This is a revised version of a story published in Nat-1 LLC’s New Year’s Eve 2024 anthology, Star-Crossed and Other Tales of Intergalactic Love.
You can buy the Paperback or Kindle Version of the original story to support independent publishers!
A forebodingly dark storm cloud concealed the planet’s surface, looming just beyond the widow of Stinger I’s cockpit. Jonica hadn’t expected to make a trip that far into the Perseus Arm but Captain Lassbaun insisted, as he always did. Sitting only four feet away from him, she found it challenging, intimidating almost, to meet the gaze of the man piloting the compact landing shuttle. Instead, Jonica flipped through files on her data pad, observing video recordings of bulbous-bodied, mollusk-like beings sporting four legs and a head the analysis crew had joked resembled male genitalia.
“You’re taking quite an interest in those creatures.” The captain’s smooth, autoritative voice broke the silence.
“The Ceresians have developed a technological civilization somewhat similar to Earth’s early twentieth century,” Jonica replied excitedly. “Intelligence suggests they communicate using pheromones, which would explain why Mecha-99 is having trouble deciphering their communication signals. It’s absolutely fascinating!”
“Are we calling them Ceresians now?” the captain asked, muffled thunder echoing in the distance.
“Considering the Council of Galactic Colonies named this planetary system Ceres, I thought it appropriate.” Jonica glanced at her captain, awaiting a reply. When he said nothing, she continued. “What else would we call them?”
“Hmm… considering their heads look like…” He paused for a moment, failing to suppress a smirk. “Yeah, Ceresian is appropriate.”
Jonica turned away, hiding a smile.
Grinning, Captain Lassbaun looked at Jonica. “Tell me again, how long did the ‘bot say it would be?”
“Mecha-ninety-nine estimated it would take twenty hours to fully translate the broadcast—”
“Good,” he interrupted. “Then we have plenty of time to stow away on our special mission.”
A portion of Jonica’s heart soared, while another sank with hesitation. Of course, she knew he wasn’t oblivious to their burgeoning romantic tension, but like any good soldier, they prioritized the mission above all else. It was a torment they willingly endured for the cost of peace in a galaxy full of extraterrestrial terrors.
“Captain, you still haven’t told me exactly what we are doing. Our mission is to investigate the lifeforms on Ceres-9. So why have we come to an uninhabited region of the planet?”
“Eggheads caught weather anomolies on the scanners. Though we could check it out instead of sitting around in orbit.” He bounced back andf forth in his seat as the shuttle bounced madly against fierce winds. “Engage rear rudder brakes.”
Jonica flipped a switch on the dashboard. The ship’s descent steadied almost immediately. She knew her captain was daring, but flying through a storm was near suicidal. This escape shuttle lacked the durability or electromag shields like their flagship, the Wandering Wasp. A single strike of lightning could fry the engine.
“I don’t think the storm wants us here, Captain.”
“Nonsense. This is the perfect time to visit,” Lassbaun remarked with his trademark smirk. “And Jonica…”
“Yes, Captain?” she replied, gripping the edges of her armrests.
“Call me Griff.” He chuckled and slammed the throttle lever.
Jonica stared at the man a moment, then looked out the cockpit window. The summit of a mountain peeked through the cloudy veil. The captain’s blind joyride would plunge them straihght into the peak. She closed her eyes as the ship rattled violently. Her stomach lurched into her chest, awaiting the moment of impact.
“You’re missing the view.” Griff’s playful tone tickled her ears.
So they hadn’t hit the mountain. The ship’s speed stabilized. Jonica’s eyes fluttered open, greeted by an otherworldly sight. The shuttle hovered above a vast expanse of glittering clouds, where reds and blues swirled together in a harmonious waltz.
More towering peaks emerged from the haze as the ship broke through the clouds. Many were not mountains at all, but rock-formations suspended in midair. She knew it wasn’t magic—the floating summits were the result of a strong electromagnetic field in the planet’s atmosphere. That did little to diminish such a breathtaking sight.
While the planet was certainly a marvel, her heart continued to pound. “We nearly crashed! Are you out of your mind?” she shouted as the shuttlecraft rocked.
“Only for you.” Griff glanced at her and winked.
The dark clouds were now far behind them. He steered the shuttle toward a rocky landing suspended above the highest mountain.
Jonica stood. “You can’t land the shuttle here! We don’t even know the strength of the magnetic field. We should at least sca—”
“Relax.” His voice was calm. “I ran scans from orbit.” The shuttle hissed and whirred as thrusters powered down. “It’s stable.”
