"Assalamualaikum, papa... I've come," she whispered. But unbeknownst to her, her voice was picked up by the microphone and heard by all the crew members. At that moment, all she felt was pure happiness enveloping her heart. Finally, after so long, she was reunited with her father. Even if it was only for a brief moment, even if it was only in the soul, the presence of her father felt so real, alleviating the longing that had burdened her for so long.
---------------------------------
That evening, precisely at half past seven on Wednesday, June 19, 2458, Gayatri was in the lobby of the apartment building, waiting for Rizki to arrive. Rizki lived in the same astronaut apartment complex on the tenth floor. Shortly after, he appeared from behind the open elevator door.
"Assalamualaikum," he greeted. Gayatri returned the greeting, and Rizki approached her. He paused for a moment and observed Gayatri who was standing in front of him.
"What's up...?" Gayatri asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," Rizki replied with a smile.
"This is the first time I've seen you without a uniform. So far, I've always seen you in overalls or duty attire," he said, laughing. Hearing that, Gayatri laughed too. She was wearing a pastel-colored long-sleeved Muslim dress with a lavender hijab that complemented her tall and slender body.
"I think this is also the first time I've seen you without rank insignia," Gayatri replied, returning Rizki's words. They both laughed. At that moment, Rizki was dressed in casual dark blue attire.
They walked outside the apartment building, and Rizki immediately summoned his anti-G vehicle using UVA.
"Boya, pick me up at this location," Rizki ordered to AI in his car named Boya.
"Understood, Captain Rizki. The vehicle will arrive in two minutes," Boya's response was heard by Rizki through UVA. The anti-G car flew out from his apartment balcony on the tenth floor and descended to the apartment building's courtyard where they both waited. When Rizki and Gayatri were near the car, the bioscanner detected their presence, and the car's door opened. They then got inside the car.
"Good evening, Captain Rizki and Lieutenant Gayatri. Please state your destination," Boya's voice greeted them as they sat inside the car.
"Neptune restaurant," Rizki replied concisely.
"Understood. Closing the doors...," Boya responded, and the car doors began to close.
"Commencing the journey...," Boya's voice was heard again, followed by the soft hum of the anti-G engine and the rotor blades spinning rapidly. The screen on the dashboard in front of them lit up, displaying various navigation information and vehicle conditions. The car started to ascend, leaving the apartment building's premises and heading towards the Neptune restaurant in the city center of Atlantis.
During the journey, they casually chatted about their shared experiences while enjoying the nighttime view of Atlantis. The weather was clear that night, allowing the car to glide smoothly through the air. Soon, the car entered the virtual road at an altitude of 100 meters, and from that height, the colorful lights from the buildings and skyscrapers in Atlantis appeared captivating. Gayatri could savor the beauty of it all and the comfort she felt due to Rizki's presence. Such an experience was rare for her. Unbeknownst to her, she had hardly socialized with people her age anymore. After school, her life was spent at the Space Academy and on expedition missions in the solar system. The remaining time she had was devoted to being with her mother at home. Gayatri led a vastly different life from other women, but it was the life she chose. A strict and challenging military astronaut's life, one that not many women could endure.
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.
"Relax, Gaya. Having dinner with me won't remove you from the mission," Rizki said, laughing, and Gayatri smiled along.
"Alright, but it's all on your shoulders," she said, her face turning slightly sulky.
"Affirmative, Lieutenant," Rizki gave her a military salute, and Gayatri laughed at that.
"Okay, let's order our food now," Rizki said to lighten the mood. They both put on their UVA to place their orders. They decided to order the seafood, which was the specialty of the restaurant. Neptune restaurant was one of the few establishments in Atlantis that served food prepared by human chefs. In many other restaurants, the food was made by replicators or android chefs. As a result, the prices at Neptune were higher, but the restaurant was always filled with guests who longed for authentic human-made cuisine.
