It was the bad year of 2025… a stressful year on Earth as the clock to the end of mankind ticked ever so closer to that of midnight where all can finally sleep. Still, even though their respective government bodies act like childish pricks unwilling to share or make amends, life still goes on as normal.

People do their everyday jobs, retail workers stock the shelfs, teachers teach the students, doctors treat sickly injuries, policemen keep the peace… or not depending on who they were forced to shoot, firemen save lives and people bored out of their minds with nothing to do create and view memes and shitposts.

It was life like any normal day for the peoples of Earth, including those who monitor the large deep space sensory dishes that allows them to monitor radio signals from the far beyond but we’re not going to take a look at those particular people at least not yet as Earth as of now is quite normal and fine.

A few lightyears away on a neighboring system with two binary stars however, a certain celestial body drifted about on an orbit that would catapult it out of the system, normally this type of celestial body would be considered a comet as it would continue on its merry way returning after many years.

Though it will return to this particular system in due time not because of its orbit around its parent star but because the system contains a world that could potentially be terraformed for the parent species on board it as the Void Craft made slight shifts in its orbit using its thruster to perfect the trajectory.

The pilot gave a happy chirp as the maneuver completed itself, crest feathers brightening “Good new sir, the projected orbit mayhaps let us leave the system earlier then we could have hoped” She sang as her crest feathers brightened up and shuffled a cacophony of chirping of excitement erupted on the helm.

“Excellent work Junior Helm Rider Sylksskra, you may be due for a promotion in time if you keep up your glide” The Senior Helm Rider sang to her as he nuzzled the back of her head with his snout “Sir Rasnessk, this one didn’t do anything but fixed up the navigational chart you gave to this one” She sang back as she pushed him away playfully as she let her right wing clutch her snout in a bit of embarrassment.

“You’re passing the test with flying colors, how can this caretaker not be proud?” He let out a cheerful chirp as she sighed and looked back to her screen showing the view in front of the ship as they were due to pass by a nearby celestial body “Suppose so…” She silently chirped as she stared outward.

The expanse of the void was beautiful as it always was, she felt a certain calling to it like most others in her species… it was as if they were borne to go out into the void “If you could stop void dreaming and report on the status of the engines that would be better” Rasnessk reminded her with a short song.

She clucked in surprise as she got to it immediately, void dreaming forgotten “R-Right… The first to fourth engines are all green but the third seem to be overheating a little, not by much but it stabilized in a darker green then the others” She reported as she checked on the craft’s engines.

“1st class Helm Rider Hallksinn summon the Technomancers to take a look at it then, what about the shielding? Have we hit any number of debris?” He chirped with a question “Negative, electromagnetic shielding working at 98% efficiency, one percent higher than in the last system sir” She sang in response.

He seems to muse it over as he moved his ears and crown feathers in a slight rhythmic pattern as Sylksskra awaited a response “Very well, 2nd class Helm Rider Ollfianss, tell me the status of the craft’s internal atmosphere” He sang along to the other helm riders as Sylksskra drooped her ears in relief.

“Atmosphere is holding stable at about 1 atmospheric unit basing off Kassia herself sir” She heard the singing as she stared at the void through the fake windows “Very well, how are the electromagnetic reactors working and someone check the FTL drive…” The lyrics started to be drowned out in short order.

She mouthed a happy chirp as she stared back to the void in front of her as she drowned out the other’s singing in the helm of the craft. Her crest feathers brightened once more as the all clear was given “Good work people, if we’re lucky we can all be back for Frojjgrimmskr” Rasnessk sang aloud as he typed a message on his holographic screens or seem to as she couldn’t be sure nor did she care much.

She stretched her entire body from the long feathered tail to the spindly antenna as she rolled her wings and cleaned her antennas waiting on commands ‘This one can now just take a rest, the automated computer should do all the work from now’ She sang to herself as she took up a more comfortable spot.

Her antenna and an ear rose as she heard something peculiar “This one heard that the following system has a confirmed habitable exoplanet, mayhaps we find some intelligent alien life?” She peered as she saw a fellow Helm Rider nudged a Constable lightly and playfully with her snout and right antenna.

“Mayhaps but one cannot be sure, we never found any in the past and I don’t think we are the ones lucky enough to be privileged but this one can’t sing the answer to your song” The Constable gave a low note as he closed his eyes and splayed his ears and antenna out in a kind of a shrug.

The Helm Rider gave a low sad chirp as she did the same motion “Suppose so, at least it would bring this boring journey some needed excitement” She sang peacefully “You’re right about that” The Constable repeated with an agreeing rhythm as they both left the helm to get something to eat or perhaps drink.

‘Intelligent life… ain’t that a mystery worth solving and one that should be archived for all to see’ She composed in her head as she rubs her back with her tail as she exhaled out of the airways on her neck ‘This one requires nutritional energy as well’ She figured as she looked around to see most everyone in the helm having left or were leaving so she too went for a snack run as she hummed and trotted along.

Some time passes by naturally without any happenings as she reached the cafeteria of the craft, the designated eating area for the various crews from the Helm Riders who manage the craft to the Constables who keep the peace and defend it to the Technomancers to make sure nothing explodes and the Archivists whom are there to research and archive discoveries new and old on the expedition itself.

