Two and the Last Year on Earth ✓ [humor, sci-fi, romance]

Act 23: Home Sweet Stellagaza

Someone was shaking her awake, but her electronic signals were already wide awake. She snapped open her eyes and scowled at Triad.

"I'm awake."

Triad grinned. "I know. We're nearly there."

"Bloody hell." Two stretched her arms and her wings, feeling that yes, they were near. The gravity had taken the weight off her entire body and she adjusted the electronic signals in her brain and rewired everything to match with home.

Down in the Observatory, in the main deck, she sat next to Triad as the Cruiser came bursting out of a puff of Nebula. It was a good day to arrive.

Stars speckled the indigo space. Stellagaza was a ball of dark matter with the Orbital Atmosphere churning like buttermilk around it. Constellations and starmasses made up, what humans would call, countries, and they were all existing on the surface of the dark matter solid. It was definitely more heartstring pulling than when she saw the vision that the Stellianorigin showed to her back at the Pineapple Theme Park.

"Aw, gee!" Fort said with his voice full of home love. "Missed this so much."

"No time for sentiments, Fort," the Director came to stand with them. "We have much work to do when we land."

"Aw, gee," Fort said in a sadder tone this time. "But we'll still get to visit our families, right? Or, at least take a peek at home?"

"You mean house." Two said.

"Yeah, that. The house."

The Director sighed, clearly not really up to having to probably gather everyone up to return to AERA7-0 later. Two wanted to visit Lauph if she could, too. He probably missed her a lot.

"Director?" she began in her most authoritative tone. "We are responsible agents. We can return to the Cruiser in time of departure."

The Director frowned. "I trust my agents."

"Tasty!" Two said and grinned at Triad. That meant they would probably have ample time to go and get some Cream Fluffs. She was rarely wrong. As the Cruiser broke through the atmospheric shield to drive out any oxygen, the Observatory door opened to let them out. Two spread her wings and the others followed suit. Then they all flew out the window and into the dark matter.

It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and see as well as if it was day. The sounds of Stellians came into her ears and she switched off her AERA7-0 Common Understanders because it disrupted with local Stellenai. The sounds mixed too much with the consonants of Stellenai, making it hard to understand.

To understellenai, Two grimaced.

"Agents!" came a shout from a blue and green Stellian with a long swooping ponytail that swooshed out behind her. "Agents, this way please! Mivvitim!"

Two recognized the low-talking Mivvitim with his signature goatee. He was one of the few Stellians who had naturally white, creamy skin and no undertone shimmer. She wasn't very fond of him.

"The convict we will take. Fiskleweed we take. Wilno Glossenfire will come with us. Quarantine, he will come with us." Mivvitim stretched his arms out like an octopus and latched around Wilno before he could protest.

"It's Wizard Grayhound. Not Wilno Glossenfire. I've adopted my agent name as my own!" Wilno was shouting one moment and laughing about sparkles being shiny the next. Two shook her head. He needed his meds. Mivvitim stretched out his hair to grab Fiskleweed's cage from the Director and left.

"Glad to get him off my hands!" Two wiped her hands on her shirt just for emphasis.

As all called agents landed on Stellagaza, the dark matter scene faded away and the city came into view. They all stood on a long see-through passway that lead through the city upwards, downwards in spirals, and upside down because gravity only came into play if you let your electronic signals answer to the passways.