Destiny Among the Stars - Scifi - LitRPG - Adventure

To be the first to enter the cosmos, to engage, single-handed, in an unprecedented duel with nature—could one dream of anything more?"

— Yuri Gagarin

Danny's rather flat statement hung in the air. "Well, there it is," he said, gesturing at the screen.

The holographic display slowly resolved into a much sharper representation of the system. They'd already had a rough idea from the ship's sensors, but now with more data it was all coming into focus. Alpha Centauri A and B spun in their tight binary orbit, each surrounded by their planetary entourage. Proxima Centauri lingered farther out, a faint red dot on the edge of the map. It was simple, yes, but beautiful. A collection of lights and trajectories that somehow made everyone feel both impossibly small and profoundly significant.

It was a little anti-climactic. But still... they were looking at another star system.

"Alpha Centauri," Emily whispered dramatically.

"So… what are we looking at?" Joey asked, squinting at the screen.

Danny sighed, clearly not in the mood to explain the basics. "Three stars. A and B are binary, and Proxima's orbiting the pair, but we knew that already. The planets…" He sighed again.

"Sixteen of them," Ryan interrupted, jumping in before they could all breathe. He pointed at the data feed, looking so damn proud of himself. "Sixteen confirmed bodies so far, plus moons and asteroid belts." Sixteen… that's a lot of exploring to do.

The room went quiet for a moment. Luca felt his heart hammering from excitement and from holy-shit-we're-actually-here nerves. This was it. The place they'd been focused on since they started the search for the FTL drive. The system that everyone back home could only dream about seeing. He couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh or throw up. Maybe both. God, he hoped he looked more captain-like than he felt

"Proxima Centauri b," Zoe said, pointing to the faint dot near the third star. "That's the one we're after, right? Where the signal came from."

Danny nodded. "That's the theory. Likely in the Goldilocks zone, but we're not going to know much until we get closer and run more detailed scans."

He tapped a few commands into his console. "And yeah, that's where the signal origin came from. Definitely not random," he finished while looking at Ryan pointedly.

Ryan let out a skeptical snort. "Come on. It was probably just an artifact. Subspace does weird shit to EM data. We've been over this."

Danny didn't look up. "And I'm saying it didn't match any known artifact profiles."

"It didn't match anything," Ryan shot back. "That's the point. One glitch and suddenly we're chasing ghosts."

Emily crossed her arms, her brow furrowing as she thought it through. Luca loved watching her work through problems. She always cut straight to the heart of things. "So basically, we've got numbers and dots," she concluded.

"For now," Danny admitted, his eyes lighting up behind his glasses. He was trying to stay calm, but Luca could see the excitement breaking through. He was in his element. "This is just the first pass. The good stuff comes when we get closer and start doing orbital surveys." Luca grinned, already imagining what they might uncover.

Joey leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Well, it's not exactly the sci-fi poster I was expecting," he commented.

Luca smirked. "What were you hoping for? All three stars lined up with planets orbiting like clockwork?" He was suddenly so damn tired of being the captain, and yet, it was also the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Space dragons," Joey replied. He was trying to get a rise out of him. Luca knew it.

"Alright, let's not get carried away," Luca said, straightening up. Space dragons would be a hell of a discovery, but they had real work to do. "Danny, Ryan, keep parsing the data. Prioritize orbital patterns and radiation levels, especially around Proxima b. We need to start planning the next phase before we get too close."

"Looks like we have a destination," Luca said. "And a potential payday." The IFC had supported their voyage and financed a large portion of their ship and supplies. They would be paid a bonus for finding new habitable planets, resource-rich asteroids, or other strategic locations, like high-level portals or new technology. If the signal had truly originated from Proxima Centauri b, they were going to find the source of it.

"According to mission protocol, we need to send out our communications probe now that we've mapped the system," Chris stated, always with the rules. "In case anything happens to us, we have to make sure our data gets back to Earth."

"Good call, Chris. Ryan, Danny, let's get the logs ready and organized," Luca instructed.

"We also need to do our first recording," Emily added enthusiastically.

"Ugh, I completely forgot about that," Luca groaned, though a part of him was excited to document this moment. "Where should we set up for it?"

"The observation deck is the best spot, lots of room to pose. Let's change into our recording outfits!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Change? Aren't these uniforms enough?" Luca asked, looking down at his bodysuit. He had gotten so used to wearing it that he didn't even think there were other options.

"No way! We can't be seen in these outfits, these are just for us." Emily replied. "Captain, Zoe, and I will distribute the dress uniforms. Everyone meet us in the observation deck in two hours." What the hell are those going to look like?

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"Dress uniforms?" Luca's eyes widened. "When the hell did we get those? And why am I just hearing about this now?"

"Because you never read the complete inventory manifests," Emily said with a smirk. "They were packed before we launched. Special design for official recordings and first contact scenarios."

Zoe was already halfway to the door. "Come on, Em! Let's grab them before the guys mess everything up." Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "I want to make sure everything fits right."

"Wait," Luca called, pushing himself off the wall. "I'll come help you carry them." He wasn't entirely sure why he offered; maybe it was the sudden panic at what these mysterious uniforms might look like, or maybe it was just an excuse to steal a few minutes with Emily.

"Perfect!" Zoe shouted over her shoulder, already sprinting down the corridor. "I'll go ahead and start sorting by size!"

Emily turned to follow, but Luca caught her arm gently. The others were still chattering about uniforms and system scans, giving them a rare moment of semi-privacy.

"Hey," he said, his voice lower. "You okay? After everything with the satellite, I mean."

