ZER

RELISH'S SPACESHIP: KATHERINE

It has been one week and seven days since they breached out the Relish Atmosphere. It was as easy as their father told them, surprisingly even for Ana.

She felt discomfort but not too bad as the brothers didn't have to stop the time to ease her pain.

Their father said that their mother doesn't know exactly where the earth is. But they know the coordinate for the galaxy. Galaxy A1 509. According to the computer, they should arrive in another week.

Dom could have speed up the journey but it's the first time this ship flies, so he is taking it easy. The ship is made from a special mix of metal and stone, it's light and reflecting the surrounding, meaning with the naked eye, and heat or metal detector this ship is nonexistent. If radar catches some frequencies from Katherine it will read as some kind of stone or space debris.

Ana has been so excited and explored the whole ship every single day, she saw other galaxies, some planets big enough to her to see, some suns, even other ships zapping from and to a blank space not far from their ship.

What is your plan after we arrived? Lev asks Dom.

I'm planning to become Relish's ambassador for the earth. Dom says.

What if they won't let us in? Lev asks again.

I think they won't pass the chance of getting an ally as powerful as Tar-Zenirian. Dom replies confidently.

There is only a handful of us, Dom. We don't have an army. Lev reminds him.

We don't, but I'm confident we are more advanced in science, maybe the earth population has reached its peak and they need a suitable planet to relocate, I will gladly invite them to our planet.

There are only ten individual life pods, Dom, which I had designed should any human agrees to come back with us, so they won't feel pain from getting inside our atmosphere. That is the maximum number you can take.

I know, but I can take ten with me and send more later, and you can help me making more pods. Dom confidently smiles at his brother.

Lev sighs and only nods, he is always happy to help, but Dom thinks too highly of his brother that Dom believes Lev only needs a day to make one pod.

I'll try my best. Lev said.

In the following days, there isn't much for them to do. Dom checks all the engines, all the machines, the air ventilation, water filter, etc. Lev mostly at the makeshift lab trying to come up with a new invention, Ana wandering around and calls home every day, talking to her father and Nat.

We are here. Dom tells his siblings.

From the ship's hull, they can see the galaxy, Dom speeds up the engine and enters Galaxy AI 509.

Blue Planet, the third of the sun... Dom mumbles.

As they getting closer, three pairs of legs stand up while their eyes are wide. Not a single breath is taken and all of their chests are still. For a moment Dom stops the time and walks oh so very slowly closer to the big transparent wall.

Dom... Ana's voice softly brings her brothers to the present.

This... Lav says, gulping looking at the other side of the glass wall.

We're too late. Dom says in regret, clenching his fists as his eyes cannot move from the debris of what looked like what used to be a planet.

Earth is gone.

***

The siblings are floating for a day still in shock. Why none of them thought about this possibility?