Jonica’s brows forrowed. The metal flooring thudded onto the rocky surface, causing her to stumble forward. Before she knew it, her face collided with Griff’s firm abdominal muscles. This must be what running into a brick wall is like. She quickly pulled away; her cheeks flushed.
“Not a fan of seatbelts?” Griff clicked a red button, and his own unfastened.
Their gaze locked, and she was deeply physically aware of him. She yearned for him to pull her closer. Did he feel the same? After a moment, she turned away from his piercing eyes, faceing the world outside the window. Were these feeling the lingering adrenaline?
“Captain, stormclouds are hardly a reason to leave The Wasp during first contact.” Jonica spat, hoping to turn their attention elsewhere.
“By Mecha’s estimation, it’ll be eighteen hours until we decipher Ceresian communication channels.” He stood beside her, facing the cockpit window. “Take in the view. Think of it as brief shore leave.”
“We’re abandoning the mission? But… we swore an oath.”
“The crew is handling the translation efforts,” Griff spoke sternly. “We’re right where we need to be. The anomaly is more than a little thunder an lightning. You’ll see.” All traces of humor left him. “I’m ordering you to relax.”
Griff approached the airlock and opened the suit-rack. “Come on, I want to show you why we’re here.” He grabbed a helmet and tossed it to Jonica.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. The Captain enjoyed taking risks, but this was a first contact scenario. Investigation crews hadn’t even studied the planet’s surface yet. She shook her head as Griff grabbed his own helmet. His self-assurance was admirable, but his recklessness was frustrating.
Her eyebrow tilted in disapproval. There were very few in the galaxy who would voice concern to the captain of The Wandering Wasp. She was one of them. “You can’t possibly think we’re going out there without a fully equipped squad.”
“I deployed a probe six hours ago. Atmosphere isn’t breathable, but the suits will protect us,” Griff reassured her, securing his helmet onto his silver enviro-suit. He tapped the visor. “It’s perfectly safe. And the view is much nicer than the Planet of Dying Lights. But you can stay behind if you want.” He raised a hand toward the airlock initiation panel.
Jonica gazed at her reflection in the helmet’s glass visor—a portrait of confusion stared back at her. She remembered the first time she had met her daring captain, just after graduating as a fully-fledged Space Ranger. He had held an air of brilliance around him, like a great flame burning with eternal ferocity. His presence was intoxicating, precisely how she had envisioned the legendary hero, renowned for his valor during the Martian Invasion.
Jonica sighed, quickly sealing her helmet onto her suit. She stepped beside him, observing as he pulled a lever.
“I apologize, Griff. I… should trust you.” she finally said. “ And don’t remind me of The Planet of Dying Lights. Those Moth-People took twenty of our men hostage.”
The ship’s automated systems announced the depressurization process. The airlock slammed shut behind them, and a loud hiss echoed through the small chamber. The bay door slid open, revealing a glimpse of the sun’s veiled light. She paid no mind to the world outside. Tension tore at her heart as her gaze locked on Griff. He remained silent, wearing the semblance of a smile.
“But we saved them all, didn’t we?” she asked, voice filled with hope.
“Most of them.” he took Jonica’s hand, urging her forward. “C’mon.”
Jonica yelped, surprised by the planet’s powerful gravity tugging her down. She stumbled ahead, as if her feet weighed two tons. She halted, then followed Griff’s lead, taking tiny one-inch steps. Step after step, her body began adjusting to the higher gravitational force. She glanced down, spotting tiny pebbles floating centimaters above the rocky bed. Running her own tests on this planet’s gravity would be a dream. Her eyes widened. “Captain, we forgot to bring the environmental scanner!”
He flashed a reassuring grin. “Jonica, forget about collecting data. Just this once. Remember my order.”
They were the only humans on this unexplored world. The levitating rock was their own private realm away from everyone and everything. Here, there was no oath to uphold. No civilizations to make contact with. Griff tugged her forward.
Jonica took a deep breath in. “Relax.”
Reaching the summit, they halted, glancing toward the glimmering clouds above. The swirls of red and blue sparkled like the finest gemstones of Earth.
“I wonder what those clouds are made of,” Jonica spoke, her scientific curiosity peaked. “They appear almost crystalline.”
“You’d be right. According to Mecha-99 they’re made of corundum..”
Jonica gasped. A wide smile spread across her face. “Clouds of pure crystal!” She took a deep breath. She had known such a phenomenon possible, but witnessing it firsthand was living a fantasy.
