It All Started With Magnets

.18.

"Be safe, my friend." He clicked low in his throat and I nodded before letting him go and hugging Mare-aide, then Dunnerton, and finally Loril-ee, kneeling down on the landing pad as I did so.

She brushed my hair back behind my ear with her small fingers, giving me a wide and toothy smile. "You will come back. It will be okay. We will talk to you soon. Go on." She gently waved me off and I nodded as I got to my feet, grabbing the pack I had set down when I hugged her.

I pulled my shoulders back, took a fortifying breath to calm my emotions, and headed to the ship. There was a soundless movement as the entrance slid up and the walkway extended. It was all seamless, made with such precision that not even a paper could fit between the cracks. I didn't look back as I walked up into the dim void of my ship. I didn't look back, not trusting myself too.

I moved into the cockpit and got into the pilot's seat, tossing my bag into the other seat as I buckled myself in. I turned everything on before opening the comms. "Air space four, this is Alpha Orion One, requesting lift off from bay two twenty-five." I looked out the window and up towards the sky, my heart in my chest at the name that we had chosen. Humanity lived in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way, the scientists and the Council of Torin had demanded the name represent not only where I was from but who I was. The first human out of the Orion Arm. Orion One.

"We have cleared the skies for you, Alpha Orion One." The words came through smoothly and evenly, like all good air space controller's should.

"Copy that, air space four." I nodded as I grasped the joysticks, pulling up to hover.

The comms lit up and I hesitated. "Safe travels, our human friend. We will wait for your return on wings of glory." The words had me swallowing thickly, did everyone have to make it impossible to leave?

I cleared my throat before opening my comms. "Thank you, air space four, I'll hold you to that." I closed them up and started my ascent. The ship moved smoothly, just like I knew she would and once I was clear of the city air space I let her loose. The planet was nothing but a speck behind me as I pushed for home.

For earth.

.........

An hour later

I paced as I watched the comm buoy was carefully detached from the small on board engine coupled too it. I nearly started to chew on my thumbnail with anxiety as it slowly righted itself and there was a few heart stopping moments before the light on top started to flash a dull red.

"Yes!" I nearly shouted it as I bolted to the cockpit, my heart in my throat as I sat down and opened up the long range com. The familiar pinging filled the space and I drummed my fingers on the arm rest. "Pick up, pick up, pick up!" I whispered it to myself and after a few seconds my view screen was filled with familiar faces.

"It worked!" Mare-aide cheered and I slumped in my chair with a wide grin. It had. We had established the first comm buoy in unknown space for the Galactic Union in over a thousand years and it was working perfectly through the shield.

"The journey, how was it?" At'kat'vo's chitin was still grey but I could see it had darkened a few shades.

"So far so good. I haven't actually let her loose. I want to ensure I'm able to control my speed and location." It was hard to pinpoint the exact areas I needed to place the comm buoys when you were travelling too fast.

"Good, good. Slow and steady." Dunner said it evenly and I nodded with a smile.

"I can't believe how relieved I am that this went through." I was. It meant so much to me. We could establish a comm link between earth and the Galactic Union, we could speak to each other. It was so important for the next bit of first contact. I was one person, I would be introducing the rest of the world to aliens and the reaction was going to be... I honestly knew there would be a lot of people who either wouldn't believe it or would straight up become aggressive over it. Having the ability to allow for the Galactic Union and the aliens to advocate for themselves was important.

"We are as well. At'kat'vo has reverted in his moult, you should have seen him before you called." Gal'rug said it seriously and I gave the insectoid alien a bemused smile.

"At'kat'vo..." I nearly sighed it out and he clicked his mandibles together.

"I will not apologize for my worry, you are my friend, you are worth moulting for." The words would have scared me if I hadn't known his species and while it worried me I was touched. That was the biggest compliment a k'gtar could give someone, that they were worth losing a moult off their life for.

"Yes but you said you only have about fifteen or twenty moults left. I would much rather have you with me longer than for you to unnecessarily moult for me." I was safe, as safe as scientists could make me with their technology as well as my own. He didn't respond, just clicked his mandibles together decisively, as if the matter weren't up for discussion and I smiled slightly.

"We are getting very good readings on location and the neighbouring stars and planets, the buoy is working perfectly." Loril-ee said it happily and I knew she would be itching to take it to the other scientists so they could compile the data about the location and the various planets around, which ones had which sorts of atmospheres and mapping out more of the universe.

"Good. I'm glad it's working." I was, this was just as important as everything else. Having a full map of the universe, at least between Torin and earth on the path I was taking, was important. Mapping the outer boundaries was important hundreds of years ago when humans sailed the oceans, it was just as important now.

"You are making great time based on the location and the buoy coming on line. Probably could be a little faster, should be safer." Loril-ee said it absently as she moved her hands, clearly scrolling through the data on her end.

"This speed is good enough. Do not listen to her." At'kat'vo clicked with nervousness and I laughed at that.

"Noted." I smiled slightly and Gal'rug grumbled slightly from his spot. "What's that, big guy?" I looked at him and he huffed.

"I want to see how it actually performs. Speed and manoeuvrability, but they will say no." He looked so put out I laughed again as the others on their screen shook their heads almost in-sync.

"Her speed is good. She will arrive to her earth in nearly eleven hours at this pace. We do not need to push it." Dunner said it evenly and there was a resounding agreement from the others as Gal'rug nearly pouted in his spot.

"Don't worry, Gal'rug. We'll go flying when I come back." It was a promise I fully intended to keep. "But I should probably start on the next leg of the journey. You'll hear from me once I drop this next comm." I honestly didn't want to hang up but I knew I needed too. I had to keep pushing on wards.

I watched as they nodded, their screen disappearing until I was looking out into the stars once more. "On wards and upwards." I let out a heavy sigh as I once again grabbed the controls and started on my journey.

Every hour I dropped a new comm buoy and each time there was a bit of lag in their response but it was workable. Each time I felt like I wanted to turn back because I didn't want to go back to the shit show I knew was probably waiting for me on earth but I also didn't really have a choice. It needed to happen.

So when that blue and green marble appeared in my view screen, anxiety churned my stomach even as I moved closer to the moon and watched as the last comm buoy dropped. I moved to my chair and sat down, waiting through the sound of repeating pings until the call was answered. I gave my hellos before I stood up, flicking the view screen so that earth was visible.

"There she is." I could barely hear the Council of Torin, my friends, sounds of awe over the thudding in my chest as I looked at the planet I had been born and raised on.

This was going to be a massive fucking shit show, I could just feel it.

"There's earth."