Ray ignited his shield and created a wild flame to block the entrance of the room. Anand continued to launch pods. He didn’t want to keep the escapees any longer than they needed to stay. They’d been trapped for who knows how long.

“Hey, ignore the Oghrodi!” Anand yelled. “Focus on me if you want to get out of here! Where am I sending you?”

He looked to Riq and she repeated what Anand had said. Anand’s headache was duller and he could focus on inputting what he understood. Looking around, Anand noticed only a few groups were left. One of them noticed him and shouted out their coordinates. Without hesitation, Anand set it as their pod's destination and waved them in. Ray left his shield and shut the escape pod panel. Eve took up station behind the shield. The flames from Ray’s shield began acting oddly. They no longer fired at random and began to disperse and spread to the side.

“Um, guys. Do you hear that?” Eve asked while readying her rifle.

Anand didn’t dare move away from the console.

“No, what is it?” he asked.

Eve pressed against the shield and strained her ears.

“It sounds like a heavy duty flamethrower.”

“That’s my shield, stupid,” Ray replied.

“No, idiot.” Eve rolled her eyes and said, “It sounds like there’s another heavy duty flamethrower. It’s way more high-pitched.”

Anand tried to block out the other noise and focused on the door. Eve was right, there was a fast, high-pitched whine coming from a few feet outside the door. It was challenging Ray’s shield — and winning. Whatever was coming would reach them any second. With a quick glance Anand saw the last groups waiting to leave. He nodded to one and they yelled their destination.

“Scorch, don’t slack now! Hurry on the pods!” he commanded.

Ray rushed the aliens into the escape pod and slammed the metal panel shut. Before he could give a signal to Anand he had already launched and moved onto the next group. Ray rushed over to them and started herding them into their pod as he saw Anand start to type again.

Once they launched, Anand turned to Riq and said, “Thanks for all your help. Where am I sending you?”

Riq answered and stepped into an escape pod with her group. Ray locked the panel in place and ran to his shield while Anand launched the pod.

“That’s everyone. We still have a few escape pods left. Grab your stuff and let’s go!” Anand yelled.

“Ah, so it’s just us then?” Ezra yelled past the shield.

A large claw reached around one edge of the shield and turned it towards Ray. He quickly switched off the flamethrower. The Oghrodi holding the shield threw it into the room. Eve fired a bullet right under the creature’s jaw. The projectile combusted on impact. The small explosion did nothing to the beast blocking the doorway. It stood almost eight feet high with dark red scales encompassing its body. From its rear protruded a hefty tail. It’s massive hands had razor sharp talons that could likely cut into anything they touched. With a slow movement, the Oghrodi rested a hand against its neck to crack it. It let out a long breath and small tufts of smoke billowed from its snout. Massive cat-like eyes peered at everyone in the room, marking them as targets. But, instead of moving forward, the Oghrodi grumbled and stepped to the side to allow Ezra to saunter in. Ray and Eve backed away towards Anand. Ezra looked around the room and scoffed at the sight of the sealed panels.

“You did well in such a short amount of time,” he admitted. “Maybe, I shouldn’t have let so many of the prisoners through the rift.”

“I take it you won’t let the three of us leave, will you?” Ray asked.

Ezra scoffed. “Obviously not, you’ve clearly proven that humans are a threat when left unchecked.”

“But isn’t this also your fault?” Anand asked. “I mean, you helped me and let all the prisoners go.”

“A minor oversight,” Ezra said and shook his head. “Not to mention, there’s no Oghrodi who will believe your words over mine.”

“What about him?” Anand nodded at the beast near Ezra. “He knows what happened here.”

Ezra patted his subordinates back. “Oh, Geech? He’s my right hand and wouldn’t say anything I didn’t want him to. Isn’t that right?”

“Correct,” Geech said. His voice had a weight that complemented his size. “Shall I stop them?”

Ezra took a breath and glowered at each Glaive. “Yes.”

Geech moved past Ezra and marched towards Anand. The room shook with each footstep. Anand focused on the control station and worked through the settings he could understand. He trusted his friends to stall the Oghrodi. Ray stepped up and blocked Geech but the creature didn’t break stride. He swatted at Ray as if he were a fly. The attack easily cut into Ray’s shield. Luckily, it didn’t slice all the way through. Geech grumbled and gripped the shield in both hands. He ripped it away from Ray and threw it aside. With a smooth motion, Geech reversed his momentum and swung at Ray.

