"Riz, do you really love me?" she inquired. "I've never heard you say it," she added. Rizki was taken aback and fell silent. He didn't know what to say. He should have been honest and answered, 'Gaya, I love you, but you're not the wife I dream of....' But he couldn't bring himself to say that. Eventually, all he could manage to say was, "Gaya, the answer is in the Moon stone...."
---------------------------------
On the day of the flight to the Moon, Thursday, June 27, 2458, at seven in the morning, all the Bimasakti crew members, except the mission commander, gathered in the briefing room. Gayatri and Rizki met there and tried to act normal. However, Gayatri still made an effort to keep her distance from the AI officers. Rizki also chose to sit not too close to her, and she understood it. But there was still something bothering her. She hadn't had a chance to ask the question she had wanted to ask since Monday, whether Rizki truly loved her. She had to ask before they entered Bimasakti so that her curiosity would vanish, and her concentration wouldn't be disturbed by that question. She couldn't ask inside Bimasakti because the spacecraft was filled with bioscanners. But even in Hangar F, there was no safe location to ask the question as almost every corner was also monitored by bioscanners, and there were several androids guarding the area. Gayatri thought hard, but she couldn't find a safe way to do it.
Shortly after, Commander arrived in the briefing room and immediately gave a brief direction before they started the flight.
"Our mission today is clear... Team One is responsible for the departure from Earth to the Moon, and Team Two for the return from the Moon to Earth. Team One's task is to test the maximum speed of the spacecraft and the deflector. Team Two's task is to test life sensors and quantum cameras. The marines will test the four laser cannons. On the Moon, we will land at Moon I Station to conduct tests on the shuttles and rovers," said Commander.
"Are there any questions...? If not, please proceed with the flight procedures," Commander concluded. Then everyone left the briefing room and headed to the spacesuit changing room. There, rows of compartments stored the spacesuits of the Bimasakti crew. Each crew member had their own compartment to store their spacesuit. Gayatri entered her compartment to change clothes. She had to replace all her clothing with the spacesuit available in the compartment because all astronauts on space missions were not allowed to bring anything except themselves. Before putting on the spacesuit, she had to sterilize her body using the sterilizer provided in the compartment. The device was a kind of ionizer with special UV rays for body sterilization. For a few seconds, the compartment was filled with blue light when Gayatri activated it. She also had to use a special comb to sterilize the inside of her hair. Afterward, she quickly put on the spacesuit hanging in the corner of the compartment. In every space flight, the entire interior of the Bimasakti spacecraft would also be automatically sterilized at intervals using sterilizers installed in each room. This was done to prevent contamination of organisms from Earth at the landing site in outer space when astronauts walked out of the spacecraft.
After about ten minutes, Gayatri was ready with her spacesuit. Before leaving the compartment, she still had the thought of whether there was a chance to express her concerns to Rizki about what was on her mind before they entered Bimasakti. However, she couldn't find any way to do so, so she tried to forget about it. When she opened the door and stepped out of the compartment, she saw Rizki already wearing his spacesuit and waiting for her there.
"Ready, Gaya?" he asked. Gayatri nodded, and a sense of happiness filled her heart. Almost all the crew members had finished changing into their spacesuits and were walking towards Bimasakti. For a moment, she felt the urge to ask him.
"Riz... there's something I want to ask...," but she stopped herself because she realized it wasn't the right place to do so. Rizki could sense Gayatri's uneasiness, and he immediately suspected that it must be about their relationship.
"Gaya, let's talk about it after we return from the Moon," Rizki interrupted and immediately led Gayatri into Bimasakti. Gayatri didn't protest, and she walked beside Rizki, following him through the vast Hangar F toward Bimasakti, which was positioned in the middle of the hangar. They were the last ones to enter the spacecraft as all the other crew members, except Commander, had already boarded.
As they walked through the spacious Hangar F, Gayatri felt like there might be a chance to ask. When she reached the middle of the path, she found herself in a wide-open area, with no one nearby except Rizki. Gayatri sensed that there were no bioscanners around that could reach them. This was her last opportunity to ask Rizki before entering Bimasakti. I have to take this chance, she thought.
"Riz, wait... There's something I want to ask," she said, halting her steps. Rizki also stopped and turned towards Gayatri.
"What's wrong, Gaya?" he asked, sounding surprised, noticing Gayatri's gaze fixed on him.
"Riz, do you love me...?" Gayatri's voice was soft, almost whispering. Rizki was taken aback by her question.
"Gaya, we can't discuss this here," he replied, sounding worried.
"There's no one here, and the bioscanner won't reach us," Gayatri tried to insist.
"Gaya, we never know if there are bioscanners around... Let's wait until we return from this flight," Rizki said with a hint of concern. He glanced around, and indeed, he noticed several distant gazes directed towards them.
"People are starting to notice us because we stopped here," he said, and immediately resumed his steps. Gayatri had no other choice but to follow him. Then she realized that what Rizki said was true. She never knew if there were bioscanners monitoring them in that area. What she had just done was very risky and foolish. Regret filled her heart for acting impulsively and not being patient.
"Forgive me, Riz... What I did earlier was really foolish," she said softly, filled with regret. Rizki didn't respond but just nodded his head. He continued to walk calmly towards Bimasakti as if nothing had happened. They arrived at the spacecraft's entrance and hurriedly entered it. Two privates standing guard on either side of the door gave a stern military salute. Inside the spacecraft, after passing through the airlock compartment, they headed straight to the bridge.
Inside the bridge, all the crew members were seated in their respective chairs, and they appeared busy preparing themselves. However, Commander's and Mission Commander's seats were still empty. Rizki and Gayatri went straight to the front. Gayatri tried to calm herself as she walked past the two AI officers, Major Arjuna and Srikandi, who were already seated in their chairs. She quickened her steps towards the copilot seat and immediately sat down. That morning, it was her and Rizki's turn to pilot Bimasakti to the Moon, and later on the Moon, they would be replaced by Captain Bagas and Lieutenant Azis, who would pilot Bimasakti back to Earth. Shortly after she sat down, Gayatri felt her seat adjusting automatically to fit her body posture. Not long after, Commander, along with Mission Commander, Marshal Haris, walked into the bridge and took their respective seats behind her and Rizki. All the crew members on the bridge saluted them. Commander sat in the middle, behind Gayatri and Rizki, while Mission Commander sat to the right of Commander. Now, all the crew members were seated in their respective chairs, and shortly afterward, the voice of Mission Commander giving instructions to Commander was heard.
"Commander, take control of Bimasakti and initiate the mission immediately...," ordered Mission Commander.
