L`Univers:

The frozen planet

    In a short few days, the expedition arrived near the frozen planet that they planned to visit from the very beginning, they fixed the shields on the ship and also fixed the time dilation thingy so they wouldn`t have to worry about jumping in time again.  Benedict stood up and looked at the planet as he became disappointed with what he saw, Peter explained that the planet is suitable for life but it is frozen and it's large and can host over twenty billion people, but while the sun gets luminosity the universe will cool down.                              

“This universe is so f*****g unfair,” Simon thumped on the desk, as Clara tried to comfort him. After ten minutes they were all in the kitchen except Alexander.                                                                                                                     

“Yo Alexander, you coming?” Simon asked him through the radio.                    

“Yeah I`ll be there shortly, just don`t start without me,” he replied. John brought a drink and suggested that they cheer for the completed mission and their last trip, as Benedict remembered the words from the mysterious lady and widened his eyes and looked at Simon. In the next moment, the mysterious woman appeared in front of his eyes with the words "something big and scary," and at that moment Dave`s tablet started beeping as he looked at it and sprang his head instantly locking his sight on Benedict.

“I`m sorry captain, I didn`t see it!” Dave apologized to him and just as Benedict was about to ask him why is he apologizing a big and terrible explosion echoed from the back of the ship. Everybody looked at the door that trembled to block the shockwave.

“Alexander!!!” yelled Benedict as he decided to go after him.                                                                                                                                       

“But captain what should we do?” Viktor asked him, Benedict just froze for a moment and looked at all of them, and with heavy hearth, he managed to say two words. “Abandon ship,” he called onto Simon to help him with Alexander.                                                                                                             

“Simon!” Clara called out to him, as he turned immediately, but she saw that the captain needs his help as she let him go.

    As they ran through the corridors, everything was collapsing on them starting from electric cables zapping everywhere to panels exploding left and right from the built-up pressure in the walls of the ship. When they arrived in the medical bay Alexander was laying on the floor because a large piece of metal was pressing his leg, Benedict and Simon pulled him out of there, but because Alexander couldn`t move, they carried him through the corridors.                                                                                                            

“We will all die we are too slow like this, put me in a capsule,” said Alexander.                                                                                                                   

“No, I am not leaving you!” Benedict looked at him.                                           

“Launch me toward the planet, you`ll come to pick me up in a few days,” proposed Alexander as Benedict just nodded at him and had no other choice but to listen what he was saying, they put him in one of the three remaining capsules as  Simon and Benedict ran toward the kitchen and picked up some food that they gave to Alexander and launched the capsule. The two went to the shuttle and as they ran through the corridor, there was a small explosion that pushed Simon to the ground, but fortunately, he was unharmed and proceeded further.                                                                                                      

“I`m sorry but…there`s only one seat remaining on the shuttle, I`m so sorry!” Sarah told them as all the other shuttles were destroyed.                                  

“You are the captain you should save yourself,” Simon was ready to sacrifice himself.                                                                                                                                  

“All right,” Benedict agreed, but as he started moving toward the shuttle he instantaneously turned and grabbed Simon with all his force pushing him into the shuttle as the doors closed. “Sarah! Go get out of here!!” Benedict ordered them.                                                                                                                              

“No!!!” Simon yelled as he was thumping on the small window of the shuttle. “Get me back there, he needs our help!!!” he yelled inside the shuttle.                                                                                                                                

“I am sorry but we will get back for him,” Viktor comforted him as Clara stood up and hugged him, Sarah fired up the engines and the shuttle lifted off.

    The shuttle lifted off they were successfully saved, as Benedict remained on the Star Fury that was before its destruction. In the hangar, massive explosions chased the captain through the corridors, but he arrived at the capsule department and entered one of them and left the ship. His capsule launched into space and saw through the window of the capsule how a large meteor hit the ship and tore off the rear part where the thrusters are located, therefore he understood the metaphor that the meteor is “big and scary.”