The single scaly hand was as big as both of Ray’s. It took all his strength to grab the incoming punch. Even though he stopped the attack, Ray struggled to keep his footing. He was crumbling under the weight of the fist. Eve quickly fired a flurry of bullets at Geech. She’d realized none of her piercing bullets would work but explosions might. The bullets exploded into a bright burst directly in front of Geech’s face. Ray used the distraction to slip past Geech’s fist and tackle him. The Oghrodi shuffled back but kept his balance by slamming his tail on the floor. The tail must have weighed as much as Geech himself.

Ray groaned and checked his shoulder. Some of Geech’s scales had pierced into Scorch.

“What are you?” Ray grumbled.

“He’s a lizard. Is that really important right now?” Eve complained.

“It’s how I figure out how to deal with them!”

Ezra chuckled. “It’s a good idea. Allow me to give you a hint. Anand knows I’m fond of human creations. Your tools, your ideas, your legends. Even your ancestors created wonderful things that couldn’t possibly have existed but there are enough details for recreations.”

Ray paused and gasped with excitement. “You’re a dragon?!”

Anand looked up from the console he was working on and shot his friend a confused glance. “Why do you sound so happy?”

“If he wasn’t an Oghrodi this would be the coolest thing ever,” Ray replied with a shrug. “You know it.”

“It appears you will enjoy death at my hands,’” Geech said and swiped at Ray.

Ray dodged to the side while summoning his sword. He ignited it and swiped at Geech’s arm. The scales clanged loudly against the metal blade. For the first time, the sword’s edge chipped.

“They are my weapon and my shield. You cannot break them.” Geech laughed.

With a heavy swipe, he slapped Ray and threw him aside. The wall cracked as he crashed into it. Geech turned to Eve who was ready to fire another flurry of bullets at him. She aimed at Geech’s head but he held up an arm to block the bullets.

“They do not hurt but I find it… grating,” Geech muttered.

“This guy’s more stubborn than Scorch,” Eve said and stepped back.

“Give me one more second!” Anand said as his fingers flitted through the settings on the console.

Ray slowly rose to his feet and checked his Glaive for damage. He’d landed near Ezra who was leaning against the wall. They made eye contact and Ezra scoffed.

“I will not interfere,” he said. “I’d like to see what more you can do against my subordinate.”

“You’re so annoying!” Ray growled.

He ignored Ezra and rushed to his friends’ aid. Geech swung his tail at Eve but was blocked by the edge of Ray’s sword. A few scales clattered to the floor as Geech tore his tail away from the jagged weapon. Anand finally joined the fray and kicked the back of Geech’s head. While the Oghrodi turned, Anand dashed around him and tried to sweep the leg. Geech’s leg felt like a rooted tree trunk, unmoving and sturdy. Anand skated back and stood near the control station.

“Volt, what’s the plan?” Eve asked.

“Hold on,” Anand replied.

He couldn’t think of a way to defeat the hulking Oghrodi. He’d hoped his lightning could get between the scales and cut them off. But Geech seemed relatively unphased by Anand. The only time Geech’s scales came off was when his own strength was used against him. Even then, he was too strong to take down. Anand and the others had to get out of this fight. But they couldn’t flee. Geech would easily catch them. Then again, they could force him to back off. Anand eyed the escape pod behind Geech. The door was wide open and the coordinates were already set. The only thing left was to get Geech inside.

Anand whispered, hoping only his team would hear him, “We need to get him into the pod.”

“What?” Ray asked aloud.

“Quiet! I’m not sure if Ezra can hear the comms but I’m hoping he can’t,” Anand informed them. “Now, listen. We need to get this guy into the pod. I already set the coordinates. Horus, focus fire on his face. Just completely unload on him. Even if it doesn’t damage him, it’ll blind him. Scorch, in the meantime, you and I are going to try to push him back. Once he’s inside, we can shut the panel and launch him.”

“Not try, we will!” Ray said triumphantly and rushed at Geech.

Geech had preemptively taken a defensive stance. Eve fired two shots at his head, one was blocked but the other hit the ridge of his snout. In that moment, Ray’s shoulder tackled Geech but couldn’t push him back. While the Oghrodi was blinded, Anand skated behind it and tried to cut its ankles again. His lightning arced off the Oghrodi and vanished in a flash. Geech was unphased. He turned to look at Anand. For once, Geech made the wrong call. Ray wound up and punched Geech as hard as he could, finally shoving the creature back one step.