Jonica jumped in panic as the heavens unleashed a rumbling growl. Yanked by gravity’s anchor, her feet slipped toward the cliff’s edge, a plummet ofsome several thousand feet below.
Griff quickly wrapped an arm around Jonica’s slender torso and pulled the woman toward him, allowing gravity to do the rest—planting them abruptly on their backsides. “Careful there,” he muttered as he gripped her shoulder.
Jonica lay in shock for a moment, finding comfot in Griff’s reassuring touch. What unsettled her was the black storm cloud that had obstructed their entry seemed to be chasing them. It crept over the mountains, casting a formidable shadow over the sun’s orange glow. She pulled herself up and sat beside him. Tendrils of purple lighting erupted, and thunder shattered the stillness.
“Captain, is this saf—”
Griff placed a finger to his mouth, then smiled. “Trust me.”
From the dark cloud, a mesmerizing spectacle unleashed. The sky transformed into streaks of brilliant azure and dazzling vermillion as sparkling droplets descended to the sands below. Only when the droplets touched down and shattered did she realize the rain was infact pure crystal. Jonica sat breathless, lost in a universe of limitless wonders.
“Griff…” she spoke, her voice trembling. “This… this is amazing.”
“Of all the strange new worlds we visited…we’ve never really had the chance to take it all in,” he remarked, watching the spectacle of rubies and sapphires cascade from corundum-laden clouds. His rugged, handsome face peeked behind his visor. His smile faded, unaware of Jonica’s eyes fixed on him.
Jonica wondered what was behind his vacant stare. Was he reflecting on the Martian Wars? He rarely spoke of it, not even to her. Yet something in his empty gaze conveyed a burden hiding beneath his usual heroic veneer. The weight of an entire world on one’s shoulders was enough to inject even the mightiest man with a sense of desolation.
“Growing up in Michigan, I never imagined I’d see anything like this,” Jonica spoke. She often found herself blabbering in Griff’s presence. “Distant worlds. Far away stars. All of it seemed so… out of reach.”
“It’s funny,” he said with a dry smile. “When the Martians attacked, it was an unexpected answer to a question that had haunted me.” He paused for a moment. “The revelation that life existed beyond Earth was terrifying.” His copper eyes met hers. “I vowed to protect humanity from the rest of the galaxy, no matter the cost. Yet, I can’t shake the guit of those who have died because of my crusade to travel the stars. Those who will never get to see a sight such as this.”
Jonica turned to face him. “Everyone we lost believed in your mission. We would have been entirely unprepared for Zan’s rebellion. Your leadership averted the crisis in the Great Rift. Back home, they call you the hero of the universe.” Her eyes had begun to water.
Griff layed a firm palm on Jonica’s shoulder. She turned, wrapping her arms tightly artound him. The tension in his shoulders dissipated, slumping. Griff sighed heavily. She held him as shattering crystals dissipated into the void. They sat in serene silence, entwined amidst the timeless expanse of stars. Jonica attempted to glance at him. Her helmet collided with his, clinking.
Griff chuckled. “The rain is approaching… We should probably head back.”
Jonica gazed at the crystalline shards trailing toward them. “Yeah,” she muttered. Griff’s hand slid down her forearm, his fingers intertwining with hers. A solitary tear traced his cheek, accompanied by a smile. She smiled back, gently pulling him toward the shuttle. The airlock sequence initiated. Time stretched into eternity as the pressurized door hissed shut. Jonica’s stomach felt like tangled ropes.
Scan in progress, the ship’s voice spoke. A laser grid materialized, sweeping the room. Traces of toxic gas identified. Please proceed to decontamination.
Griff pulled her closer. Their helmets fell to the ground, breaking the icy stillness. Griff’s lips met hers with fiery passion. Everything suddenly felt right. Griff pushed Jonica against the steel wall. This was their moment, their escape. She yearned to immerse herself in her love for him. As if nothing else mattered, she willingly surrendered all control to her captain.
The approaching cloud darkened the ship’s interior. The zipper of her silver enviro-suit slid down like the parting of a veil. Her body bared, she stepped into the decontamination chamber, pulling Griff with her. The crystal rains of Ceres-9 pounded hard onto the roof of the shuttle.
A rounded door shut behind them, immersing them in a cocoon of desire. Warm water fell from the chamber’s ceiling. Griff pulled her closer, his hands carressing every inch of her body.. There was no greater splendor than losing herself in him. Protecting the galaxy from extraterrestrial threats can wait.