Nova held on when the landing sequence started, with the Overseer leaving them behind while the beams from the research station guided them into the spaceflight terminal. On the outside, a painted S splashed across the bulkhead of their first destination — the southern command of the B.H Supernova for arrivals and departures.

Their transport hovered into the arms of the outstretched clamp. Energy zipped around to catch them and direct their path into the terminal, where their transport landed with a thump in the docking bay. The Overseer went down the rows to help people out of their seats or to give them pick-ups for the more drowsy, ashen student interns. Nova hauled herself out of her seat with Neo, directed out of the ship to give room for the Overseer to assist the worst cases of FTL sickness.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Neo as they stopped by a soldier, who stood in a relaxed position with their phase rifle strap wrapped around their shoulders. Neo glanced at the rifle with a deepening frown, and he laced his fingers together to brush them from side to side. "Neo?"

"Just trying to think if I forgot anything else," he said while the rest of the students gathered in a huddle, out of place in the mechanical flow of work.

A pair of engineers dragged metal crates on rollers, where a sign directed them into the droid bays. Her heart leaped at the first sight of what she'd spend her time observing on the space station. Another person rushed to catch up with them, a datascroll in their hands while they wrote stuff down. Activity hushed while the PA system called out the next shift. Conveyors brought their luggage off the transport, but Nova straightened herself out when a massive reptilian individual approached them with a sturdy, unmovable gait. Their scaled tail curled and wrapped around their knees until settling behind them. Four stars wrapped in a galactic nebula lined their shoulder clasps, at their side, a Xel'nod, where their furry ears flicked at the sides of their head while their tail thinned out into a small puff at the end.

"Welcome to the B.H Supernova," the reptilian said with a hiss, dipping their head and maw forward. "I am Admiral Mythrai of the GAC. I've been given designation of the B.H Supernova for this mission until we've achieved our goal of learning more of what happened to the D.S Butterfly when they were sent to research the anomalous readings from the nebula." He hid his teeth behind plated scales, and his nostrils flared with a misty huff. "I know many of you must have questions about the work you will undergo in your internships — but there are several things we need to make clear." He motioned to the Xel'nod at his side. "This is Izerva, and they will take you to the southern meeting dome where one of the senior research staff will explain the current directive, and I shall be laying down some rules standard for space stations."

Excitement dropped into Neo's face as Izerva bowed their head and flicked their tail for them to follow. Admiral Mythrai shambled past them to speak in a hushed voice to the transport overseers and pilot. Students from their college and some others whispered to their friends or classmates, but Nova stuck close to Neo at the overwhelming multitude of voices, full of joy and opportunity. Izerva took the lead of their pack of fresh-faced scientists, engineers, AI programmers and other techs of the field. Anything a space station needed to run well, and in a galactic community full of the unknown, important to their society. Neo trembled in the shoulders when he wrung his hands and rubbed them in one constant motion, where he examined every entrance way and glowing signpost.

Izerva shuttled them inside a briefing dome, where they took their seats in the semi-circle line of tables. Datascroll in hand, she slipped it into the slot for upload of any important documents, and Neo copied the movement with a smile. It's really happening. Tardy disbelief stretched through her fingertips when she set her arms around her datascroll while the massive holoboard lit up with their temporary numbers along the side, but the entire build of the space station took center stage, where lines stretched from areas to denote center command and the arms of the subcommands.

Neo clicked the top of his pen over and over, causing another student to give them a side-eye but no words of annoyance. Heels against metal dragged her attention back to the front with each steady clap, and she elbowed Neo in the side to stop his clicking pen with his misdirected focus, but he snapped his back against his chair at the approach of an older woman, where her white coat fell past her knees, with her hair tied into a no-nonsense bun of black-hair wisped with white strands at the roots. She came to a stop in front of the podium, where her own datascroll slipped into the slot.

