Chapter 4
In a remote place without light, an endless dark abyss where the void swallowed every trace of light, a spaceship flew at breakneck speed, like a ghost tearing through the silence of the infinite void. Its dim lights were all that broke the absolute darkness, leaving behind a faint trail in the nothingness.
Inside the ship, in the advanced control room, sat a few individuals, their faces lit by the glow of blue screens displaying complex data flowing nonstop. Each of them stared at their numbers, their eyes moving between numbers and graphs.
In another room, more isolated and quiet, a young man moved up and down continuously, his body rising and falling in a steady rhythm, beads of sweat glistening on his skin under the dim light. The young man looked as if he was doing relentless push-ups, perhaps to maintain his physical fitness on this long, endless journey, or perhaps to maintain his sanity in this suffocating situation that imposed complete isolation from the outside world.
"Nash!"
A soft voice broke the silence of the room, the voice of a young girl who approached the young man who was training and called his name. She entered the room quietly, her steps light, and stood directly in front of him, waiting for him to finish his training.
The girl, Debra, was about twenty years old, with jet-black hair falling over her shoulders like a waterfall of silk, and beautiful green eyes that sparkled with a special brilliance, reflecting a mixture of intelligence and compassion. She wore a shiny necklace with a round red gemstone in the center, giving her an air of mystery and elegance.
"Debra, hello."
Nash Elliott replied, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion but full of friendliness, as he stopped training to lift himself up, squat down, and wipe the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His muscles were taut, evidence of his rigorous training.
"We're getting close to the Macbe galaxy, Nash," Debra said, handing him a clean cloth to wipe his sweat, her eyes watching his expression. "I hear it's a galaxy full of conflict. I've heard stories of endless wars, never-ending struggles, and planets reduced to ash."
Nash sighed as he took the cloth and wiped his sweaty forehead. "Yes, I've read a few books about the warriors who returned from the Maccabee galaxy. Their stories weren't pretty, of course. They were all about loss, sacrifice, and scars that never heal."
There was a short silence, broken only by the faint sounds of machines outside the room. Debra looked deeply at Nash as if searching for an answer in his eyes. "So, do you regret what you did?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation as if she feared the answer.
Nash stopped wiping his face and looked directly at her. "No," he said firmly, his voice devoid of any hesitation. "My only regret is not being able to save them." His words carried weight, the weight of painful memories and images that would never leave him.
"If you had the chance to go back in time, would you still try to save them, even if it meant being exiled to the Makb galaxy, to this merciless hell?" Debra asked a cryptic question, her eyes fixed on him as if she were carrying a great secret.
Nash's expression changed, and he looked confused. He stood up and began to take off his sweat-soaked shirt to change it. "What do you mean? What happened happened? We can't go back in time. That's impossible," he said, trying to change the subject, but the tone of his voice betrayed his underlying anxiety.
"..." Debra shouted, her face red with embarrassment, and quickly turned away, her back to him. "Go to another room to change your clothes!"
Nash laughed loudly, a light laugh that broke the tension. "I'm in my room, Debra! You're the one who should go!" he said, finishing changing his clothes, enjoying her embarrassment. These few moments of fun were all they had on this dark journey with no end in sight.
"Anyway, Debra, why are you guys going to the Macab Galaxy?" Nash asked, ignoring her obvious embarrassment, which colored her cheeks with a slight blush.
His serious eyes were fixed on her, conveying a mixture of deep curiosity and slight impatience, for the mission they had been assigned remained a mystery until that moment.
Debra looked around slowly, left and right, then up at the metal ceiling of the cabin as if examining the place with extreme precision to make sure there were no prying ears. Tension tightened her features, and her green eyes shone with hidden anxiety. Then she moved closer to him, lowering her voice to a whisper so low that Nash almost had to lean in to hear her. Her tone was heavy with secrecy as if she were revealing a great secret that could change the entire course of their journey.
"Actually, Nash, we're going to the planet Sandjriben!" she said in a low, cautious voice, almost disappearing into the silence of the surrounding space. Her words came out with difficulty as if she were afraid they would vanish into thin air or be picked up by an invisible listening device.
Nash looked at her, raising his left eyebrow in feigned surprise, a sly smile beginning to form on his lips. He knew exactly what she was going to say, but he enjoyed watching her nervousness. "I already know that, Debra. Everyone knows that. Even Einar knows that, doesn't he, Einar?"
When Nash raised his chin slightly, a clear, distinctive mechanical voice came from somewhere in the room. It was mechanical, but it sounded like it was responding to them in normal conversation, with a touch of unexpected humor.
Beep!
[Einar: Yes, it's no secret.]
The mechanical voice, which belonged to the ship's artificial intelligence, responded as if it were a person speaking to them in a completely natural manner, surprising Debra so much that she couldn't hide her shock. Her green eyes widened with curiosity and amazement, and her lips parted slightly in an expression of utter surprise. She wasn't used to this kind of interaction from Einar, who usually adhered to strict protocols.