Seven Infinities Away From Home

TEN

After days of endless travel, the pair could finally see their destination. They'd flown through more galaxies than they could count, and as they moved towards an arm of a spiral, their two-week journey would finally come to a close. It was freedom. Visions of beaches, running through forests, dipping her feet into the river, they all filled Hazel's desperate mind. It may not have been Earth, but it was land. Not some space station, not the tight prison of a ship, but real ground.

Hazel's heart fluttered at the thought.

Nedoza had finally returned to the cockpit. She knew where she was going, and as good as the autopilot was, there were some things it just couldn't do.

"I can unlock these doors with my soul but I can't get this thing to land on its own? It's ridiculous!" she rambled.

The idea of Nedoza seeing the limited technology of her home brought Hazel a little giggle. She could already hear the woman's pained complaints as she has to operate a car with no break.

"So, are you ready to see where I come from?" Nedoza asked, not taking her eyes off the windshield.

Hazel nodded. Her head was lighter than she expected, but it was nothing like the fog she'd felt not so long ago.

An all-too-perfect android voice spoke from the speakers.

"Now approaching destination. Please stay seated, and pilots, prepare the landing procedure."

The planet looked a lot like Earth, but almost all of the land was covered in endless desert. Not a single light glimmered from the night side, and very few clouds covered the place from the unrelenting heat of the distant sun.

There was one spot, however, where luscious life could clearly be seen. It was not green as Hazel expected, but a deep crimson that contrasted well against the blue oceans. Hazel pressed her nose against the window as they approached.

"Pretty depressing, huh? It's nicer on the ground, I can promise you that," Nedoza said. Her voice was airy and full of remorse.

The ship slowed as it approached the area of lush reds. As it descended, she could begin to see the contour of the mountains perfectly surrounding it. They were tall, much grander than anything she'd seen on Earth. The mountains were like a natural wall, protecting its last oasis from the barren desert surrounding it.

"It's beautiful," Hazel said, her voice breathy and light.

The ship landed gently with a little bounce on a long strip of stone stretching from their current place in the desert into the mountains. As they taxied down the road, the sound of sand crunching under the massive tires filled the hull until it was all they could hear against the tense silence.

It was land. Real land. No more ships, no more stations, but the surface of an actual planet. No matter how foreign or barren it was, Hazel couldn't help but sense that this place could almost be considered home; at least in comparison to the hell she'd faced those past few horrid weeks.

The ship's wings tucked in simultaneously with a deafening mechanical whir, turning the vehicle into a car of sorts. Hazel smiled. It was really starting to feel more like home now.

"Welcome to the remnants of the Gyontanik Empire," Nedoza said with a sigh.

Past the mountains, a great city could be seen in the valley. A castle with spires stretching high into the sky, protected by a wall so large Hazel could barely believe her eyes. Below the wall were hundreds upon hundreds of houses and buildings, some challenging the castle with their immense height. It was like a forest of mushrooms, with the contrasting sizes and natural shapes. The city was perfectly tucked into part of the protected oasis, right along a river which cut through a cave in a nearby mountain.