Emily's expression softened. "Are you actually checking on me, Captain Rossi?" A smile played at the corners of her mouth, but there was something vulnerable in her eyes.

"Maybe I am." He stepped closer, close enough to see the flecks of gold in her green eyes. "It's been a hell of a day."

"A hell of a day at the beginning of a hell of a mission," she agreed, her voice barely above a whisper. She glanced down at where his hand still rested on her arm, then back up to his face. "I meant what I said earlier. I should have caught that battery issue."

"We all make mistakes," Luca said, surprising himself with how easily he'd let go of his earlier frustration. "What matters is that we fixed it."

Emily's eyes were on his face, as if she were looking for something specific. Whatever it was, she must have found it, because her shoulders relaxed slightly. "When did you get so agreeable? It's unsettling."

"I have my moments," he replied with a crooked smile. "They're rare, so enjoy it while it lasts."

She snortled! An unexpected, adorable little burst that made her eyes widen in horror. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "I should go help Zoe before she decides to redesign the uniforms herself." But she didn't move. Not right away. Instead, she leaned in, her gaze locked on his.

"Emily..." he began, not entirely sure what he was going to say.

"Later," she whispered, her fingertips brushing against his chest as she stepped back. "We'll talk later."

Luca scanned his team, assembled on the observation deck. It felt surreal, like a scene ripped from a movie, or maybe a bad dream where he was suddenly in charge of things and had to give speeches.

God, he hated public speaking. But, a small, ambitious part of him thought he could get good at this. He imagined commanding the masses, announcing their future discoveries to the world. Yeah, that'd be awesome, the great Captain Luca and the crew of the Triumph of Darron.

He caught the little touches that Zoe and Emily had clearly obsessed over in their uniform selections. They were really proud of their work, and honestly, it showed. Emily stood beside him, her infectious grin and sparkling eyes showing how much she enjoyed this moment.

She caught his eye and winked. Great, now he was blushing. The new dress uniforms were definitely a step up from their usual bodysuits. They did look good, even if he felt like a complete impostor in his.

The guys wore crisp white shirts under sleek navy blue jackets, the pins denoting their officer roles: Engineer, Scientist, Medical Officer, and so on, gleaming under the observation deck's soft lights. Their blue slacks were tailored just enough to look professional without feeling restrictive.

Luca adjusted his own jacket, feeling a strange sense of formality he hadn't anticipated.

Zoe and Emily had opted for flowing skirts that added a formal yet practical flair. And damn, Emily looked stunning. That skirt was doing things to him.

They all looked sharp, almost like the kind of crew you'd see stepping off a naval vessel docked at some high-profile port. It was a good look.

He felt a surge of pride for everyone, even himself, though he still wasn't entirely sure how he ended up in charge of this whole operation.

The observation deck had been transformed. It was the best place on the ship for a romantic rendezvous under the stars. The view was phenomenal.

Tonight though? Ryan had hooked up a large screen on one wall, currently displaying the logo of the Triumph Initiative. The camera was set up on a tripod, its red recording light blinking like a watchful eye. He half expected the speakers to start playing patriotic music.

Luca nodded to Ryan, who stepped forward and pressed a button on the console, probably enjoying the hell out of this. A soft chime indicated the start of the official recording.

He cleared his throat, the silence of the observation deck amplifying the sound, making him feel even more awkward. He hated this. Why did he agree to this? Oh right, mutiny.

"Alright," Luca began, his voice surprisingly steady, despite the tremor in his hands. He gripped the edge of the makeshift podium, trying to project an image of confidence. He looked at each of his crew members, their faces a blend of excitement, nerves, and determination.

"This is it. The first humans in history to travel to Alpha Centauri." He paused, letting the words hang in the air, the weight of them settling upon them.

The gravity of their achievement wasn't lost on him, nor on anyone else, he could see it in their eyes. This was it, the moment they'd all been working towards, the culmination of years of saving, sacrifice, and stubborn belief.

"And we've already made discoveries that go beyond what any of us could have imagined," Luca said, hoping they found something useful out here, for the IFC's sake, and for theirs. They needed a win. Also, Dad would be proud. He hoped he and the boys were doing okay back home.

He gestured to the screen behind him, which switched from their gorgeous Triumph Initiative logo to a breathtaking infographic. It displayed their findings so far: 16 planets orbiting the three stars, their estimated sizes and orbital paths, moons orbiting their planets, and asteroid belts weaving paths through the system.

The visuals were mostly estimates, thanks to Danny's handiwork, but they looked impressive enough for the recording. Still, they needed a hell of a lot more actual data to make this mission worthwhile. Please, Luca thought, let there be something valuable out here.

"We represent the best of humanity," Luca said, correcting himself when he nearly defaulted to America. They weren't supposed to use America anymore, just the United Earth Republic or the U.E.R.; that was the warning they'd received from Karen; it was propaganda for unity or whatever. Since they funded the project, they'd be their little mascots.

"We are explorers and adventurers, driven by the need to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible." He looked at his crew. Each of them had earned their place here, and he couldn't be prouder to lead them.

There was Chris, all muscles and diplomacy. Ryan, who he wanted to punch half the time, especially after he beat him up, and the battery incident and god knows how much other shit he'd pulled. Zoe, their perfect navigator, who could probably kick his ass. Danny, the freckled nerd and best scientist in human space.

And Joey, the only one who seemed remotely mature, even if he was a buzzkill sometimes. Emily… need he say more? He could feel a swell of anticipation in his chest, a shared sense of purpose that bound them together.

"Together, we'll uncover the mysteries of this system and carve our place in history."

He actually believed it, despite his doubts.

They were going to make history, to leave a mark that would last for generations.