A Thousand Light Year Journey

Chapter 8: What happened, Azi?

Right after Glay crashed on Earth, Azi didn't know what to do...

"Oh no.. No, no. I'll be in trouble. What should I do??"

Azi panicked. He hadn't taken the pills yet. He was walking around the ship, thinking what he should tell the SFR because they would find out the truth if he'd lie.

He then went to the control area. Sets the next wormhole. Back to Orbinovus.

When made it back, he landed in SFR. Did the message.. but when he heard someone approaching to him, he quickly ended it and sent it to Glay. Then shuts the engine off.

Three officers went to him and escorted him out of the ship.

Outside waits commander Aries. Azi stood straight and salutes to him while holding the sample they took from CM3."

"Where's Agent Weiner?"

"Sir, he didn't make it." Azi said. Trying to maintain his posture.

Commander Aries looked away. You cpuld feel that he was having doubts.

"What happened?" Aries asked as he looks back at him.

"We had contact with meteoroids, sir. Unfortunately, He didn't survive it." Azi replied.

Commander Aries walked towards him. Closely looking at him. And he can sense Azi lying. Aries called the two officers to assist him to the quarantine.

"Take him to the quarantine."

The two officers walks him to the quarantine room.

"You'll be going through a 1 month quarantine. You won't have access with communication devices for awhile. It's mandatory that you'll be put in quarantine after space missions." Says the officer leading him.

"Copy, sir."

"We will be bringing you your necessities. Clothes, hygiene kits. Don't worry, your room will be comfortable. We will ask you to take some medications too." The officer added.

Azi first was put to disinfection. He had to take off all his clothes and enter the disinfection area. A shower-like with sprays surrounding him, spraying disinfectant to his whole body.

Next is the the body scanner. A machine that uses laser scanner to scan for bacterias and other possible microbes that he could've taken with him from space. He was cleared from the scan. Then he grabbed the white clothes hanging on the wall and dressed up. He was still wearing the wristband-like device called Stellar Band, same as what Glay has on earth. He proceeded to the next step. The check-up. A physician does a physical check up to know if he's been experiencing some health problems. Checks for visible physical change since he went to space. He was also cleared from the check up.

Then two other officers were waiting for him outside when he exited

He escorted him to the next floor where rooms for quarantines were located. The walls are all white. The door is gray and have no mirrors nor windows but there is a small passage for the food delivery. He lead him to one of the rooms and opened it for him.

"Here's your room." The officer said.

The room is about 30 sqm big. Very minimalistic interior. White walls and a single bed.  It has lighs surrounded on the corner of the ceilings. Some books and clothes ready. In the corner of the room is the bathroom.

"You can dim the lights with Cora. Just use your Stellarband.  You are not allowed to go outside of this room unless your presence is demanded by higher authorities.

The officer orients him and left him right after.

A day have passed, Azi just got out of the shower. His lower body wrapped in a towel. A staff in a blue uniform knocked and he opened the door.

"Commander Aries demands your presence in the conference room to report about your mission." Says the staff.

Azi puts on his quarantine suit. It's air tight so he won't spread any possible bacteria or virus he might've gotten from his space mission.

The staff assisted him to the conference room. When they got there, he saw Commander Aries looking intimidating.

"Have a sit." Commander said, pointing at the seat in front of them.

The staff closed the door and left them.

There's only two of them in the room. It's so quiet. There's not much furnitures.

"I'm glad you made it back in Orbinovus successfully." Aries said.

"Thank you, sir. It's an honor to serve Orbinovus."

"We already studied the composition if the sample you gave us. Thanks to you, we discocered some important details. Now, tell me about your mission, Azi. Like how I reported to you the progress of the research. What happened, Azi?"

Azi couldn't look at him in the eyes.

"When... When we were in CM3.. We saw meteoroids approaching and–we ran to our ships.. Weiner's ship got hit by a few. His ship had a malfunction. I couldn't stay any longer or help him because the sample was with me. One of us must return and deliver it. So I left him." He explained. Trying to sound neutral while sitting straight. But his eyes kept moving like he's tensed.

"So.. You left him alive?"

"Yes sir. I apologize."

"No, it's okay. We will check the logs of the systems to see the commands you did with Cora and the control at your ship to verify your story." Commander moved closely to him, putting his arms on the desk. "You know the consequences if we prove you wrong, Agent."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll be confiscating your Stellarband anytime within today so if you have anything you want to settle, do it now."

Azi just looked at him. Trying to make eye contact to at least  look like he's confidently telling the truth.

After he was dismissed, he rushed back to his room, took off his quarantine suit checks if there's a proof of survival from Glayden. There's none yet.

But a few hours later, when Glayden  found the ship on earth and saw his video, he sent a reply right when he went home. And it soon reached Azi.

Azi received the notification and quickly opened it. It's Glayden and Max in the video. Glayden was happy that Azi made it and Max had a straight face, highly confused of what's still going on.

"Hey, Azi. I got your message. I survived the crash and a human help me find my ship. Here she is. Her name is Maxee." He said and introduced Maxee to him. "What's going on? What happened? What's our plan?"

Azi was so happy that his friend Glayden is alive. But it's for sure that ACRO will find out about what they did.