Return Of The Cosmic God

As the final days of the mission got closer the stress was also growing, Despite the stress, there was an unspoken determination that united the crew. Everyone knew what was at stake…. not just the mission's success but the lives of every person onboard…

Late at night, after most of the crew had gone to their quarters, I often found myself in the observatory again, staring out at the stars. There I felt a strange mix of excitement and dread. Kepler was getting closer; with that, I could also feel the presence of the box was also getting closer. I don't know where it was… whether it was on Kepler or in some other parts of empty space… The only I knew was it was getting closer to me with each passing moment...

Joseph would sometimes join me, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "You ever think about what it'll be like when we land?!" he asked one night.

"All the time…" I admitted. "But it's not just Kepler I'm thinking about…"

Joseph shot me a knowing glance. "The box?!"

I nodded.

"Well…" he said, "if it starts talking to you again, tell it I said hi…"

With only months to go, the pressure was growing, but so was the anticipation... Each day brought us closer to Kepler-009AV—and closer to the mysteries it held…

For now, we focused on the tasks in front of us...

The day started like any other, filled with tasks and briefings as we pushed closer to Kepler-009AV. The engineering team was especially busy. They were ensuring the ship's external systems were fully operational. But the calm routine was shattered when Technician Youn and Lieutenant Harris both reported feeling unwell…

"Just great…" muttered Chief Engineer Evans, rubbing his temples. "We're short-staffed during a critical inspection. Just perfect timing…"

"Can't the inspection wait?!" Joseph asked.

"Not if you want the landing pods to actually land instead of crash…" Evans snapped.

It didn't take long for Joseph and me to be volunteered as replacements.

Standing in the airlock, I adjusted my space suit, feeling the hum of its internal systems as it came online. Beside me, Joseph was fidgeting with his helmet, muttering under his breath…

"Remind me again why we're doing this?!" he grumbled.

"Because Youn and Harris are sick…" I replied, securing my gloves.

"And because I'm too nice to say no…" Joseph added, sighing dramatically.

Evans's voice crackled over the comms. "All right, listen up. We've got a lot to check today, and we're running behind. I want a full diagnostic of the external communications array and the hull integrity near the aft section. And for the love of everything holy, be careful. We're entering a dense asteroid field of small rocks. But it's enough to do damage if you're not paying attention…"

The airlock depressurized with a low hiss, and the doors slid open and revealed the endless black of space. My breath caught for a moment, as it always did during a spacewalk. The vastness of the void, speckled with distant stars. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time…

"Okay…" Evans's voice came over the comms. "Tether yourselves and stick to the plan..."

"Got it, boss…" Joseph replied while giving a mock salute that no one could see.

We stepped out and our magnetic boots clung to the hull of The Odyssey. The ship loomed around us, a massive structure of sleek metal and glowing panels...

"Wow!!!" Joseph murmured; his usual sarcasm replaced by genuine awe. "You ever stop to think about how small we are out here?!"

"Not the time for an existential crisis, Joseph…" I said though I couldn't deny the fact that the same thought crossed my mind too.

As we made our way along the hull, the asteroid field came into view… It was a slow-moving collection of jagged rocks tumbling through the void…

"Watch yourselves guys…" Evans warned. "Those rocks may look slow, but they'll hit like a bullet if they collide with you…"

The rest of the team spread out and started inspecting various sections of the ship. Joseph and I were tasked with checking the aft communications array. It was a complex tangle of antennas and sensors…

"This thing looks like it hasn't been cleaned in years…" Joseph muttered, brushing space dust off a panel.

"It hasn't…" I replied, scanning the array with my diagnostic tool.

Suddenly, a sharp crackle came over the comms. "Heads up!!!" Evans shouted. "Incoming debris… small rocks at high velocity. Brace yourselves!"

Before we could react, a jagged piece of asteroid struck the lead engineer on our team, sending him spinning into the void...

"Man down!!!" someone shouted over the comms.