    A day later and the capsule was pulled on the frozen planet from its gravity as it automatically activated the thrusters for a safe and soft landing. The door opened steaming and as it opened Benedict collapsed on the ground he struggled to get up as he bent his knees and puked then slammed to the ground again. In front of him appeared a figure that he could not recognize because of the snowstorm.                                                                                                                    

“He is fine!!!” it was Dave as he yelled to the others that were on the planet. Simon tried to establish a communication with Benedict on the radio, as Sarah stood behind him helping him with the wires and whatnot, on the capsule all they could hear was static as Benedict took the radio in his hand and answered.                                                                                           

“They are fine!” Sarah sighed in relief.                                                                   

“How does this thing still works?” Simon asked him.                                             

“The…uh connection from the Star Fury is still online,” Benedict looked in the sky as the destroyed Star Fury was orbiting around the planet. “But it won`t be up for long we won`t be able to hear from each other for a long time.”                                                                                                                       

“Why`d you push me, captain?” Simon asked as Benedict was quiet for some time from the other side.                                                                                                                      

“Listen, when you come back to save me, you can return the favor,” he encouraged him. As the shuttle flew back to Earth, the others left on the frozen planet suffered from hunger and the cold, so they had to improvise as they slept inside their capsules and ate from the little food they had brought with them in the capsules., but after two days their luck changed as they slept they woke up from a terrible loud explosion, Zack showed them the Star Fury crashed in the planet with the realization that there would be no connection and no one could fix it this time. They managed with pain and swat to climb the hill on which the ship was demolished while Alexander remained because he could not move.                                                                                                                                      

“I`ve managed to salvage enough food to last us for some period, but if no one comes to rescue us we will die in these conditions,” Dave informed Benedict.                                                                                                                        

“We will make do,” said Benedict. “How are you feeling?”                                              

“I`m fine, thank you, I`ve been better but…” answered Dave, after all, that’s happened it was good that there was no tension between them anymore. As the days passed, they managed to fix a couple of things on the ship, they finally slept in their rooms but it didn`t help that the ship was tilted for about thirty degrees. The four were frail and on the brink of insanity, because everything was white on the planet and from the screams of Alexander his pain was increasing and told them that he has great pains and leave him to die not to be their burden, but they did not they gave up so easily from him, they made a sleigh from the ruins of the ship. From the seats on the ship, they ripped the skin and turned it into clothes that would protect them so much from the cold. Benedict was becoming more and more disappointed with himself because they always find a way to get out in tough moments, but this time he is useless and helpless, and the one thing that bothered him as well as the fact that he might never find out who or what Hex was as their fate now depends on the speed of the shuttle till it returns to Earth. In the following weeks, the three tried to cheer the captain that it was not his full responsibility for everything that happened to them, for example, Alexander wanted to come to that planet, Dave did not see the asteroid with his negligence, and Zack did not activate the shields, Benedict noted that this is not a coincidence and that they deserve what is happening to them and that this is some kind of lesson. The four spent some days without food because they were saving for the future period. But the pains of Alexander rose as he was screaming as loud as he could. “Your leg is swollen we will need to amputate it,” Benedict told him. Alexander accepted it without thinking much, and medically explained the procedures that should be executed. They found a piece of metal from the ship and sharpened it, Zack held Alexander from behind, while Dave wrote something on the tablet, Alexander scared everyone with his scream from the pain fainting. Afterward, Zack helped Benedict close the wound and carried Alexander back to his capsule as Benedict strayed off from the camp and sat on the ground.

   After a few weeks the shuttle arrived at IASA, the guys they all had beards, as John was on his knees mourning. Azra, of course, had no idea as to what is going on, seeing as Simon was trying to keep it all together he explained to her.                                                                                                             

“I don`t want to be told you so… but you should never have gone to that planet.” Azra was kind of mad at them.                                                                                                                      

“I know,” Simon realized his mistake. “But we should form a rescue party, and immediately go to the planet.”                                                                                                 

“I will give you the former enemy ship Tereshkova and I will appoint you captain,” Azra informed him.                                                                                        “Aren`t you going to be the captain?” Simon asked her.                                           

“I cannot come with you, I`m the director of IASA I have to stay on Earth,” she replied.

