In the final days before the space launch, the team pored over a lot of physics articles, treatises and other science-associated works. There frequently would arise discussions about the topic, where it was often that Ender Ignacio won. Well not often, but always. He always won. Nobody stood a chance against his all-encompassing background knowledge, and his finely honed comprehensive skills. She'd rather not have admitted it, but he was insanely talented. Even she, a rather inexperienced yet 23-year-old in the fields he excelled in, succeeded in recognizing it.

But one time, something dared to change without his wanting it.

"We'll be able to launch the spacecraft with additional health benefits to our name," Ender was stating, pacing around the old little room with artificially white walls with some brown streaks from broken concrete as if the eyeballs of a mad scientist. "0% risk guarantee. It's all in the Londronian manifold."

Skylar automatically nodded, Avin nodded as if held at gunpoint, and Stoll's head (yes, it was one of those rare days his excellence had come down) was as if going to fall off from all that incessant nodding, as if life itself would stop existing if he didn't mark each second with a nod, each one more avid than the last. Was Stoll always this obedient?

Talissa looked down as he went on, not daring to say anything to him or to her fellow colleagues. She guessed she had to train for another 500 years to understand even a part of his phrases, woven so eloquently together that no one could understand them. Her fingers trailed a dumb rhythm on the single desk and on her pencil. She liked the pencil. It meant she was privileged. It was a very valuable item in the 40s.

"...and then we may consider the Justin integral, which eliminates quickly due to the Lorentzian time transformations, so you see-"

"What about the Gaussian integral? Doesn't it not get eliminated?"

Ender turned around. The young woman, Talissa, was sitting there. Why would she-

"The Gaussian integral gets eliminated in the very beginning, in the Dirac transformations," he calmly answered, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise the craft wouldn't have launched off in the first place," he returned to writing on the board.

"If we integrate the Gaussian we would have to deal with two values, not just the positive one."

He couldn't return to the board again.

"If we integrate the Gaussian at the beginning, Miss Mercedell," he said coming over to her seat by the single window, "we get a negative one, but it would be also eliminated because the Dirac manifold has multiple meanings."

Talissa found that she was in deep waters. He was staring at her as if she was one of his failed experiments.

"Yes but there are meanings that don't get to eliminate the negative one," she said, standing up. They stood together, glaring at each other. The attention was all on them at this point.

"No there aren't," he parried.

"You said it," she replied.

It seemed the woman wasn't backing down. She wasn't sure why she decided to challenge this man, but at least she'd be going with honour.

"Very well, Miss Mercedell. But there are still the Dirac manifolds where the negative value gets eliminated."

***

"Talls, did you really just best Ender Ignacio?" Skylar incredulously asked once they were out on tea break, amazement on his young features. She wasn't able to reply to him:

"Well, maybe-"

"You seriously went off on him, really," Avin commented, looking intently at her as if preying on her reaction. "No one had ever done that to him, bloody hell. Oh, look, here he goes!"

And indeed, the tall slender man strolled past them as if they were nothing but the void.

"Heh," Avin grinned, "I wonder what he must feel."

"I don't know," she honestly replied. "I feel he didn't like that." Strangely, she was more afraid of him now than she was before.

"We must get going now, guys," Skylar said. "The break's ending, and we've to finish the ship schedule."

And so they did.

***

Little by little, the time before the space launch came to an end. And launch day came. Which didn't come without some sorrowful goodbyes.

"I wish every blessing upon you, Skylar." Cassitude said, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Alas, the time has come," Talissa thought in sadness. Skylar was about to leave his girlfriend, Cassitude, and the woman had finally said those bitter words of farewell. Skylar looked at her with love and despair, love - because of the obvious reasons, and despair - because his space launch was just in a few hours.

It was early morning, and the launch would be exactly at 9.07 on the 12th of April, the Annual Spacewalk Day, due to the importance of the mission Skylar would go on. In the misty year of 2541, many things had changed and the Earth was running out of valuable resources to fulfill the daily human needs. The shortage of water, food, and oil was so critical that many motivational posters had been made by the "Mind Happiness Alliance", better known as the MHA, to encourage the economy of such things.

They could be seen everywhere, even outside the ideally white spaceport on a dull grey wall with the names 'Skylar Gregory', 'Ender Ignacio', 'Avin Hanlon', and 'Talissa Mercedell' written on them. Talissa sometimes thought about the reason behind putting her name at the end of the list. "Perhaps because men, by some means, need to be at the front of everything," she assumed with disdain.