Anand kept circling Geech to distract him. Whenever Anand was between the Oghrodi and Eve, she fired a flurry of bullets. They started getting past Geech’s defense and exploded against his scales. The repeated shots finally broke some of his hide and blood flowed from the newly formed cracks. Ray ignited his blade and slashed the beast’s torso. Geech stumbled, then refocused on the Glaive. He slammed his tail on the ground, shaking the whole room. Ray hesitated for a moment. Geech used the opening to throw a punch and throw off Ray’s footing. Anand rushed to help keep his balance.

As Geech approached Ray again, Eve fired a bullet directly at the monster’s eye. Simultaneously, Anand punched the opening on Geech’s snout. The lightning finally cut through Geech’s hide and the shock wounded him further. He roared and stumbled back to assess his wounds. Taking advantage of the hesitation, Ray ran forward and tackled the creature. Geech fell back a few steps. Seeing the Oghrodi so close to the door, Anand felt a surge of energy and rushed in. He skated forward, leapt over Ray, and kicked towards Geech’s head. The beast opened his maw and when Anand was about to get bitten Ray pulled him back.

“Enough!” Geech roared, flames bursting from his mouth. Tufts of fire fizzled from small openings beneath his scales.

“I repeat: if I wasn’t scared for my life, this would be the coolest thing ever,” Ray said.

“Really, dude?” Anand asked incredulously. “Horus, how’s your head feeling?”

Eve held out her arms to balance herself. “Fine? I mean the shaky ship is a little disorienting-”

“I mean can you burst Geech back?”

Geech laughed heartily as fire puffed from his nostrils.

Eve swore under her breath. “It hasn’t fully charged but I can definitely use it for a bit. But my laser will tear through the ship.”

“Something tells me it won’t tear through him,” Anand replied.

Geech grumbled and reached out towards Anand to grab him.

“Nope!” Ray said and pulled Anand away before diving to the side. “Go for it!”

Before Anand could compose himself he saw a bright beam hit Geech squarely in the chest. The Oghrodi remained standing but began skidding back as scales peeled off his body. He kept a straight face but it was obvious that the attack was affecting him. He squinted as the light from the laser blinded him.

“Volt, get to the console. I’m gonna tackle him,” Ray commanded.

“You’ll get hit by Horus,” Anand replied as he dashed to the control station.

“N-no, he-he wo-won’t.” Eve said as assuredly as possible. “J-just say wh-when.”

“Volt, you ready to launch?” Ray asked.

Anand double checked the console and nodded. “Yeah.”

Ray stayed low and ran towards Geech. The laser blocked any sight the beast could have of the bright red Glaive. With a silent step, Ray got within reach of the beast.

“Now!” he yelled.

The laser fizzled out and Ray immediately tackled Geech. Few scales remained on his torso. Most had either fallen off or been heavily damaged. Ray pushed against the unprotected soft flesh. Geech groaned as he stumbled back towards the escape pod. He had enough forethought to grab the edge of the door. Ray kicked the frame of the door and caught Geech’s fingers. The creature yelled and released his grip.

“Ignition Blade!” Ray yelled while igniting his sword.

He slashed Geech’s unprotected stomach and felt it easily split apart against his blade. The Oghrodi’s stomach burned and he fell prone. Ray slammed the door shut. Before he could signal to do so, Anand had already launched the escape pod. Ray rushed to close the metal panel as the pod detached from the ship. The vacuum of space pulled at him but the weight of his Glaive fought against it. He began to lose his footing and Anand rushed to help. As they struggled to pull the panel shut, Anand looked out at the pod. He saw claws stab through the door and rip it off. Geech roared and flames spewed out of his mouth.

“HOW DARE YOU?” he roared.

“Three… two… one,” Anand muttered.

He stared at the thrusters of the pod as they ignited. Within seconds it blasted away and wrapped around the side of the large spaceship. Anand refocused on the panel and with a bit more struggling was finally able to help pull it into place.

“That was something. Good job, guys!” Ray said joyously. “Where’d you send him anyway?”

“Toward the other side of this ship. I didn’t want him going to some other planet,” Anand replied. He walked back to the control station and started inputting coordinates.