"I am Ms. Zynaia," she said, voice firm and unbreaking. "I am the Senior Anomalous Researcher of the B.H Supernova." She raised her hand, where a remote slid between her fingers. "Many of you come here from different schools within the sphere of the Galactic Community — chosen to undergo an internship for your fields," she said. "I hope you learn much from your time on this space station, and don't be afraid to seek help in the pursuit of answers." Her smile softened from the hardened crack of authority. "So, let's get started with the breakdown — how this space station operates and every division." Her remote extended while she tapped the holoboard. "As you can see on the hologram, the B.H Supernova has four main command towers. We're in the south branch — Freight, Transportation and System Technology. Here is where the main entrance into the lower bowels of the reactors. Here, our droid boys are on the western side."

Nova tucked her legs closer together, but Neo dropped his pen to his datascroll to doodle while a miniature space station hovered over his hands. Which means for my internship I'll probably be working in the droid bays...

"The eastern branch is what you'd consider the 'living quarters' of the station," Ms. Zynaia remarked. "It is where we place newer arrivals or interns in the boarding section — where you will be for the entirety of your time here before being returned to your planets and home. We've taken consideration for your needs and requirements on whether to place you alone or with someone else you preferred. It also has our largest hospital area for any accidents that may occur along with a training area and gym."

Neo continued to doodle.

"And then we have the western branch," she said and pointed with her remote. "Habitation. Biologic studies. Many of our processes come from the western wing. It is where we're carrying several samples of anomalous plant life and fungi where we study the herbal and medicinal uses."

Neo raised his head a little at the word anomalous.

"Northern sector is where the bridge and head security, where the admiral and personnel reside and our navigational array will guide us closer to the nebula into orbit of Movium 1XH," she said. "It is off limits for the most part save for extreme circumstances." One more prod of the hologram, and it zoomed in on the middle tower. "Here is the center command. Everything will come from here. From shift times to any changes or alerts. We also hold numerous anomalous laboratories able to carry the highest level of anomalies, which are also off limits except to the researching scientists and any interns for observation. As we're equipped to carry Z designated anomalies, I hope you understand the need for safety." One more click of the remote, the map disappeared. "Every branch has Med stations throughout and a map in case you lose your way. You will be getting your schedules after this briefing, along with your appropriate keycards and identifiers. Any questions?"

No one raised their hands in question.

"Okay." Ms. Zynaia tipped her head to Admiral Mythrai. "You may have the floor Admiral."

Admiral Mythrai took her spot on the podium and rested his curled claws on the sides with a deep breath, while Zynaia took a seat off to the side with other researchers. "There is one more thing that needs to be addressed," he said. "Standard procedure, but often overlooked due to that. First, every single one of you will undergo basic phase weaponry training."

A pen rolled into her arm out of Neo's loose fingers.

"I'm sure most of you knew that as you signed the waiver," Admiral Mythrai said. "As you are under our protection, this is only for preventative measures in the future, but I want you to understand something," he said with a glance at Ms. Zynaia, who closed her eyes. "Out here, in the far reaches of our galaxy, anything can happen. We're often surrounded by anomalies. Some we don't know the nature of. I, and my team, will do our best to protect you. Some may think that this is unnecessary, and I can only hope that'll be the case," he said with a calm, hissing sniff. "It is my hope that with this training, you'll never have to use it." His scaled tail curled closer to his legs. "But the training is required. One; that you never point a phase weapon at someone without the intent to use it. Two; if you find yourself in that situation, you keep a calm and level head, no matter the context and understand the weight which comes with it. Training will be inserted into your schedules — see that you go to each one. I will not chase after people."

Nova frowned at Neo when he lowered his head and refused to look at the Admiral.

"That is all I have for you," he said and clicked the podium. "Your keycards. Keep your keycard on you at all times."

It clicked out of the lower slot, and Nova grabbed it to place it into her toolbelt, but Neo curled against the desk with a subtle wince. Several of the interns stood to follow the soldiers who guided them to the eastern wing, but Neo froze in time. He curled his fingers around his pen to rub it against the surface of the desk, and set his head in the palm of his other hand.

