LOCATION: UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
CITY: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
DATE: OCTOBER 23, 2049 | TIME: 5:30 AM
Around the block from the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, a special enclosure had been built to house The Pathfinder.
It was located on top of a high-rise building. Rather than leaving the ship parked out in the open on the front lawn of the UN, the US government had authorized the construction, and the enclosure was built to blend in with the building it sat atop.
Inspired by many superhero movies of the past, the roof of the enclosure could open with the press of a button and allow The Pathfinder to fly upward and out.
Since Skrixx and his small crew had arrived on Earth twenty years prior, the ship had sat unmoving, safe in its new home.
Until Saturday, October 23rd, that is, when Kaela and her new Krollan crewmates rode an elevator up to the top of the 42-floor building.
Kaela had been quiet since the portal transfer, and Skrixx decided to respect her solitude. But when the elevator doors opened into the hangar, Kaela let out an excited shriek.
Her nerves seemed to fall away, and she stepped into the large room. Kaela walked to the ship and reached forward to touch the hull.
The metal was surprisingly warm to the touch, and was a color somewhere between the silver of polished stainless steel and the light brown of titanium. She felt a faint vibration from the engines, which seemed to come alive as the crew approached.
“So this is our vessel for the journey,” she whispered, walking along the length.
She turned to Skrixx.
“I can’t wait to see the inside. I hope the quarters are comfortable.”
The crew began loading crates of food and water into a compartment they had opened on the port side of The Pathfinder, and Skrixx led Kaela to the main door, mid-way on the port side.
A large hatch opened in the side of the ship as if triggered by Skrixx’s presence. Kaela noticed a light hiss as the airtight seal gave way to open air, and she waited for the hatch to reach the floor.
Skrixx walked up the ramp and gestured for Kaela to follow.
She was just under six feet tall, and the doorway was high enough that she didn’t have to duck to get in. Likewise, the ceiling inside the spacecraft also provided several inches of clearance.
“I’ll show you the bridge first,” Skrixx said. “Follow me.”
He led her through a narrow hallway down the center of the vessel. Doors with no visible handles lined the way on either side.
When they got to the forward end of the hallway, another door blocked the way.
Skrixx raised his hand and placed his palm against the center of the door. Quicker than Kaela had expected, the door moved to the right, sliding inside the wall.
“And here we are,” Skrixx said. “The Pathfinder is a small vessel by intergalactic standards. But it is the right size for our purposes. We have a small crew and plenty of supplies, and our quarters are equipped with stasis chambers and various modes of entertainment.”
He swiped his hand over a large screen, and the instrument panel lit up.
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He waved Kaela over.
“First, we need to register you as a member of the crew. This is how the doors will open for you. Give me a moment to program your access level.”
He hit some keys on a virtual keyboard on the screen. The symbols were strange, and as Kaela watched, the System was unable to translate.
“Place your hand over the screen here,” Skrixx said, pointing to a vaguely humanoid hand shape on the left side of the screen.
She reached out and did as she was asked. She could feel gentle electrical pulses pushing against her skin, then entering her hand and probing her physiology.
Just as it was beginning to get uncomfortable, it was over.
“Great,” Skrixx remarked. “You’re all set. This is a small crew, so we only have three levels of access. I am the Captain, as you know. I and my Executive Officer, Flonk, have the highest access. The second level is for the technicians, and the third level is for you and the others.”
He stood and pressed keys on a few more screens as he explained further.
“On a ship this small, the only area you won’t have access to is the engine room. It’s for your own safety. I hope you understand?”
Kaela bowed her head slightly.
“Of course, I am a guest on your ship. It’s no problem at all.”
Skrixx smiled. Flonk, the XO, entered the bridge.
“Good. Flonk, please prepare for takeoff. I’ll show Kaela to her quarters.”
Flonk nodded and sat down in his chair, typing quickly on two keyboards on two different screens at the same time.
She followed Skrixx back down the main hallway. As they moved aft along the passageway, he pointed out a room on the starboard side.
“This room is yours. Place your hand on the center of the door like I did.”
Kaela did as she was told, and the door slipped into the wall, allowing her to pass through.
She stepped forward and was surprised to see the room was appointed similar to a bedroom on Earth. There was even a small shower and sink with a mirror above it.
She spun around, taking it all in.
“We took the liberty of bringing in some amenities we hope you will find familiar,” Skrixx said. “I hope it is to your liking?”
Kaela smiled.
“If I have to spend a few months here, I will not have a single complaint. Thank you for doing this.”
Skrixx appeared pleased, and turned back toward the hallway.
“I’ve got two more things to show you, and then we will be on our way. They should be just about done loading the supplies.”
She followed him back to the hallway, and Skrixx pressed his palm to the door at the aft end.
When it slid open, a wide, spacious room that spanned the entire width of The Pathfinder appeared before her.
“This room functions as our mess hall and our entertainment room. Once we are underway, the destination is set and there is little to do, so we spend a lot of our time either in our quarters or in here.”
He led her to the starboard wall.
“Food is available here any time. We have plenty of supplies for the trip, including foodstuffs. So there is no reason to be shy if you are hungry.”
He led her around the room, showing her the various amenities. There was a casual area with tables and chairs.
There was a viewing screen similar to a large TV, where Skrixx told her they would be able to get multiversal channels once they were in sectors where they could receive them.
There was also a training area on the port side where crew members could practice combat.
“This is incredible,” Kaela said. “I’ve always wondered what a ship like this would look like inside.”
Skrixx smiled.
“You’ll have plenty of time to get to know every bit of it. But for now, allow me to leave you here so I can prepare for takeoff.”
“Do I need to strap in somewhere?” Kaela asked, looking around for jump seats of some sort.
“No, the inertial dampeners have made that unnecessary. Feel free to roam around or return to your quarters. You should be able to bring up a screen there that will function like a window. I believe you’ll enjoy the show as we leave Earth’s atmosphere.”
Kaela nodded and Skrixx rushed off toward the bridge.
The other crew members had finished loading supplies, and several of them had entered the large room and greeted Kaela.
She spoke with them for a few minutes and then took Skrixx’s advice. She went to her room and found the controls, bringing up a screen that currently showed only the inside of the building.
Moments later, the roof opened and the early morning light poured in. The Pathfinder rose straight up, angled toward the sky, and blasted upward at an incredible speed.
Kaela watched as Manhattan fell quickly away. Soon after, the horizon took on a curvature and she could see the sun just beginning to illuminate the western hemisphere.
It didn’t take long before Earth had become just a blue dot, fading into the backdrop of space.
It all felt so quiet.
As if this incredible feat of flying into space meant nothing on a cosmic scale.
Kaela sat back in her chair, watching it all and wondering how different she would be when she returned in twenty years.
Not to mention how different Earth would be.