"Roger, Mission Commander," Commander responded promptly, and he quickly began the flight preparation procedures.
"Bimasakti, report the crew and spacecraft status," his command to the AI was heard.
"All crew members are present on the bridge, and Bimasakti is ready, Commander," the AI's response was heard clearly, and Commander continued with his instructions.
"Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful... Bimasakti crew, carry out flight initiation," Commander commanded in his distinctive, solemn voice. Hearing the instruction, all the crew members promptly executed the standard procedures they had learned. As usual, they had to start by logging into the Bimasakti AI system. Gayatri also prepared herself to begin her duties.
"Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...." The soft utterance of basmalah could also be heard from her mouth before she initiated the login.
"Bimasakti, login Gayatri Dewi NIA 10483744." The AI immediately recognized her voice and responded through the transducer embedded in her spacesuit's collar.
"Confirming login for Space Lieutenant Gayatri Dewi NIA 10483744." The AI's response was not too loud but clear enough for her to hear. Then she commanded the AI to activate the copilot interface in front of her, just as she had done in the simulator.
"Bimasakti, activate copilot interface...." Within an instant, the copilot interface screen lit up and filled the surface of the console in front of her. She began to use her fingers to operate the screen, initiating the flight procedures.
"Bimasakti, lower the copilot helmet...," she continued. Immediately, the storage compartment for the copilot helmet above her opened, and the requested helmet emerged and descended, stopping right above her head. Almost simultaneously, the rest of the crew also did the same, and their helmets seemed to compete in descending from the overhead compartment on the bridge. Gayatri reached for her helmet, and the lowering mechanism ascended back into the storage hole above. She quickly placed the helmet on her head and locked it into the connection ring on her spacesuit's collar. Shortly after, she felt a cool stream of oxygen flowing into her helmet, refreshing her breath. Now, she could control the spacecraft with her thoughts through the mind reader installed inside the helmet.
"Bimasakti, activate mindreader," she commanded the AI.
"Mindreader activated," the AI replied.
"Bimasakti, activate nano-velcro," Gayatri continued silently through the activated mindreader. Instantly, she felt her body being pulled towards the copilot seat as the nano-velcro layers on the back and back of her thighs of her spacesuit attached to the copilot seat. Now, she was securely strapped into her seat and ready to begin the flight.
A few moments later, Commander's voice was heard again through the transducer inside her helmet.
"Bimasakti crew, report readiness," and all the crew promptly responded to the command.
"Pilot ready," Rizki's voice was heard next to her.
"Copilot ready," she immediately followed. Then, one by one, the other crew members responded in their respective roles.
"Navigator ready."
"Technician ready."
"AI ready." The last response came from Major Arjuna, who was on duty at that moment. Commander then continued with his instructions.
"Pilot, submit mission authorization request."
"Roger, Commander," Rizki replied, and he moved his finger on the interface screen in front of him to send the flight clearance request to the Mission Control Center at LTA. A few seconds later, they received the response from the Mission Control Center.
'Authorization Bimasakti-27062458003 Status: OK.' The message appeared on the console screen of each crew member on duty. It was the authorization code for Bimasakti's mission to the Moon, the third spacecraft flight on that day, June 27, 2458. Earlier that morning, two other spacecraft flights had already taken place, each with different missions. Shortly after, the roof of Hangar F directly above Bimasakti began to slide to the side, and within less than a minute, the roof was fully open wide. The Mission Control Center at Membalong had remotely opened the roof of Hangar F. Now, the blue sky of Atlantis stretched vast above Bimasakti, and the gateway to space had opened for them. Lieutenant Ridwan, the technician officer, immediately powered up the anti-G and the powerful antimatter propulsion engines of Bimasakti. The crew could feel a subtle vibration as the engines started working.
"Anti-G and propulsion engines ready," Lieutenant Ridwan's report was heard through the transducer. Gayatri could see the engine status data appearing on her console screen.
"Pilot in control, copilot monitoring," Rizki stated. He declared himself as the one in charge of piloting the spacecraft and instructed Gayatri to stay vigilant and monitor all flight indicators.
"Roger, Captain... copilot monitoring," Gayatri replied. She attentively began to observe all the indicators displayed on her console screen. Occasionally, her fingers moved to adjust something on the screen. Her heart was filled with excitement. Nothing was more thrilling for her than piloting a spacecraft.
Both of Rizki's hands firmly gripped the control levers located on the armrests of his seat. He was ready to pilot Bimasakti.
"Commander, requesting clearance for takeoff," he asked for permission to begin the flight. Commander appeared to check the spacecraft's status on the console screen to ensure everything was ready.
"Proceed, Captain," he replied.
"Roger, Commander," Rizki responded, and he immediately activated Bimasakti's anti-G engines to work automatically. The crew could feel Bimasakti's body slightly lifted as the anti-G engines began to neutralize the Earth's gravitational pull, releasing its hold and lifting the spacecraft a bit. Once Bimasakti was free-floating, Rizki increased the power to the propulsion engines and began controlling the microjets at the bottom of Bimasakti to slowly ascend towards the open sky through the fully opened hangar roof. The elongated body of Bimasakti, now looking as light as feather, floated upward, leaving Hangar F below. Through the front window of the bridge, Gayatri could see ground personnel standing in the distance, surrounding Hangar F, saluting as Bimasakti began to ascend.
Gradually but steadily, the spacecraft continued to rise, and when it reached a height of one hundred meters above Hangar F, Rizki halted its ascent. Now, Bimasakti hovered in the air, magnificently positioned above the B. J. Habibie Space Base. The elongated body, resembling a gleaming white cylindrical shape, appeared to hang impressively at an altitude. Anyone viewing it from the ground would immediately recognize it as a magnificent spacecraft.
Gayatri continued to observe the spacecraft's condition data on the console screen and saw that everything was running smoothly. Now, she had to retract Bimasakti's landing gears. She had activated all available control modes, giving her three options to control Bimasakti: manual control on the console screen, voice commands, or through her thoughts. It was the perfect moment to try mind control.
"Bimasakti, retract landing gears," she thought. A moment later, the indicators on the console screen showed that all landing gears had been pulled into the spacecraft's body.
"Landing gears retracted...," she reported through the microphone. Then, a moment later, the navigator, Lieutenant Hilman, spoke through the transducer.
"Trajectory clear...." The navigator had activated the quantum radar, scanning the flight path for any obstacles or hazards. With the quantum radar, the route was confirmed to be clear from any obstructions. It was a green light for Rizki to initiate Bimasakti's launch.
