CTS: RE 250, Day-19, 2:00 AM
Location: Unknown
Universe: 07A
In the vast emptiness of space, where stars flickered like distant beacons, a lone spacecraft glided silently through the galactic highways. The vessel moved effortlessly, surrounded by other ships—both small and large—drifting along their journey through the void. Floating cities, like delicate orbs suspended in space, shimmered in the distance. Life continued in the infinite expanse, seemingly indifferent to the silence that held everything in place.
But inside the spacecraft, there was a sudden shift. Rose's eyes snapped open.
She inhaled sharply, the air cold but fresh. For a moment, everything felt surreal, like she had been suspended in time. Then, a flood of memories hit her, sharp and relentless: the flames, the heat, the Sky Tower collapsing. She had fallen. The impact had been inevitable. She remembered Anik... but she couldn't remember how. She remembered the pain, the suffocating sensation of falling through the flames. But now? How was she here? How was she alive? Her hands trembled as she glanced at them, noticing the slight burn marks on her clothes.
The spacecraft's internal clock blinked: CTS: RE 250.01.01 10:00 AM.
Her heart beat faster as disbelief crept into her thoughts. "How am I still alive?" Her mind couldn't piece it together. Anik had been too far away to reach her in time. He had promised to save her, but he failed.
"Anik..." she whispered under her breath.
The ache in her chest tightened. Was he grieving her loss? Could he feel her absence? She shut her eyes for a moment, fighting the wave of grief that rose within her. "I'm alone now..." The thought cut through her like a blade.
With a shaky breath, Rose slowly sat up. Her gaze wandered around the room, taking in the metallic walls. The décor was unfamiliar, cold. She noticed a transparent wall ahead of her and, as she approached, her breath caught in her throat. The view outside was like nothing she had ever seen. Endless space. Floating cities. Ships crisscrossing the sky. She was in the middle of it all, suspended in a galaxy that felt so far removed from Earth, from everything she had known. The enormity of it all overwhelmed her.
Fear gripped her chest. She took a step back from the transparent wall, the vastness of space threatening to swallow her whole.
Suddenly, the door to the room slid open, and Rose hurriedly moved out, her mind racing as panic set in. She stumbled down the corridor, her heart pounding in her chest. "Where am I? Who are these people? What happened to my family?!" Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion, but every step only deepened her uncertainty.
As she reached the control room, the door slid open. She hesitated for a moment, then entered, hoping to find some answers. A figure sat at the control panel, hands moving fluidly over the instruments. The hum of the ship's engines filled the room, but the figure's presence seemed calm, almost serene.
"Oh, you're awake," the figure said, the voice rich with warmth yet distant, as if it carried the weight of many untold stories.
The figure turned, standing gracefully. As he did, Rose's eyes widened in surprise, his presence striking—tall, commanding, with striking red eyes that seemed to hold the depth of centuries within them.
Rose took a step back, instinctively trying to protect herself. Her heart raced as her words spilled out, panic taking over. "Who are you? Why am I here? Where's my family? What happened to Earth?!"
The man's gaze softened with understanding. He didn't seem to flinch at her outburst. Instead, he knelt before her, wiping the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes, his touch surprisingly gentle.
"Calm down, just for a moment," he said, his voice low and soothing. "I will explain everything, but first, you need to calm your heart. You're safe now. I'm here with you."
He gestured to the chair beside him, and after a hesitant moment, Rose sat down, still trembling. His presence, though mysterious, provided her a strange sense of safety. Still, a storm of emotions brewed inside her, the questions mounting, the grief and loss growing heavier with each passing second.
"First, tell me your name," he said softly, his eyes studying her with a quiet intensity. "I don't know it yet."
Rose wiped her face, trying to compose herself. Her voice shook as she spoke, but she managed to say, "My name is Rose."
The man smiled faintly, as though her name meant something to him beyond the surface. "Rose... A beautiful name."
He stood up, walking over to a control panel before returning his gaze to her. "My name is Blaze," he said. "I saved you when you were falling from the Sky Tower. I brought you aboard this ship."
Rose's mind reeled, but the weight of his words sent another wave of realization crashing over her. "The Sky Tower... It's gone, isn't it?"