    Azra and others knew that this type of rescue should be taken over by the army, but they did not want to put that thing in someone else's hands who would not take it seriously. Simon quickly supplied the ship and the crew with groceries; they knew that there wasn`t much time to be wasted, they had to leave immediately. Simon trusted Azra to take care of Clara as she rebelled to come with him.                                                                                                              

“You have to understand I cannot bring you with me,” Simon was sad, he did not want to say those words to her but he had to. “I will never forgive myself if something happens to you,” they hugged for some time as Simon entered the ship.                                                                                                                                        

“Does he know?” Azra asked Clara.                                                                           

“No I was planning to surprise him when he returns,” she replied.                        

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Azra asked.                                                                               

“The doctors are not certain yet,” she replied.

    Everyone boarded the ship, Simon entered last and climbed on the bridge as John called out that the captain arrived at the bridge, at that moment everyone remembered how the first time, in the same way, that announcement was given when Benedict entered there. Simon sat down on the captain's chair and sighed deeply, a sigh of sadness, but most importantly a sigh of hope…yes, hope was still in the air that they would find them alive. Simon just looked at John and nodded at him, John turned to his table and pushed the lever.

    Simon knew that, besides having a ship that is teleporting faster than the speed of light, they would still need some time to reach them. He was tired psychically and physically as he lay on the bed he was thinking about the old days when they were young and stupid he laughed at the thought when Benedict decided to stay alone on the planet, then they were not sure what he was talking about and now it was funny or when Dave was the one who always told them the bad news or the moment when Zack's plan saved them all from certain death with the black hole or Alexander when he was so concerned about the core that it would be damaged and would release a large and dangerous wave of radiation. In the next moment, several questions came to him as to when they would arrive at the planet will they find them right away? Whether they would still be alive or dead, the very thought of death in that period plunged him into a sad state, he had to fall asleep, he was aware that he had to gather energy, because big challenges stood before him, the lives of his friends depended on him. The others on Tereshkova knew that all that was happening to the four was unfair, but also to Simon because he had a great burden depending on him. They arrived on the planet without much trouble. They had left the ship with the equipment they need. “This could last some time, and we may need to make a bigger investigation,” Viktor warned him about the dangers that might occur to them, as Sarah agreed with him, Raven assumed that they might have hidden into some cave. Simon dismissed all the assumptions and warnings and ordered the search.

    Their search lasted for several days, the expedition was losing hope and their mentality changed from day to day, the whole silence was making them crazy and the fact that everything was white there was no other color in sight, the quest was getting harder Simon realized that he must soon decide to leave, but despite all he fought against the cold, the opinions of others, despite that he continued. Simon refused all warnings about what could happen to them if something went wrong, he felt sorry because he would have to leave without finding them or help his best friend, and then he would feel guilty for his captain because he had everything available and still failed. But for some kind of dumb luck, just made the first step and stepped on something, he lifted his foot and saw Dave`s tablet buried in the snow. “They must be close, grab the shovels,” said Simon.

    They organized themselves and took the necessary tools and began searching in the snow and after a while, they found…Dave`s body, John closed his eyes and made a sad expression, as Sarah and Raven hugged and cried. But the others, they were not there as if something or somebody took them. Even though Simon wanted to continue the search at this point they were spent, they were running out of supplies and things to keep them alive they had to leave as soon as possible, there was nothing else to be done… Simon was about to step foot aboard the ship, as a strong earthquake shook them pushing Simon who fell on the ground and suddenly made a big crater by sealing his foot so that he could not get out.                                                                                                                     

“Get out of here leave me!!!” Simon yelled to the others. But John did not want to allow this planet to take more victims. He jumped to him trying to pull his leg out, but then they heard a terrible sound of breaking. John immediately looked at the ship, which gradually shrunk from the view, as Viktor appeared scared handing him his hand and instantaneously grabbed John`s hand and kept holding for dear life as John turned his head down to see how Simon grabbed his leg and held on as well, Viktor got help from Peter pulling both of them up on the ship as they activated the rotation and vortexed out of there. Viktor sat down on the chair and held his head, wishing he didn`t witness that, he was aware that they could have been dead in the blink of an eye he covered his face with his palms, and in the end, he cried. The not so much rescue party returned to Earth they were disappointed and sad as John somehow managed to tell the story to Azra.                                                                                                                       