"Initiating launch... Bismillah...," he said. Hearing this, all the crew on the bridge prepared themselves for the launch. Rizki began activating the photon rockets located at the rear of Bimasakti using the buttons on the control levers he held. The photon rockets started producing a deafening roar that echoed for those witnessing the launch from the ground. Slowly, he increased the thrust of the rockets, and Bimasakti began moving forward. In a short amount of time, its speed increased rapidly. When the spacecraft was moving at a high velocity, he pulled the control levers to lift Bimasakti's nose, initiating its ascent. Soon, Bimasakti was seen soaring vertically towards the sky. From the ground, the spacecraft appeared to move incredibly fast in an arched trajectory from its initial horizontal position to a powerful vertical ascent with a thunderous roar. Inside the bridge, the crew felt the force pushing their bodies against the seats due to the acceleration produced by the photon rockets. However, they were all trained to endure it.
For those witnessing from the ground, Bimasakti now appeared like a rocket soaring vertically into the sky with a thunderous sound, leaving behind long trails of white smoke from the powerful bursts of its photon rockets. Bimasakti shot through Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 50 thousand kilometers per hour, and within moments, it disappeared from sight. Although this speed might seem slow in space, the atmospheric drag limited its ability to fly any faster. Nevertheless, in just a few minutes, the spacecraft had reached Earth's orbit. The anti-G engines worked to neutralize gravity, effortlessly freeing it from Earth's strong gravitational pull.
From the front window of the bridge, the once brightly shining blue sky now appeared pitch-black, adorned with millions of scattered starlights. Gayatri's eyes were fixed on the mesmerizing view through the window. She might have seen the sky from outer space thousands of times before, yet the sight always left her in awe and never ceased to amaze her. In the vastness of space, the sky looked so clear, adorned with the glittering lights of millions of stars, resembling a scattering of precious diamonds. The view always left her breathless, almost causing her to lose focus on the console screen that required her attention.
"Copilot, take over controls...," Rizki's voice suddenly came through the transducer, bringing her back to reality.
"Roger, Captain...," she responded quickly and gripped the two control levers with both hands, clad in spacesuit gloves.
"Copilot in control, pilot monitoring," she stated, confirming that she was assuming control.
"Proceed...," Rizki responded. The control was now in Gayatri's hands. She quickly checked several critical status indicators on the console's screen and saw that Bimasakti had moved far beyond Earth's orbit. Technician Lieutenant Ridwan had deactivated the anti-G engines, as they were no longer needed at this distance, where Earth's gravity had little effect. Now, it was time to carry out the testing mission for Bimasakti as planned for the day.
"Execute test mission...," shortly after, Commander's order was heard to initiate the test.
"Roger, Commander... Initiating deflector test," said Gayatri. The first mission was the deflector test. Earlier in the morning, the Yudistira spacecraft, stationed at Moon I Station, had brought four pieces of moon rocks and placed them at the same location in outer space for the Bimasakti deflector test. The location where the rocks were gathered had already been transmitted to Bimasakti, and Gayatri's task was to take Bimasakti there.
"Target location on the screen," said Rizki. He had activated the navigation system to head towards the location of the rocks.
"Roger, Captain," replied Gayatri. She saw the guidance indicator appearing on the console screen. She just needed to follow the indicator to reach the location. The location was still about 160,000 kilometers away from Bimasakti. The maximum range of the quantum radar was 100,000 kilometers, so the rocks had not been detected by the radar yet. Bimasakti was immediately driven towards that location. Shortly after, the navigator's voice was heard through the transducer.
"Targets detected on radar, locking onto four targets," Lieutenant Hilman reported that the quantum radar had detected and locked onto the four rocks to track them. Gayatri saw that the distance was now about 100,000 kilometers, matching the maximum range of the quantum radar.
"Deflector is active," said Rizki. It was a confirmation that the deflector had been activated, and a green light for Gayatri to steer Bimasakti towards the rocks.
"Ready, Captain... Heading to the target, velocity 300 K," she reported. She accelerated Bimasakti towards the four rocks at a speed of 300,000 kilometers per hour. The deflector could provide protection up to a distance of 15,000 kilometers from the spacecraft. So, at that speed, if the deflector failed to function, Gayatri would still have three minutes to maneuver Bimasakti and avoid a collision with the rocks. Within 17 minutes, the deflector's force field would reach the four rocks and divert them from Bimasakti's trajectory. All the crew on the bridge were watching their console screens and anticipating that moment. Lieutenant Hilman's eyes were fixed on the quantum radar screen at the navigator's console. He had to make sure that the radar was still locking on to the four rocks to know if they had been pushed out of Bimasakti's path by the deflector's force field. If everything went smoothly, it would happen at a distance of 15,000 kilometers from Bimasakti.
"Target distance 25 K," Lieutenant Hilman reported. The rocks were now 25,000 kilometers away from Bimasakti. Everyone remained silent, carefully observing their console screens. Gayatri remained calm as she steered Bimasakti towards the rocks.
"Target distance 20 K," Lieutenant Hilman's voice was heard again. It meant that the deflector's force field would reach the rocks in a moment. The faces of all the crew members grew tense, but Gayatri remained composed, knowing what to do if the deflector failed to function.
"Target distance 15 K," finally, Lieutenant Hilman reported that the 15,000-kilometer distance had been reached, and all the crew members waited with anticipation to see if the deflector would work. Lieutenant Hilman continued to gaze at the quantum radar screen in front of him.
"The trajectory has been secured, all targets have been diverted!" Lieutenant Hilman's voice finally brought relief to the entire crew. On the quantum radar screen, he saw that the positions of the four rocks had shifted. The deflector had worked perfectly.
"The four target positions have now shifted three kilometers... Trajectory is clear...," he reported again. The four rocks had been pushed aside by the deflector's force field, thrown three kilometers away from Bimasakti's trajectory. On the console screen Gayatri also saw the data provided by the deflector, just as Lieutenant Hilman had reported.
"Alhamdulillah... Proceed to the next mission," Commander's voice was heard.
"Roger, Commander... Initiating weapon test," replied Rizki. The second mission was to test the four laser cannons. The testing would be carried out by the marines from the weapon room. The eight marines currently seated in the cabin would move to the four weapon rooms located on the first level of Bimasakti.
"Roger... Permission to proceed to the weapon rooms," Lieutenant Yusuf, the commander of the marines squad, spoke through the transducer, informing that they would move to the weapon rooms to conduct the testing. Lieutenant Ridwan immediately activated the pro-G engine to create gravity inside Bimasakti. The engine automatically generated gravitational force inside the spacecraft, simulating the gravity experienced on Earth. Once the engine was active, everyone in the cabin felt their bodies being pressed back into their seats, just like the sensation on Earth. Gravity was now present inside Bimasakti, allowing them to walk normally on the spacecraft's floor, as if they were walking on the surface of Earth. The eight marines quickly stood up from their seats and walked out of the cabin, heading towards the four weapon rooms on the first level on both sides of the spacecraft. Each weapon room would be manned by two marines. Shortly after, Lieutenant Yusuf's voice was heard again through the transducer.
