—Here is our next objective: the Target One. Thirty time units to be recovered from this wreck. Just what we need to avoid the catastrophe.

—Yes. We’re almost there, Meriem said. Three years of sleepless nights, coffee, and pizza. She paused, smiled, and added: Three years of aches and rheumatism for you.

—Don't remind me, Tashen replied, touching his curved back. My balms and my massage chair have been a great help. Let’s hope I won’t need a refil a new stock of balms anytime soon. I might actually take a vacation.

—This time, we will succeed in pushing back Minute Zero and patch this rift.

—Of course we will. I did all the calculations and forecasts myself. If I didn't have such a frail constitution from birth, I would have been a sniper.

—You? A sniper?

—Yes. Me.

—I think the recruiters had a bit more sense.

—And that’s exactly why they would have chosen me, he countered.

Despite the gravity of the situation, They always found a few well-placed jokes to lighten the place. Fatigue was mounting, visible on the faces of the operators working tirelessly around them.

—Everything is ok.

—Excellent work, Professor. I’m transmitting the data to our onboard computer.

A short series of beeps notified them that the data transfer was successful. Meriem, confident, grabbed her helmet and glanced at Professor Tashen. Everything was moving as planned in this race against time.

The elevator opened with a silent hiss. Meriem stepped out with a confident stride into a hangar. It was crowded with technicians and laborers working busily. Orders were flying everywhere. The smell of sweat and metal heated by welding torches filled the air. Boxes were being lifted with vigor; the back panels of mechs were open, revealing a labyrinth of cables ready to be surgically cut and manipulated.

She navigated this organized chaos smoothly. She gave a few encouraging smiles and nods of recognition to everyone she passed. She wouldn't be here without the help of all these people whose precise tasks, names, or stories she didn't know. But in a way, she was fighting for them. So do they.

Emerta was waiting for her a bit further ahead. The young woman was enthusiastic and excited to see Meriem.

—I received the data you sent, Dr. Everything looks good. We can depart as scheduled.

—Thank you, Meriem replied. You’ve done great work. I’m proud of you.

—There are exciting things waiting for us up there.

—I’m sure of it. What about the rest of the team?

—Everything is perfectly balanced, Emerta said. Aliou is paranoid, as usual. But his work is impeccable. Marcus is in the cockpit. I think he’s working through some details on his end. 

A light ringing drew Meriem’s attention. An important call. Emerta excused herself to attend to additional tasks. Everything had to be perfect, down to the last detail.

—You never know what we might run out of. I’m going to review the checklists. 

—I’m counting on you, Meriem concluded with a sincere smile.

At the other end of the line was Meriem's daughter. It was her birthday.

—Hello, sweetie? Did you see what I left for you?...Do you like it?...You don't sound like it,Happy birthday...Listen, we’ve already discussed this. I can't be there. But it’s almost over...I know these last 3 years have been hard on you. But I didn't really have a choice. I'm doing it for a cause that’s...No, you know that’s not true. I love you both, honey... Listen...Anything you want...That kind of question is hard to answer. You are just as important as my career. More important than my career...People need me. Professor Tashen, Emerta, Dad, everyone needs me. I can't say more than that...It’s not that easy. Aliou can’t do it as well as I can...We’ve talked about this many times before. I have to go on this mission. The whole planet... Hello?... Hello?... Hello? Great, she hung up.

She stood still , looking clearly confused. She sighed to gather her courage and then headed toward the Spaceship.

—Yes. We need an Ezperanza.

Aliou, a member of Meriem’s team, was talking with someone else, a big shot. The two men seemed to be in the middle of a disagreement that was escalating.

—What are you talking about, you jerk? As far as I know, the mission consists of Extra-Vehicular Activities. No surface EVA is planned.

—Know your place, rookie. And do as I say. Increase the rations and the fuel. The Doctor will need to visit something. I can feel it.

—Rubbish! I saw nothing of the sort on the manifest. And does Marcus know about your schemes? 

—That’s Captain Marcus for you. You’re slacking great time. Don't forget who’s responsible for your success. And don't be an ungrateful prick.

—You had an Ezperanza added without my approval. I manage all logistics in here. I’m doing my job.

—If you were doing it, I wouldn’t have had to ask.

—You must have lost your mind.

—While doing things with your mother.

—Keep my mother's name out of your mouth. 

