Humankind has found the stars - and forgotten the coordinates of their home planet. Then Hana does the impossible and gets pregnant. Her mother's predictions ringing in her ears, she sets out to find humanity's lost cradle. She only has a myth to gu...
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Chapter 18 — by angerbda
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Sanju exhaled a deep sigh. So much red all around xem, xe observed, as red as the south-bound end of a Squi'na. No happiness in all of it.
In the past weeks, the mood aboard the Strawberry Mollusk had been weird. Their crew was now reduced to the unexpected trio of one grumpy pregnant Human, one yellow-spotted Hiwjshi and a know-it-all AI who was still grasping the subtlety of social interactions. Without much success.
Despite the desolation surrounding xem, Sanju enjoyed the moment. It gave xem the time to adjust to the change in situation. The journey was nearing the end, and the anticipation was building up, along with many expectations, apprehension, and much frustration. Expectations and apprehension about Earth and what they would find there. Frustration at the slow pace this end of the journey seemed to take. All the red around Sanju was just one more desolate landscape of an isolated asteroid in the outer belt of Sol. Shaking xeir head, Sanju traced xeir steps back to the lander.
"Still nothing?" Hana asked as soon as Sanju rejoined the Strawberry Mollusk. Looking at the yellow spots tinted with orange appearing on xeir skin, the expedition this time did not bring the expected result.
"ALI," Sanju asked the AI, "still nothing on your scanners?"
Elijah's information had led the crew to the Sol system, but outside of the general location, he had no specific data on the star system itself.
"All I get on my scanners are rocks and rocks everywhere," ALI answered in her matter of fact voice.
"Still no sign of communication?" Sanju was still puzzled by the lack of any sign of life when they crossed to the Sol system. No interception ship. No satellite. Not even a long range signal asking for identification.
"There is no way Earth is in this area," the Hiwjshi continued. "We are yet to get a decent level of light from the Sol star. I guess we will just continue to look for possible signs along the way," xe concluded with a sigh.