"All weapons ready...," he reported from the weapon room. The barrels of the four laser cannons had been deployed from the spacecraft's body and were ready to fire. Their targets were the four rocks used in the deflector test earlier. However, the deflector's force scattered the rocks in different directions. Gayatri then slowed down Bimasakti and brought it closer to the rocks, reaching firing range.
"Targets in firing range...," Gayatri reported. Hearing that, the marine crew prepared for the shooting.
"Four targets locked on... Commencing firing...," Lieutenant Yusuf's voice was heard again. Each rock was now locked on by the quantum radar, ensuring precise shooting. A few seconds later, Gayatri saw four beams of white light appearing simultaneously, illuminating the dark space. Each laser beam formed a long, bright white line, and at its end, she could see reddish-yellow fireballs appearing briefly as the powerful laser energy pierced through the rocks, annihilating them.
"Four targets eliminated," Lieutenant Hilman's voice confirmed. Gayatri saw the four rocks vanish from the quantum radar's monitor as the marine's laser beams hit their targets precisely, destroying them.
"Shooting successful... Targets eliminated one hundred percent... All weapons functioned properly... All weapons have been retracted back into the spacecraft," Lieutenant Yusuf reported.
"Alhamdulillah... Copilot, proceed to the next mission," Commander ordered.
"Roger, Commander... Initiating preparation for maximum velocity test," Gayatri replied. She waited for the marines to return to the bridge and take their seats. The navigator had provided her with a safe trajectory as she would fly Bimasakti to reach its maximum speed. Then, she accelerated Bimasakti towards the designated path.
"Velocity 0.05 papa charlie...," Gayatri reported. She informed that the spacecraft had reached ten percent of its maximum speed, which was 0.05 percent of the speed of light, equivalent to 540,000 kilometers per hour. Lieutenant Ridwan, the technical officer, carefully monitored the status of the foton rockets, which were working at full capacity to propel Bimasakti swiftly. All crew members were attentively observing the data on their console screens.
"Velocity 0.1 papa charlie...," Gayatri announced as the speed doubled. She continued reporting each time the speed increased by ten percent until finally, Bimasakti reached its maximum speed.
"Velocity 0.5 papa charlie...," she reported. Gayatri saw the speed indicator on the console screen showing 0.5 percent of the speed of light, equivalent to 5.4 million kilometers per hour. That was Bimasakti's maximum speed. At this speed, she could see the distant stars in the sky slowly moving backward through the bridge's front window.
"All photon rocket systems and other propulsion engines are in normal condition... No indications of anomalies," Lieutenant Ridwan reported that all of Bimasakti's engines were functioning properly.
"All control systems are normal... No indications of anomalies," Rizki added to the report. For a moment, Gayatri glanced at Rizki, who seemed focused on the console in front of him. However, she quickly redirected her gaze back to her own console. She didn't want her feelings of affection to distract her during the mission.
"All navigation systems, quantum radar, deflector, and quantum radio are normal... No indications of anomalies," Lieutenant Hilman, the navigator, also provided his report. Quantum radio was a long-range communication equipment that utilized quantum entanglement, similar to quantum radar, allowing for instantaneous information transmission, unlike traditional radio communication, which required electromagnetic wave propagation time to reach the receiving station. Although Lieutenant Hilman had confirmed that all systems on Bimasakti were functioning normally, it seemed that Commander was not entirely satisfied until he heard the AI officer's report.
"Major Arjuna, please scan all the spacecraft systems once again," Commander ordered. The android immediately responded.
"Roger, Commander... All of Bimasakti's systems are functioning normally. I have not detected any indications of anomalies either." The android could access and scan all the systems as it was directly connected to the spacecraft's quantronic computer network through a wireless channel. It could examine the condition of the spacecraft with an extremely high level of accuracy, almost perfect. Commander appeared satisfied with the report.
"Alhamdulillah, all tested systems are functioning normally... Lieutenant Gayatri, proceed with the next mission," said Commander.
"Roger, Commander... Initiating landing procedures at Moon I Station," Gayatri responded. She then proceeded to reduce the speed of the spacecraft and activated the autopilot.
"Bimasakti, activate autopilot, set destination to Moon I Station," she commanded the spacecraft AI.
"Autopilot with destination set to Moon I Station is now active," the AI responded through the transducer. Gayatri then released her grip on the control levers. The spacecraft started to move automatically, changing its course towards the Moon. Shortly after, the golden-yellow glow of the Moon appeared from behind the front window of the bridge. Now, Gayatri could relax for a moment until Bimasakti reached the Moon's orbit. She tried to savor the atmosphere and sat back comfortably in her seat. For some reason, her heart prompted her to glance again at Rizki sitting next to her. She noticed that Rizki was still attentively observing his console screen, occasionally touching the display. Unexpectedly, Rizki turned his head and looked at her. Gayatri was taken aback, and her heart started to race when their eyes met. However, it quickly turned into happiness when she saw Rizki smile at her and nod his head. It felt like a meaningful gesture to her, and she couldn't help but smile back, her heart filled with joy.
A few minutes later, Bimasakti had entered the Moon's orbit. The curved gray surface of the Moon filled the bridge's front window. Gayatri didn't want to miss this opportunity. She longed to take control again. So, she grasped the control levers once more and commanded the AI to deactivate the autopilot.
"Bimasakti, deactivate autopilot," she commanded.
"Autopilot deactivated," the AI responded through the transducer. She then prepared to guide Bimasakti down into the lunar sky.
"Activating anti-G engine...," Rizki's voice was heard. He had reactivated the spacecraft's anti-G engine to counteract the Moon's gravity.
"Roger, Captain," Gayatri replied. Now, the influence of gravity was no longer a factor. Bimasakti had become as light as a feather and could easily enter the lunar space. She piloted the spacecraft towards a vast area on the lunar surface known as Mare Tranquillitatis, where Moon I Station was located. Rizki had sent a landing request to the supervisors at Moon I Station.