Ezra scoffed. “You’re an altruist even when your life is in danger. That’s very commendable.” He sighed and stretched while nonchalantly approaching Ray. “I don’t appreciate you sending my subordinate away the way you did but I’ll find him later.”

“If you stood by, aren’t you partially to blame?” Ray asked.

Ezra looked at Ray and backhanded him. Even with a strong guard, Ezra’s slap hit like a truck. Scorch barely dulled the impact and Ray felt it sting on his skin. He went flying across the room and slammed into the wall. The metal crunched around him and left an imprint.

“I will reprimand him for his cockiness later but I will have no lip from you.” Ezra’s voice was eerily calm and his demeanor changed. “Now, if you’d please step away from the controls, I can stop attacking you. I’ll even give you the nice cage until we get back to the mothership.”

“Don’t do it, Volt,” Ray groaned while Eve helped him recover. “We can just send him away on an escape pod like the dragon.”

“Clever, but it won’t work. I was foolish to think you’d fight Geech fairly. I won’t make that mistake again.” Ezra approached Anand and stood across from him. “Now, please, step away before you get hurt.”

Anand continued to type and said, “You know I won’t let you do whatever you want, right?”

Ezra kneaded his temple and sighed. “Do you really believe you have a chance of beating me?”

“We beat you before. Or did you forget the library?”

“I was unprepared for your planet. And I never considered you would create something like your Glaives,” Ezra replied. “Back then I couldn’t even handle a single transformation. Look at me now.” He chuckled. “Do you really think you stand a chance?”

A chill ran down Anand’s spine. They were physically the same yet Ezra cast an imposing aura that Anand couldn’t handle. He shakily stepped away from the control console. He couldn’t think straight. Fighting Ezra wasn’t a good idea. He sent Ray flying without any effort whatsoever. Maybe there was some way to defeat him. But Ezra had already seen all of the team’s tricks and skills. Holding him back wasn’t an option, either.

“How about a deal?” Anand asked.

Ezra chuckled. “Oh? Pray tell, what is it you can offer me?”

“Let them go.” Anand nodded to Eve and Ray. “I’ll come with you.”

Eve yelled, “No! Don’t be stupid.”

Her usual snark was blocked out by the pain in her voice. Anand shut his eyes and did his best to ignore Eve’s pleas.

“I don’t see the benefit for me,” Ezra replied. “I can take all three of you prisoner.”

“I’ll come without causing any problems. No fighting, nothing.” Anand sighed. “I’m sure you see the benefit in that.”

“You’ve already caused me plenty of problems.” Ezra chuckled.

Anand clarified. “I’ll come without causing more problems.”

Ezra exaggerated his motions as he crossed his arms and tapped his chin. He loudly hummed as he deliberated what to do.

“How about you also tell me everything you can about your organization.” Ezra requested.

“What?” Eve asked.

Ezra stared daggers at Eve and growled. “I’m not talking to you.”

“Why?” Anand asked.

“I’d rather get through interrogating you without too much — let’s say, effort.” Ezra chuckled. “Plus, if you give me some basic information, I’m sure effort would get the more detailed things out of you.”

Anand tried to remain calm when he asked, “So, you’d still torture me?”

“Those are your words. And not me, specifically. My comrades would,” Ezra replied nonchalantly.

Anand ran through every possible outcome in his head. To be honest, he couldn’t think of many. He thought Ezra was all talk but clearly he had the strength to fight back. And Ezra’s confidence was terrifying. He would probably kill Team Goldilocks if they didn’t cooperate.

Anand let out a long sigh and said, “My teammates get to leave, then I tell you what I know and give you no more trouble.”

“I’m okay with that!” Ezra said cheerfully. “Do we have an agreement?”

He extended a hand towards Anand.

“Fine,” he replied, then commanded Ray and Eve to get into an escape pod.

“Not without you!” Eve argued.

Anand did his best to sound like a leader. “You need to go!”

“What about you?” Eve asked. Anand could clearly hear her voice crack.

“Well, he’ll stay here, of course,” Ezra said. “Though if you really don’t want to go, wait a couple minutes. The warp will trigger soon and you won’t have a choice.”

Ray grumbled loudly. “Okay, we get it. We’ll get in the escape pod.” He stopped leaning on Eve and walked to his shield. It was obvious he wanted to stay as far from Ezra as possible. “Can’t forget this.”

“Volt... We can still figure something else out.” Eve pleaded.