Rizki knew that human chefs would take longer to prepare their dishes. So while waiting for their orders to arrive, he tried to initiate a conversation. Soft instrumental music could be faintly heard, creating a pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant.
"Gaya, you've always completed every task perfectly before. We all know you're the best pilot. But what happened earlier this morning has left us all puzzled. What really happened, Gaya?" Rizki carefully started the conversation, trying not to upset Gayatri. Commander had already informed him about Gayatri's psychological trauma in Saptonium Valley, but he tried to act as if he didn't know about it. Gayatri remained silent for a moment, unable to find the words, until she finally managed to say something.
"I... I couldn't bear to see where my father...," her words trailed off, and her eyes began to well up with tears. Rizki quickly realized that Gayatri's mood had shifted rapidly. This was a deeply sensitive issue for her. He had to say something immediately to prevent her newfound sadness from escalating.
"Gaya... We all know that... We've learned about it in the academy and heard stories from the seniors. Gaya, the late Colonel Indra Cahyadi was a hero... Your father is a legend, Gaya...," Rizki tried to uplift Gayatri's spirits. Then he continued.
"You should be proud of that...."
"Maybe for all of you, my father is a legend, but you'll never know the pain I've been through all these years because of losing him...," Gayatri's voice trembled. Tears now streamed down her cheeks. She took a tissue from the table to wipe them away. Rizki was taken aback. He never expected that Gayatri, who always appeared strong, would sit in front of him shedding tears. In this moment, no one would have guessed that this girl was actually a trained soldier ready to face any battlefield. All he saw was an ordinary girl with a fragile heart. Rizki never imagined that losing a father eleven years ago could still inflict such deep wounds on Gayatri.
"Gaya, your father pioneered the construction of Titan II Station. Because of him, we now have Titan II Station on Titan... And with Titan II Station there, we can mine saptonium, so now we can go to Alpha Centauri. So you can go to Alpha Centauri too because of your father's services... We are all indebted to him...," said Rizki. He carefully chose his words to uplift Gayatri's spirits. However, Gayatri remained silent, her eyes still moist with tears. They sat in silence for a while. Finally, Rizki gathered the courage to share what he had planned.
"Gaya... I know you must miss your father deeply...," he said cautiously, observing the change in Gayatri's expression. The profound sadness was evident on her face.
"Yes... I miss him so much, Riz...," Gayatri whispered. Rizki gazed at her tear-stained face, feeling a sense of compassion. This girl loved her father so deeply that his departure left behind days filled with sorrow that she had endured for eleven years. Rizki hoped that what he was about to say would bring about a change in Gayatri. He thought carefully about choosing the right words.
"Gaya... If you long to see your father again, there is one way to do it...," Rizki said. Gayatri was taken aback, her eyes filled with question marks as she looked at him.
"What do you mean...?" she asked, her voice still trembling. Rizki paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"Gaya... Your sorrow has made you afraid to come to Saptonium Valley, especially to the place where Antasena suffered a tragedy...," Rizki paused, observing Gayatri's reaction. She was still looking at him, waiting for him to continue. So he proceeded slowly.
"That place should not be a place you fear, Gaya... That place is where you can meet your father. It is where he rests, where you can be with him. That place should not be feared and avoided, Gaya... On the contrary, it should be a place you always want to visit. It is where your father's grave is, where you should come to pay your respects... And there, you can meet him," Rizki concluded. He remained silent, allowing the words to sink in and giving Gayatri a chance to process them. Gayatri appeared to be lost in thought. Her face was lowered, her eyes gazing through the surface of the table in front of her. Rizki's words suddenly felt like a cool stream that soothed her restless heart. The words shook her awareness of how she had been deceived by her own emotions all this time. The sadness that created fear toward something that should have brought her solace, the grave of her father! Suddenly, she felt guilty and remorseful for allowing her sadness to deceive her, causing her to always avoid her father's grave. The place in the solar system that she should have wanted to visit the most, not to fear and avoid! The sense of guilt caused tears to well up in her eyes once again.
