Emerald

Andrej

Mil passes the night in ops and tries to work on the interpretation of her data. Shortly after her inexplicable statement about colourful lights, Dray fell asleep, her head probably resting against a root or a tree. Now, the transmission of the mask's camera shows only a tiny patch of starlit sky between the dark forms of giant tree crowns. The sound of Dray's quiet breathing is the only background noise. As long as she sleeps peacefully, Mil doesn't want to disturb her.

Carlos is still busy in the engine room. Andrej enters ops to listen for a moment to the sound of Dray's breathing before he heads down to help the technician again. In the meantime, Mil is dead tired and no longer able to concentrate on her project. The bad thing is that she knows a breakthrough is due any moment now. But she dozes off time and again, just to wake up immediately and wait for Dray's next breath. Finally her efforts to stay awake fail and quickly she is sound asleep.

Mil wakes up with a start and sits up in disorientation. She wonders why she lies not in her cot until her gaze takes in the main screen, showing an almost black patch of forest floor. Only after a moment her sleepy brain registers absolute silence.

"Dray? What's going on? Dray? Answer me! ... Wake up, Dray!"

The speaker remains silent in spite of Mil's many attempts at reaching the pilot. She starts feeling sick and cold while desperately calling the engine room.

"Carlos? Andrej? ... I think I lost Dray."

Both of them arrive without delay. Andrej replays the recording of the mask camera.

For a long time, it shows only stars and leaves trembling in a soft breeze, accompanied by Dray's soft breathing. Then there is an incomprehensible murmur and the rhythm of breaths slows down even more. Shortly after, the image changes abruptly, tips sideways until only a small patch of leaf-strewn ground remains visible. At the same time, the sound of Dray's breathing stops. Mil believes this change woke her. She feels guilty for falling asleep in the first place and thus loosing contact.

"Her breathing stopped. I should have stayed awake."

"No, I think she took off her mask and put it on the ground. Watch!"

Carlos repeats the sequence several times. He actually might be right. Andrej tries to enhance the few words the pilot mumbled in her sleep. He succeeds only partially.

"So beautiful ... glad ... see ... soon there ... drej!"

Mil and Carlos stare at Andrej. The last bit probably was his name. This doesn't sound as if Dray was afraid of something. Without any possibility to reach the pilot again, the three of them wait desperately for her to make contact. Morning is already near when Mil finally suggests to try and get some sleep. Carlos hardly can keep his eyes open and Andrej looks ten years older than his normal self. They connect the channel of Dray's mask with the general speaker system of the ship. Any noise transmitted should wake them up immediately.

The next day passes eerily quiet. After some hours of restless sleep, Mil resumes working with her data on tree growth and climate. Every few minutes she checks if the communication channel to Dray is still open. She is not yet over Koshi's death, and doesn't want to admit the pilot might be lost and will probably never answer again. She hasn't seen Carlos and Andrej all day.

It's late afternoon when she returns to the operation centre with a cup of strong coffee. The astrophysicist sits in the captain's chair and stares at the screen still showing the transmission of Dray's mask. The battery pack of the camera is running low and with its last power their only possibility to get in touch with Dray again will be gone. Andrej's accepts the coffee with a detached nod. Mil checks the progress of the forest's edge. It's still closing in slowly. If the speed remains constant, it will reach the ship in about another two days time. Her voice is very quiet.

"Andrej? How are you?"

The astrophysicist leans back with a heavy sigh. He looks tired and depressed.

"It's alright, Mil. I knew this was bound to happen one day since I signed up with Spacecorp. Now we have reached this point, I'm worried nonetheless. Strange we get caught by destiny here of all places. The planet looks almost like paradise. But appearances are deceptive."

He stands up and looks straight at Mil with his incredible blue eyes.

"Listen, Mil, I'm going out there now. Whatever it was Dray saw in those last moments, she liked it. I prefer meeting my destiny with open eyes than waiting for it in this trap of a ship here."

Mil's concerned gaze follows him as he leaves the room. She has no idea how to stop him.