$-- Copyright (C) 2019 Jason Self $-- SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later Beings on Geptok harvest a liquid from deep in the planet's core. This unknown element only became known on Earth when it made its way across the galaxy on the back of a meteorite. Scientists were able to analyze the trajectory it came from, but no communication has been established with these beings yet. Due to its far distance attempts to use deep space telescopes to examine the planet have not revealed much. The Geptokians were well aware of the meteorite splitting apart from a nearby moon. In fact, they pulled the meteor toward their planet, and in order to prevent the demise of another planet, they sent this element on a ride to Earth. Even though creatures from Geptok were able to get this element on to the meteorite, they're not technologically evolved enough to have deep space ships that they could pilot to Earth. Their resources aren't enough to deliver the rare element directly; they merely saw the opportunity to send it toward Earth, so they seized their chance. They will certainly be surprised to find out a ship is on its way to retrieve more of the cure for Earth's toxic atmospheric conditions. Yet when we last left the ship sent to Geptok, the crew was spinning on their own without any idea of which way to go. When we last left the crew aboard The Star-splinter, Tomás Alves had finally admitted to flipping switches that he didn't understand. It's a miracle that the elements in our universe balance each other out in a naturally occurring way, but it's even more bizarre that Tomás Alves passed through the space academy to begin with. In fact, somehow he was at the top of his class. "You're lucky I don't report your frivolous behavior," Bxnak torts at Tomás. The Ujuian flips switches while searching through the ship's manual. "Why would you think this ship has a record player on it anyway?" "Well, my dad told me they hadn't made many changes to it since he was in the academy," says Tomás. "He was always talking about vinyl records keeping him from being bored on long flights." Captain Alves hasn't been playing much music since his wife left the space station, but with his son gone he thought he would dust off the old sound system. When The Star-splinter left, Captain Alves sat alone the first night with the record player playing softly as he looked out into the sky. However, when The Star-splinter finally responds to his transmission, he's so relieved that he invites the entire crew of Sierra One to a party in the Fleet Training Room. "Sorry about causing so much panic back home," Tomás tells his father over the radio communicator. "Deep space comes with consequences. One of those is temporary space madness." "It's okay, son," says the captain. "You've got a ways to go before you reach Geptok. Try to remain calm and rely on your training when you find yourself in distress." "What training are you talking about, sirs?" asks Bxnak. "If it wasn't for my quick thinking---" "What is that shrill sound?" asks the captain. "You'd be out in the vacuum," says Bxnak, "Your son woulda been as tiny as a grape by now." "That's B you're hearing," says Tomás. "Are you there? Hello? Dad?" "I had to get away from the receiver," says the captain. "I forgot how horrible B's voice was." "Yeah," Tomás agrees. "It's pretty bad. You should taste his cooking!" "Hey," Bxnak says, and he tosses his frilly yellow apron on the ground. He stamps on the apron with all three of his hoofed feet. "You know, if you're not nicer to me, you can do your own cooking from now on." "Hey," says the captain, "his voice is much worse over the communicator. I'm going to have to get off of here. Giving me a headache." "Okay," says Tomás. "We'll call if we need anything." "Sure," says the captain. "Call when you reach Geptok. Fly straight, son. Just like I taught you." After the communicator closes, Tomás eats dinner. He cuts into the eggs benedict, but the green, gooey yolk makes him queasy. "I'm going to have to scrap this," he says to himself. He takes his plate to the evacuation chamber. He has the ship express the eggs from the particle release chamber. Green gooey yolks float like oil on water, as the ship moves steadily towards Geptok. He goes to find the Ujuian sulking in the study. "You're not mad at me, are you?" Tomás asks Bxnak. "We were kidding about your voice, you know." Bxnak clears his throat before saying, "I know how I sound. My people might not be the best singers, we might not be able to smell soured milk when it gets chunky, but we have our good qualities." "I'm sure you do," says Tomás. "Can't you say anything nice?" says Bxnak. "I mean it," says Tomás. "There's something nobody knows about me, B. Not my dad, or any of the politicians who put together this mission. I only made it through the academy because you were there. I woulda never passed the academy if it wasn't for you." "What do you mean?" asks Bxnak. "I knew you were smart," says Tomás. "So I stole my dad's keys, and I went in to switch our answers around before our exams were graded." "Really?" says Bxnak. "I knew it! All Earthlings are lying cheats." "Hey," says Tomás, "I think you're missing the point. I was trying to cheer you up." "Wait until I get back to Sierra One," says Bxnak. "You're going to be mopping up the floors when I tell them what I know!"