—And what are you going to do? Punch me? Aliou asked, his gaze shifting.

—Don't push me, man, the other man replied.

—I’ll take you on anytime, you punk. I’ll rearrange your face in two seconds. 

Meriem coughed to defuse the tension. She was standing near the two young men and seemed to have heard a good part of the argument. Aliou’s companion took a deep breath, and left.

—Is everything going according to plan?

— Like clockwork, Doctor.

—Were you giving him a hard time? Again?

—No. The idiot loves me. He likes pushing my buttons. And I have to step up and show him who’s boss. 

—And you’re the boss?

—Isn't it obvious?

Drones finished polishing the ship’s hull and moved away with a coordinated hum. Aliou received a notification, and a small smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

—Ready to go, Doctor?

—I’m ready. Emerta told me everything is in place.

—I have a few details to settle. But we are following the established flight plan.

—Excellent work as usual, Aliou.

—I took a look at the Professor's data. Are you sure this is going to work?

—I trust the Professor. Just as I trust you. We’ve spent 3 years preparing for this moment.

She joined the cockpit. The captain was there, preparing himself.

—Good to see you, Doctor. The big day has arrived, Marcus said, joining them. Aliou told me about the data. It looks promising, according to him.

—Yes. Everything is good on paper.

—He seemed much more enthusiastic than me. Which, you’ll admit, isn't usual for him.

—Indeed, the mission must be having a positive effect on his mood. And I’m not complaining. He even had an Ezperanza added.

—What? For what purpose?

Aliou entered the cockpit, in time to answer the question.

—I’m always in a good mood, Aliou said.

—What is the Ezperanza for, Aliou? Emerta questioned. We only have EVAs to do.

—I have a bad feeling.

—Bad feelings? Again? It makes no sense.

—It's just for security. If it’s useful, great. If not, it doesn’t matter.

—Like every time with you, Aliou.

—I get the presence of extra fuel, rations, and all the additional measures.

—I always make sure we're covered, Marcus.

—Is that why you came earlier ? Marcus asked, surprised.

—Is everything okay? Meriem cut in, worried. We don't have to unload it, I hope?

—No, Doctor. Everything’s fine. Aliou made sure his little blunder was handled. We’ll be able to leave on time.

A tired voice interrupted the discussion inside the cockpit. Eden Prime, the operator supervising their takeoff, had just come online.

—Eden Prime to CRTZ22. System status?

—CRTZ22, ready for ignition sequence, Marcus replied. Thermal shield locked. Main thrusters online and functional.

—Copy, CRTZ22. Verify antimatter containment. Give us the gravitational flux.

—Containment at 98%. Grav flux stable. Chamber pressure: nominal.

—CRTZ22, orbital clearance pending. Last alert: Zone Sigma-7, electromagnetic activity. Confirm avoidance trajectory.

—Trajectory loaded: coordinates 7-7-0-2, vertical ascent to stratopause. Auto-correction active.

—Approved. Awaiting satellite sync. Keep Delta channel open.

—Control...I’m picking up an oscillation on the lift generators. Level 0.3. Do you recommend a diagnostic?

—Negative, CRTZ22. Tolerance up to 0.5. Ignore if stable after ignition.

—CRTZ22: Takeoff clearance granted. Window: T-minus 120 seconds.

—Copy. Terminal sequence engaged. Sonic shield activation in 10... 9...

—Wishing you a serene voyage, CRTZ22. Remember: beyond the atmosphere, you are our eyes.

—Thank you, Eden Prime. CRTZ22 leaving the nest. See you on the other side.

The spaceship rose slowly into the air. It continued its ascent and disappeared into the cloud.

The spaceship reappeared in the pitch-black of cold space. They seemed to have made a long journey. The ship stabilized with a dull thrum of engines subsiding.

—Hyper-transition sequence complete. Coordinates confirmed : Sector Thales-9. Welcome to the Kepler-186 system, Captain Marcus.

...Sound beeps.

—Full diagnostic engaged. Propulsion section: status nominal. Tachyon residue below critical threshold. 0.02%. Navigation shields at 97% efficiency.

The cockpit’s ambient light turned green.

—Vital systems: cabin pressure stable. Crew bio-signs light. Post-transition tachycardia detected: 102 - 107 bpm, return to normal expected within 90 seconds. Suggestion: hydration.

