Hey, y'all! I hope you all have enjoyed the story, and thank you so much to those who have gotten this far! Please feel free to leave a review; if you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to let me know! If I use them, I'll be sure to credit you in the chapter I incorporate them in.

I feel I need to mention that this story takes place before the Airship Update; sorry for any confusion!

As always, the characters and storyline are mine. Please do not copy the characters or the story in any way. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope you enjoy the fifth chapter! God bless.

Chapter 5

Military boots walked up the metal ramp, the loud sound echoing throughout the small area within the Dome. Yuki's heart beat louder in her chest as the atmosphere of it all drowned her. The Skeld's entrance dwarfed her, creating a stark contrast to the confidence she felt.

The ship swallowed them whole as they stepped into the lower deck. Seven men, seven women. The other twenty-eight would be leaving when their ships arrived, one metal prison at a time. The metal skeleton lay atop the walls and ceiling; the ship's engineers hadn't bothered to cover it up. A small, walled-in platform stood at the end of the hallway; two halls framed it on the left and the right, likely leading to other parts of the ship's bowels. The large door rose behind them, the resounding clang sealing them in.

Yuki walked, ants following orders in a systematic fashion. The new crew stepped on the circular platform two at a time, purple red with red, blue with blue, pink with pink. Yuki hesitated, foot before the platform.

"Yuki?" She turned to her husband. His eyes questioned, searching her. She breathed in, determined. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him onto the platform. Surrounded by glass, circular walls, it was just big enough for two without being claustrophobic. The glass door slid closed, triggering the platform beneath their feet.

"You okay?" Jesse asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's a lot to take in," he said matter of factly. Yuki smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I'll be fine."

The platform stopped gradually, gently landing in the storage room. No glass walls surrounded them, Yuki surveyed her surroundings. Metal panels distinguished from each other with painted yellow lines, metal walls covered with fuel barrels and a couple crates. More, larger crates sat clustered together in the middle of a large room; a lone fuel can sat beside them. A garbage chute lay to the right of her, sharing the wall they stood by. Opposite them was a corridor that led to what seemed to be a cafeteria and branched off to somewhere she couldn't see. A single mop lay in its bucket beside the hallway, as if to say it was to be a lonely journey for them. There was another corridor on the wall to their right, and another on the left, but Jesse seemed keen on taking her forward.

She followed him into the metal hallway, their boots thunking on the paneled floor. Instead of turning into the cafeteria, they veered to the right into a small, carpeted room with a long table in the middle. Three computers were to their left, with three red chairs and a data panel. The keypad to the ship's oxygen was beyond them in the far left corner, sectioned off by a metal panel in the floor. The table, covered with a map of the place, sat in a lowered section of the room. Jesse led her to the opposite end of the table, heading down the two small steps. He swiped his card and waited for her to do the same. Her card, given to her after the wedding, sat in her pocket. Her face stared back at her as she pulled it out, her personal information no longer so personal.

Yuki Miller

Born October 17, 2293

18 yr. old

Gender: Female

Height: 154.9 cm

Weight: 55.8 kg

HC: White

EC: Gray

She swiped the card and put it back in her pocket. Yuki followed Jesse into the cafeteria, blinking at the sheer size of it. Five large tables were spread throughout the room, four surrounding one in the middle of the room. An equally large button was stationed in that table, covered in plexiglass and framed with caution tape. Various things lay embedded in the walls: an electrical panel, a data panel, and a garbage chute. Long windows covered most of the back wall, giving them a clear view of the Dome outside.

Other crew members had gathered around the center table, talking quietly amongst themselves. A young man in orange spotted them, waving them over. Jesse smiled, embracing him.

"Hey, man! So, you gonna introduce me or do I have to do everything?" the man asked, looking at Yuki. Jesse placed his hand on her arm, guiding her forward.

"This is Yuki." Connor rolled his eyes.

"I know that much." He turned to face her again.

"I'm Connor." He held his hand out to her. She shook it, returning his smile.

"It's nice to meet you," she said.

"Where's the wife?" Jesse asked playfully. Connor gestured to a woman in an orange suit, laughing with the other women. All wore a tight bun in their hair, but none of them were identical.

"Over there," he said. "Though I doubt we'll be able to pull her away anytime soon. She's chatty," he said it with a smile, smitten like a lovesick puppy.

As the last crewmates poured in, Yuki listened as the men explained how life aboard the Skeld generally played out. The days were driven in routine, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, framed by card swipes and daily exercises. Each crewmate had a different task that they stuck to for the majority of the day, but they were all trained in everything in the instance that something went wrong.

Those in orange were the chefs; yellow made the communications team; blue were the Weapons and Shields operators; red did Navigations and Oxygen; green were in charge of electrical and the ship's upper and lower engines; white were the doctors; and black were the ship's security and reactor operators.

Yuki had been taught all of this during her lectures but didn't bother to say anything. They probably didn't know what to talk about, so she just listened as they went on about schedules and weekly meetings. The big button's reflective surface was shrouded under the plexiglass, itching to be pushed. Only for emergency situations, it lay covered in dust.

The ship's engines roared to life, sending vibrations throughout the hulking beast. The floor rumbled beneath their feet, something they would later become accustomed to. The man and woman in red had long since taken their seats in the cockpit. A man's voice came over the intercom, drawing all of their heads upward.

"Welcome to Air Brennan, this is your captain speaking. I'm Jacob Brennan, and this is my wife Sasha - say hi, Sasha!" The crewmates heard Sasha roll her eyes as she said hello. For being a newlywed, she certainly couldn't have seemed less enthusiastic.

"You think they're gonna last?" Connor joked. Jesse scoffed.

"They'll have to, otherwise we're all in for one heck of a ride."

Yuki ignored them. If they were all going to live together, gossip should be the last thing on their minds. She turned her attention back to Brennan, chatting away on the intercom.

"Please keep your arms and legs inside the spaceship at all times, and enjoy your stay on Air Brennan."