Chapter 18 - The Stars
759 Words
The observation corridor was quieter than the rest of the ship.
Mira followed Rethan down the softly lit hallway, her footsteps light against the smooth metal floor. The blue glow running through the walls cast long shadows as they walked.
Up ahead, the corridor widened.
The lighting dimmed slightly.
And the wall ahead slowly transformed into something else entirely.
Glass.
Or something like it.
A massive viewing window stretched across the entire end of the observation chamber.
Beyond it—
Space.
Endless.
Mira slowed to a stop.
Her breath caught.
“Oh…”
The stars looked different here.
In the command room she had seen them through smaller windows and distant views.
But here—
They filled everything.
Thousands of lights scattered across deep black space. Some faint and distant, others bright enough to glow softly against the dark.
Nebulas shimmered faintly in the distance like clouds made of light.
Mira stepped forward slowly.
She barely even noticed Rethan stopping behind her.
Her hands lifted unconsciously, pressing lightly against the clear surface of the viewing wall.
“It’s… beautiful,” she whispered.
The words slipped out without her meaning to say them aloud.
She leaned closer to the glass, her eyes moving across the endless field of stars.
“I’ve never seen this many before.”
Her voice was softer now.
Back on Earth, the sky had always been filled with city lights, buildings, pollution hiding most of the stars.
But here…
There was nothing blocking them.
Just the galaxy.
For the first time since arriving on the ship, Mira forgot to be nervous.
A small smile slowly spread across her face.
Behind her, Rethan watched quietly.
He had seen this view countless times.
To him it was familiar.
Routine.
But watching her see it…
That was different.
Her expression had changed completely.
The tension that usually lived in her shoulders had faded. Her posture was lighter now, curiosity replacing fear.
She looked… happy.
Rethan moved toward one of the curved seating platforms built into the observation room and sat down.
He rested his arms loosely on his knees, watching her explore the view.
Mira walked slowly along the length of the window.
Her eyes darted from star to star like someone trying to absorb everything at once.
“Do you know what all those are?” she asked suddenly, pointing at a cluster of brighter lights.
“Stars,” Rethan answered simply.
She laughed softly.
“I mean like… specific ones.”
“No.”
She looked back at him with a small grin.
“I thought space travelers were supposed to know that stuff.”
“We navigate by systems and coordinates.”
“That sounds less romantic.”
“Perhaps.”
Mira returned her attention to the window again.
Her reflection faintly shimmered in the glass beside the stars.
“Back home,” she said quietly, “I used to try to look at the night sky sometimes.”
Rethan listened.
“But you couldn’t see much,” she continued. “Too many lights in the city.”
She pointed again toward the vast darkness beyond the window.
“This is… different.”
“Yes.”
She leaned forward slightly, her forehead almost touching the glass.
“It’s weird.”
“How?”
“I should probably be terrified right now.”
Rethan raised an eyebrow slightly.
“But instead?” he asked.
She smiled faintly.
“…I’m kind of amazed.”
Silence settled gently between them.
Mira stayed by the window, still watching the stars.
Rethan remained seated, observing her more than the galaxy itself.
Her excitement was quiet but genuine.
Every now and then she would tilt her head, noticing something new in the endless field of light.
The nervous human who had walked the corridors earlier seemed almost gone now.
In her place was someone curious.
Someone fascinated.
After a while she glanced back toward him.
“You come here a lot?”
“Sometimes.”
“Why?”
Rethan looked toward the window.
“For perspective.”
She tilted her head.
“Perspective on what?”
He gestured toward the stars.
“The galaxy is vast.”
“…Yeah.”
“It reminds you how small most problems truly are.”
Mira looked back out at the stars again.
“…That’s actually kind of comforting.”
Rethan watched her smile again as she continued staring into the endless night beyond the ship.
For the first time since she had boarded the vessel—
Mira looked relaxed.
And strangely enough…
So did he.
- Writer
