Tuan wanted to start a conversation with Valentina, but he couldn’t find the right words. In silence, the two of them reached the elevator connected to the lower deck. The ELE-SP006 spacecraft was built with a distinct two-level structure. The upper deck served as the living area, housing the medical bay, dining hall, and two separate sleeping quarters for men and women. The lower deck was the operational core of the ship, containing critical rooms such as the control room, fuel chamber, and EVA suit bay. The two decks were connected by a transparent elevator, allowing passengers inside to gaze freely upon the outside universe.
Valentina pressed the button. As the elevator doors slid open, Tuan’s eyes lit up instantly. He rushed inside, his hands eagerly exploring every corner with delight and excitement, like a child discovering a long-coveted toy. This place was nothing short of a dream for any astronomy enthusiast – a prime vantage point offering an unobstructed view of the boundless cosmos. Tuan was certain he could stand inside this elevator all day without ever getting bored, and the mere thought of that possibility filled him with anticipation.
Halfway down, Tuan suddenly hit the stop button and pressed his face against the glass, trying to take in more of the vast universe outside. He recalled that day – back when the world beyond a small circular window had been nothing but a hellscape of lethal light. Yet now, through this transparent glass enclosure, the scene before him was overwhelmingly breathtaking. The lingering rays from the Sun’s explosion streamed toward Jupiter, as if adorning the planet’s halo with even greater brilliance. Like an explorer flinging open a treasure chest filled with gems, Jupiter now shimmered before Tuan like a colossal topaz, radiating a seductive glow that sent waves of joy surging through the young boy’s heart.
The entire vista unfolded like a hyper-realistic painting of heaven and hell intertwined – where the light of death itself was completely eclipsed by the immense, majestic form of Jupiter.
Though the spacecraft was already at a considerable distance from Jupiter, Tuan could still clearly make out the alternating white and brown atmospheric bands encircling the planet’s massive equatorial region. Tilting his gaze slightly toward the southern hemisphere, he easily recognized the Great Red Spot so often mentioned in the astronomy books he had once devoured. In essence, it was a colossal storm – two to three times the diameter of Earth – forming a region of chaotic climate that had persisted for nearly five hundred years.
The more Tuan knew about Jupiter, the greater his joy at finally being able to verify, with his own eyes, the knowledge he had accumulated. His pupils dilated to their limit, his mouth hanging open in pure wonder at the majestic beauty unfolding before him, completely forgetting the presence of his best friend standing behind him.
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Valentina cleared her throat, snapping Tuan’s drifting mind back from somewhere among the constellations. He jolted, tore his gaze away from the glass, steadied himself, and hurriedly pressed the button to set the elevator moving again.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t expect the universe out there to be this… unreal. Now I really believe this isn’t a dream anymore. Up until now, you and I have only ever seen Jupiter from very far away, right? Seeing it with our own eyes like this… only then do you truly feel how immense it really is.” Tuan said excitedly, waving his hands as he spoke.
“You really can stay optimistic no matter what, can’t you, Tuna?” Valentina glanced at him and let out a quiet sigh. “I’m honestly a little jealous. Ever since we boarded the ship, I haven’t had the mood to feel happy at all.”
A soft ding echoed as the elevator arrived, and the two stepped out. Tuan slowed his pace, his voice dropping, yet still carrying that familiar sincerity.
"Stop trying to carry everything on your own, Vale. Didn't you tell me that it was all in the past, right? We need to move on with our journey. We not only have to survive, but we also have to live meaningful lives no matter what."
With that, Tuan turned and placed a hand on Valentina’s shoulder.
"With me here, you definitely won't have to endure everything alone anymore. I don't know what kind of person that robot guy is, but I'm sure he's a good one. Trust your teammates, okay? Promise me that."
Valentina nodded reluctantly. Though her mind was still heavy with worries, Tuan’s words eased her heart, if only a little.
“By the way, what’s that circular device spinning around the ship, Vale? I don’t remember seeing it before.”
“That’s the acceleration gate I told you about, Tuna. It looks like the ship and the gate are magnetically linked. Thanks to that, we can fast-travel whenever we want now.”
“That’s amazing. Then all that’s left is to decide on our next destination…”
Just as their conversation was gaining momentum, the door to the control room ahead slid open. The lights inside were completely off, plunging the interior into darkness. Both of them immediately went on guard, their unfinished words fading into silence. Tuan narrowed his eyes, scanning the room – then froze as he noticed a figure sitting motionless in the pilot’s chair.
The silhouette slowly turned the seat around, revealing a pair of glowing amber eyes – the same familiar sign Tuan had seen on the very first day he set foot aboard the spacecraft. Though the room was swallowed entirely by darkness, cloaked in an eerie, suffocating stillness, the light in those eyes remained untouched by the shadows. It drew Valentina’s and Tuan’s attention irresistibly toward it.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, a calm, deep voice rose, dispelling the cold that lingered in the air.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Soyuz 4.”