Blaze nodded, his face darkening slightly. "Yes. A mysterious figure destroyed it... destroyed Earth. Everything you knew... is gone."
Rose felt her chest tighten again, the grief welling up inside her like a tidal wave, too powerful to control. She closed her eyes, unable to hold back the tears. "I lost my family... I lost my home... I lost Anik..."
Blaze stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know it hurts," he said gently. "But you're not alone now. I'm with you. And you'll find new purpose here, among the stars."
Rose looked up at him, her heart aching. She wanted to feel some semblance of hope, but it was difficult. The loss of everything she had known, everything that mattered, left her feeling empty. Still, she managed a weak smile, the faintest glimmer of something resembling trust flickering in her eyes.
Blaze smiled back, though his eyes held a certain weight, as though he understood her pain in ways she couldn't quite grasp. "You're strong, Rose," he said quietly. "You'll survive this. You'll find a way forward."
The emptiness in Rose's heart was still there, a cavernous void that nothing seemed to fill. But as she looked out the window, the sight of the endless stars and floating cities, she realized that this was her new reality. Her past was lost, but here, in the vast expanse of the universe, perhaps she could forge a new path—a path where the memories of Earth and Anik, though painful, would serve as the fuel for whatever was to come.
"I'll find a way forward," she whispered to herself, a vow that echoed in the silence of space.
Blaze's voice broke through the stillness of the control room. "Rose, place your hand on the control panel. I need to find something."
Rose hesitated for a moment, her heart still heavy with grief, but curiosity tugged at her. She placed her hand on the panel, her fingers trembling slightly. A soft hum resonated from the machine as the AI activated. Moments later, a holographic image of Rose flickered to life above the control panel. Details, both personal and profound, were revealed, glowing softly in the air like a ghostly presence.
Blaze watched with quiet interest, his green eyes flickering over the information. "Ah, your full name is Rose Leonhart Alston…" He trailed off, the words registering in his mind.
As the holographic display continued, Blaze's thoughts shifted. "Zynarids…" he muttered under his breath, his mind racing. He knew this species—rare, mysterious, and coveted in the markets. Rose was valuable beyond measure. Earth was no more, but here she was, alive. His thoughts took a dark turn, and an idea began to form. "If I can sell her... I'll be rich, beyond my wildest dreams." But as quickly as the thought came, he forced it aside. "First, I need to win her trust." He couldn't afford to rush things. Not yet.
He looked up at her, a faint, reassuring smile on his face. "Did you ever travel in space before?" he asked, trying to make the conversation feel casual.
Rose, still shaken by everything, shook her head. "No. I've never been anywhere beyond Earth."
Blaze nodded, as if the answer made sense. "Well, in that case, let's take a little detour. We can visit the floating cities, see the sights, and I'll even get you some new clothes. Something to make you feel more at home."
Rose's heart skipped at the mention of the cities. The thought of exploring this strange, new world was both terrifying and exciting. Her eyes lit up for the first time since waking in the spacecraft, the dull weight of her grief momentarily lifted. "I'd like that," she said, her voice softer, more curious. "I want to see these cities. It sounds incredible."
Blaze took control of the ship's controls, moving the spacecraft with ease through the galactic routes. The ship accelerated smoothly, navigating effortlessly through the streams of stars, as Blaze's hands glided over the instruments. Rose sat back in her seat, her thoughts still spinning, but now with a sense of wonder. The vastness of space, the unknown, was starting to feel less like a void and more like a new world to explore.
As they approached a checkpoint, a voice echoed over the comm system. "Your identity, please."
Blaze didn't falter. "Yes, I have my ISA identity," he replied calmly. The officer's voice went silent for a moment, a faint acknowledgment coming through the system.
"Proceed."
The spacecraft glided forward, passing through the checkpoint without incident. The sheer scale of the floating cities ahead of them soon came into view. Rose's breath caught in her throat as she gazed outside the ship's window, her eyes wide in disbelief. The cities were alive with color—bright, shimmering buildings that seemed to pulse with energy, their lights reflecting off the ships that sailed around them. It was a landscape like nothing she had ever seen—an intricate maze of floating islands, delicate structures, and interconnected walkways, all held together by the invisible threads of technology and gravity-defying engineering.
