Captain's Log, Day 1,908 of the expedition:
"If you were to ask a child about their dream job, most would say being a space explorer. I thought so, too. But as it turns out, it's nothing like the marvelous adventures promised in cartoons and movies. There's no "happily ever after" out here—only blood, chaos, and death.
If I could go back in time and change one thing, it would be to never apply for this job. We started with 11 crew members. Now, there are just two of us left. I could have prevented their demise. I could have saved them. But I didn't. And I regret it every single day on this idiotic spacecraft.
Ash and I just received new orders from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. We're being sent to explore some random exoplanet.
This is Captain Carter, signing out."
Carter set the recording device down and stared out the window. Earth looked the same as always, unchanged and distant. With a heavy sigh, he made his way to the control center.
The corridors of the spacecraft were a mess, with cables across the ceiling and floor, some sparking sporadically. Reaching the end of the room, Carter stopped in front of the massive control panel, surrounded by screens in every direction. He sat in one of 11 chairs. Nine of them looked worn, which reminded Carter of the ones they had lost.
Carter sat for a moment, staring at the empty seats before pressing a button on the control panel. The screens flickered to life, filling the room with a bright blue glow. A robotic voice spoke through the speakers surrounding the room.
"Welcome back, Captain Carter. What would you like me to do?"
Carter inputted the coordinates for the exoplanets provided by NACA.
"Command received. Maneuvering spacecraft…"
Carter left the control center and headed toward the crew cabin. Passing the sleeping pods, he noticed Ash's was empty. He must have been wandering the ship.
Carter climbed into his own pod to catch some rest. As he began to drift off, a voice abruptly jolted him awake.
"Carter?"
Startled, Carter yelled and scrambled defensively, causing the pod to topple over with a loud clank. Groaning, he climbed out and stood up, brushing himself off.
"I wasn't frightened, merely startled," Carter grumbled. "Um, Ash, what's so important that you had to disturb my sleep?"
"I received a message from NACA. Come on," Ash replied, already turning to leave.
Carter followed Ash through the winding corridors of the spacecraft. The sound of their boots echoed against the cold, metallic floor, filling the otherwise silent ship.
When they arrived at the control center, Ash immediately began tidying the workspace, rearranging loose wires and organizing the cluttered equipment.
Carter leaned against the doorway, watching with annoyance. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
Ash glanced up briefly. "If this place was halfway organized, we might not be in this mess to begin with."
Rolling his eyes, Carter stepped forward and swiftly grabbed Ash by the arm, dragging him away from his 'work.'
"If you straighten one more cable, I swear I'll throw you out the airlock," Carter said.
Ash yanked his arm free and glared at Carter, "Oh, please. You wouldn't last a day without me."
Carter snorted, crossing his arms. "You think I need you? I've been running this ship just fine while you've been… Doing this ."
"Running it fine? Half the systems would probably be held together with duct tape and a prayer if it weren't for me, and I'm just trying to make sure we don't explode mid-flight." Ash replied.
"Exploding might be preferable to watching you color-code wires," Carter said.
"Well, excuse me for not wanting to live in a scrapyard. Some of us have standards."
"Standards?" Carter said while raising an eyebrow. "You're not a systems engineer, you're a glorified neat freak. Or what, did NACA send you as our interior design specialist?"
Ash crossed his arms. "If it weren't for me, we'd be tripping over wires every five seconds!"
Carter sat down on his chair and started pressing and tapping buttons. "Someone has to keep this under control." He muttered under his breath.
The screens flashed, displaying the layout of their next destination: an exoplanet marked Kepler-1937b. Another screen showed the planet's lush jungles, rocky environments, the faint purple atmosphere, and odd thermal readings pulsing from its core.
Ash studied the data, while writing down notes on a journal he keeps with him. "These energy signals are strange, almost… Manufactured?"
"Manufactured, like machines?" Carter asked, a hint of curiosity on his face.
"Maybe," Ash responded, pointing to the thermal readings. "Or something… Alive. Either way, this isn't normal geology."
One of the screens said that they'd reach their destination in approximately 48 hours.
Carter stared at the screen, a knot forming in his stomach. "NACA's been vague about this mission from the start."
Ash nodded. "We'll find out soon enough."
2 days later, the ship rumbled as it pierced through the atmosphere of Kepler-1937b. Carter and Ash, peacefully sleeping in their pods, were jolted awake as a robotic voice echoed through the ship's speakers.
"Preparing for orbital descent…"
Ash stumbled out of his pod. "We're here already?" He mumbled, still half-asleep.
Carter stretched and wandered over to the window. His eyes widened as he took in the breathtaking sight. Below them laid a vast jungle teeming with life. Strange creatures raced throughout the canopy, some massive, others barely larger than insects, All illuminated by the bioluminescent glow of plants and animals.
"Yup." Carter said.
Carter turned to Ash, a hint of excitement on his face. "Looks like it's time to suit up."
Ash smirked. "Right. Time to see what NACA has in store for us."
The two made their way to the equipment room, where their suits were ready and waiting. Carter looked around, he saw nine more suits that belonged to the others. He stared at them for a couple of seconds.
"Hey, you alright?" Ash asked, noticing his hesitation.
"Yeah." Carter responded.
Carter reached for his orange suit, the colors standing out from the gray color of the ship. Ash grabbed his dark blue suit and suited up beside him.
"Don't forget the weapons." Ash said, nodding toward a rack of gear.
Ash grabbed a blaster and attached it to his belt, while Carter slung a rifle over his shoulder.
"Ready?" Carter said, adjusting his helmet.
"Always," Ash responded, adjusting his own gear.
The two made their way to the airlock, where Carter pressed a button, initiating a sequence.
The intercom buzzed. "Airlock sequence initiated."
The two stepped into the chamber. With a hiss, the door to the outside world slowly began to open. They exchanged a quick nod before stepping into the unknown.