Her lip trembled and her arms were wrapped around herself. She was looking down.
"Come back to me." He took her hand in his and tilted her head slightly to look her in her eyes.

"I will. I promise."

He got a weak smile in response.

His departure had been days ago. Ozir looked at the rear view camera's, though the planet had long disappeared from view.

He just felt the urge to look again, catch another glimpse of the world he might never return to.
"Star charts, please." He requested, trying to focus on the mission.
"Showing star charts." The robotic voice replied.

He pored over the map, his brow furrowed. He covered his ears, trying to drown out the incessant beeping and low hum of the engine.

Several flickering dots signified the other Star Hunter ships. When one of the lights became brighter, he knew what was in store.

"Transmission from SH-1 incoming."

On the screen appeared his superior.
"SH-13, do you copy?"
"Yes, sir. I hear you." The commander was standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Status report." It was easy to hear in his stentorian voice that this was an order.

"Still awaiting another signal from the unknown planet." When he heard this, his brow creased.

"Is there nothing you can do!? They might well be our only hope!" He snapped.
"No, I'm afraid not. I can't calculate their position from a single transmission."

After a few moments of silence, he spoke again, having regained his composure.
"Very well. Let me know as soon as you receive anything."
"Yes sir. Oh, and sir-"
"SH-1 out." The screen faded to black.
"...may I send a message home?"

Ozir sighed. He could be stuck here for months, if he was unlucky, all the while unable to let her know how he was doing.

But...what the commander didn't know, wouldn't hurt him, right?

He was about to contact her, when...

"Unknown signal incoming."

Soon a warbling noise filled the room. He couldn't understand it at all, but it didn't sound hostile. After a short period, it stopped.

"Set marker at Phlocyon." He said, smiling. He sighed in relief. He'd finally traced the star system that had tried to get contact.

"Marker set. Do you wish to read information on Phlocyon or any of its planets?"
"Yes." He replied curtly.

"Showing files on Phlocyon and its star system." This particular star had several planets in orbit. The calculations he'd done, made it clear that either the third or the fourth planet had sent the message.

He decided to contact his superior.
"Initiate transmission to SH-1."
"Transmission initiated."

Shortly after, a familiar face appeared.
"What is it, SH-13?" He sighed.
"I have traced the transmission back to the star Phlocyon."

"Good. Your new objective is to go to the source, scout the area and report. Clear?"
"Yes. I'll get right to it."
"You'd better. SH-1 out."

He activated the engines and set out. With the speeds this small ship was capable of, it wouldn't take long to get there.

#

Ozir hadn't had any difficulty reaching the star system. It wasn't hard to guess it was the third planet he needed to scout when the ship told him one planet was surrounded by numerous pieces of unknown technology.

He had carefully maneuvered the Star Hunter, to not destroy the objects and landed it outside the brightly lit areas he'd seen from above. He was not yet sure what they were, and did not want to take any risks.

He read the temperature from the display. Well, at least that was similar, he thought as he gazed outside at the strange landscape.

"Of what does the atmosphere of this planet consist?"
"It is composed of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 0.93 percent argon. The difference between usual pressure and the pressure here is negligible." He nodded slowly.

It should be safe to venture out. Hesitantly, he pressed the button and he was able to leave the ship.

The moment he stepped outside, unfamiliar feelings overwhelmed him. Not only did he see things he had never seen before, he also smelled things he had never smelled before and felt a soft breeze on his skin.

Ozir saw small buildings in the distance, so he decided to get a closer look. He carefully pushed out of the way the vegetation blocking his path.

He tried to ignore them, but he was fascinated by their strange shape. They were tall and thin, green, but with a thicker part on top, which held yellow pods, neatly in rows on the top part.

When Ozir got through the field filled with the strange plants, he approached the buildings. The field was too perfectly square, so it must be unnatural. Presumably, the beings he would meet had te occupation of caring for the plants.

The being that exited the house was the oddest he'd ever seen. The biped was a pale pink hue, with thin, yellow strands hanging from its head and was probably carbon-based. It made a very loud noise, before running back in.

Did he scare him or her? When two other beings came out, he decided to take on a similar form to theirs, to show them he meant well. Maybe he shouldn't have come closer. After all, he didn't have a translation device with him.

Within moments, he was a biped like them, only five digits on one hand (including the opposable thumb) and facial features they would consider normal.

The only things different were his skin, which was still smooth silver, and his lack of head strands.

Too bad they did not seem to take it well.

They shouted in their language as one of them waved around a metal cilinder. Ozir was pretty annoyed when steel projectiles hit him. Not that they really mattered. They easily melted into his skin.

Well, these beings certainly weren't the advanced society they'd hoped for.