"Forgive me, papa...," Gayatri's voice sounded soft. Suddenly, a longing for her father enveloped her heart. She felt a strong desire to return to Saptonium Valley and kneel at her father's grave. Her fear of Saptonium Valley instantly vanished, replaced by the eagerness to go there and visit her father.
"Gaya... in Saptonium Valley, you can meet your father whom you've missed all this time... It's where you can express your longing for him...," Rizki's voice slowly resurfaced. Gayatri lifted her face and looked at Rizki. Her tears had ceased flowing. She smiled at him.
"Thank you, Riz... What you said is true... Throughout all this time, I have been guilty for always avoiding papa's resting place... I truly feel guilty and remorseful towards papa... I had many opportunities to visit his grave, but I always avoided it... Because of my foolishness...," Gayatri said in a soft voice.
"Alhamdulillah... I am grateful that you have come to this realization, Gaya. It was not because of your ignorance but rather your deep love for your father. Now, the most important thing is that you have realized it all and you have nothing more to fear...," Rizki expressed, his voice calming her heart. Gayatri smiled and nodded, her beautiful face, which was previously dimmed by sorrow, now beginning to shine again.
"Thank you, Riz... Today, you have saved me twice, in the morning and tonight...," Gayatri said, and Rizki simply smiled while gazing at her.
"Good evening, Captain Rizki and Lieutenant Gayatri," suddenly a voice was heard from someone standing next to their table. Rizki and Gayatri turned to look at the person and saw an android waiter holding a large tray in its hands. On the tray were several plates and glasses containing their ordered food and drinks.
"Enjoy your meal...," said the android waiter after placing the food and drinks on the table.
"Thank you," replied Rizki and Gayatri. However, the android waiter didn't leave immediately. It paused and looked at Gayatri's face. The android seemed to observe the traces of tears still visible on Gayatri's face.
"Lieutenant Gayatri, is there something that makes you sad?" it asked.
"Oh, there's nothing... Nothing at all," Gayatri quickly answered. The android smiled and nodded.
"Alright... If there's anything I can help with, please call me through UVA. My name is Marco," it said.
"Alright, Marco. Thank you...," said Gayatri.
"You're welcome...," the android replied. Then it left them.
The food they ordered was served on the table. They ordered sea fish cooked with a special sauce from Belitung Island and large prawns with spicy seasoning from Bangka Island. Gayatri also ordered vegetables cooked with spices and garlic. They started eating, and Gayatri truly enjoyed the meal as she felt a sense of peace in her heart. The anxiety that had haunted her was gradually fading away. In fact, she wished for the day to pass quickly so she could sit in the simulator and return to Saptonium Valley! Truly, she felt that a miracle had occurred that night. She looked at Rizki, who was enjoying the food on his plate. The words of thanks she had expressed to him felt insufficient to convey the depth of gratitude she felt. That night, Rizki had helped her break free from the shadows of fear that had haunted her for so long.
More than an hour had passed as they chatted and enjoyed their dinner. Soft instrumental music played in the background, changing songs several times. They talked about many things, not just the simulator and Saptonium Valley, but also other topics. The dinner was filled with joy, jokes, and laughter. Gayatri felt a different kind of happiness in her heart, one she had never experienced before. Eventually, the time came for them to end the night and be back inside the anti-G car that would take them home. As they arrived back at the apartment complex, Rizki instructed Boya to land the car in the apartment courtyard, and Gayatri got out of the car. Under the still-open upward-opening door, she turned towards Rizki, who remained inside the car.
"Oh, by the way... I almost forgot. Mama sent her regards to you," Gayatri said.
"Thank you, Gaya... Please convey my respects to Mrs. Mira Cahyadi," Rizki replied. Gayatri nodded.
"Inshallah, I will let her know... And thank you so much for everything, Riz... Only Allah can repay it," she continued.
"You're welcome, Gaya... See you tomorrow... Assalamualaikum...," Rizki said, ending their time together that night.
