The Alpha Centauri Expedition

5. Antasena's Tomb

They arrived at the Neptune restaurant around seven o'clock. The anti-G car they were riding in had landed in the parking lot located in front of the restaurant. They left the car and walked towards the entrance. The restaurant building had an interesting architecture. Its front part was an open space with beautiful gardens and ponds where people could dine in the open air. Behind it, there was a restaurant building with a modern architectural style for those who preferred indoor dining. By that time, there were already quite a few guests. Rizki invited Gayatri to enter and find a quieter table so they could talk peacefully. As they entered the restaurant, many guests looked at them and paid attention. Rizki looked around to find the most secluded table, and when he found it, he immediately led Gayatri there. Even after they had sat down, many guests continued to observe them. Such occurrences always made Gayatri feel uncomfortable. But she had to get used to it because people all over the world recognized them as astronauts who would depart for Alpha Centauri.

"Gaya, are you aware that you've become a celebrity?" Rizki asked once they were seated. Gayatri laughed upon hearing it.

"That's the only thing I dislike about this mission. We're forced to become famous and lose some of our privacy," Gayatri said. Rizki smiled. Gayatri was indeed a unique person, he thought. Most people desire fame, but Gayatri didn't like it. However, now she couldn't avoid it, as her name and face were known worldwide.

Rizki was about to order food through UVA when suddenly a group of teenage girls approached them.

"Good evening, Rizki and Gayatri...," they greeted.

"Good evening," Rizki and Gayatri responded kindly.

"Sorry, but can we take a photo with both of you for a moment? Please...," one of them asked, with a pleading gesture. Rizki looked at Gayatri, and she nodded.

"Of course...," Rizki replied. Hearing his answer, the girls cheered with excitement. Rizki and Gayatri stood up from their seats and stood together with them. One of the girls put on her UVA to take a selfie. Rizki and Gayatri stood in the middle, flanked by the girls on their sides, each with their own style. The girl wearing UVA signaled them to get ready, and she started taking several photos. The UVA projected a holographic mirror surface in front of them to capture the reflection of the selfie image. The result was a three-dimensional virtual reality photo. After that, they requested another photo separately with Rizki and Gayatri. They took turns taking individual photos with Rizki and Gayatri. Gayatri noticed that the girls seemed affectionate towards Rizki. Some even posed while hugging him. Rizki appeared slightly uncomfortable, but he couldn't refuse. Seeing that, for some reason suddenly half of Gayatri's heart felt something she had never felt before, mixed feelings of dislike, anxiety and annoyance. But she quickly tried to dismiss those emotions.

After they got all the photos they requested, the girls thanked them and returned to their table happily.

"I hope no one else disturbs us," Rizki said as he and Gayatri sat back down. He looked around again, visibly relieved when no one was paying attention to them anymore. Gayatri also appeared relieved, but then she seemed to realize something and looked at Rizki with an anxious expression.

"Soon, those photos will be circulating on social media and tomorrow they'll appear in national news. Riz, I'm worried that the Space Force will accuse us of violating the military service protocol," Gayatri said with a worried look on her face. Rizki fell silent for a moment. Of course, Gayatri didn't know that what they were doing that night was a Commander's order. He wouldn't tell Gayatri because he feared it would ruin the atmosphere. Let Gayatri believe that all of this happened naturally, he thought. So he tried to find words to calm Gayatri's heart.

"Don't worry, Gaya. We came here to discuss work, not for a date," he said.

"Yes, but how would they know...?" Gayatri asked, still feeling a bit anxious. But for some reason, a slight sense of disappointment emerged in her heart when Rizki mentioned that this wasn't a date.