'Authorization for Bimasakti-27062458003 Moon I Dock#2 Status: OK.' The landing clearance was received and appeared on the console screens of the crew. At Moon I Station, there were four landing docks for spacecraft, and Bimasakti was instructed to land on dock number two. Gayatri had flown to the Moon many times before, and the route to Moon I Station was well-known to her. She no longer needed navigational guidance on the console screen. On the Moon, she could speed up Bimasakti significantly since there was no atmosphere to impede the spacecraft's velocity. In an instant, Moon I Station came into view on the front window of the bridge. The station was a white rectangular box with cylindrical docking ports on each of its four sides, connecting the station building with the landing spacecraft. On its roof were quantum radar and cameras, quantum radio, and a laser cannon, indicating that Moon I Station was a military station.
"Extending landing gears...," Rizki's voice was heard again. He had deployed the landing gears from the spacecraft's body.
"Roger, Captain... Initiating landing," responded Gayatri. From the front window of the bridge, she could see the Yudistira spacecraft still parked at dock number one. With agility, she directed Bimasakti towards dock number two. It was very easy for her to perform the landing maneuver there because Moon I Station was located on a vast and flat plain. There were no mountains or hills around. The view of the plain, filled with greyish sand and rocks, dominated the front window of the bridge. The white box-shaped Moon I Station was now clearly in sight. It was smaller in size compared to Hanggar F.
"Initiating docking," Gayatri said through the microphone. She then smoothly landed Bimasakti right in front of the docking entrance located at the end of the docking cylinder for dock number two.
"Landing completed...," she said again when Bimasakti had landed perfectly. After receiving the confirmation, Lieutenant Ridwan immediately extended the docking ramp from the right side of Bimasakti and locked it onto the docking door. Bimasakti had successfully docked at Moon I Station. Shortly after, all the spacecraft's engines were shut down, except for the life support system. Commander then gave further instructions.
"All crew members, please proceed with your designated tasks according to the mission. Mission Commander and I will wait inside the station."
"Roger, Commander...," they replied in unison. The main mission on the Moon was to test Bimasakti's shuttle and rover. The testing was conducted on the Moon to prevent contamination by organisms from Earth. The Moon is a sterile environment, making it safe from potential organism contamination.
Some of the crew members had released the nano-velcro and left their seats. Commander and the Captain had already left the bridge to proceed to Moon I Station through the docking port on the first level of Bimasakti. Gayatri also freed herself from the nano-velcro and got down from her seat. The Moon's gravity, which is only one-sixth of Earth's, immediately made her movements feel light. With slightly floating steps, she followed Rizki towards the Bimasakti-Alpha shuttle located on the deck at the rear end of the spacecraft. After passing through the airlock door, they arrived at the deck area and headed straight to the parked Bimasakti-Alpha shuttle. As they reached the entrance at the back of the shuttle, Rizki stopped and turned to Gayatri.
"Ready, Gaya?" he asked with a smile from behind his helmet. Of course, Gayatri was ready, as this was the moment she had been looking forward to during the entire flight. The moment when she could be alone with Rizki, without worrying about anyone else observing them.
"Ready, Captain...," she replied with a broad smile while giving a military salute. Seeing that, Rizki laughed. He could feel the happiness radiating from Gayatri. Now, they would fly together alone, free from the constraints of the protocol. Although they still had to be cautious because the shuttle was equipped with a bioscanner, and all their microphones were connected to Bimasakti's AI network.
They stepped into the shuttle as Rizki ordered the AI to open the door. Once the door was open, they had to pass through the airlock compartment to enter. Afterward, the door closed automatically. Inside the shuttle, there were four seats, two in the front for the pilots and two in the back for passengers. They took the two pilot seats and prepared to start the flight. The pilot seats had control levers just like those in Bimasakti's bridge.
"I'll take the controls, and you monitor, okay...?" Rizki said. Now, they could be more relaxed without the need for formal language.
"You were flying Bimasakti earlier, so now it's my turn to do the work...," Rizki added.
"Okay...," Gayatri replied with a laugh. Now she could enjoy her time with Rizki in a relaxed manner. However, she didn't want to get carried away, as she knew there was a bioscanner inside the shuttle constantly monitoring them. She was also aware that she was still an officer on duty. Once the nano-velcro secured their bodies to the seats they were in, Rizki's fingers touched the console in front of him to activate Bimasakti-Alpha. They didn't need to log in again as the shuttle was integrated with Bimasakti. Instantly, they felt the subtle vibrations of the anti-G and propulsion engines coming to life.
"Bimasakti, open the hatch," Gayatri commanded the Bimasakti AI. The hatch above the deck area started sliding sideways and opened wide. The dark lunar sky looked like a clear night filled with millions of glittering stars. Gayatri could admire the beauty through the transparent roof of the shuttle above them. But she couldn't linger in awe, as she still had to check the shuttle's condition before takeoff. She noticed that the antimatter battery was fully charged, and all systems were in normal condition.
"Riz, all systems are normal...," she informed Rizki while touching her console screen to release the shuttle's landing gears from the deck floor. At that moment Bimasakti-Alpha was free and ready for takeoff.
"Landing gears unlocked... we're ready to go," she added.
"Okay, let's take off... Bismillah...," Rizki said. He moved the control levers in his hands, and the anti-G engines began neutralizing the lunar gravity on the shuttle. Bimasakti-Alpha became as light as a feather, and the microjets at the bottom gently propelled it upward towards the open hatch. Shortly after, they were outside of Bimasakti, and the barren, gray lunar landscape filled the shuttle's windows. Rizki continued to increase the altitude of Bimasakti-Alpha until Bimasakti and Moon I Station below started to appear smaller. The Moon's hilly panorama and some craters were clearly visible in the distance. On the ground, both rovers, Rover-Alpha and Rover-Beta, were seen exiting Bimasakti and moving to begin their testing. Soon after, they also spotted the second shuttle, Bimasakti-Beta, flying out and leaving Bimasakti.
"Where are we going, Riz? Should we follow them?" Gayatri asked, looking in the direction of Bimasakti-Beta.
"No, I want to take you somewhere," Rizki replied.
"Where...?" Gayatri asked curiously.
"Be patient, you'll see," Rizki answered with a smile. Gayatri looked at Rizki with a puzzled expression. She had flown to the Moon dozens of times and knew that there wasn't anything particularly interesting to see on the Moon. But she didn't ask further and tried to be patient while carrying out her duty of monitoring the shuttle's condition on the console screen. So far, she observed that Bimasakti-Alpha functioned perfectly without any anomalies. Rizki continued to accelerate the photon rockets at the rear of Bimasakti-Alpha, causing the shuttle to fly quickly over the vast expanse of Mare Tranquillitatis. As far as the eye could see, there were only gray sand and rocks interspersed with dry hills visible in the distance. They had already passed several meteor impact craters. Occasionally, Rizki performed challenging maneuvers to test Bimasakti-Alpha's flying capabilities, and everything went flawlessly. Finally, he pointed his finger to a specific spot on the ground.
