章節 17: - Arrival to Elendir
They entered the ship and buckled in. Kenji sat down in the front seat and began flicking a couple switches.
The ship began to power up.
A set of doors opened above them, revealing the night sky. The ship began slowly levitating until it had cleared the doors. It flipped to a ninety degree angle, until the nose was pointing toward the sky. The thrusters ignited and in a few seconds, they were in space. The force of their movement pressed them all back into their seats.
"Everyone good?" Kenji asked, glancing back.
Hyunji ignored him and glanced at Jade, who looked visibly sick.
"Well, get ready. We're about to hit quantum speed," Kenji warned.
The initial jump shoved them back against their seats for the second time, and Hyunji felt for just a moment as if her bones were being crushed. The ship began to creak and groan, and she feared it would be torn apart.
Then, just a few seconds later, the pressure stopped.
Hyunji gasped as she looked out the window. Outside presented a range of colors, flashing by every second. It was beautiful.
She turned to Jade, wanting someone to share her excitement with, but he wasn't looking out the window. Instead, he had his head lying in his lap.
Hyunji unbuckled her belt and knelt down next to him. He was crying softly. Removing her jacket, she wrapped it over his shoulders. "Everything's gonna be alright, kid. We just have to keep moving. No looking back now."
"Thank you, Hyunji," Jade said, wrapping her jacket further over his body.
"Feel free to check out my stash in the back while we have the time," Kenji said, pointing toward the back of the ship.
"That's the best thing you've said all day." Hyunji made her way toward the back.
"I'm coming too," Jade said, crawling from his seat.
When they got to the back of the room, they found a door with a silver button in place of a handle. Hyunji pressed the button and it slid open, revealing a closet filled to the brim with guns, swords, and explosives.
"Take whatever you need. Except those katanas. Those are mine," Kenji said.
Hyunji snatched up a pistol, a set of throwing knives, and a longsword, all of which she attached to her belt.
Jade considered his options, eventually deciding on a small pistol.
"You're gonna need more than that," Hyunji said. "Let's get you…."
"I'm fine," Jade said. "I don't need weapons to protect myself."
Hyunji frowned, remembering how she'd found Jade in the alley. If he truly had a power, the pistol would mean nothing to him during a fight. Pressing the button a second time, the door slid closed. They went and sat back down at their seats.
A few hours went by, and Hyunji watched out the window impatiently. How much longer would it be? So much could've happened to Min-jun by now. He could be dead. He could've been taken by a hunter. He could be off world. She needed to get to him immediately.
As if on cue, Kenji spoke up. "We are entering Sector 4308. Time to buckle back up."
They did as they were told, and a minute later, the flashing rainbow colors slowed to white streaks.
"Now approaching Elendir," Kenji said.
"There's no need to narrate," Hyunji said irritably. "I paid for a ride, not a tour."
She heard Jade gasp.
"Woah. Why is it so dark?" He asked.
"Elendir is a rogue planet," Kenji explained, ignoring Hyunji's further protests. "Meaning it doesn't revolve around a star like most other systems. Instead, it is in constant motion, in a single direction. Fifty years ago, when it was first discovered, Elendir was trillions of miles closer to Earth."
"Woah," Jade said again.
The ship continued to slow, until they were just coasting toward the dark planet.
"Fun fact," Kenji continued, and Hyunji groaned. "There are no permanent residents of Elendir, only tourists. Because of the lack of sunlight, the residents started to go insane after just over a year."
"How does it stay warm?" Jade asked.
"They call it dragonbreath," Kenji said. "When the Karneki's learned the science of harnessing sun power, they were able to come up with means for transportation, but also the power to heat planets." He frowned. "I'm surprised you never learned any of this in school, kid."
"I never went to school."
"Ah, so I was right. An orphan. I can always smell it," he said, tapping on his nose.
"Shut the hell up, Kenji," Hyunji said, crossing her arms.
The ship slowed down even more.
Kenji glanced back, a pained expression on his face. "What did you just say to your uncle? Like it or not, your mother and I were the closest of friends. I expect you to treat me the same way."
"Whatever. Let's just land somewhere," Hyunji said bitterly.
The ship entered the atmosphere. "Initializing cloaking device," Kenji said, flipping a switch. "We're setting down now. We'll only have an hour of cloaking, so hurry back," he said. There was a slight thump as they landed. Kenji unbuckled and stepped over to the exit door. He turned to Hyunji. "You sure you don't want my help, Pumpkin? It's gonna get dangerous out there for you."
"You don't care about that," Hyunji said. "Besides, I don't have any more money to spare."
He shrugged. "Fine."
Hyunji stepped out onto Elendir, gazing around in amazement, Jade following just behind her. This was the first time she had traveled anywhere. The universe was vast, but she always felt safer being confined to Earth. But her brother was here. Her brother needed her.
They began making their way toward the city. For a tourist destination, there didn't seem to be much activity.
"How're we going to find him?" Jade asked.
A large convoy zipped past them on the road. Hyunji took a step back, examining the vehicles. "Military. Looks like they have a destination. We follow them."
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