"Waalaikumussalam...," she replied. The car door closed, and the anti-gravity vehicle lifted off, flying back towards Rizki's apartment balcony on the 10th floor. Gayatri promptly left the courtyard and walked into the building's lobby, heading towards the elevator that would take her to her apartment on the sixth floor. Upon returning to her room, she sat down on the sofa and was overwhelmed by the memories of the evening's events. The echoes of Rizki's words still resounded in her ears, lifting her from the long-standing sadness she had endured. Now she felt an extraordinary sense of relief in her heart, as if freed from an immensely heavy burden. The fear that once haunted her was no longer as strongly felt. Instead, it had been replaced by a profound desire to visit her father's place of departure in Saptonium Valley. It was there, at his final resting place, where her father's grave lay, and she longed to see it and experience the reunion with her father as Rizki had mentioned.
Rizki... yes, it's all because of Rizki. Gayatri couldn't imagine what would have happened in the simulator tomorrow if she hadn't met Rizki tonight. Their encounter had changed everything. Rizki had rescued her from her despair due to her own foolishness. Rizki had awakened her from baseless fears. Above all, Rizki had shown her the path to meet her father! And she felt that no matter how much she expressed her gratitude to Rizki, it would never be enough.
Now her thoughts drifted to Rizki. Somehow, there was a disturbing feeling in her heart whenever Rizki appeared in her mind. There was a longing to meet him again as soon as possible. Even though she had just been with Rizki ten minutes ago. There was also a mixture of joy and annoyance in her heart. Happiness and anger blended together. She felt happy and delighted when she remembered that she would meet Rizki again tomorrow. But there was also a sense of annoyance and anger arising within her because she had these feelings. Why did these feelings emerge just before the departure to Alpha Centauri?
Gayatri had known Rizki since her time at the Space Academy. When she first entered, Rizki was a senior cadet about to graduate. At that time, they never had any direct interaction or conversation. It wasn't just Rizki, she never allowed any man to come close to her. Gayatri had no interest in romantic affairs, even though many tried to win her heart. Her mind was solely focused on her obsession to become an astronaut. Then, after graduating as an officer, she was always assigned to different missions than Rizki. They were never assigned to the same spacecraft. They were even stationed at different space bases. Until a year ago, they met again during the Bimasakti spacecraft training for the Alpha Centauri mission. For a whole year, Gayatri served so closely with Rizki as his copilot. During that time, she viewed Rizki merely as her senior in duty, without any emotions attached. They met almost every day during the training, and Gayatri had come to know who Rizki really was. She admired Rizki for his admirable character and extraordinary talent as an astronaut. But in her heart, there was no feeling other than her admiration for Rizki as a fellow astronaut... However, tonight, that had changed.
The emergence of these feelings in her heart made Gayatri angry. She didn't want her life to be disturbed by such emotions. But on the contrary, she also seemed to enjoy it. This was the first time she had experienced it, and she didn't know what to do. In the end, all she could do was hold onto logic. She couldn't let those disturbing feelings resurface. She had to suppress them. So, she deeply ingrained the military service protocol into her mind, constantly reminding herself of the strict rules prohibiting romance during missions. She planted the thought that if she violated the protocol, she would be removed from the Alpha Centauri mission. And that could happen if she couldn't control her heart. This mission was too important to her. It was her dream. She couldn't sacrifice it just because of these foolish feelings. Besides, she realized that Rizki had never shown any interest in her. Then Gayatri recalled Rizki's words at the restaurant, that he invited her for dinner only to discuss work, not for a date! So, she really had to stop thinking about Rizki. Finally, she resolved that she couldn't change. She would remain the same Gayatri, who wouldn't let any man enter her heart. At least until she felt her obsession as an astronaut had been fulfilled.
