Smolder and Trifa observed them from the other room. Even without a spacesuit fitted for him, he managed to work on the tasks given to him. The boy was able to follow and catch-up from what he had been told to do.
On the other day, he got used to wear a blue jumpsuit which it was used by a Russian cosmonaut before. Instead of his old gray tunic, he could move more freely than ever. The boy curiously looked at the name etched on the black patch of the suit. He wondered how another cosmonaut could have worn it which he has the same stature as the hybrid.
" Amnon Viktorov, this man must be old Smolder's friend from the past, " he thought and read it. " I wonder what he looked like. "
The boy turned around as he saw a hall of cosmonauts and astronauts' names and pictures. He found the name and picture of Amnon Viktorov who appeared to be a man in his forties to fifties. Reading the cosmonaut's profile, Viktorov was a colonel of the Russian Air Force before joining to the space program. Smolder approached and stood beside him. The hybrid turned around and smiled at his mentor.
" Commander Viktorov was indeed a great mission leader back in Low Earth Orbit years and an awesome friend, " the astronaut said. " We spent more than two years in the International Space Station. Amnon had a great sense humor and a golden heart. Like me, he was a good father and a husband. "
" Did you ever have a chance to see him after your mission? "
" No, " Smolder sadly sighed. " The last time I heard of him was three years ago from Trifa. He and his entire family got killed in St. Petersburg by the Kree and the Lizards. I couldn't get to save them, because we all got isolated here. "
" I'm so sorry to hear that, " the boy calmly spoke. " I guess it's hard for you to deal with that loss. You're continuing his work even in times like this. "
" True, " his mentor replied and changed his topic. " The next step will be flight simulation of the Soyuz craft. "
" Soyuz craft? "
" Yeah, " Smolder pointed at the two stage rocket. " That's the one. Are you ready? "
The Kree-Lizard boy turned to the decades old space vehicle as he walked over to the stairs and checked the inside the hatch. There were monitors, toggles, switches, buttons, and some attached equipment. The seats were limited to three people. The boy scratched his head and turned to his mentor.
" Old Smolder, how could I get in there? " he asked. " I couldn't fit in because of my size. I might..."
" Amnon Viktorov had a same height as yours, " Smolder sternly answered and crossed his arms. " Besides, me and Trifa can guide you for practice. "
" If that's the case, I'll try my best. "
" Good, we can set up for your simulation practice. "
Several days later, the boy got used to the controls and the operation of the Soyuz flight simulation test. Smolder and Trifa took turns in assisting him over the comms. There were times he made it successfully, but just this time, there was a smoke blew over the boy's head. He coughed very hard when someone called his attention.
" Svet! Open the hatch! " a woman's voice echoed his earpiece. " Evacuate now! "
" What the heck is this?! " he cried and kept coughing.
" This is just a scenario practice if everything goes wrong before the launch, " Trifa explained. " Now, do as we tell you! "
The boy hurriedly left the vehicle as he opened the hatch when he stepped out of the craft. He coughed out when the smoke got cleared. A white haired spider Faunus woman approached him and smiled.
" Miss Trifa, why did you do that?! " he gasped. " I almost got killed in there! "
" I'm sorry if you experienced that way, " she calmly spoke. " We are not trying to torture you, but this is just an emergency precaution. Like I said, there are scenarios which some cosmonauts get their mission cancelled because of a technical failure in the ship. I hope you understand why. "
" Okay, then..." the hybrid sighed. " So, what now? "
" You passed the flight simulation and the underwater activity. You still need to undergo some activities. "
" And that is? "
" Air pressure and centrifuge test. "
" So, should I need to take them? "
" Yes, " she instantly replied. " Before we can get you to the training module. "
In the next phase of his training, he got inside into the air pressure chamber. The rest of the Ryliea family observed the boy if he could stand the 4.3 to 8.3 pressure per square inch. Shadra was the one who was controlling the chamber which she kept increasing the levels of air pressure. The boy in his gas mask remained sitting inside the chamber, however he got passed out when the air pressure went above 8 psi.
" Shadra, get him out of the chamber! " Trifa exclaimed.
She instantly opened the door as Enenra and Smolder helped her to release the hybrid. He was unconscious for minutes until he opened his eyes. The family assisted him to stand-up as Trifa took a glass of water for him. The boy received and drank as he got replenished after being weakened.
" What happened? " the Kree-Lizard asked in his faint voice. The rest couldn't hear him as he repeated the same question.
" You got fainted in a level of 10 psi, " Shadra replied. " We got worried that you might lose yourself in there. "
" Why? "
" The minimal air pressure of a human in a spacesuit is 4.3 psi, " she explained. " But you have exceeded it. "
" I did..." he paused in his bewilderment. " How come? "
" You are somewhat special after all, " she smiled.
The Kree-Lizard hybrid blushed at the young Spider-Faunus lady as he got infatuated at her words. Smolder, Trifa, and Enenra laughed at his reaction and silence. The boy raised his eyebrows and scratched his head.
" What?! "
" Nothing, Svet! " Smolder gently patted his back. " Let's continue our training tomorrow. It's already evening. Let's get something to eat. "
" Da, " the boy smiled and felt grumbling on his stomach.
Later that evening, he remained in his room after eating supper and helping washing the dishes. The hybrid boy leaned his head on his soft pillow, lying on his bed. He was staring at the stillness of the ceiling and smiling. Imagining himself floating in supine position at zero gravity, he saw a vivid and breathtaking view of the planet Earth from the window. He saw the blue oceans and greenish-brown continents, covering the white clouds. On his other side, it was the view of the moon and the tiny bright pint-points remaining in the vast void of space. The boy was surely smiling to see how beautiful and wonderful scenery of the Low Earth Orbit.