Before I could process what was happening, another rock clipped Joseph, sending him tumbling backward. His tether that was attached to the ship as an extra safety caught him, stopping him from being lost in space...

"Joseph!!!" I yelled, my heart pounding.

"I'm fine!!!" he called back, his voice strained. "I think…"

But then, with a sudden snap, the ropes connecting both him and the engineer to the ship broke, sending them drifting farther away…

"Ropes down!!!" someone shouted. "They're drifting!"

"Hold position!" Evans barked. "We'll get them…"

"There's no time!!!" I cut in, already moving. I deactivated my mag boots and leaped forward, propelling myself toward their floating forms.

"Shin, what are you doing?!" Evans demanded.

Ignoring him, I grabbed the severed ends of their tethers, gripping them with both hands. The force nearly pulled me off balance, and for a moment, I felt like I might lose them both. Then again I activated my boots to hold them…

"You're insane!" Joseph yelled though I could hear the fear in his voice…

The void of space seemed to close in around me as I gripped the severed tethers with both hands. Joseph and the lead engineer were floating farther and farther away, their silhouettes stark against the black backdrop of space. My muscles screamed in protest, every fiber of my being screaming for relief, but I tightened my grip, refused not to let go…

The comms were a storm of panicked voices.

"Let go of them!!!" someone else shouted. "You'll be pulled off too!!!"

But I didn't answer. My entire focus was on the two lives dangling in the void before me...

"Joseph!!!" Captain Zhang's voice cut through the chaos like a knife. She had rushed to the observation deck. Her usual calm was shattered. Her voice cracked with emotion as she screamed into the comms. "Hold on, Joseph! Hold on!!!"

Joseph, ever the joker even in the direst moments, managed a weak laugh. "Hey, Zhang... don't cry. I'm fine. Shin has got me..."

"Joseph, stop it!!!" Zhang snapped; her tone fierce yet trembling. "You're not fine! Shin, don't you dare let him go!!!"

As if sensing the hopelessness of the situation, Joseph's voice came through again, quieter this time. "Shin... let go. You can't save us both. Just... tell Zhang I love her, and…"

"SHUT UP!!!" I roared, my voice trembling with rage and determination. "Like hell, I'm losing my best friend! You're not dying today…. not you, not anyone!!!"

Planting my boots firmly against the hull of the ship, I disengaged the magnetic lock to adjust my angle and started pulling with everything I had. The force was unimaginable. It felt like my arms were being ripped from their sockets, the strain sending jolts of pain through my entire body…

The tethers pulled back against me, and the momentum of Joseph and the engineer threatened to drag me into the abyss with them…

"Come on!!!" I growled through gritted teeth, my voice a mix of desperation and raw effort. "Move!!!"

"Shin, stop!" Joseph yelled. "You can't…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" I screamed, every word ripping from my throat as if it carried the weight of the universe.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

My fingers dug into the tethers as I yanked with all my strength, my boots slipping slightly on the hull as I fought against the immense force. Sweat poured down my face inside my helmet, my vision started to blur as I strained harder than I ever had in my life…

Behind me, the ship groaned under the force. The reinforced plating beneath my feet began to warp and bend, metal creaking ominously…

"He's bending the hull!!!" someone shouted over the comms.

"That's impossible!!!" Evans yelled.

"Nothing about this is possible!!!" Harris screamed back.

The strain was unbearable. My shoulders felt like they were being torn apart, and the tendons in my arms stretched to their limits. My screams filled the comms, echoing through the ship and sending chills down the spines of everyone listening...

"ARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Shin!!!" Captain Zhang's voice broke through again, desperate and pleading. "Pull them in! You're almost there!"

Summoning strength from somewhere deep inside I gave one last pull…

"COME ONNNNNNNNNNN!" I roared, my voice reverberating like a battle cry.

