Gaia 3

VIII. Arrival

The next day at breakfast, Liyan announced that they had entered the Lactaneum system. In just a few days, they would enter Gaia 3's solar system, and after that, it would be just a few hours before they landed on the planet itself. The energy on the ship also changed; it was much calmer, with everyone focused on the end goal. 

Jaleah had spent a considerable amount of time on the bridge working with Liyan and Aedard to find the best route through the Lactaneum system. Most of the system was easy to navigate, but once they entered Gaia 3's solar system, there was a slight issue. Between the planets Gaia 4 and Gaia 5 was a large asteroid field that they had to cross to reach Gaia 3. It had been a tricky problem, but together they had found a path through. 

It slowly began dawning on Jaleah that this was really happening. She was really going to land on Gaia 3. She spent the days traveling through the Lactaneum system in a haze of stunned disbelief. 

She also spent her days watching as planets passed. It was the first time she had seen any planets besides her own up close, and as an astrophysicist, she was in heaven. She kept thinking that after this expedition, she would have to come back and explore more of these planets. The thought of becoming an adventurer was exhilarating. Why teach people about foreign planets when she could see them for herself? She had lived in her comfort zone for too long, and now it was time to take risks, starting with Gaia 3. 

--<<>>--

Finally, they entered Gaia 3's solar system. The excitement in the air was tangible as they neared their final destination. 

The planets they passed before the asteroid field were all immensely gorgeous. Her favorite so far had to be Gaia 8, a deep blue planet whose color was likely due to methane in its outer atmosphere. At one point as they neared Gaia 5, she mentioned this to Liyan, who was taking a short meal break. 

"Weren't those planets absolutely amazing?" she asked, the planets still dancing in her eyes. 

Liyan nodded. 
"They were," she agreed. 

"I think my favorite was Gaia 8. That blue color was absolutely gorgeous," Jaleah continued. 

Liyan looked at her with a confused expression before feigning offense. 
"Your favorite was Gaia 8? Did you not see Gaia 7? Gaia 7 is by far the best planet in this solar system." 

"On what basis?" 

"It has the best color, and it has rings." 

Zax, who had just entered, overheard them and joined. 
"Are we talking about the planets?" he asked, "Because Gaia 6 was just majestic. The rings around it were awe-inspiring. And the number of moons it has! I must have counted over fifty!" 

Both women turned to face him, crossing their arms. 
"You preferred Gaia 6 over Gaia 7 and Gaia 8?" Jaleah asked, bewildered. 

"I agree with Jaleah. Gaia 7 and Gaia 8 have unique properties that give them interesting colors. All Gaia 6 has is a large gravitational pull." 

"And over fifty moons," Zax replied, standing his ground. 

They spent the next few seconds in silence, glaring at each other until finally, Daviron walked in. 

"Um...so sorry, what's going on here?" 

"We're clearly in the middle of an argument," Liyan replied, "What do you need, Daviron?" 

"Liyan, we're reaching Gaia 5, so we need you back on the bridge to get us through that asteroid field. What's the argument about?" 

"It's nothing important really," Zax replied, "Just a friendly competition." 

"Which you might actually be able to settle, Daviron," Jaleah continued. All three turned to face Daviron, who subconsciously took a step back. 

"Jaleah's right. Settle this for us, will you? Which planet is best? Gaia 6, Gaia 7, or Gaia 8?" 

Daviron didn't hesitate a second before replying. 
"Gaia 3," he replied. Then he turned and left, leaving the other three to roll their eyes after him.

--<<>>--

They were forced to stop the ship close to Gaia 5, a large planet with a distinctive red spot, to wait for an opening in the asteroid field. This frustrated Daviron a bit, who grumbled about it to whoever would listen, but he respected Liyan's explanation and sat quietly in the corner. He might have been the expedition's leader and financier, but Jaleah thought he could occasionally act like a toddler. It was clear to her that everything came to him easily, and when it didn't, he would throw tantrums. But she didn't dare say this aloud because he was paying her salary. 

--<<>>--

The trip through the asteroid field between Gaia 4 and Gaia 5 delayed their arrival by about an hour. Finally, they made it through the bumpy ride and arrived on the other side right by Gaia 4, a smaller, bright red planet. From there, it was a short trip to Gaia 3, and half an hour later they entered into Gaia 3's orbit. 

The trip through the atmosphere was a bumpy one, and Jaleah seriously feared that their ship would catch fire. In fact, she looked out the window at one point, and she could have sworn she saw flames. She gasped and tightened her eyes, which seemed to amuse the expedition veterans. 

"Don't worry," Zax said, laughing, "The entrances are always a little scary. But we'll be fine."

Somehow,  Jaleah was not so reassured. 

But sure enough, they were fine, and fifteen minutes later, the ship landed on the surface of Gaia 3. 

--<<>>--

Before they left the ship, Jaleah insisted on doing a test on the air outside. Now that they were actually on the planet, she wanted to be certain that Gaia 3's atmosphere could in fact support life, especially theirs. 

The crew grumbled impatiently while she performed the tests, but finally, she declared that the air was safe to breathe. Immediately, there was a scramble to the exit. 

The doors opened, flooding the inside of the ship with sunlight. They waited for a minute for their eyes to adjust to sudden brightness and gathered their wits. 

Then, following Daviron's lead, they took their first steps into a brand new world. 

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