Suddenly, her aimlessly wandering gaze was met by a pair of eyes. She didn't know why she held it, seeing as they had previously avidly disputed. But still. There was something almost ethereal about them. Not in a romantic way, but actually, they possessed something quite ethereal and supernatural. She could feel her cheeks going red. Why was the man staring at her?

Fortunately or unfortunately, Talissa could see Ender from afar - from her place near the other two astronauts. She hadn't even looked at him before. He was a tall slender man, with long chocolate-coloured hair and the famous cold black eyes. They were half-hidden behind his curly locks, but she could still notice their mischievous leader-like gleam which could make one before him bow with respect to the strong-willed man. His determined stance made it clear that this man wasn't capable of betrayal or cowardice.

Ender quickly looked away and, with a last doubting glance, went out. He didn't seem to notice the technology in the hall; neither the ever flashing ads of 3D-video printers nor the stands for the emotion palette infusers grasped his interest.

"We'll succeed at the mission, Cassitude, I know it," Skylar reassured Cassitude. "They said that there's a decent habitable planet just one year away. If we go fast enough, we'll reach it in two years only. It won't be long, trust me." He took Cassitude's hands in his. Even though he knew it wasn't true, he still found it difficult to suppress his tears.

It was evident that he wanted to prolong the time they were together, but it was near impossible to do so. He wanted to take and put it in a bottle and drink from it every time he'd miss her. Yet now, however, reality hit the world hard, mercilessly ridding him of his inner peace.

"I want to believe you. I really do. But I don't know how! I just can't." Cassitude said. He was her only joy, her only light in such times when many problems and complaints arose. She didn't know how to stop them from coming and worked day and night for it, yet she failed each time. Thus, she didn't know what to do.

Skylar threw his arms around her, distracting her from her bitter thoughts. Tears trickled down her cheeks and fell on his t-shirt. He was helpless in stopping her.

"Listen, I do not want to do this either. I realize your pain, and it pains me too to go, but I'll never leave you. You'll always be with me, and I'll always be with you. Believe me?" Skylar said.

"Yes. It was selfish of me to cry and make you feel guilty for leaving me. Good luck on the mission. I hope it'll be successful. You'll phone me once you get to the Moon, right? " Cassitude said.

"Yes, of course. Everything will be so much better once we return. The world will be full of life, and people will have much more hope for a happier future. This is not the end, Cassitude, I assure you."

Although it was four years since they met, it felt like four seconds when they looked each other in the eyes.

"When I return, I return forever. I don't want to hurt my loved ones anymore." He quietly whispered so Cassitude wouldn't hear him, and went away.

***

Skylar soon joined her and the others. Without further ado, everyone left the spaceport hall and used the nearest Telcentre, a long intricate system including a high-speed lanuaeca, to get to the currently-used check-up room, the "Medroom", as they called it. And no, it wasn't called the "Med-room" because it looked like a medical hospital. It was called the "Medroom" since the spaceport itself was called the International Mendson Spaceport. It made for a few funny moments sometimes.

She felt her hands become sweaty and hot despite the cool liquid ventilation garment she wore under her spacesuit. It was quite warm in the Medroom. The check-up lady was almost done putting it on. Some small adjustments - and done.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!" Someone wished as the astronauts finally left.

Having entered the departure hall, a little but important place for final farewells and admonitions, Talissa stalled around.

"Talissa? Everything alright?" Avin asked. He held his helmet in one arm, a Mindphone in the other, his hair adorably ruffled. Eyes alert and shining with a worried light, he looked up at Talissa.

"Umm, yes, I'm fine. Why ask?" She said, aware of everyone standing beside her; Avin and the other astronauts; the check-up lady who hung her head low like it was an honour to be in their presence; three robots to help if anything went wrong with the live stream and the projections; her little sister, Clarissa, and all the families scattered like cookie crumbs across the hall.

"I can't shut it out. I've been feeling real worried about this mission, and it even seems that every one of us may die. I don't want to leave Earth. Almost everything I ever loved will stay here."

"So you're starting to realize it now, Avin?" She said with slight irritation. And then added for the eavesdroppers nearby. "We are the representatives of humanity, a key to a brand new interplanetary civilization, which just needs to be put into a keyhole 1.9 light-years away. Once we do so, the world will be saved from both psychological and physical weakening. So I don't understand why you're worried that much about dying in the pursuit of beauty and purpose. You picked that road for yourself, so did I, and I assure you it's the best road that's been taken?" She smiled and patted him on the back. "You picked it for yourself, right?"

