Camp IX | ✓

25

    He was right. I did look like them.

     I sat on the top bunk of Griffin and I's bed, phone in hand. Despite it running out of battery weeks ago, I could still use the screen as a mirror.

     We'd been out in the deep recesses of space for nearly a month and during that time Val had given me a change of clothes and showed my how to braid my hair the way she did. When Griffin wasn't busy, he showed me around the ship and further explained Andromedic life. When he wasn't around, I stayed in the sleeping quarters.

     That was where I was now. I'd been staring at myself for the better part of five minutes. Dressed in a plain gray pants and a black shirt, with my hair pulled back in two braids, I looked just like them.

     I sighed and let the blank phone drop to the covers. I collapsed back on my pillows and stared at the ceiling. Val said we'd be arriving on Andromeda later that day and despite all my nervousness, I had to admit I was excited. The chance to see an alien planet? Who wouldn't be? Well I could think of someone...

     Reaching into my pocket, my fingers brushed the knife I *ahem* barrowed and pulled out the purple cube of my memories. I held it up so the light that was cast by the weak bulbs could illuminate it. As always it pulsed and responded to my touch.

     "You know I've grown rather attached to you," I said. "It will be a shame when they put you back in me."

     The cube flashed a darker purple.

     "Are you talking to yourself?"

     "Griffin!" I gasped sitting up and stowing the cube in my pocket again. "Don't sneak up on me."

     Ignoring me Griffin continued, "Val says we're approaching the planet's outer atmosphere and that we'll be landing within an hour."

     "Oh cool," I sprang off the bed and headed for the door.

     I didn't want to miss this. I sped down the jumble of halls I'd come to memorize in the last month, dodging crew all the way. Griffin followed me, his footsteps trailing mine. I burst out into the common area where I'd learned had the best view. 

     Griffin and I sat on one of the benches that lined the room. The cold metal surface bit through my pants and sent goosebumps rising along my legs. Griffin and I both propped a knee up on the bench between us, nearly touching, while we twisted to look out the window.

     Years of use had taken its toll on the ship and the windows were no exception. Small starches crisscrossed the glass and in some places the glass had taken on a foggy appearance. However, if you focused beyond that, you could see the fast approaching glow of a planet.

     In what seemed like no time at all, the distant glow had grown to the size of a baseball and then to a basketball and even then it kept growing. Soon, different shades of swirling blue filled the windows.

     "That's the Great Sea," Griffin spoke for the first time in awhile. "It's the only ocean we have here on Andromeda but it more then makes up for that in size."

     "It's incredible," I shook my head. "It makes Earth's oceans look dull."

     And it really did. The shades of blue looked like something straight out of a painting, they were so vivid and lively. And as the ship flew towards the ocean, they only got brighter.

     "Ship speed decreasing in ten seconds. I'd suggest hanging onto something," Val's voice echoed over the staticky intercom.

     I took hold of the lip on the back of the bench and braced my feet against the floor. This didn't do much however because when the ship slowed down, I slid straight into Griffin.

     I let out a small laugh and shook my head.

     "I didn't expect it to be so violent," I said pushing myself back a few inches.

     "It's ok," Griffin shrugged nonchalantly but I could see the corners of his mouth twitching. 

     I glanced back out the window in time to see the ship pull sharply up and level with the ocean waves. They rolled below us like lazy animals on a sunny day. The light sparkled off their ridges making them look bedazzled.

     My stomach lurched when I realized that if we hadn't slowed when we did, we might have been under those waves right now.

     "Arrival in Bellmare approximately five minutes."

     "The capital city," Griffin translated for me.

     Looking out the window, I could see the waves skimming along below. We'd gotten up to speed again, making them look like a bright blue and white blur. Above it, the wide expanse of sapphire sky stretched high.

     While I was admiring the landscape of the alien planet, Griffin nudged me and pointed out a rapidly growing coast line. Small outlines of buildings began to grow along it and from my very limited vantage point I could tell the architecture far surpassed Earth's.

     "It's so beautiful," I breathed.

     Griffin reached out to take my hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back.

     "Welcome to Andromeda, Nova. Welcome home."