Returning to his senses, the boy sighed in relief and felt pleased to what he imagined. He looked at the window again and stood up. The moon and the stars greeted him as he stared at them.
" How I wish this unending war is over, " he pondered. " I could go to space for sure. Maybe I will meet the Kree Eternal from there. I will find him whether he's on Earth or in space. I know he's out there. "
The next day, he was in the Centrifuge area where the boy got himself strapped on a chair and sat on it. Trifa and her children were prepping him before letting him inside the pod. Smolder was setting the equipment to monitor the Kree-Lizard's vitals during the session. The boy was uneasy to face it as he nervously smiled.
" Relax, Svet. Just think of this as the coolest ride that you ever have! " the Remnite astronaut assured him.
" Thanks, Old Smolder. I hope so..."
" No worries, you will be fine! " he turned to his wife and said, " Commencing the centrifuge. "
" Everything's good to go! " Trifa smiled.
" Papa, are we letting him in? " Enenra asked.
" Yes, let's take him in. "
The three members of the Ryliea family carefully delivered the boy's seat into the pod. Shadra closed the pod as she nodded. The hybrid's face was featured on the monitors. His anxiousness was very obvious when his face was sweating.
" What am I expecting after this? " he asked.
" You will extreme dizziness and vomiting afterwards, " Trifa answered. " During your experience, we are monitoring your health. "
" Good luck! " her daughter cheered.
" Thanks, " the boy smiled.
The centrifuge began to move in a slow phase. The Kree-Lizard boy managed himself to open his eyes. He was able to survive in this level. Smolder and the others watched his vitals in the monitor. The Remnite astronaut increased the level into 4G speed. The centrifuge's movement became faster. The boy widened his eyes in shock and tried to pacify himself.
" What?! " he anxiously thought and grimaced. " I have never experienced this ride before! I didn't know this is too risky! "
" Relax, Svet, " Smolder's voice echoed. " Astronauts and cosmonauts are used to this! "
" But this is too dangerous! " he cried.
" In order for you to battle your inner and potential demons, you need to experience this. So, you will never feel afraid to encounter them. You can do it, Svet. Just calm down and close your eyes. Imagine what you really want to see while we're increasing the centrifuge's speed. "
The boy closed his eyes as his seat began to shake tremendously. The centrifuge reached upto 7G. He tried to ignore the horrifying acceleration and concentrated himself in imagining that same scenario above the planet Earth. The Kree-Lizard hybrid found himself flying without a spacesuit. He flew around and saw the bright sun in the darkness of space. He also saw the same stars and the moon. He tried to fly faster than he did before. Suddenly, he had encountered another bright figure in front of him. The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw a blue-skinned man with a long silvery white hair. The hybrid reached his left hand as the Kree man did the same thing. The boy was very eager to meet and embrace him. The man with a light soul was smiling at him.
" Please take me with you! " he wept and spoke. " I don't want to be in this bondage anymore! I am willing to be anywhere else! I want to be free of SCP-682 and his miseries! Take me! Please! "
Without his knowledge, the centrifuge's acceleration reached into 9G. The hybrid's vitals increased. Smolder heard his voice overcomms. The Kree-Lizard boy opened his eyes in tears and experienced delirium while the fatal situation was becoming worse. He immediately ceased the centrifuge as he heavily sighed. His wife and children opened the pod as the boy was released. Smolder noticed the boy weeping instead of feeling nauseous or vomiting. He was shaking and hugging his arms.
" Are you okay, Svet? Svet? " he asked with a concern.
" I saw the Kree Eternal! " the boy cried. " I asked him to take me! "
The four of them remained silent and sighed in relief, but the centrifuge session opened his mind further to find the one whom he has been looking for. Shadra got curious of what her friend had said. Smolder understood of why the hybrid was crying.
That evening, the boy went outside his room and spent strolling under the night sky while holding a flashlight. He went to the tree near the lake and sat down on the ground. He was still looking at the moon and the stars which he smiled. His mind wandered off in the supposed meeting of the Kree Eternal in his cosmic daydream. Would he ever have a chance to meet him in reality? The boy was still longing for his presence. Yet, he never had an opportunity to cross their paths.
Just beside him, Shadra was sitting as he turned to her. She was smiling at him which the boy smiled back and held her left hand. The Spider Faunus blushed and chuckled at him. He sighed and laughed at her.
" You're sleepless, aren't you? " she asked.
" Yeah, " he nodded and said. " You know this cosmonaut training experience reminded me of my days back in the rebel forces. "
" So, you're one of Bav-Tek's men? How was it? "
" No, I used to join with Gladius Fernal's faction before, " the boy answered. " We used to fight enemies before, but here I get to learn more what I found out about the universe. "
" I see. That's nice to hear, " Shadra smiled and leaned herself at the trunk. " You know what? Our bodies have the same elements as the stars in the sky. "
" Really? "
" Yes, we do have the same connection with the cosmos. No wonder why everything's special. "
" Right. I'm sorry if I freaked you out earlier, " he changed his topic. " Anyway, you're right about the connection with the cosmos. I saw the Kree Eternal when I was concentrating inside the centrifuge. He was too bright and friendly. I was about to join him when I asked him to take me. "
" Oh, yeah, " she nodded and understood. " So, do you think you have a cosmic connection with him? You mentioned to me that you have something to do with the murderous lizard. "
" Possibly with this blue blood I carry, " the boy showed his scars and wounds on his tail aside from the color of his spikes and claws to her. " If I find him in space or on Earth, I'll do my best to ask a lot of questions to him. "
" No wonder why Papa got interested with you, " Shadra commented. " But are you going to find him soon? "
" Indeed, I will find him wherever he isanytime soon. "
