Cosmogyral Expedition (Volume 1)

Chapter 9

Everyone was gawking wide mouthed at the little girl who was completely fine and she placed the cup softly back in the tray. A delighted smiled adored her face as the taste of liquid was so delicious and refreshing and she went for the next cup. None of them tried to stop her, watching her in utter shock, except for the man who was pleased to see the smile on the Yuina's face. 

"Calix, do something.", Arjun nudged Calix again, with a horrified look on his face while looking at Yuina. 

Calix thought for a second and decided to try something with a hope that it wouldn't go wrong. He stood up, backing up a bit, he breathed once as they all watched him reaching for the button to take off the headgear down. The headgear came down and Calix was a tad nervous. 

Ryan closed his eyes, and didn't want to see Calix's body blowing off. Chris was looking at Yuina and Calix with an edgy look. Ayesha was praying to god that they would be alright while looking at Calix with a hand over her mouth. Jane, Emily and Arjun were staring at Calix who took in his first breath and he exhaled out in relief. The air was pristine, fresh, aromatic, pleasant but cold and his warmth breath came out as a smoke in the chill air.

"Are you okay? You are not feeling any count down going inside you, right? If you did, put that thing back on before you go off.", Arjun remarked, carefully moving away a few inches just in case Calix exploded.

Calix breathed in and out a few times, feeling completely sophisticated and calm at the cool and pleasant air. He looked at the rest and said while nodding, "I'm good. In fact, I'm feeling very good. You can take off your headgears. It must be a habitable planet with a breathable atmosphere."

Arjun looked back at them, particularly at Emily, "Okay, who goes first? Emily, you take it off first. You were the first one who was dying to eat."

"Hey!", Emily gave an offended look at him and said, "I am not feeling hungry after what this imbecile just filled us in with."

"Well, he hasn't blown off though.", Arjun argued back and side glanced at Calix mumbling, "At least, not yet."

"But he is an alie-", Emily was about to point out a reason but she saw Ayesha pressing the headgear off.

Ayesha inhaled and exhaled once before she spoke with a smile, "Hmm, nice smell. It's just quite freezing but it's not that bad."

After Ayesha's statement of confirmation, Emily brought her headgear down and breathed the familiar cold air, "Yeah, feels like home.", she immediately took the cup of drink and started to sip. 

After that, Chris, Arjun, Jane and Ryan pressed their headgears down, one by one. They all immediately took a cup of drink for themselves. Ryan smelled the liquid before taking a small sip and his taste buds exploded at the drink which was like fruit punch mixed with chill water. Jane and Chris hummed in satisfaction of the taste. 

Arjun commented as he saw Emily devouring the weird looking fruits as if it's her last meal, "Someone said they were not hungry anymore."

"Shut up.", Emily rolled her eyes, earning a grin from him.

Calix looked at Yuina, "Yuina."

She looked up at him at the call of her name with innocent eyes.

"Never ever do that again.", Calix shook his head.

"Do what?", she asked meekly.

"Taking your headgear off like that without my permission. Do not repeat that again, understood?", he asked in a strict yet soft tone and Yuina nodded timidly.