There was no captain on board as there were no need to, the most experienced Helm Rider on board would take command in difficult situation and that was Rasnessk whom was waving his tail at her getting her to come over with her Pack ‘Ah there they are’ She composed as she sauntered over.

“It is nice to see one such as yourself again Sylksskra” One of her pack mate sang as she went to pat Rasnessk’s head and crown feather in a greeting gesture “Same to you as such Constable Lorrisskr, Senior Rasnessk and Archivist Fallskchrimm” She greeted them all as she got a seat mindful of the tail.

“Would one such as yourself enlighten this one about your work day sister” Fallskchrimm sang her a question “Ask Rasnessk, he was there bother, mayhaps we’ll be moving to another system shortly in maybe a Decorum which is 12 days since you keep forgetting it and the system mayhaps have a habitable world” She sung as she was passed a drink.

It was contained in a bottle tapering towards the top with a bulbous body and a sort of straw coming from its only opening on the top, she took a sip with her tongue and find it was Tzuzizz juice ‘This one’s favorite’ She thought as she took in more of the oily sweet honey like and chocolate like substance.

“That’s great, the various life forms on the habitable world on this system is incredible already, another so close would be a boon for colonization efforts if its compatible enough” He beamed an ecstatic chirp as his ears and antenna perked up in response as he entered a trance like state and everyone trilled.

Lorrisskr bumped his head with her snout from the side snapping him out of a trance like state “You heard about that in the meeting 3 decorums ago, don’t be silly” She sang to him as her crest feathers rose and changed color in akin to a smile whilst Fallskchrimm in response just let out a constant light trilling as he rubbed his crown feathers with his left wing “Suppose so…” He lightly chirped in response.

“Now then, I suppose we have a decorum to just do whatever we want right?” Sylksskra sang as she took a glance at Rasnessk who seem to be sipping his drink a bit “Suppose so, there is nothing more to be done for the seeable future but do keep in mind that you still need to be in the helm and I want all of you to continue your duties… but you can relax and play games if you all like” He sang in response.

Her antenna, ears and crest feathers rose to absurd heights as she let out a choir of a chirping causing a few heads to tilt in her direction “…Sorry…” She quickly chirped up an apology and she saw many antenna and ears splayed out in a shrug like manner before the others go back to their things.

A few light trilling came from her pack mates as she sullen her crest feathers in a flushed expression “Now, now, Sylksskra don’t be so overzealous in your choir of joy, no one wants a screamer on board” Her brother Fallskchrimm reminded her as her Antenna drooped a bit and she mouthed a trill.

“This one advises that you should try to keep your cheerful singing in check for the safety of all our hearing, the Glow’s teachings enlighten us against those who… scream a lot and you fit in with that description” She felt more flushed as her sister Lorrisskr put her tail feathers on her snout in a shushing motion ‘Suppose so, this one’s been a bit loud lately’ She realized as she composed her thoughts.

She took a deep breath through the various nostrils in her neck as she looked at her pack “Well this one will try to bring down the loud choirs in the future, this one issues an apology” She sang an assurance as she slightly tilted her head forward and raise her tail a bit as well in apology.

“No need for such actions Sylksskra, it’s not that big of a worry, you need not go so far just try not to sing out loudly when you’re excited” Her brother Rasnessk sung happily to her as she perked up again “Suppose so Rasnessk, this one would do as you have sung out to” She sang loudly as she trilled.

The food that followed was as good as usual, the on board hydroponics allowed for all year round fresh edible flora and also high carbon foodstuffs. The meal was nice, a dozen twice baked Garrosk seeds, large fruit like seeds along with a Carro-Bake, a type of baked foodstuff that was hard on the outside, fluffy on the inside, flavorfully savory with a hole in the middle of the head sized baked foodstuff.

The side of Hallions, a type of soft root flora that takes in a lot of juicy flavors but are poisonous if consumed too regularly tastes great adding much needed acidity to the meal along with the pint of the white milk produced from Farlosk nuts, all foodstuffs native to Kassia or its 6 colonies, all natural.

It provided a nice taste of home as Sylksskra finished a bit earlier than the rest, shame there was no meat though it’s quite fortunate to have meat at all on such a trip as one they are in with it all being lab grown ‘This one should head back home to the den sometime, the other packs would miss us’ She thought as she turned to the view from the window, not actual windows but projecting the view of the void from the sensors itself as actual windows are risky.

She took another sip of Tzuzizz, washing down her mouth and two rows of teeth before swallowing through the tongue ‘Wonder how the homestead’s doing, wonder if this one will be forgiven for her failures back there and be accepted to the fold once more’ She composed as she blinked

‘This one is hear hoping for a safe passage and may the holy Glow grants us the right of passage’ She mentally composed a prayer as her mind wandered and she stared out the void further ‘This one sincerely hope that that worked just now’ She lightly trilled as she tilted her head some.

She let out a low hiss indicative of a sigh as she turned her gaze from the void to her fellow crewmates ‘Are there really other intelligent life forms out there or are we all alone?’ She composed a question flushing her mind as the voidcraft gracefully traveled on its trajectory to the edge of the system that a nearby sapient race from a planet named Earth in the solar system would call Alpha Centauri as the alien voidcraft headed facing the direction that would eventually lead it to the solar system itself as another chapter dawns in history.