"I picked that road for you," Avin said, sighing. But Talissa was too far away.

***

The moment Clarissa, her little sister, flung her arms around Talissa, whispering words of farewell between her tears, she fought not to lean on her sister's shoulder, giving way to her emotion.

The 17-year-old used to be joyful; however, circumstances made her change completely.

"Please look after yourself, alright? Those astronauts better not get on your nerves; I'll come over and knock the living insides out of them if otherwise!" Clarissa said.

"Thank you, Clairs. You too." Talissa tried to smile. At least the Mendsons had allowed her to say goodbye to her little sister.

"I know we can't ask you why you're going, and why you agreed, but we will always be here for you. We love yo- I love you so much, and I know it's gonna be okay."

The young astronaut didn't expect something like this. She briefly buried her face in her sister's shirt, similarly to Skylar, staying motionless for a good while.

"Thank you... that means a lot to me," she turned to look at Clarissa, desperately trying to hold herself together for her. "I'll come back, Clairs. I'll promise you I'll come back."

"Of course you will!" Clarissa laughed, clapping her shoulder. "I'll find you wherever you go. I'll always be there," she smiled.

"Me too..."

"Feel bad too? Saying goodbye to everyone." Skylar Gregory asked. She snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I agree. It's quite sad." She said. All the astronauts except Ender - twenty-two in total, going in groups on different missions - were finished with saying goodbyes to their loved ones. "We're doing this for the best, though."

"What if we actually leave? Like forever?" Skylar whispered. Talissa looked at him with slight confusion. "What if they want to eliminate us?"

"Well we can't do anything about it now, Skylar," Talissa replied irritatedly. "We should've made the choice three weeks ago, post Mascar's death."

"...and die 'cause they'd have killed us early," Skylar sourly stated. "You know I'm pissed. To be raised like pigs for slaughter."

Some small-sized, almost dystrophic man intently listening to their conversation issued new suspicion in her mind. She politely told him to go away and wished to continue the conversation; however, she was interrupted. A certain announcement came from the big screen in the middle, the little black casing with the projections now connected and fully charged. Two figures of news reporters appeared in thin air in front of everyone, although not real, but quite realistic. Some kids tried to touch them, yet the yellow-black tape, which seemed shorter than it was, frightened them.

"Presenting...Professor Macarius Evan Mascar! He doesn't want to show himself, for right now he is travelling, away from Engel. But he has left a message of encouragement for all astronauts! Attention, please!"

"Dear astronauts, every single one of you. Firstly, I want to say that life is hectic. Sometimes we get so involved in every little thing that happens; we lose sight of what's important and what truly matters. When you go on the road that Life has created for you, remember that you aren't alone, no matter where you are or how you feel, both mentally and spiritually. I find it strange and hopeful that no matter what sin you have committed (except the one Unforgivable Sin), the Universe and God still gives you one more chance to restore your worth, true happiness, and redeem yourself by aiding others. In an attempt to prove my point, I want to quote two verses from a famous astronaut and former Mind, Lenne Darren." Immediate applause followed when he mentioned Lenne Darren's name. The Minds, the factual "presidents" of the world.

"I see the Universe, its Light

- Beside me, right where I took off!

I thought I walked this road alone,

But nonetheless, I have it all

And I can't simply wish for more

The Light will guide me evermore."

***

A bright light shone in Mascar's eyes when he finished. About three weeks ago, the scientist had been at home in his laboratory, where there was a special section with a bed and closet just for him. He sighed, unsure of what else to say. But then an idea crept into his mind. He smiled. The astronauts would need it.

***

"But as I tell you never to lose hope and believe that the Universe, a strong ally, will be by your side, some of you may be saddened by one simple circumstance; you're leaving. You're leaving Earth, where most of your memories and your loved ones will remain, eternal and unforgettable. But even if you don't see it, you carry your loved ones, your dreams, and memories in your hearts. Your own "Earth" inside of you. It will always be there, as you are the representatives of humanity, of human worth in the emptiness we call space. Struggle for humanity. Struggle for human worth and your own inner values. But do not ever forget who you are and where you come from. You are worthy."

Silence, and then cheers and words of gratitude followed his speech. But a wisp of sadness still filled the room, despite Mascar's efforts to change all of it to hope.