“Just stop,” Ray said sharply. “He doesn’t want to figure something else out. He’s made up his mind. What a waste.”

Ray walked into the escape pod, refusing to look back at Anand. Eve looked between the two and hung her head while following Ray.

“Thanks for understanding, buddy,” Anand said softly. “Horus, keep him grounded. Scorch, make sure to lock the pod door.”

“I-” Ray hesitated, “know…”

He shut the door and Anand set the coordinates as close to the GDF Midwest Base as possible. Without a single word, he detached the pod from the ship, allowing it to float into space. The ship started to shake furiously and Anand felt weightless. He looked around frantically and saw Ezra’s smirk. The warp was starting soon. Anand walked toward the pod and held the latch to the metal panel.

“Guess, I should lock this,” he muttered.

Ezra approached Anand and asked softly, “How far do you think you’ll get?”

Anand tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What is it you said?” Ezra hummed. “You don’t think I’m stupid, do you?”

Anand smirked. “I do, actually.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate your opponent.” Ezra shook his head. His playful demeanor didn’t lessen his threatening aura.

Anand tried to keep his wits about him and asked, “Aren’t you doing the same?”

Ezra scoffed. “Absolutely not. It took some time but I’ve assessed you perfectly and know that you’re far weaker than me.”

“I can do a lot more than you think,” Anand said defensively.

“Oh, I’m quite sure. But, how far do you think a human can get while floating in space?” Ezra said while slowly approaching. “I’ve seen your Glaive at work, it’s made for the ground. Even if you could function in the air, that’s quite different from space.”

Anand kept an eye on the escape pod that continued to float away slowly. The vacuum of space was tugging at him to join it.

“I really don’t know what you’re thinking.” Ezra continued. “You could at least die while being of some use to us. Instead you want to float around in nothingness and die.”

“At least I’d be among the stars,” Anand said.

“Is that supposed to mean something? They sound like empty words.” Ezra extended a hand to Anand. “Come. It’s not worth it. I promise, I’ll make sure the Oghrodi go easy on you.”

Anand stared at Ezra and gripped the panel tightly so as to not get pulled away.

With a heavy sigh, Anand replied, “I told you before. I don’t trust you.”

Before Ezra could speak, Anand kicked him back. He could hear and feel every individual click as his treads locked into place. He planted his foot hard on the ground and rocketed to the side, hugging the inner wall. One loop would build enough momentum to launch him out to the pod. After that, it was up to his friends. Ezra was surprised as Anand passed him and curved around the other side of the room. He’d easily pass the Oghrodi. The door was right there. Anand wouldn’t be able to build up to top speed in this small room. Even so, it was enough. The trail of lightning that always followed him lasted for a while. Anand was sure he was going to make it.

Just as he reached the door, the wind was knocked out of him. Ezra blocked the path and punched Anand’s stomach. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to his bare skin. Anand gurgled as he spit up blood and covered part of the inside of his helmet.

“It’s impossible to show you fools any kindness. Fine! Go into the emptiness out there!” Ezra yelled, “However-”

He extended his fingers and jabbed at Anand’s thigh. Ezra’s nails shredded through Volt. It felt like metal blades cut into Anand’s skin. The attack easily tore into him and ripped a chunk of meat from his leg. Ezra held up the now bloodsoaked cracked pair of glasses Anand was holding on to.

“I’ll be keeping these,” Ezra said dryly.

Anand groaned while grasping his leg tightly. Blood poured through his fingers. The pool quickly forming beneath him made it troublesome to stay standing as the open doorway pulled Anand out of the ship.

“No!” He yelled and stumbled toward Ezra.

“Ah, ah. You wanted to leave. So, go ahead.” Ezra taunted. He looked out the doorway and watched the escape pod drifting away. “Look, the thrusters haven’t activated yet. You must have delayed them. That’s very smart. Now, go on. Escape.”

Ezra grabbed Anand by the armpit and lifted him effortlessly. With a quick step forward the Glaive was sent flying through the door. Out into the vastness of space.

“I really will miss you, Riftwalker. I was looking forward to learning from you. Alas, when next I return, there will be one less adversary for me to deal with.” Ezra sounded somber as he shut the spaceship.