Gayatri rose from her seat to change clothes and freshen up. She performed ablution and immediately offered the night prayer. At the end of her prayer, she supplicated for her father with a longer prayer than usual. Tears streamed down her face, a mixture of sadness and joy. She couldn't wait to experience the spiritual meeting with her father tomorrow in Saptonium Valley.
The next day, on Thursday, June 20, 2458, as usual, Gayatri was already in the lobby wearing her orange astronaut overall. Deep down, she hoped to meet Rizki there. However, she quickly dismissed that hope. None of her Bimasakti colleagues were in sight. She only encountered a few crew members from the Pasopati spacecraft stationed at Hangar D, who also resided in the apartment building. Gayatri saluted them militarily and greeted them warmly. They invited Gayatri to walk together towards the space base.
Upon arriving at Hangar F, she hurriedly made her way to the briefing room. To her surprise, most of the Bimasakti crew members were already present. Unconsciously, her eyes swept across the room in search of Rizki, but he was nowhere to be seen. Finally, she spotted Rizki engaged in a conversation with Commander in a corner of the room. Gayatri thought that perhaps Commander had given him special instructions for the morning simulation, which is why they had separated to discuss it. A sense of joy tingled in her heart when she saw Rizki walking towards her and taking a seat beside her.
"How are you feeling now, Gaya?" greeted Rizki.
"Alhamdulillah. Much better... Thanks to your advice last night," replied Gayatri with a smile.
"Alhamdulillah...," Rizki responded.
"So, are you ready to go to Saptonium Valley again?" he asked, joining in the smile.
"Yes, inshallah, I am ready...," answered Gayatri, and it was an honest response. In fact, she was more than ready. She was eager to visit her father's final resting place and experience the spiritual encounter with him there.
"Riz, I saw you talking with Commander earlier. Was Commander discussing my situation?" asked Gayatri. Rizki was slightly taken aback by the question.
"No, Gaya. Commander asked me to inquire about certain technical aspects of the Bimasakti spacecraft from my father," Rizki lied. Of course, he couldn't reveal the truth that he had actually reported their meeting last night at the Neptune restaurant to Commander. Gayatri nodded, completely unaware of the deception. Forgive me for lying, Gaya... But this is for your own good, Rizki thought to himself.
Before the simulation began, as usual, Commander gave his instructions. He reminded Gayatri to perform her tasks to the best of her abilities.
"Gayatri, today you're in control of the spacecraft. Do your best and make sure yesterday's incident doesn't happen again," Commander commanded.
"Understood, Commander," Gayatri replied shortly.
That morning in the simulator, Gayatri no longer felt the anxiety that had plagued her the day before. Her calmness and focus had fully returned. With her high skills, she safely maneuvered the Bimasakti spacecraft through Saptonium Valley, between its steep cliffs. Rizki could immediately sense that Gayatri he knew had returned. There was no longer the aura of restlessness that had surrounded her yesterday. Gayatri sitting in the copilot seat beside him was the best spacecraft pilot he knew, even surpassing himself. He prayed that Gayatri would remain composed when passing through the site of the Antasena spacecraft tragedy, where her father had fallen.
On the navigation screen on the copilot's console, Gayatri saw that the location of the turn in Saptonium Valley, where Antasena had the accident, was not far ahead. Tension started to grip her, and her heart began to beat faster. She was about to meet her dearly missed father. She didn't know what she would feel, but she couldn't wait to arrive there. As the bend came into view, Gayatri suddenly made a request to Commander.
"Commander, I would like to request permission to reduce the velocity of the spacecraft at the location of the Antasena tragedy...," Gayatri said. Commander was somewhat surprised by her request. But then he quickly understood the reason behind it, so he didn't ask Gayatri why she wanted it. In a real flight, he would not allow that request, especially in an emergency. But this is just a simulation, he thought. He hoped it would be something good for Gayatri.
"Permission granted. Go ahead, Lieutenant," Commander replied.