"Are you excited to observe some anomalies that even our collegiate couldn't get their hands on?" Nova asked to break the tension.

"What?" he mumbled.

Nova waited the couple daring seconds before making the repetitive leap "Are you—"

"I am excited," he said, interrupting her, and Nova smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I'm loving every second of this, I just..." He sighed into his hands. "I mean, yeah, I knew that standard procedure everyone's got to be trained..." He tapped his fingers against his temple with a soft huff of deep thought. "I just need some sleep."

Izerva, the Xel'nod soldier from before, headed to them. They tapped their chest with their gloved claws and a flick of the tail. Nova tipped her head when they tugged out their identifiers confirming who they were. Neo took his from their hand with a nod. "Thank you! I'm assuming you're going to take us to the east branch?" Neo questioned with socializing ease, while Nova sank into her chair in the presence of a stranger, and when Izerva nodded at him, he smiled wider. "Thank you. It seems like a big place, and I get lost easily. Nova here can confirm." His elbow bumped against her shoulder, and she forced herself out of her chair.

A light chirp left Izerva's mouth as their tail flicked in indication for them to follow. Other soldiers took their wayward interns, and the space station hummed with activity. Another change of the shift front he PA system along with any news and announcements from other branches. Nova tried to count her breaths, surrounded by crowds, all with a singular mission — to find the D.S Butterfly.

Was it human error?

Into the connected tram station, they took the first tram and sat down while Izerva took the back of the car, and another soldier took the front. Both of them stood at attention while they sat down with their selected group. It rolled across the sparking rails. On the divider between the seats, a sign blinked out the message of destination.

Southern Branch to Eastern Branch.

Darkness and machinery sat outside the tiny windows of the doors, but Nova released her tension when a bright light shone at the end of the long tunnel. It slowed and attached to the next part of the station, and opened its doors to the station.

"Eastern Branch — Medical Tower and Living Areas," an AI piped from the tram.

Here we are.

Izerva stepped to the side to allow some of the other soldiers to lead the way, and she shrank behind Neo at the tide of bodies, while he placed his hand against the wall to create a barrier from her and the swallowing tempest of voices and nameless faces. It went quiet, and Izerva nodded at them, and Nova followed at the indication. Into the sterile halls, she glanced at the high, reinforced glass windows. Distant stars sprinkled against the black aether of the galaxy. Farther than the space station, the Ushavex nebula, nothing more than a distant wall of rainbows webbed across the clusters.

Another dizzying couple corners later, they entered a small branch of doors with keypads. Some of the Interns sat on the benches, others entered their rooms without provocation whether alone or together. Izerva pointed at them once more with a small huff, and then at the door.

"Ours?" Nova asked for confirmation. Stars, what if it's not and I walk in on someone...

Izerva gave her a thumbs up.

Neo walked in without any of her hesitation. "Thanks!" he said with a close handed wave, which Izerva copied with an excitable pendulum flick of their tail.

Nova entered when Izerva bowed and left them behind to retrieve other interns, and the door closed. On one wall, two desks separated by a divide, back to back for privacy but ease of communication. An oval window gave them a taste of space outside their temporary home. Down the small corridor revealed the washstation, and the turn which led into the wall-beds. Nova left Neo to examine his surroundings, where someone had placed their bags with their large name tags connected to the straps.

"Here I was hoping for bunk beds," Neo complained around her shoulder.

"Yeah, because you know I'd steal the top out from under you," she teased and pushed him out of his space. "I like it — just too bad we can't watch our favourite ghost show."

"Oh..." Neo widened his gray eyes in relief. "Yes, it is a shame. You can unpack first, I can wait." He returned to the main area of their dorm, so Nova took her chance to create some space in the wall unit.

Everything in order and placed in the lower cupboards, she left Neo to his own work to take solace in her dreams.