LINKAGE (boyxboy)

CHAPTER 118: THE INITIAL GLIMPSE

A few cycles had come and gone in the Kosmicheskiy Mayak ship, and with that, the tension present in all of those situations was eased naturally. The commitments everyone had with their own work practically made them forget about the initial days filled with mistrust and purposeful technical problems. Gavin and Isaac had to deal with the training for the landing. It was not just handling weapons and melee combat – they also had to deal with the jet's functional body and it was totally different from everything they ever saw.

Ayra got busy alongside Zarkobretch and Iglesy in the search for the official picture of The Other Country. The Master-Sight Satellites were working on full force and the visual representation was going to be shown to them in the next hours of that morning. Everybody was anxious and afraid of what they were going to see. The possibilities were countless. They could be a land just like Qorjal. Technological, filled with color and full of people – or they could just he an amount of forests with dangerous creatures inside. However, all the signs lead the place to be similar to Qorjal. They had powerful technology blocking them from being seen, but the MS-Satellites were bigger than that.

At 13 in the afternoon, a giant warning appeared in the screens of the CCR. It blinked in blue lettering nonstop. The same alert was seen in the control room below them. Basically, all the places of administration of the horezhenical ship were seeing this sign. It had no sound. Just a bright red line and the blue illumination and a smooth vibration coming from their panels. Now, in the main CCR, everyone there got up instantly, getting closer to the biggest screen un the room, located in the middle of it, in front of the viewport that gave the live images of Nix. Zarko had his hands shaking from the nervousness. He never thought he would actually see the shape of their neighbors with his own eyes, much less from the black horizons.

Ayra, Iglesy, Zarko and Martheust stood in the front line, being skeptical, speechless, unsure of what they were seeing, analyzing every details they could from that single picture. The Other Country was an irregular circle, just like Qorjal, surrounded by high mountains that protected them from the aggressive deserts of Nix. They had big grey stains, signaling they had smart cities. They had small circles in green everywhere, so they were capable of melting the snow so color would be seen in the nature. It was like they were watching Qorjal's twin. It seemed like it was a bit smaller compared to their country, but still, the resemblance was undeniable.

"Gods, look at it." Zarko said. His voice filled with amusement. "They are just like us."

"It is beautiful." Ayra said. She was affected by it but other things were taking place in her mind. "But I think we should be more concerned than amazed. They might think we are a treat."

"It is a possibility, Ayra." Zarko agreed with her. "We are practically blind in this regard, but leave it for Gavin and Isaac to deal with. The in-ground situation is all up to them."

"Kind of risky leaving such responsibility in the shoulders of two young adults, isn't it?" Martheust thought out loud while analyzing the image of their neighbors. His presence was not a surprise in the room. Zarko was trying to make the atmosphere normal as it always is, so Martheust couldn't be away for too long. That day, fixing the sensors for continuous hours, was just a way Zarko found to get him away from the satellites while the other crew was working on it. Now, he wants the man close so he can keep track of what he is doing in practice. Zarkobretch cannot watch the cameras the entire day.

Thrydalliv looked at him and said nothing at first. Martheust was only there because they didn't reach the part of the plan where he is dismissed. "But they are smart people. There are veterans who lack the same or minimal expertise as them." Thrydalliv sharply responded, now finally getting excited about sharing the photo with Qorjal. "This is a historical moment for our company, my dear friends. I hope you feel proud, because this" He pointed to the picture. "Is the result of our hard work."