Novel: Bad press calls for desperate measures. For the Interstellar Forces, sending a small crew to Neptune was the bet they were willing to make - at the risk of losing what little respect they have left (and maybe some lives).
A roll of dice and a lack of options led to the selection of the Celestion-5âs crew, a collection of inexperienced astronauts ranging from space-loving dreamers to cynics only in it for the money.
Itâs them against the universe, and their odds are a gamble at best. Learning how to live together can only help. Though with the crewâs pervasive personal problems, that might be the real journey.
New Chapter: Jun busies themself with the mystery of the missing crewmate, but what should be a straightforward case throws a few unexpected turns.
Sample:
The lieutenant sighed, crouching down near one of the other boxes. âAidennn, weâre only supposed to touch the space food when weâre in zero gravity. Thatâs why I had this box closed.â
âI didnât open it.â denied Aiden.
âIâm gonna have to recount everything.â Emil shook his head, flipping through the stuffed container. He stopped. âWait, actuallyâŚâ His frown turned upside down as he jumped to his feet. âAiden, can I talk to you for a sec?â
Aiden sluggishly followed the beckoning of his finger and leaned down for Emil to whisper something to him.
In the meantime, Jun focused on the mystery of who moved the other box, mentally flipping through the possible suspects. They believed Aiden; he wouldnât lie about something this inconsequential unless a prank was involved. Leon passed right through the kitchen, not stopping for the boxes. The captain hadnât come downstairs since Jun woke up. That left Mia, Roxie, and Angelo.
Emil finally backed away from Aiden. â...And let this be a lesson to you that the Interstellar Forces will not tolerate such flippant disregard for the rules!â How uncharacteristically commanding of him. This mightâve been the first time Jun saw him frown. âYou have a pretty big task ahead of you, so nowâd be a perfect time to start.â
âYes, sir.â Aiden agreed without the slightest bit of annoyance. Somethingâs up.
