THE STARS IN YOUR EYES | JEONGCHAN

trois

The door to the cockpit opens up like a snake baring its fangs. It slides upwards, revealing a gaping cavern inside the ship, filled with coppery machinery and wires.

A figure in all black struts out of the gilded staircase, their face obscured by a mask made out of the same greenish material as their ship. Jeongin can't tell if they're human or not with the long cloak that shields their body from view. But aliens don't exist, so he must be some species of human— Jeongin's all too familiar with the changes in genes that happen when one's body tries to get used to the different planets when only suited to Earth 1.

"Hi," he starts, but then realizes that a language barrier is possible. He settles for a wave instead, because that's the action that seems inviting and the least threatening.

The cloaked figure cocks their head. Jeongin gulps. "Where am I?" They speak in a masculine voice, the mask making voice seem distorted but manly and human nonetheless.

"Planet GB86, sir." Is sir an acceptable way to address someone? Whatever planet the mysterious person is from, Jeongin hopes sir is courteous. "Three hundred light years north from the Giaria astroid cluster, orbiting suns B87, B88, and B87. It's a small arctic planet with mostly frozen oceans and the remains of tundra forests."

"And the people?" Through the mask, Jeongin can see that the man is studying him intently. He hopes he comes off as innocent, so he doesn't get slayed by a weird astronaut in a cape.

"The population is eighty-six thousand, sir. It used to be around one billion, but that was about ten years ago." He's glad that he spent so long researching his planet when younger and still remembers it to this day.

"There's no purpose being here," the man mutters to himself, already turning back to board his ship again.

Jeongin cries out, "Wait!"

The man turns around.

"Take me with you."

"What?"

"Take me with you, wherever you're going," Jeongin repeats. "I need to get out."

The caped man shakes his head, "No can do, sorry kid. I'm a solo traveller. Can't you leave via some space transport station? If the price is the problem, I can't help you."

"There's no space stations, sir. No vehicles at all. They're all gone." His voice cracks at the last word. He clears his throat. "No vehicles have crossed the streets or the skies of GB86 in ten years."

"I have no purpose here." The man inches towards the ship once more.

"Don't you need fuel, or gas, or something?" He tries to keep the desperation out of his voice, but truly, Jeongin just wants to talk to someone human, not just the sole three stars in the sky who will never respond.

"No." The man replies brusquely.

"Please take me. I'll be quiet, and you can drop me off at any functioning planet. Just not here."

The man looks at Jeongin, at his scrawny state and desolate dark eyes. Jeongin reminds him of himself when he was that same age. "Okay."