"Roger. Thank you, Commander," said Gayatri. She then slowed down the speed of Bimasakti. With a relatively low flying speed, Gayatri could see the details of the brownish-yellow cliffs on both sides. She could clearly see the contours of the rocks and the corals covering the cliff walls. At a glance, the cliffs didn't seem much different from those on Earth, except for a slightly more yellowish hue. As Bimasakti arrived at the bend, she slowly began to maneuver the spacecraft. Her blood rushed when a large indentation in the cliff wall, the remnants of the devastating explosion of Antasena eleven years ago, gradually came into view. That was her father's resting place! That was where her father found his final rest! Unbeknownst to her, tears welled up behind the copilot's helmet she was wearing. She could feel her father's presence there. She could feel his face appearing before her.
"Assalamualaikum, papa... I've come," she whispered. But unbeknownst to her, her voice was picked up by the microphone and heard by all the crew members. At that moment, all she felt was pure happiness enveloping her heart. Finally, after so long, she was reunited with her father. Even if it was only for a brief moment, even if it was only in the soul, the presence of her father felt so real, alleviating the longing that had burdened her for so long.
On her console screen, Gayatri witnessed an unexpected event unfolding behind her. The CCTV camera inside the cabin showed Commander turning off his nano-velcro, rising from his seat, standing upright, and giving a military salute towards the ruins of the cliff. Witnessing this, all the crew members followed suit. They all stood up, stood tall, and saluted towards the wreckage. Gayatri saw Rizki beside her, also standing upright and saluting towards the ruins of the cliff. She was astonished. They all stood as a mark of respect for her father and all the crew members of Antasena who perished there. She couldn't join them as she had to control Bimasakti. Her heart was deeply moved, and tears continued to moisten her cheeks. However, Gayatri managed to control her emotions and still piloted Bimasakti effectively.
After leaving the ruins behind them, everyone sat back down, and Gayatri accelerated the spacecraft back to its original speed. Everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere on the bridge became quiet. Gayatri gathered the courage to say something.
"Thank you, Commander, and all the officers, for your attention. Please forgive me for slowing down the spacecraft," Gayatri said. The silence returned for a moment, but soon Commander's voice could be heard.
"Gayatri, when I was still a lieutenant, just like you, I was once assigned to Antasena for a year before being transferred to Nagasasra. During that time, I was the first copilot of Antasena, and Colonel Indra Cahyadi was the commander. Throughout that year, I learned a great deal from your father. He was someone I deeply respected. Your father was my teacher, my commander, and also my friend... May he rest in peace...," Commander's voice, heavy and slightly trembling, was heard.
"Amen... Thank you, Commander...," Gayatri whispered. That was all she could say. Her heart was still filled with mixed emotions. Relief, happiness, and sadness mingled together. But on that day, her longing for her father had been alleviated, and she could face the days ahead with a fresh start.
It doesn't feel like Bimasakti had arrived at the Titan II Station area. Gayatri effortlessly performed the docking process, just as Rizki had done the day before. Everything went smoothly, and finally, Commander ordered to end the simulation.
As everyone gathered again in the officers' cafeteria, Gayatri couldn't resist the urge to meet Rizki. She approached Rizki, who was sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee.
"Riz, once again, thank you for everything...," she said softly. That was all she could say. She was struggling to suppress her feelings for Rizki, and it really was not easy.
"Gaya, I can't remember how many times you've said thank you...," Rizki replied, laughing.
"But I'm glad and grateful that you've made peace with Saptonium Valley now," he added. Gayatri nodded and smiled.
"Alhamdulillah...," she said.
"After we return from the Alpha Centauri mission, I want to visit the real Saptonium Valley," she continued.
"Don't worry, Gaya. After Alpha Centauri, inshallah, you will go there. Bimasakti still has many missions to carry out on Titan," Rizki said. Gayatri smiled.
"But would you accompany me there again?" she asked. She didn't know why that question came out of her mouth, but she couldn't take it back anymore. Upon hearing that, Rizki nodded.
"Of course, Gaya... I'd be happy to," Rizki replied.