Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

First Man

She did not elaborate further, and he was left to wonder as he angled the ship towards the waiting omen, lying dormant as a hibernating bear in the blackness of space. The docking bay doors opened for them, and they flew inside watching the light throb red as the chamber repressurized.

Lt. Someone was already waiting for them, nervously adjusting her glasses.

"Sir."

"What do we know."

"Almost nothing. I had the crew run a scan on the object, but radio emissions are so high, none of the equipment seems to be reading it. Radar is useless radio typography is useless, particle bombardment is useless." Together the three of them hurried up the hallway, long legs in step with each other as they burst through onto the command deck.

"Admiral on deck!"

Everyone stood, turning to salute him quickly before returning to their seats. He sat down in his chair as Sunny did the same. Before them the front viewing screen had been darkened to its maximum, but still the light was bright enough to cast the equipment of the room into sharp white relief, bleaching everything it came in contact with by way of its brightness.

He was just about to begin giving orders when the light began to fade.

The viewing screen responded, adjusting to the light output slowly, leaving them all leaning forward in their seats as the last of the burning light died away.

The command deck gasped.

Adam's eyes widened.

Two of the officers stood.

Simon dropped her holopad which bounced on the deck and skidded under a nearby console.

The room was silent.

Stunned.

Outside the source of the light moved, and Adam, not believing his human eye, adjusted his mechanical one to a zoom so he could see the figure more closely.

Sure enough as it grew in his vision, he could only shake his head in awe.

The human stared back at him.

***

It was with a slight smirk, knowing just hos shocked they all probably were, as the floating human approached the ship. As far as they could tell, he moved on no power at all, simply drifting forward on the power of his own will. It was difficult to make out any real detail as the light of the sun had finally taken over, lighting one half of his body while leaving the other in darkness.

Adam stood as the figure drew closer eyes wide.

It floated towards the viewing window and stopped.

He was tall, but not inhumanly so.

He smiled at them, and then playfully wrapped his knuckles against the glass smile widening int o a grin as Adam scrambled for the comms button, "Someone open the damn airlock!"

The figure nodded and floated away, Adam racing back out of the room and down the stairs. Sunny followed after them, Conn joined them and some point during their descent, as did Krill. They made it just in time to see the airlock open.

People stood in a wide semi-circle, staring at the man as he stepped inside now illuminated by the overhead lights which seemed dim and yellow compared to the bright white light which had woken them before.

Adam took a step forward and so did the man, cutting the distance between them and stopping not a few feet away.

They faced each other, each man measuring the other with an appraising look, one in wonder and one in.... what? What was that look on his face.