“I`ve managed to fix the tablet that we found with Dave,” Peter told the others. There he wrote how Alexander's situation worsened and had to amputate his leg, and after a while, he fainted. The second day it said that Benedict called out to them that he is real and that it`s him.                                                                                                               “That`s all there is,” said Peter.                                                                                 

“What`s real? Who is real?” asked John.                                                                                  

“I don`t know,” replied Peter.                                                                             

“But…” Raven`s voice broke down and tears started coming out of her eyes.                                                                                                                                     

“Can I see the tablet?” asked John.                                                                          

“Sure,” Peter passed it to him as John started searching for more notes in case Dave hid some between some files.

    “We`ve gathered here today to pay respect to the fallen members of the expedition,” Azra was talking through the microphone as scientists from all over the world were gathered in the courtyard of IASA. “Not only they were just explorers, but they were heroes that saved the human race from various dangers,” Azra continued. “But in the end, they managed to find a planet that humans can move to and continue to develop,” she finally stopped.

    IASA`s guards removed the sheets from a statue. The statue was Benedict holding two round objects Tera and Luna and on the substrate, it was written: “Cpt. Benedict Lenov – U.N.E. Star Fury.” Viktor proudly looked at the statue and remembered the days when Benedict called him to embark on an adventure. Clara was devastated by the news she got about Simon of how he nearly died, he, of course, didn`t want to tell her but somehow it slipped his mouth as she ended up in a hospital. Azra explained that in honor of Zack was created a new engineering academy which was named after his name and two new medical and technical universities named after Alexander and Dave and academy for natural mathematics was named after John and Viktor who jumped to save Simon. Lastly, the introduction of “Simon`s medal,” that`s the highest award any astronaut can get.

    “Guys, do you remember the captain talking about someone named Hex?” John asked.                                                                                                                        

“What about him?” asked Simon as John opened a note that he knew Dave managed to hide.                                                                                                       

“What does it say?” asked Sarah.                                                                                         

“A mysterious person named Hex appeared and shone a flashing light at the captain,” John read it to them.                                                                                      

“Who is he?” asked Simon as everybody was confused and had no clue.

                             Day earlier-before the rescue party arrived

    “Professor H,” Benedict was mumbling under his breath as he shivered from the cold in a fetus position. “Hex,” he kept talking to himself. “Professor H…Hex…son of a b***h!!!” Benedict stood up and turned toward Dave and Zack. “Guys!!!” he yelled “It`s him, he is real!” he kept running and yelling as Dave and Zack looked at him thinking he went mad.

“Captain Lenov?” asked a mysterious guy who appeared out of nowhere.                                                                                                                              

“Yes?” Benedict replied as he struggled to see beyond the thick snowstorm.                                                                                                                       

“My name is Professor Hex and your understanding of the universe is about to get a whole lot bigger,” he pulled out a device that shone a bright light, and in the blink of an eye Benedict`s body froze as the same happened to Zack and Alexander, Dave remained last as in the brief moment he wrote on the tablet and managed to save the note. He looked at Hex while breathing rapidly he was scared.

“Hello,” Hex smiled as he moved closer to him, Dave took a couple of steps back but Hex was faster and from a device, he had on the wrist he unsheathed a blade stabbing Dave in cold blood. He didn`t even blink as he was killing him and pushed Dave`s motionless body on the snow as the tablet fell next to him, Hex picked up the tablet and saw the text Dave wrote about him. “You had a rescue party coming?” Hex asked himself as he looked at Dave`s dead body. “Well I`ll just leave this to them,” he threw the tablet and stood up. “You never should have messed with me, now everybody will know my name and the things that I am about to do,” he walked away and looked at the frozen bodies of Benedict, Zack, and Alexander.