$-- Copyright (C) 2019 Jason Self $-- SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later Back before the Star-splinter left the space station, Sierra One was occupied by a few aliens that were living among the crew, apart from Bxnak. However, the majority of the occupants of Sierra One were of Earthly origin. After dinner service for the station was finished, the crew members usually migrated to their bunks. Bunks were equipped with video entertainment and aromatherapy for Earthlings. The aromatherapy was proven to reduce space nausea. Not many of the other beings aboard Sierra One enjoyed aromas, however. Those from the gaseous planets found aromatherapy to be a cruel and distasteful way of dispersing elements in the ether. Bxnak and the other Ujuians could hardly smell scents coming from the aromatherapy pods placed in every bunk. When he would sit and study with humans, there were few instances of Bxnak noticing the pods were even engaged. They turned on whenever the pod's sensors detected the sulfuric, pungent vapors that rise from Bxnak's sneakers. There was plenty of time between graduation from the academy and when the Star-splinter took off from the space station. By the time the launch occurred, Bxnak and Tomás had become the best of friends. Two weeks before launch, the element, which the Geptokians named sin-steel, was first attached to a flying rock that was plummeting towards Earth's atmosphere. It seemed to be a wonderful coincidence to all Earthlings and aliens. Though it seemed unlikely that the rare element would find its way to Earth, the new information could save the planet, so scientists agreed to send a spaceship to explore the distant planet of Geptok. On Geptok, there was no mistake or coincidence, however: "Our gracious hosts," said a Geptokian chairman to a great council of spiritually evolved Geptokian priests. The chairman continued his address, "It is our design to be in touch with distant emergent energies." "Yes," said a shaman, "but what is the design you are crafting, chairman Gracktor?" "With all the energies of all the stars uniting one evening last week," said Gracktor, "my wise mind did witness a surge of energy departing from one point in the galaxy to an opposing point." "A materialization?" asked the shaman. "I believe to be so," said Gracktor. "Yes, and I may suggest combining our energies to detect its origin." "In your truthful mind, we do have faith, dear Gracktor of Geptok," said the shaman. They combined their mindful energies to witness the surge that Gracktor mentioned. They knew where it was coming from, but before they could even plan to make preparations, the culprits revealed themselves among the Geptokian landscape. The poor, peaceful Geptokians made a final heroic stand together before their species was annihilated by the mad marauders with no home planet of their own. These beastly creatures drifted upon space garbage. Connected by strings of slime to each other, they rose from beneath bushes and blades of grass that covered the face of Geptok. They demanded all the sin-steel for their own planet. "The cause of the energy surge has revealed itself to us at last," said the Geptokian shaman. "We've decimated," said the slimy alien of the race known only as Acid Beings. "We've taken from the planets out of your ring of stars. We'll piece together our own world in time to populate it with our beautiful offspring." The slime-covered beings twitched and revealed to be carrying living offspring sacks underneath their slimy stomachs. Two weeks went by after the Geptokians left the sin-steel on a flying rock headed for Earth. They moved the sin-steel in time to avoid a black hole opening, yet they were too late to save their own planet. As Bxnak and Tomás continue towards their target, the space station they left and the very existence of Tomás’ home planet is threatened by an imbalance that requires more sin-steel to remedy its cause. All of Sierra One awaits their return, including Captain Alves, Tomás’ father. Presently, the captain has retired for the night to his bunk. He plays records and enjoys some aromas by himself. When he has trouble sleeping, he returns to the flight deck to try communicating with his son's ship. He stops himself before radioing to the Star-splinter. "You okay, sir?" asks a crew member that witnesses the captain's delayed actions. "I'm having trouble seeing my son grow up," says Captain Alves. "He's always going to be my son." "I know that feeling, sir," says the crew member. He points to a picture at his station to show the captain his twin girls. "They're waiting for me to return to Earth. I've been here six months next week." "Congratulations," says Captain Alves. "I've missed two birthday parties already," says the crew member. "I'm sure you miss them," says the captain. "You bet I do," says the crew member. "I'll have lots of stories to tell them when I get back" he says before indicating to the pictures to show him once more. The captain goes back to the transmitter. He pauses and looks at the monitoring screen that shows the Star-splinter on its course. "All is well, I suppose. I'll leave you alone for the night, my son," says the captain. "Goodnight and godspeed." When he leaves the flight deck he is confronted by the crew member again. "What is it now?" "Look!" exclaims the crew member. "There’s something coming our way fast, sir!" They look out the flight deck blast shield to witness the collision of a mega-impactor vessel that was sent barreling towards the space station. The result of the collision covers the charred fragments of Sierra One in a coat of slime.