Cosmic (18+)

┉┈◈𐌴𐍊𐌾𐌷†𐌴𐌴𐍀◈┈┉

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tura'alel made major adjustments to the cargo crafts after Eli told her it would take two years for them to reach Earth once launched—which was fast compared to the five years it took the main ship to reach Exodus. Nonetheless, she'd taken it as a challenge. The Daki loved their challenges.

After a little over a week all except one row of cargo crafts were altered. Jen requested she leave the last row alone just in case her adjustments were faulty and caused systematic failure. It took a lot of convincing for Tura to believe this wasn't an insult to her capabilities.

The crew was excited about these advancements, finally seeing an end to the tunnel of their mission. But even more so, they were excited about the new project Eli revealed to them that his team was in the process of creating with the help of many recovered sections of the wrecked shuttles.

A long range communication device—very, very long range.

The goal was to make it powerful enough to reach Earth, which meant there were a couple other big pieces to this giant project: a satellite and a satellite dish.

The dish wouldn't be much trouble—it was the satellite that was the huge challenge since it would be beaming a signal across space all the way to Earth instead of using slower radio waves. It had to be bigger and more advanced than any satellite orbiting Earth. Originally this would have been an impossible task. But with the Daki and their unusual resources, it was possible.

Charlie was uplifted by the news. If this was possible, then eventually in a few years maybe she could go back home. Although she doubted Tük'hala would like it much on her planet. And the more she thought about it, she was starting to think she wouldn't like it very much either.

What did Earth really have?

Her family, yes. But maybe they'd like it better on Exodus, too.

Though was it really safe for them? Every time she passed by Ja'kadira in the hallways with Tugo or Tük'hala by her side, she would answer this firmly in her head: no.

And every time she went down to visit Stacy, only to be turned away by the healers due to her condition, she would be reminded further that Exodus was not a safe place. Not for her family.

No, in the end she wouldn't tell them to come. She would encourage them to stay far away and keep living in their safe domes. Exodus was for the Daki and all the creatures that lived on its surface.

And for her.

Only because of the way she woke up every morning with a gentle caress from a Daki who loved and adored her with every fiber of his being. It made the sting of missing home melt into something more bittersweet—then sweeter as he followed his first caress with a kiss, then a touch, until he'd end up inside her as he showed her the strength of his love.

It was that kind of morning for her now, laying in the aftermath of their passion, curled up to his side as their heartbeats slowed. She loved this the most. The connection.

Her glasses were off as her cheek was pressed to his chest, her fingers idly tracing around one of the indigo splotches on his side and abdomen. She enjoyed how smooth each individual scale felt under her fingertips. She loved the gentle bumps beneath her touch as she dragged her fingers down.

A light grasp on her wrist pulled her out of her lazy thoughts and she tilted her face up to meet his eyes as he brought her hand to his mouth, kissing each of her smaller fingers.

"Careful," Tük'hala rasped, a playful glint in his eyes as his forked tongue darted out over her digits. "You will get me ready for more if you touch me like that."