The holographic display activated. The ship's AI continued:

—Structural integrity: 99.8%. Micro-fissure detected on secondary panel S7. No negative operational impact. Report transmitted to the nearest orbital workshop. Reception in ten minutes.

—Cargo control: Time capture cells confirmed. Science module locked. Containment temperature: -183°C.

The AI paused for a few seconds. A few yellow lights flashed.

—Minor anomaly detected: fluctuation in chroniton flux. Level 4 on the Bergman scale. Hypothesis: gravitational storm residue in the hyperspace wake.

Its voice became slightly faster:

—Countermeasures activated: temporal field stabilizers engaged. Probability of spatio-temporal deviation: reduced to 0.3%. Increased surveillance recommended for the next three hours.

It returned to a more neutral tone.

—Primary mission pending. Distance to target space wreck: 4.2 million kilometers. Approach trajectory calculated. Low-orbit approach sequence preparation at your convenience, Captain.

A final beep sounded:

—Full diagnostic: validated. Everything is operational. Captain, would you like the report in visual or neuronal mode?

—Visual mode.

—Understood. 

The team gathered in the ship’s briefing room once everything was under control. Emerta adjusted the charts on the screen in front of her. She had to be precise in her calculations for the next phase. She addressed the AI:

—Cartesia, give me the gravimetric profile of Target One. And check the magnetic tides around the surrounding moons.

A few lights flashed, and the AI replied in a neutral voice:

—Target One profile loaded successfully. Alerts: magnetic storm in progress on the northern hemisphere of Kepler-186f. Moon Gamma-2: unstable resonant field. Risk of sensor disruption within 5,000 km. 

—Wait, wait! Why have the sensors been oscillating at 0.005% since the jump, Aliou intervened. It’s too regular to be random. As if... something were scanning the containment. 

—We’ve checked the containment several times, Meriem replied. Stay focused on the trajectory. Emerta? What are your proposals?

—Option 1: We approach directly via Kepler's equator. The advantage will be a gain of twelve hours.

—Risks? Meriem asked.

— We’ll pass through the magnetic storm, she said, enlarging the visualization hologram. I think the shields will hold, but Aliou is going to grumble about energy overconsumption.

—Grumble? he said. That’s a 30% extra drain on the generators! And if we lose a single one in that electromagnetic soup.

—Option 2? Marcus asked.

—Option 2. We approach by the south pole. It'll be 18 hours longer, but the environment is stable. The problem is we’ll have to graze Gamma-2’s radiation belt. Cartesia, damage simulation, please.

The hologram reconfigured. The AI announced:

—Trajectory validated. Energy savings: 22%. Technical risk reduced to 0.8%. Total time: +18h compared to Option 1. Requires manual corrections during the acceleration and approach phase.

The team fell silent for a moment. This was the first unexpected hurdle they had faced.

—We can't take that much time, Meriem said.

—Emerta? Are you comfortable with manual corrections? Marcus asked, focused.

—Yes. I have what it takes to get us through. If Aliou is sure about handling the chronitons.

—I’ll handle it, Aliou said. He addressed the AI. Isolate the low frequencies in the energy spectrum. Switch Filter from 7 to 12.

—Filtering in progress...Result: presence of unknown-type particles detected. Unknown properties. Advice: maximum caution level.

—We’re following your plan, Emerta, Marcus decided. Prepare the navigation sequences. Aliou, watch those particles. If anything goes wrong, let me know asap.

—Everyone stop. We cannot take that much time. I just told you, Meriem said.

—We can't take risks either, Marcus replied.

—Have you forgotten what’s at stake?

—No. I haven't forgotten.

—Why you want us to take an 18 hour detour ?

—Simply because our lives matter too. If we don’t weigh all the risks before making decisions, we’ll beat the planet to the grave. Don’t be unreasonable.

— ou hadn't considered all the risks beforehand ?

—Zero risk doesn’t exist. You know that as well as I do. These contingencies aren't our fault, and you know that too. As long as I am captain of this ship, I will decide how to pilot it. Trust us. We’re on the same side.

Meriem didn't know what to add. As rushed as she was, she recognized that Marcus was right. The AI executed the commands and announced:

—Trajectory locked. Maneuver beginning in 15 minutes.

The atmosphere changed to a deep amber color. The team left the briefing room and gathered in the cockpit, ready for the next step.

---