A smooth white surface lay before him. It was a milky hue that brought him a calmness that he very much welcomed. His ragged breaths that seemed to echo in his mind gradually settled, finally allowing him a proper awareness of his surroundings.
For some reason, even without lungs, Adam felt the need to gasp for air. The suddenness of it all was overwhelming him. His mind was still muddled by the inky blankness that wanted to consume him. Even now, he could somehow see it. Even now, he could feel it breathing down on his neck, wanting to taste him for all he was worth.
Adam could feel a dreadful numbness across his body, making him unable to even lift a finger. He discovered for the first time that even planets could experience sleep paralysis. It was a small glimpse into the only possibility of that nothingness, a cessation of everything that made him.
He suddenly recalled what Jeor called this galaxy. Severis..., was it a coincidence that it would have such a name? Adam could not believe that he actually much preferred the name Milky Way instead. At the very least, it did not sound as ominous even if it may sound silly.
It did not take long for his body to regaining its senses, allowing him to move again. The dream was something he would keep to himself for now as it was difficult for even himself to understand. Evelyn had just been born, both in body and mind. He did not want to burden her with such things.
He looked around to find himself lying down on the floor of the ship, staring up at the pristine white ceiling. Behind him was a rather sizable bed, but it was still not enough to fit him comfortably. The Corpus were a rather large race, just a few sizes smaller than the Mundi and so most everything in the ship could somehow still accommodate Adam and Evelyn.
Adam left the room which seemed to have been the captain's quarters. He walked down the corridor that led directly to the bridge and there he found Evelyn, gazing into the star ocean that twinkled with faint glimmering lights.
They were a past that they were seeing in the present, a surreal phenomenon that even with understanding was difficult to actually come to terms with. Are they who were glimpsing into the past the present or the future?
The conundrum brought about by light..., and this was only just a taste of it. Adam shuddered at the thought as he could still faintly hear the maniacal laughter all around him. They were again mocking him, trying to stir him away from the light.
He shook his head as he walked forward, taking in the view of the bridge. It was now being manned by Jeor and his crew of prospectors, although they were mostly only there for assistance as the true bulk of the work was handled by the ship's AI who did not allow them to touch any of the delicate systems of the ship. It was simply too advanced for the knowledge that these people had.
Evelyn turned to look at him with a smile, the twinkle in her eyes could barely contain her excitement. This was her first time leaving the Solar System and exploring the Universe. It was only natural that she could not sit still.
However, the moment her eyes landed on Adam, a thoughtful look appeared on her face as she looked alternately between her husband and the crew. Yes, husband. That was what she decided on. Adam was indeed her brother as the planet that she revolved around since time immemorial. He was also her father for having granted her the opportunity to become a planet and then a Mundi. But above all that, he was her beloved that she swore to devote herself to.
And at this moment, she realised the need to be the meticulous one. Adam was not one to care about the morality and culture of other races. He was a living planet. What need did he have of such trivialities? Plus, he had been exposed to all the things that humans have done on Earth. He had an innate bias against anything that may seem related to a civilised culture. And that included clothing.
Evelyn, however, did not have such bias. Although she was not embarrassed to show off her pristine body, she also liked the thought process that went into clothing. Keeping her pure body all for her husband to feast on was something she wholeheartedly agreed with. And besides that, if they were to present themselves to the rest of the Universe, they should appear in a more dazzling fashion. Dazzling in a good way, of course.
And so, Evelyn waved her hand as thin ice transformed into a silken light blue dress accentuating her pale whitish body. The reflective characteristic of her ice made her dress glimmer under the light, giving her a mesmerising air.
Then she waved her hand toward Adam who stood dazedly staring at her gorgeous appearance. A white regal robe draped over his body, somehow pulsing with the same cherry light as his core. it gave him an air of mystique and majesty befitting that of a Primogenitor of an entire race.
The crew who saw this finally let out a sigh of relief. Only the Universe knew how difficult it was for them to hold their tongues back this entire time. They desperately wanted to tell the two of them to get dressed, but they did not dare to even annoy them the slightest bit. It was still fine when it was just Adam. They were all men and they have seen the male bodies of different races many times over the course of their lives. But Evelyn was a different matter entirely.
Evelyn was the very embodiment of perfection. Jeor and his crew truly believed that it did not matter which race one was from. They would definitely desire Evelyn from just the first glance. Perhaps it was the combination of her beauty and her status as the Matriarch of the Corpus-Anima Mundi. As a planet, giving birth was already in her nature. But to be the mother of a race of living planets, that has to have affected her to a degree neither of the two Mundi realised.
A beep rang out in the bridge as everyone focused ahead. They have been moving silently but steadily through space since exiting the warp tunnel while Adam was asleep. And now, it seems they were approaching their destination as the AI made an announcement.
[We have arrived at the perimeter of an unregistered planet. Surface data indicates high density of life. Life signs have reached anomalous levels.]
[Scans show a moderately-sized foreign encampment within the planet's orbital zone.]
[Danger assessment: Median — Military force likely.]
The ship was still a few lightyears away from the planet, but 3d holographic rendering of it as well as its vicinity appeared in the bridge. The AI was making full use of all the technology available to it with a peculiar eagerness that one would not associate with artificial intelligence. Jeor immediately began speaking, hoping that his show of eagerness did not fall short.
"My Lord and Lady, this is the planet made of Vitacor. The Starnet Company has designated it as Planet V1-X9937 and is one of the most promising planets under the Company. The structure you see floating around it is the Orbital Station where most of the military personnel are garrisoned. It's also the main hub for transit to and from this planet. All prospectors and miners must pass through it before heading to the surface to be registered and catalogued."
As he spoke, the holographic rendering of the planet showed a number of shuttles and mining ships moving between the orbital station and the planet's surface. They did not descend toward just one part of the planet, however. With the sheer size of it, it would be foolish for so many miners to be clustered in just one area without exploring and assessing the other regions. Adam, however, focused on a particular report of the AI.
"The AI said that the danger level is Median. If this was a promising world, why would the Starnet Company leave it without heavy protection?"
Jeor's eyes widened as he remembered something that he had only heard about in passing before leaving with his crew in search of the drifting Vitacor. There was a reason why the military force stationed here was lower than expected, and it was not something that was immediately obvious.
"There are actually two reasons for that, my Lord. The first is that due to this being a frontier region of the Severis Galaxy, it would take some time for more personnel to be sent here even from the nearest Company base. This wouldn't just be soldiers but also miners and administrative personnel. The second reason is something I only heard in passing. It seems the Company's owner had gathered a large percentage of the Company's forces for something I don't know yet."
Hearing his words, Adam was both intrigued and suspicious. What could be more important than a planet that is literally made of this Vitacor?
He was curious, but he did not know how to go about collecting such information. After all, even if he asked the people stationed on this planet, they would not know anything about it. With that being the case, he decided it was best to just do what he came to do and be done with it.