"We will land there," he said. Hearing that, Gayatri became more curious.
"Why are we landing, Riz? We weren't ordered to land, but only to fly and try some maneuvers," asked Gayatri.
"Yes, but there's no harm in landing, right? Let's consider it part of the testing," replied Rizki with a smile. Gayatri shook her head.
"Alright, you're the commander...," said Gayatri. Rizki then began to descend Bimasakti-Alpha towards the designated location. Gradually, it became clear what they were heading towards. Through the front window, they could see a structure that looked like a spacecraft from the past. Gayatri immediately recognized the place. It was the Apollo 11 Monument. The monument was built at the landing site of Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the Moon. The monument was shaped like the spacecraft Neil Armstrong used to land there, which was the Apollo 11 Lunar Module called Eagle. Gayatri had studied it at the Space Academy as part of spaceflight history. Not far from the monument, Rizki gently landed Bimasakti-Alpha on the smooth lunar surface. Gayatri still wondered why they were landing there.
"Gaya, let's get out...," said Rizki. Gayatri furrowed her brow.
"Riz, why do we have to get out? If you want to see the monument, we can see it clearly from here," argued Gayatri. Rizki looked at Gayatri with a serious expression.
"Gaya, don't you realize how important this place is? This is where Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon...," said Rizki.
"Yes, I know that, Riz...," replied Gayatri. But she still didn't fully understand what Rizki really wanted. Then Rizki continued speaking while still looking at Gayatri.
"I've been to the Moon dozens of times, but this is the first time I can visit this monument. I really want to see it, but there have always been duties that got in the way. This is the first time I have the chance to come here," said Rizki. Now Gayatri understood Rizki's reason for bringing her here. She realized that she had never visited the monument herself, even though she had been to the Moon many times. Finally, she agreed to disembark from the shuttle and visit the monument. In fact, she now felt the need to pay her respects to the pioneers of spaceflight, especially the legendary Neil Armstrong.
"Alright, Riz, let's get out...," she said shortly. Hearing that, Rizki smiled happily.
"Trust me, you won't be disappointed," Rizki said as he released the nano-velcro on his seat. Gayatri followed suit, and then they walked to the back of the shuttle to put on their astronaut backpacks. The backpacks were quite thin but contained everything they needed to walk outside the spacecraft, including oxygen supply and quantum batteries to power all the equipment attached to their spacesuits. After that, they had to go through the airlock compartment at the very back to exit the shuttle.
The Moon's surface, covered in thick gray sand and dust, felt soft like fine beach sand as they stepped on it. The sun shone brightly in the black sky. The temperature on the Moon was nearly a hundred degrees Celsius. However, their spacesuits reflected 99 percent of the sunlight, and the quantum batteries they brought powered the cooling system inside the spacesuits. The soles of their boots were made of a special material capable of withstanding the Moon's heat. The Apollo 11 Monument was now right in front of them. They walked side by side with slow steps, approaching the monument. This wasn't the first time Gayatri walked alone with Rizki. But this time felt incredibly different, and she felt immense happiness. She was with the person she loved, alone without anyone else as far as the eye could see, on the most iconic place for humankind, the Moon. Rizki was right, she wouldn't be disappointed with this experience. In fact, she felt even more than that, as the overwhelming happiness almost broke through her emotions. However, she managed to hold back those feelings because she knew she was on duty. Thus, she tried to remain composed and didn't show her emotions in front of Rizki.
They stood very close in front of the monument, which turned out to be a replica of the Eagle lunar lander. In front of the monument, there was an inscription that explained the history of the Apollo 11 mission. It stated that the monument was installed by American astronauts in the year 2169 to commemorate two hundred years since Neil Armstrong's landing on the Moon. The replica was made to closely resemble the original lunar lander. Rizki gazed at it intently, and then he spoke to Gayatri.
"Gaya, I can't help but wonder how Neil Armstrong managed to land here and safely return to Earth with such a primitive spacecraft... He and his team must have been astronauts far greater than us because if we were tasked to fly a spacecraft like this, perhaps we wouldn't be able to do it," Rizki said while still looking at the replica. Gayatri observed it too and agreed with what Rizki said.
"Yes, you're right, Riz... We've become too reliant on AI that always assists us during flights. But 500 years ago, they did everything themselves with very primitive technology. I don't think I could fly this spacecraft either," Gayatri added. Rizki turned to face her.
"Gaya, they were extraordinary individuals. Because of their contributions, we are now able to be here too. I think it's time for us to pay our respects to them," Rizki said.
"Roger, Captain," Gayatri replied, smiling behind her helmet. They both stood side by side, with perfect posture, and together they saluted the monument in a military manner. They stood there in silence for a while. Gayatri didn't want to say anything at that moment. She just wanted to enjoy being with Rizki. Suddenly, Rizki looked up at the dark sky.
"Are you aware that there's a full moon on Earth right now?" he asked. Hearing the question, Gayatri was reminded of a few days ago when they met at the park at night. The Moon was almost full at that time.
"Oh, yes... I remember when we met at the park last Sunday, the Moon was almost full," Gayatri replied. Rizki nodded.
"Yes, exactly... and I know for sure that today is a full moon on Earth, as today is the 15th of Rajab," he said, looking at Gayatri. Then he continued.
"That's why I felt it was the perfect time to visit this monument. Because during every full moon, there are no tourists who come here, so we can enjoy this place just for ourselves. On other days, there will always be tourists coming here," he explained. Gayatri furrowed her brow.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Because if it's a full moon on Earth, then on the Moon, there is a 'new Earth' happening... That means Earth is not visible from the Moon. And no tourists would be willing to pay a high price to come here if they can't see Earth. One of their main reasons for coming to the Moon is to see Earth from here," Rizki explained while looking up at the sky. In the dark sky, Earth was barely visible, just a dark circle. Gayatri was left speechless by Rizki's explanation. She might be a skilled astronaut, but she realized that she had never paid attention to such small details. Her admiration for the person she loved grew even stronger. Thanks to Rizki's broad knowledge, they could enjoy this unique atmosphere together. She looked at Rizki, who was still gazing at the dark circle of Earth in the sky. Then Rizki turned to her and looked at her.
"Gaya, before we head back to Bimasakti, I have one request," said Rizki from behind his helmet.
"What is it?" asked Gayatri, once again intrigued by his words.
"My sister, Nurul, asked for a Moon stone souvenir," replied Rizki. Gayatri didn't find anything strange about the request. She looked around.