Soon, it was time to go. The astronauts divided into groups of four and entered four tunnel-like constructions, which worked to transport people near the desired spaceship, or Mindcraft, a craft used for commercial trips. It had a structure similar to the spacecrafts of modern times, but the size and the motors were bigger.

They reached the launch area but decided to go outside. A bleak sight greeted them. The rain was everywhere, coating the grey streets and little windows in the distance with a thick layer of dirty water. Unfortunately for some, rain couldn't be controlled; Talissa, however, had grown to appreciate it over the years.

"Finally. Now we can focus on other things instead." Ender gloomily said as they went out.

"Focus on what things?" To be honest, Talissa didn't want to care. But it wasn't her fault she needed to focus on every little thing, rule out every little problem to feel at peace. Such things were in her nature.

"Focus on the real things, such as the objective of our mission; to save Earth. Not on all that sentimentality which, unfortunately, comes with departure." He said.

"I'm sorry, but aren't there other purposes for the mission than just to save Earth? Helping people gain hope in such difficult times, too, can be a reason. Despite sentimentality, which is absolutely legal, by the way." She smiled, not without cautiousness. Ender stopped in his tracks with a look that could be mistaken as a glare.

"Help which people? These ruthless, judgemental people?" He gestured to all the streets and houses. "What's even the point?" And Talissa couldn't say anything more. The discussion ended.

***

Skylar stepped into the spacecraft airlock after everyone else, taking a last glance outside. He would remember the world bleak and colour drained. He was scared. Maybe it was the last time he would see Earth. But he ought not to lose hope.

"Launch room №6, launch room №6,..." the blonde robot-on-duty, Misha, repeated as the crew entered the control launch section of the spacecraft. He fastened everyone's seatbelts and secured himself next to the wall with a thick bending string of metal. He fell into pieces as his services weren't needed anymore. His movements were machine-like and coordinated, just as anyone else's of his kind. Skylar still couldn't adapt to seeing bodies destroy and reconstruct themselves each day. Even worse, they resembled humans quite precisely, which made it more unnerving to see them disintegrate.

"Get ready, get ready, spacecraft launching in twenty seconds, nineteen, eighteen,..." Misha's head repeated. It felt as if he was in an exhausting training session again; the same voices, the same surroundings, the same equipment... But everything flew by so fast.

"Ten, nine, eight,..." Skylar closed his eyes. Finally. He didn't have to make any choices.

"Five, four, three, two, one,..." In a fraction of a second, Skylar sensed something change in the air, in the atmosphere. Something was not intact, something had gone wrong. Yet he couldn't do anything about that. It was too late.

"...zero. Engine starting." Skylar felt his stomach turn over because of the extreme speed, his breath hitch in his throat as the spacecraft lifted off the ground. The familiar thrill of excitement greeted him. He smiled. But a feeling of dread remained.

CLINK! Something changed all at once. Having almost reached the exosphere, the spacecraft did a sharp turn and went down at the utmost speed. Oh no. The pressure was too much to do anything. No actions would help to stop the crash. He knew it. "This is, for sure, our happy ending. We're dying." a sarcastic but hopeless whisper left his lips. All the emotions, all the pep-talks were gone in an instant. Everything was for nothing.

"THUD!" His head and body hit hard with the pressure when the spacecraft landed on the ground. Not crushed, but landed. And even more than that, Skylar could think. Strange. Shouldn't he be in heaven?

"Danger detected, danger detected,..." Misha announced, everyone coming back to their senses. A sharp pain shot through Skylar's head. He knew he didn't have much time. And he needed to do something about it before he'd lose consciousness.

"Highly dangerous and unknown green flames. Please stay in place. We're coming." the head of the spaceport announced through Misha the robot. Skylar took off his helmet. Instantly, it was easier to breathe. But he might still die.

Trying not to panic, Skylar reached behind the control panel due to a reason he didn't even know. Something was in there, something he desperately needed. The pills, the medicine, a compress to ease the pain? No, not that... However, he felt something under his fingertips. Some feeling of relief pulsed through his veins. He quickly grasped the soft material and pulled it out. It turned out to be a violet cloak. But while withdrawing it from the narrow opening between the panel and the largest illuminator of the spacecraft, a fresh surge of pain made him drop the cloak on the controls. He knew he could do no more.

"Maybe we've come to Hell, who knows?" was his last thought.

A/N: Skylar's a little boi he's literally 21 he's scared and he's cute-