The ship itself seemed to tremble under the force, the metal groaning in protest as I dragged Joseph and the engineer closer. Inch by inch, I closed the gap, refusing to give up…

Joseph's voice came through, trembling. "Shin... stop... you're gonna…"

"SHUT. UP!!!" I bellowed, cutting him off.

With one final, gut-wrenching pull, I yanked them both within reach of the crew waiting on the hull.

"They're close enough!!!" someone shouted.

Hands reached out and grabbed Joseph and the engineer securing them with fresh tethers…

The moment they were safe, my legs buckled, and I collapsed against the hull. I was gasping for breath. My hands trembled as I released the tethers, the adrenaline was still coursing through my veins…

"Shin!!!" Captain Zhang's voice came through, filled with relief. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... fine…" I panted, though my arms felt like they were on fire.

The airlock hissed open, and the crew pulled us all inside.

The airlock hissed as it repressurized and the familiar hum of the ship's atmosphere filled the tense silence. The moment the door opened, Captain Zhang rushed inside, her usually composed demeanor completely gone...

"Joseph!!!" she cried, her voice raw with emotion. She didn't even hesitate, throwing herself into his arms.

Joseph, still pale and visibly shaken, barely managed to steady himself as she clung to him.

"Hey, Zhang…" he murmured weakly, his usual grin trying to make an appearance. "You're... squeezing the life out of me here..."

"Good…" Zhang snapped, her voice trembling. She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. Her eyes were also glistening with unshed tears. "Don't you ever do that to me again? Do you hear me?"

Joseph chuckled softly, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. "I promise, no more unplanned spacewalks without your permission. You're the boss, after all..."

She frowned her expression a mix of anger and relief. "This isn't funny, Joseph. I thought I lost you…"

"You could never lose me," Joseph said gently. "Not in this life, not in the next. You're stuck with me, Zhang…"

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, she was speechless. Then, with a soft laugh, she leaned her forehead against his. "You're an idiot..."

"Your idiot…" he corrected, his grin finally returning.

Watching them, I couldn't help but feel like I was intruding on a private moment. But after everything we had just been through, I didn't have the energy to move…

"Do you two need a room?!" I asked, my voice hoarse but it carried enough sarcasm to make Joseph glance over…

"Don't ruin the moment, Shin…" Joseph said as his grin widened.

"I just dragged your sorry ass back to the ship…" I said while smirking despite myself. "I think I've earned the right to ruin a moment or two..."

Zhang, still holding onto Joseph, turned to me, her expression softening. "You saved him. Both of them. I don't know how to thank you, Shin..."

"You could start by not letting him do something that stupid again…" I replied while pointing a finger toward Joseph.

"Hey!!!" Joseph protested. "I was an innocent victim here!"

"You got hit by a fucking space rock because you were too busy admiring the view…" I shot back.

"It was a really nice view…" Joseph said, shrugging.

Zhang shook her head. I could see a small smile tugging at her lips. Then she turned back to Joseph, her hand lingering on his chest. "You're lucky Shin was there. If he hadn't..."

"Don't think about it…" Joseph interrupted; his voice soft. "I'm here. With you. That's all that matters..."

Zhang hesitated, then leaned in and kissed him gently. The crew, who had been watching from a respectful distance, exchanged glances and quickly turned their attention elsewhere…

I groaned, leaning my head back against the wall. "Seriously? Right here? In front of everyone?"

Joseph broke the kiss long enough to shoot me a playful look. "Jealous?!"

"I just dragged you out of the void of space…" I said while rolling my eyes. "And this is the thanks I get?"

Zhang actually chuckled at that, her expression softening further. "Thank you, Shin. Truly..."

Joseph stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You're the best, buddy. Seriously, I owe you one..."

"You owe me about fifty…" I corrected, though my tone was more teasing than annoyed.

"I'll make it up to you…" Joseph promised. "How about I name our firstborn after you?"

Zhang immediately shot him a sharp look. "Firstborn?"

"Too soon?" Joseph asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Way too soon…" she replied, though her tone was amused.

TO BE CONTINUED