NanoTec: Flight to a Distant Star

05: 2096: Black Sky

Rewritten on 19 May 2017

Enjoy!

*End of Author's Note.*

Three months has passed since Ancient Legends inc had bombed the planet. Once again for the elderly and for the first time for TKE and Clanedd, Earth was green a ball of life. Trees were growing, and the wildlife was returning to the places where they belong.

TKE sat down in observatory Deck 12, cup of coffee in his hand. As he stared down to the planet before him, he could not help but think, is this what my youth have been deprived of? My human ancestors, my family if at all, all had the privilege of Earth and I did not... Life is never fair.

As of 2096, TKE was reaching a chronological age of 38. But due to the use of the Bio-RIG and exposure to various forms of space radiation, his body still functioned as well as when he was biologically 20 years old.

The little voice next to him spoke.

"Earth has really changed. Don't you think? After all those years..." Her voice trailed off.

Clanedd held a cup of tea and sat cross legged next to the head engineer. Ripe and cheerful as a 19 year old. Her face flushed slightly, not much but noticeable.

TKE remained silent, but nodded in agreement.

Clanedd immediately changed the subject, "Anyways, how is that going on?"

She pointed through the window, into the distance about 100 meters from the station. From the observatory deck, the new science or rather, engineering project, the TeraNova was already underway.

The 900m long steel frame had already been assembled and the command deck was already being put together. A new endeavor Saegen had called it. The first manned starship, capable of faster than light transit. It certainly was not something heard of until 2085, the invention of the Alcubierre ive.

"Say..." Clanedd began speaking slowly, emphasizing every word. "Remember that time when you brought me down to Earth to ICY?"

TKE nodded. Clanedd continued.

"You do remember that you said one day, you were going to bring me down to Earth once the environment had been repaired. Just you and me?"

TKE nodded again. He put his now empty coffee cup back onto its saucer and replied.

"Yes, I have. By the way, you had been given medical leave due to some weird thing called 'shock' and I for my broken arm, poor me..."

His vision strayed and finally rested on Clanedd's face.

"Why don't we go down next week? It is our final week of leave and I do want to check out some of the after effects of the ANEB anyways."

"What about EarthGov? Don't they..."

"EarthGov wouldn't give a single flying hiss about us." TKE said, interrupting Clanedd. "And EarthGov has better things to do then to chase us, don't they?"

Clanedd's eyes gleamed like a cat that had got the cream. She jumped up and put her arm around TKE's neck, almost comically. He could smell the perfume from her hair.

"Yay! Thanks! I really look forward to it!" Clanedd cheered.

TKE, lost balance and toppled over, ending up with Clanedd literally sitting on him.

"Err... Clanedd?" TKE stammered, his face turning red. "Could... You get off please? What if someone sees us like this?"

"Are you calling me fat?" Clanedd fumed, puffing out her cheeks. "You're gonna pay of that."