+$-- Copyright (C) 2019 Jason Self <j@jxself.org>
+$-- 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.
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