"There are plenty of stones here. You can choose one," she said. But Rizki laughed.
"Yes, but she wants you to pick the stone for her," he said. Hearing this, Gayatri furrowed her brow.
"Me? Why does she want me to pick it?" she asked in surprise.
"I don't know... But she said she's one of your fans. You're her idol, so she asked you to choose the stone for her," Rizki explained. Blushing, Gayatri responded.
"Ah, it's actually Nurul who is my idol. She's a doctor I admire, with a genius professor for a father and a respected ustazah for a mother... and to top it all, she has a great astronaut as her younger brother."
"Don't be joking... I'm serious, Gaya... Nurul really wants you to choose the moon stone for her," said Rizki with a serious expression.
"Okay... okay... I will choose this stone for her," said Gayatri while still smiling. Then she started walking around the area while looking at the ground to find a nice-looking moon stone. In a short time, she had already found a stone that she found interesting. She picked up the stone and handed it to Rizki.
"I think this stone has an interesting shape and a smooth texture. I hope Nurul will like it," said Gayatri. Rizki examined the stone and then nodded.
"Yes, this is good," he agreed. Then he tried to estimate the weight of the stone on Earth since every Moon visitor, whether tourists or astronauts, is only allowed to bring one stone with a maximum weight of one kilogram on Earth.
"I think the weight is still less than one kilogram," said Gayatri, and Rizki agreed.
"Thank you, Gaya. Nurul will surely love this... But we need to take a selfie first as evidence for Nurul. Later, I will send her the photo," said Rizki. They then took a selfie in front of the monument while holding the stone in Rizki's hand. The UVA camera attached to their helmets projected a holographic mirror surface in front of them to capture their reflections. They quickly switched the helmet visors to UVA screens to view the three-dimensional virtual reality photo they had just taken. They were pleased with the result, especially Gayatri.
"Riz, this is our first selfie together," said Gayatri. Rizki only just realized that. They both laughed because their first selfie should have been taken with nice clothes in a beautiful and romantic place, not in a barren and rocky place with their faces and bodies covered tightly in spacesuits like this.
"It's okay... We should still be grateful... How many couples have their first selfie on the Moon?" said Rizki with a wide smile. Gayatri joined in with a smile. Rizki was right, this was actually a unique experience that not everyone gets to have, she thought.
"Shall we head back to Bimasakti now?" Rizki asked, and Gayatri nodded in agreement. They walked slowly back to Bimasakti-Alpha. However, after a few steps, Rizki suddenly stopped. His eyes were fixed on something on the surface of the ground.
"Gaya, wait here for a moment," he said and walked towards the spot that caught his attention. Gayatri stood still, watching him curiously. Not far from there, Rizki halted and bent down to pick up something from the ground. Then he returned to Gayatri.
"Gaya, I want to give you this stone," he said, showing her a Moon stone that he had picked up earlier. Gayatri looked at it with wonder. The stone seemed ordinary, nothing special about it. Yet, she accepted the stone from Rizki's hand.
"Thank you, Riz... But why are you giving me this stone?" she asked, puzzled.
"Consider it as a memento of our journey today," replied Rizki. Gayatri didn't inquire further and just smiled. Whatever Rizki gave her was meaningful, including the seemingly ordinary Moon stone. She held the stone tightly as they continued walking towards Bimasakti-Alpha. Once they arrived at the shuttle, they placed the two still-warm Moon stones inside a special container in the airlock compartment, which also functioned as the cargo space. After that, they took their seats back in the pilot's chairs, and shortly after, the shuttle took off for their return journey to the Bimasakti spacecraft at Moon I Station.
Upon arriving at Bimasakti, Rizki and Gayatri took the opportunity to visit Moon I Station. The rest of the Bimasakti crew had also returned and gathered there. They all took a short break in the space station's dining area, enjoying the food from the replicator. It was only eleven o'clock, but they had to hasten their lunch as Bimasakti was scheduled to take off soon for their return journey to Earth. When Rizki and Gayatri arrived, the not-so-spacious dining area was already filled with officers and marines who had just returned from the rover testing. Rizki and Gayatri saluted the officers and sat down with them.
In the dining area, the Bimasakti crew was greeted by the Moon I Station commander, AI Major Chandra. He was a type D android, similar to the AI officers serving on Bimasakti, AI Major Arjuna and Srikandi. All space stations on the Moon, Mars, Europa, Ganymede, and Titan were guarded by type D androids because they could withstand the extreme conditions of those places for extended periods. In the dining area, the crew of the spacecraft Yudistira and their commander, Major Ferry Darwis, were also present to welcome the Bimasakti crew. Rizki and Gayatri knew them all, including Major Ferry, the commander of the Yudistira spacecraft. Yudistira was a smaller spacecraft, and hence, its commander held the rank of a major, unlike Bimasakti, where the commander was a colonel.
As usual, in every gathering, Gayatri always became the center of attention, and this time was no exception. Some officers from Yudistira seemed to be trying to catch Gayatri's attention. They vied to sit close to her and engage her in conversation. And as always, Gayatri responded warmly and politely to every invitation to chat. Rizki could sense it all. Deliberately, he sat a distance away, observing everything. He could feel how mesmerized the officers were by Gayatri's presence. He knew that many of them were trying to win her heart. He couldn't deny the charm that Gayatri possessed. It wasn't just her beauty but also her being a reflection of a perfect woman. This left Rizki sitting there in contemplation. He wondered why he was so doubtful that he had to question whether Gayatri should be his wife. After all, Gayatri loved him deeply. What got into his heart that he should doubt her? For a moment, Rizki felt frustrated with himself. He was also frustrated with what he saw in the dining area. He regretted why he and Gayatri had entered this station and not just waited inside Bimasakti. But then he realized what was happening within him... He was feeling jealous. He couldn't deny this reality, and at that moment he couldn't deny that he was truly in love with this girl.
During the return flight to Earth, Rizki and Gayatri were no longer on duty, as it was now Team Two's turn to man Bimasakti. Captain Bagas Aditya and Lieutenant Azis Alim were in the pilot and copilot seats, respectively, flying Bimasakti back to Earth and conducting tests on two other equipment, the life sensor, and the quantum camera. Rizki and Gayatri sat side by side in the back row of crew seats, not assigned to any duties for this phase of the journey.
Gayatri thoroughly enjoyed the journey back. She sat comfortably in her seat, reminiscing about her day with Rizki. The time they spent together inside the Bimasakti-Alpha shuttle and the landing at the Apollo 11 Monument were truly joyful and unforgettable experiences. Now she understood how beautiful a journey could be when shared with someone she loved, and it only fueled her excitement to embark on the journey to Alpha Centauri with Rizki. She touched the Moon stone kept in her spacesuit's pocket. She still wondered about Rizki's intention in giving her the stone. Whatever the reason, it had already provided her with beautiful memories.