Blaze navigated the spacecraft through the bustling space lanes, his movements smooth and practiced. He had been here before, but for Rose, every new sight was like a revelation. The cities were magnificent, surreal in their beauty, and as they moved deeper into the heart of the floating metropolis, Rose's awe only grew. The streets were alive with activity—people of all species walking freely, hailing taxis that flew past in a blur, and ships of every shape and size drifting lazily through the space lanes.
Rose's mind struggled to process everything. "This place… it's… incredible." Her voice was quiet, as though she were speaking to herself. The colors, the lights, the movement—it was like a dream.
Blaze glanced at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He had expected this reaction. "It is, isn't it? This is where many come to start new lives, to forget their pasts, or simply to live free from the restrictions of planets." He paused, sensing her hesitance. "But it's not perfect. Nothing is. Just remember that."
Rose nodded absently, still too mesmerized by the view to respond fully. The city stretched endlessly, gleaming in the cold vastness of space. Each building seemed to have its own life, its own personality, like the floating cities were living, breathing entities themselves.
As they entered deeper into the city, Blaze took a sharp turn, heading towards a district that was more commercial. The area was buzzing with activity, with stalls and shops floating in mid-air, offering wares from all corners of the universe. Rose's eyes flicked from one display to another, a sense of wonder and excitement filling her chest. This was so different from anything she had known. The Earth she remembered was gone, but this... this was something entirely new, an unfamiliar world that was hers to discover.
"Let's stop here," Blaze said, bringing the spacecraft to a smooth halt near a bustling open-air market. He turned to Rose, his expression softening. "I'll get you something to wear, something that fits this place better."
Rose was silent for a moment, her fingers brushing the edge of her seat as she stared out the window. The reality of her situation was still heavy in her chest, but for the first time in days, there was a flicker of something else—a spark of curiosity, perhaps even hope. She couldn't stop thinking about what Blaze had said. "Forget your past, live free." It felt impossible, yet the idea of exploring, of finding something new, seemed like a chance to heal, to move forward.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice steady but with a hint of hesitation. "I'll go with you."
Blaze nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "Good. Let's see what the future has in store for you, Rose Leonhart Alston."
The ship's door slid open, and Rose stepped out into the vibrant world of the floating city. Everything about this new existence felt both alien and exhilarating.
The streets of the bustling floating city stretched endlessly, shimmering with neon lights and holographic billboards that flickered advertisements in every direction. Spaceships hovered above, docking and departing in an orchestrated dance of lights and motion. The crowd pressed in from all sides—men, women, and children of different ages, all walking with purpose, their faces lit by the glow of the city.
Blaze and Rose moved through the throng, the sounds of chatter, laughter, and distant music filling the air. Rose clung tightly to Blaze's hand, her fingers curling into his palm as she tried to keep up with his pace. Her heart pounded lightly with both excitement and apprehension.
"Hold my hand, otherwise you'll get lost in this market," Blaze said with a grin, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Rose nodded, holding on a little tighter. "It's so crowded... and everyone looks... normal."
She glanced around at the people passing by. Despite all the alien technology and floating infrastructure, they looked like regular humans—smiling, talking, arguing, living their lives. There were no tentacled creatures, no beings with multiple eyes or strange skin tones like she had imagined. It was almost disappointing.
"Why do all the people look like normal human beings, just like me?" she asked curiously, her voice filled with genuine wonder.
Blaze gave a casual shrug, his gaze flickering to the side as if avoiding the question. "I don't know exactly, but if you really want answers, you should start reading history and science books. Maybe then you'll understand."
Rose sighed softly. "Um... okay."
Her thoughts wandered to Anik, and her grip on Blaze's hand loosened slightly. "Anik... where are you?" The ache in her chest resurfaced, heavier than before. The memory of him, the way he used to smile, the way he protected her—now, she felt so far from everything she once knew.
"In this lonely world, you are my last hope.
Blaze, meanwhile, was lost in his own thoughts. His eyes darted around the marketplace, assessing the shops, the people, and the potential buyers. "How rich I'll become after selling this girl for a high price," he thought greedily. But then he reminded himself, "Not yet, Blaze. Be patient. Earn her trust first."
End of chapter 1.....