.
Two days later, Peace Month, Day 18, 2175 2SE. Mailen calls Vega to try to gain access to Driftspace.
"Morning, Ms. Vega. I'd love to know what the crew and I have to do to gain access to Driftspace". Mailen couldn't find anything the past 2 days, and the crew has pretty much been doing their own things. Rain was getting some cool stuff she found on the internet (for her room of course), Zarya was outside looking at tech and playing karaoke, and reading mangas and light novels. Aeternum was researching Almatia deeper, but he couldn't even find anything about Driftspace.
"Morning, Mailen. You can come to the 'Large Theatre' in the city center. It's a large building that hosts important UHC items for this part of the Milky Way.", replies Vega with an energized voice. She's ready to set off to the Driftspace with the crew as well.
"I'll go with you guys. I've never been to the Driftspace, and the UHC has to gain more knowledge of it. We've only discovered it 50 years ago, with the 'force' being reported by an anonymous common visitor.", adds Vega.
The call ends with Mailen confirming the trip shortly, and calls Zarya to come back to the room.
Shortly later, right as Zarya comes back from her 'fun time' in the city, the crew leaves for the Large Theatre.
2 hours later, the crew arrives at the Theatre. Rain's jaw automatically goes down, indicating shock. She can't even speak by the building's size.
They get out of their car that the UHC got for them, and enter the building. The building itself – a huge stadium that can host plays of any sport, and even host political and religious events. Almatia uses it for pretty much anything.
"Welcome to the Almatian Grand Theatre.", says a robot after rolling up to them. The technology on this planet is so great that humans are somewhat jobless in the hospitality industry, and everything is controlled by robots (that are controlled by humans on top).
"Isn't it the Large Theatre?", asks Rain, wondering why it has many names.
"The Theatre itself has 3 names: 'Great Theatre' by the locals, 'Large Theatre' by the UHC, and 'Almatian Grand Theatre' by the rest of the universe.", says the robot, his 'mouth-shaped' part of the face blinking as he speaks.
Zarya coughs a bit then says "Interesting...", indicating her interest into names.
Vega, completely unaware of what's about to unfold, tells the crew: "The report said that the entry to the Driftspace should be here. Does anyone see it?"
"I see it!", says Zarya, running to the middle of the room, with apparently nothing there.
"Zarya... Are you okay? You've been acting quite weird since we came here.", says Mailen with concern in his eyes.
Zarya doesn't respond, and suddenly vanishes. Rain instantly notices and runs to where Zarya last was: "Zarya! Where the hell are you?". Rain starts to tear up and wonder at the same time.
No response.
"Mailen? Aeternum? Miss Vega? What is happening??!", bursts Rain into tears. The people around her sound silent as she drifts into her own world, wondering if Zarya had truly vanished forever. Zarya was her first human companion, all the way back in Kephar just a month ago, and has helped her in the Thread before anyone else.
Aeternum quickly jumps to conclusions: "Did she get into the Driftspace? If so, why can't we see it? Is it visible to infected people? Is it visible to minors?"
Vega shuts Aeternum and says not to worry about it. The UHC has a solution.
"We have found that Driftspace works on one specific frequency, and is not even located in our universe, physically and literally. It's a memetic location between the Void. At least what we think.", says Vega, telling the crew that it'll be okay.
"We've had people come and go through that empty space, according to the reporter. They have gone through by contacting that frequency, we just have to find the person.", adds Vega on top, giving the crew another mission.
Fight the force, cure the planet, and most importantly, save Zarya.
But first, the crew calmed. A day later, Aeternum called for a crew meeting. Rain hasn't left her room, and Mailen was indulged in researching the Driftspace, even more than Aeternum.
"Guys, Zarya isn't dead. She's in the Driftspace. It's fine. We just need to find that person that can enter the Driftspace specially and get in there as well.", says Aeternum, with a genuinely serious face, something that not even Rain saw ever.
"Just as you mentioned that, Vega started calling. Are you a prophet of some sorts?", asks Mailen, picking up his vibrating phone.
"Just a coincidence.", replies Aeternum.
Mailen leaves to have a call with Vega, and Aeternum goes to comfort Rain.
"Rain. It's fine. Here, let's call Xita and ask him if he can spot something.", says Aeternum, caressing Rain's shoulder from behind, trying to comfort Rain, and calm her down.
