Chapter Text
Switzerland, Zurich.
Today the city was incredibly lively; people here and there marveled at the new.
The hum of excited voices could be heard everywhere, and no wonder — today, for the first time, people would be able to travel to a new planet located beyond our solar system.
The world's first faster-than-light cruise liner was about to depart.
[???] So.. I think I've packed everything. Clothes, Laptop, Toothbrush, Hygiene kit, Weapon, Energy cells, Knife, and Journal. Everything's in place.
He checked the suitcase once more, packed everything inside, and closed it. He glanced at his watch — 7:39 lit up on the screen.
[???] Alright, time to go. I've got the main things, I won't bother checking the rest.
Adjusting his belt and throwing on his jacket, he grabbed the suitcase and headed for the exit. A taxi was already waiting outside, so he quickly closed the door, put his keys in the storage unit, and hurried outside. The cool morning air chased away the last of his doubts.
[Taxi driver] Finally! How long does it take? Were you feeding fish in there? --- the driver said, tapping the wheel impatiently.
[???] Yeah, in the bathroom. --- the man snapped, tossing the suitcase onto the back seat and slamming the door. --- Drive.
The car started moving; it wasn't far to go — just a kilometer and a half to the spaceport.
Ten minutes later they pulled up to the terminal, where the noise of the crowd swallowed the silence of the cabin. The man paid, took his suitcase, and headed inside.
[Officer] Next. Your passport, please. --- the security officer said dryly.
The man silently held out his ID, followed by his ticket.
[Officer] Edwin Crowley.. --- he muttered, checking the data on the monitor against the passenger's face. --- Do you serve?
[Edwin] I served. Commander of an anomaly elimination squad. Won the ticket in a promotional contest, so I decided to start life over.
[Officer] I see, --- he lingered for a second on the scar crossing the man's eyebrow, then returned the documents. --- Any weapons?
[Edwin] No, absolutely not. I turned in my service weapon when I was discharged.
[Officer] Good, put all your metal items here and go through the scanner.
Edwin laid out the metal from his pockets onto the tray and stepped up to the detector. It blinked green and let his suitcase through without a sound.
The officer nodded, and Edwin collected his things. When it was his watch's turn, he saw a short message on the screen: "Don't thank me". He put it on his wrist, picked up the suitcase, and walked off down the corridor.
By the way, I lied — the liner wasn't the only one. It was truly the first, but more accurately, one of the first.
There were eight in total — long silver hulls like needles piercing the sky, frozen giants gleaming faintly in the morning sun.
Edwin sat in the waiting area, looking around and studying his surroundings. Cameras, Armed security, Four emergency exits, Evacuation map in case of emergency.
A minute later he caught himself thinking that his old habits were showing through: he was unconsciously assessing the room as a potential staging ground for escape or cover.
"Damn, almost a year has passed and I still haven't gotten rid of the habit of looking for potential threats."
{Announcement} Attention all passengers, please proceed to boarding terminal number seven. Less than ten minutes remain until departure. Please don't forget your belongings, make sure you have your tickets, and don't leave children unattended.
Having passed another checkpoint, Edwin prepared to board. A corridor, white lamps, a sterilization room — and then the airlock opened. Blinding light flooded the space. Passengers were greeted by an enormous central hall, an artificial park, and a broadcast from the captain's bridge.
[Captain] Greetings, passengers, aboard the liner Anti-Cruise. Today, for the first time, humanity has tamed a spatial anomaly — we're about to set out on a journey to a neighboring galaxy, to found the first city on a distant planet.
Edwin gave a barely noticeable smirk.
"Tame it? You have no idea what you're trying to bargain with." --- the former eliminator voiced his concerns to himself. Even before he was discharged, he had stopped trusting the company.
[Captain] I know some of you are worried about safety, but I assure you the flight will be completely safe — your very best pilots are at the controls today. Follow the rules, listen to our safety staff, and enjoy the flight.
"Well, I should have had my doubts earlier. I'll take this guy's word for it."
[Unknown 1] Edwin? No way, is that really you? --- a man's voice called from off to the side.
[Edwin] Greg? --- Edwin turned and looked at a familiar fellow serviceman.
[Gregory] It's been so long. You got kicked out with such disgrace, I thought you'd vanish off the radar forever. What were you accused of again?
[Edwin] I don't want to remember it. It was slander — a misunderstanding blown into a catastrophe. The brass just didn't like what I said, so they buried me.
[Gregory] Yeah, yeah.. Anyway, what brings you here? Decided to burn your savings on a vacation to forget everything?
[Edwin] Almost. Tried my luck in a lottery and won a ticket for the cruise, as you can see. Planning to start over somewhere new, away from fake friends. A chance like this only comes once.
[Gregory] Well, good luck then. Maybe this cruise really will be your ticket to a new life. Just don't start chasing conspiracies again, or you'll ruin this one too.
[Edwin] Funny to hear that from you, but you're right about something. No more mistakes. Gregory.
The sound Gregory made was pure displeasure. The two had never gotten along, and now, stuck together on a cruise liner, they'd have to see each other the whole trip. He turned away, showing his dislike.
[Stranger] Gregory! There you are! Come on, we need to unpack and check out the cabin. I'm so nervous — this is our first trip together, everything has to be perfect. --- She tugged his sleeve, not noticing the tension between the men, and led him toward the elevators.