Anand immediately started flailing, trying to look for the escape pod with his friends. He had set it to stall for a few minutes in the hopes that he would be able to hop on but now he was flying off in a random direction with no control. All his movements felt sluggish and he began to choke. He was running out of oxygen. Anand tried to steady his breathing but knew it was futile. How stupid did he have to be to think it was possible to beat Ezra. Of course his plan failed. And now there was no way to propel himself. Even if he’d told Ray what to do, Anand couldn’t fulfill his duty in the plan. He chuckled and tried to mutter something but no sound emanated from his lips. He heard the spaceship behind him depart but his eyes were affixed on the beautiful marble that floated in front of him. He tried to force a profound thought but chuckled as his mind went blank.

While Anand tried to stay focused on Earth, his vision got blocked. Large red prongs closed in front of him and encased him. He felt himself hit something metal as it pulled sideways. Anand began to recognize features in the cube such as faint black marks and familiar spherical notches. Through large cracks of the panel he could barely make out the vague shape of a pod floating nearby. The door was open and Ray was holding onto the rim tightly with one hand while holding out the other towards Anand. Meanwhile, Eve held onto Ray to prevent him from getting pulled from the pod.

As Anand got closer he could hear Ray muttering, “Come on. I got you, buddy. Just a little more.”

Anand tried to reply but couldn’t produce any air. He started coughing furiously and his chest felt tight. The moment he got inside the pod, his weightlessness vanished. He landed softly on the bottom of the cage and saw Ray quickly shut the pod’s door. Anand slowly inhaled and felt his pain subside briefly. He sighed with relief as the cube around him reshaped into a shield. His friends rushed to hug him.

“Sorry, about that guys. I couldn’t do my part in the plan.” Anand chuckled weakly.

“That was insane!” Eve yelled. “It took me a second to figure it out but your plan was way too risky! What if Ray and I weren’t here? I really hope you hadn’t planned to be floating out there.”

“I’m-” Anand gagged and coughed furiously. He weakly continued. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Eve sighed. “I really hope getting that badly hurt wasn’t part of the plan.”

Anand shook his head. “Yeah, no. Ezra took my old glasses and threw me off the ship. I thought I was a goner.”

“You were,” Ray said, choking back tears. “Luckily, Eve saw you floating out there. I was sure it was your corpse.” He cleared his throat. “Why in the hell did you think you could beat Ezra? Why did you even try to fight him? He threw me across the room without trying!”

“As long as you were okay, I knew it’d work out. No matter what happened, I knew you two would save me...”

“Yeah, no. You’re not putting this on us,” Ray said aggressively. “You’re the idiot here.”

“You’re one to talk!” Anand replied with as much strength as he could muster.

“Guys! Can we just be happy we’re alive?” Eve asked. “I’m not even sure if this’ll last. How do we land this thing?”

Anand groaned as he stood up and moved to the small control panel in the wall.

“How long’s it been since I sent you away?” he asked.

“A couple minutes,” Eve replied.

Anand nodded weakly. He could feel himself fading. “I should be able to override the command and launch us now.”

Ray and Eve looked at each other then back to Anand.

In a befuddled tone, Ray asked, “How are you reading that? It looks like random shapes to me. Not even a different language.”

“When I was fighting Lion, Ezra upgraded my Cahlium. Don’t ask me how — I don’t know. Ever since then, I’ve been able to-” Anand paused to catch his breath before continuing. “I can’t explain it. I can understand what anyone says even if I can’t exactly translate it. That includes their writing.”

He rapidly input new directions on the controls. Once he was sure of the instructions he finally collapsed to the floor and leaned against the wall. He could no longer ignore his leg wound. The blood coated his Glaive and there was no sign of stopping. He could feel blood seeping down from his helmet into his suit.

“Take off your Glaive and we can at least try to wrap the wound,” Eve suggested.

“I’m not sure how my body will react to entering the atmosphere without Volt. Even if we’re in this pod,” Anand said as his head bobbed weakly. “I’ll keep pressure on it but I- I’m so tired, guys. I’ll just take a quick nap. Can you guys fill everyone at the GDF in on what happened?”

Eve shook Anand and exclaimed, “Whoa, whoa. Hold on, Anand. Stay awake!”

“Yeah, man. We’ll be home soon,” Ray said. “Don’t die on me now, alright?”

“I’m not going to die. I need… to sleep…” Anand said weakly.

He felt the escape pod start to rumble and looked towards the window at the front. Earth was quickly approaching but Anand couldn’t keep his focus as his vision faded and he lost consciousness.