"That.. That'd likely be helpful, Aeternum. Please call him.", says Rain, still a little trembling.
In the Thread, Xita was doing some cleaning and watching the news, when his phone starts ringing. "What's up, Rain? Everything well down there?"
"Nothing is well! Zarya might probably be dead, and we are trying to go into a memetic location to find her! Can you please, PLEASE, by any means, try to locate her using literally ANYTHING in the Thread?", asks Rain, speaking with a shrieking voice as to trying not to go insane.
Xita goes to the main console and looks at anything in the universe, but can't find Zarya.
"Nope. Sorry. What happened, if I may ask?", asks Xita, with his robotic voice making an impression of concern and worry.
"She vanished into thin air into the Driftspace!", says Rain.
"...I can't really do anything. Please, find her, and if nothing else works, then I'll go down for a solution, if I find any that is.", says Xita.
"You don't have to. We'll go into the Driftspace ourselves, it's just that you won't be able to contact us for a while.", says Rain, adding that Xita should stay safe, and to keep contact with Vega, giving him her number.
"Stay safe, my new family. I love you. I can't feel true emotion, but I truly do love you guys.", says Xita.
The call ends, and both Rain and Aeternum go back into the main room with Mailen waiting.
"He's here.", says Mailen with a strict face, and his hands behind him.
"Who?", asks Aeternum, looking around.
"The person who sent the report. He fought the force a while ago, and is going to take us to the Driftspace.", says Mailen, adding: "Vega brought him here, and he'll come any minute now."
A few minutes later, a knock is heard. "Hello? Anybody home? I've been sent here by the Holders (UHC).", says a voice behind the door. It sounds manly, yet young.
Mailen looks and sees it's the person Vega described as the 'reporter'. White shirt, basic outfit with a small speck on his face. Around 190cm tall, and more.
Mailen opens the door and invites the man in.
"Hello there. I am Leo. You're the Thread crew, right? The Holders told me about you, and that you want to enter the Driftspace.", says the man with a neutral expression.
"Yes. Now, how do you know about the Driftspace?", says Aeternum, with a strict and suspicious voice.
"I noticed it after getting infected, curing myself while fighting a weird forceful gooey entity, and escaping. Didn't think much of it until I found out that you can enter through a special frequency only accessible by a 'Teleportation Point'."
Rain quickly notices that the teleportation point method he mentioned coincides with the waypoint system the Thread has – that Xita set up before landing on Kephar a month earlier.
"What? So just like our waypoint system? Please, tell me the coordinates.", says Rain, forgetting that what Leo mentioned weren't coordinates, but frequencies.
"Miss, or Mrs., This isn't something your system can see. Let me show you.", says Leo, while requesting Rain to give him the waypoint device.
"See this. You can only put in coordinates, and not frequencies. Your system works on the Universal transportation system because the laws of physics allow that. The 'teleportation point' is a unique system that plays outside the universe. It's way too complicated to explain. Just come with me and we'll all go to the Driftspace. The Holders are already waiting for us.", says Leo, giving Rain's waypoint device back.
The crew goes in their car, and follows Leo to the location that he sent them. They arrive there after an hour, and see Vega and Asparion already preparing their entry.
"Hello there, Thread crew. And Mr. Zell.", says Vega, in a somewhat deeper voice than usual.
"Mr. Zell? Is that his surname?", asks Mailen, looking at Rain, Aeternum and then Leo.
"We like to be formal with our clients.", says Vega. "Especially in situations where we have something that can destroy the planet."
"Alright, enough chatting, guys. Let's get this started. Everyone, please stand here.", says Leo as he points to a big computer-shaped object.
Vega, Rain, Mailen, Aeternum and Leo all walk in, and Leo activates the 'Point'.
Everybody has vanished but Asparion. He stayed for a specific reason, and went back to the UHC building to monitor their activities.
Meanwhile, in an entirely green-yellowish village area, Zarya is trying to find the crew.
"Rainy? Mailen? Aeternum? Where are you guys? Xita? I'm scared...", says Zarya, crying.
She notices the village and sees people having some kind of weird power of walking upside down.
"Ooh..... I want something like that...", says Zarya, her eyes showing some kind of hypnosis going on.
A few hours later, the crew appears in the village.
"Zarya! There you are!", shouts Rain, grabbing Zarya and hugging her tightly. "I missed you..."