Wonderer's Wish World 2: Evolutionary Rebirth

Aliens on the Moon

Day 9

Time: 3:44 AM

Location: Orbit of the Third Moon Quarter

Darius didn't know how long the little group was transfixed by the scene outside the window, but it felt simultaneously like many hours and barely a second. They were so mesmerized by the stars they barely heard someone racing down the hall.

"Did you see it?" Luca cried to them, and his voice pulled Darius' attention away from the window, just for a second.

"It's..." Darius had to pause, swallowing. In the end, he could only shake his head from side to side, unable to say anything substantial at all.

"It's... amazing," Ai breathed. Luca beamed.

"I know, right?" He come closer, looking out the window with the rest of them. "It really is! Before I never could have imagined ever seeing the stars this close... even by only looking at them, I've learned so much! They're fascinating..."

Luca's voice trailed off as he, too, became enamoured with the stars outside the window. Darius watched him. He suspected that, no matter how many times Luca saw this, it never got old.

And who could blame him?

Darius turned, once again facing the window. It really was a magical sight... and an impossible one. Or so he would have thought...

They didn't get to stare nearly as long before something white and round came in to sight at the edge of the window, just a sliver of it, and Luca jumped back.

"Oh, right!" he exclaimed, looking panicked. "I was only going to check up on you! I need to steer the ship!"

Ai, Darius and Greg stared Luca as he backed up, seemingly reluctant to leave the window, before he finally turned. Before he could leave, however, Ai stopped him.

"Wait, Luca!" she called out. She gave him a smile. "Can we come?"

Luca's eyes widened as he quickly nodded, looking more than okay with that. Without another word, he turned and hurried off down the hall. The rest of them quickly followed, with Darius only pausing to make sure Greg was following along with them. Thankfully, he was.

Not that Darius really thought he would be able to do anything is Greg didn't want to come.

Luca hastily lead them to a set of stairs Ai and Darius somehow had not found yet, and then up them, two stairs at a time. They emerged in a room full of little blinking lights, switches, pulleys, and a thousand other manner of little things. Ai, Darius and Greg stared around at it in awe as Luca rushed forward, settling down at a plush chair set in front of a dashboard. Luca quickly swivelled around so it was facing the steering wheel... which looked like it belonged more on a pirate ship than a space ship.

Was this a space ship? Originally it was a boat, but somehow, they were flying through space... oh well, it probably didn't matter.

"Do you know how to use all of these, Luca?" Ai asked, sounding impressed. But Luca shook his head.

"No, only the steering wheel," he admitted, gripping it. His shaking hands and worried expression made Darius doubt that, just a little bit

"That's still pretty cool," Ai told him, undeterred. Luca didn't respond, sticking out his tongue in intense concentration. Darius frowned.

"Hey, what does this do?" Greg asked, pointing at a large, red button.

"I'm... not sure," Luca replied without even turning around. "Don't press it, please."

Greg seemed to be sorely tempted, studying the button closely. It took a hard stare from Darius for Greg to back away. Darius kept an eye on him just in case.