Gayatri got lost in her thoughts until she suddenly realized that Bimasakti had arrived in Earth's orbit to conduct tests on the life sensor and quantum camera. The life sensor is a scanning device used to detect signs of life on a planet or moon. If any living beings are detected, the device can analyze and determine their species and population count. Then, the high-resolution quantum camera will be used to observe these creatures from orbit. During the testing, the life sensor and quantum camera were employed to scan specific locations on Earth while Bimasakti was in orbit. Gayatri could see the test results on the console screen in front of her, and everything seemed to be functioning properly. After the testing was completed, in a short time, Captain Bagas and Lieutenant Azis piloted Bimasakti back to Earth towards the B. J. Habibie Space Base in Atlantis. Smoothly, Bimasakti descended into Hangar F through its wide-open roof and landed perfectly.
The spacecraft crew soon disembarked from Bimasakti and were given an hour of rest. Afterward, they gathered in the briefing room to conduct an evaluation of the earlier testing. The evaluation didn't take long as all the equipment tested functioned well. Commander finally decided to end the meeting, and the crew could go home to rest. Rizki invited Gayatri to go home together, completing her happiness for the day. The anti-G scooters took them to the space base's gate, and from there, they walked to their apartment building. The afternoon air had turned cool, and the path to their home was lined with lush trees and colorful flowers on both sides. They strolled leisurely, enjoying the afternoon atmosphere while discussing their experiences of the morning's journey to the Moon. Laughter occasionally accompanied their conversation, and Gayatri's face radiated with happiness.
"Riz, when we had lunch at Moon I Station, why did you seem so quiet, and you also sat away from me?" Gayatri asked. Rizki remembered that moment when he felt frustrated because of the officers' behavior trying to get close to Gayatri, but he didn't want to tell her the real reason.
"I didn't want to sit far from you, but all the seats near you were taken by those officers...," Rizki replied.
"Oh, really...?" Gayatri seemed skeptical.
"Don't you notice it?" Rizki asked.
"Notice what...?" Gayatri asked, not understanding what Rizki meant.
"They all wanted to be close to you, Gaya," Rizki said. Gayatri fell silent upon hearing that.
"Especially Major Ferry... It seems like he likes you," Rizki added. Gayatri furrowed her brow.
"No, Riz... That's just how you feel... They all just wanted to chat," Gayatri defended.
"It's up to you, if you don't believe it...," Rizki said curtly. Hearing that, Gayatri looked at Rizki and observed his face closely.
"Hey, are you jealous?" she asked with a smile. Rizki was somewhat surprised to hear that.
"Oh, no... Who's jealous?" he retorted, still with a slightly curt tone.
"Come on, just admit it... Admit that you're jealous," Gayatri said teasingly. Rizki's face appeared slightly flushed, and he smiled wryly.
"I don't know, Gaya... But at that time, I was genuinely frustrated," he confessed. Gayatri laughed at his admission.
"That means you're jealous," she said. Rizki fell silent. Gayatri was right, and he realized that he was indeed jealous. Did this mean that he had truly fallen in love with Gayatri? Because if that were the case, it wouldn't just be Gayatri at risk, but he is also at risk of violating the military service protocol, and he would have to start being cautious about the surveillance of the bioscanners and the androids. They remained silent for a while until they arrived at the apartment building's courtyard. Finally, Rizki shared his concerns with Gayatri.
"Gaya, if I was genuinely jealous earlier, it means that from now on, I also have to be careful around the bioscanners and the androids. You know they can easily detect emotional changes due to jealousy," Rizki said with a worried tone. Gayatri nodded, and then she fell silent. Rizki's words seemed to disturb her thoughts.
"Yes, Riz... I'm sorry for bringing you into this situation," Gayatri said softly as they arrived at the deserted apartment building lobby.
"There's nothing to forgive, Gaya... This is the path we have to walk," Rizki replied, trying to maintain a wise demeanor. He then invited Gayatri to enter the open elevator. Once inside the lift, Gayatri recalled what she wanted to ask. Despite Rizki's jealous feelings earlier, which indicated he had fallen for her, he had never actually said it. When the lift door opened on the sixth floor where her apartment was located, she spontaneously asked the question that had been on her mind.
"Riz, do you really love me?" she inquired.
"I've never heard you say it," she added. Rizki was taken aback and fell silent. He didn't know what to say. He should have been honest and answered, 'Gaya, I love you, but you're not the wife I dream of....' But he couldn't bring himself to say that. Eventually, all he could manage to say was, "Gaya, the answer is in the Moon stone...."
Gayatri stared at him with a puzzled expression. Unconsciously, her feet stepped out of the lift. Before she could say anything more, the lift door in front of her closed again, and Rizki disappeared from her view. Gayatri stood still in front of the lift, her mind filled with questions. What did Rizki mean by 'the answer is in the Moon stone'? Quickly, she reached into her overall pocket and took out the Moon stone Rizki had given her earlier. It now lay in her palm, and she stared at it unblinkingly. However, she couldn't find anything that Rizki might have meant. After a few minutes, she gave up, returning the stone to her pocket, and walked to enter her apartment.
In her apartment, Gayatri was still intrigued by the Moon stone. She placed the stone on the table in her living room and tried to examine it again. However, she still couldn't see anything except an ordinary-looking stone. So she left the stone and tried to forget about it. She then went to her room to freshen up and perform the afternoon prayer. After the prayer, she felt the urge to call her mother and share her experience. She returned to the living room to pick up her UVA, which she had also left on the table. As she reached for her UVA, she noticed the Moon stone still lying there. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. From that angle, she saw the stone forming a heart shape. She tried looking at it from different angles, but the heart shape disappeared. When she looked at it again from the original angle, the heart shape reappeared. She repeated this process several times from various angles, and each time, the heart shape appeared only from that specific angle. Her eyes were fixated on what she saw. Now she understood. This was what Rizki meant. Surely, on the Moon, Rizki also saw this stone from the same angle. He must have seen the heart shape in the stone, which was why he took it and gave it to her, Gayatri thought. This was a sign of Rizki's love! He didn't need to say it out loud. What this stone showed her was more than words could express. Gayatri's heart filled with joy. She quickly grabbed her UVA from the table to take a picture of the stone with the heart shape she had just seen. With a smile on her face, she sent the photo to Rizki with a message, 'I understand.'