[Edwin] This trip promises to be interesting.. ugh. --- Edwin said with a heavy sigh, and picking up his suitcase, headed toward the elevators.
He walked on, surveying the hall; the artificial-plant park looked to him like an oil stain on a shirt. Behind the glass, water ran along the floor, mimicking a little stream. Happy passengers wandered everywhere — some filming, some hurrying to their cabins.
Edwin tore a leaf off an artificial plant, watching it bend lifelessly in his fingers — cold plastic mimicking greenery, like a mockery of nature.
[Girl] Mister, why are you so sad? --- a clear little voice rang out right nearby.
Edwin flinched and lowered his gaze. A little girl in a bright dress stood beside him.
[Edwin] I'm not sad, just lost in thought. --- he answered.
[Girl] Are you a soldier? You have such a stern look, like you're guarding the whole world. --- she said cheerfully.
Edwin smirked bitterly, looking into her sincere, wide-open eyes, and crouched down to her level.
[Edwin] Not anymore.
[Girl] You have a scar. Is it real? --- she pointed at the thin white mark crossing his eyebrow.
[Edwin] It's real. --- he touched the rough skin with his fingers. Old memories had settled into a secure place.
[Girl] Did you fight monsters? Did someone hurt you? --- the girl asked, just as innocently
[Edwin] No, I just ran too slowly --- he said with a smile, and then rose from his knee.
The girl smiled, then heard her mother calling, said goodbye, and ran off.
Edwin kept studying his surroundings. His gaze lingered on a child playing on a phone near the park. Something about him looked off, as if something were missing..
"A shadow.." --- Indeed, it wasn't there.
Edwin blinked a few times and looked at the child again. The shadow was there.
"Just imagining things?"
A morning mind could easily glitch — anything could happen when the body begged for five more minutes of sleep. Sometimes you can't even spot your own keys in plain sight. He decided to hurry and find his cabin. The liner's online map helped, and within a couple of minutes Edwin stood before his cabin door.
Stepping inside, he threw the suitcase on the floor and himself onto the bed. But before he could even unpack, an announcement came over the loudspeaker.
[Captain] Attention, passengers! Takeoff begins shortly. Please secure your baggage and take your seats within fifteen minutes. Follow safety rules, and contact security if problems arise.
The moment of relief ended, and Edwin got up to follow the captain's orders. He tossed the suitcase into the closet without unpacking and secured it.
Sitting down, he fastened the straps and relaxed. For claustrophobic passengers, a button on the armrest turned on a live feed from the main hall. He didn't have that problem, and doubted it helped anyway.
He looked around: the cheapest cabin possible — narrow bed, closet, table, not even its own bathroom. No surprise, since the ticket was won off a cereal-box lottery.
Edwin decided to nap while waiting for takeoff to end, leaned back, and closed his eyes. Five minutes in, a vibration on his wrist tore him from sleep. He pulled back his sleeve, annoyed, and looked at his watch. A message appeared again.
-Broadcast-
"Turn on the main hall broadcast? What do you want from me again, Arxis?."
Edwin pressed the button, and the empty main hall appeared on the screen in front of him. Nothing unusual.
Arxis was a strange companion — not always easy to understand. Still, being understood at all was a success. This friendly anomaly now always accompanied Edwin, and he wasn't against it. Besides, Arxis helped him.
Only a few minutes remained until takeoff; the security staff were already finishing checking on passengers, going from cabin to cabin.
There was a knock. A dry, clipped voice outside said: «Security check, please open the door». Edwin was about to get up, but felt the vibration on his wrist again.
-Don't open it-
Who was really outside, and why couldn't he open the door? He didn't ask, just sat silently. The knocking repeated a few times, then stopped. The stranger seemed to have left.
[Captain] We're beginning takeoff — fasten your seatbelts and stay seated until the cruise begins. If you feel unwell, press the button on your seat and medical staff will contact you. Thank you for choosing Anti-Cruise, and enjoy the flight.
The liner shuddered and lifted smoothly off the platform. Edwin felt his body grow heavier as the straps pressed him into the seat. External camera footage appeared on-screen — the spaceport shrank into a scatter of lights among gray buildings.
Seconds later, the engines changed tone. The pressure eased, and breathing grew easier. Applause and children's laughter came from the next cabin. For most passengers, this was a dream come true.
Advertisements flickered across the monitor screen, showing views of distant nebulae and luxurious hotels.
[Captain] Ascent to the calculated trajectory is complete. --- came the captain's voice --- In three minutes, the antispace entry phase begins. Passengers, please stay calm and remain seated.
A wave of chatter rose from the neighboring cabins again. This was the moment most people had bought their tickets for — humanity was about to cross an interstellar distance not in centuries, but in a couple of days.
Edwin quietly exhaled and looked at the screen again. The main hall remained unchanged. A message appeared, and the captain's voice sounded from the speakers again
[Captain] Time remaining until the first spatial transition - one minute.
The numbers began slowly counting down the seconds.
59..
58..
57..
Edwin's gaze caught the change again. Something had appeared in the main hall — cracks in the air, dozens of small cracks. He stared at the screen, trying to understand. It looked wrong, and somehow too familiar..
Edwin blinked. The cracks melted away like snow.
5..
4..
3..
2..
1..
The cruise had begun. The liner silently entered antispace. For a moment the lamps brightened, and the shadows twisted. It was strangely quiet aboard. Too quiet. Edwin held his breath.
Something was clearly wrong, but events had only just begun to unfold.