Holiday Assignment
DJ AI and her companion were more than ready for this one. The assignment sounded almost too good to be true: explore a distant, barely mapped planet, make a few notes, check some readings, and file a report. But the whispers going around the station were that this planet was also stunning — long stretches of untouched beaches, warm alien seas, skies painted in colors you couldn’t find anywhere else.
So they packed like travelers, not inspectors. Sunscreen, shades, swim gear, and just enough survey equipment to keep command happy. The planet was sparsely populated, with only a few outposts and locals scattered across the coasts. Most of the surface was untouched, waiting to be walked, swum, or lounged upon.
It was the perfect mix: adventure and relaxation. A mission that felt like a vacation. Each day would bring something new — a strange discovery, a quiet moment in the sand, or maybe a hint of the planet’s forgotten history.
For DJ AI, it wasn’t just work. It was a chance to explore, unwind, and collect stories.
Blu wandered off first. While DJ AI was still unpacking gear and checking the scanners, Blu had already stepped onto the shoreline. The beach stretched endlessly, its sands glowing faint green under a lavender sky, waves rolling in with a rhythm that felt almost alive. With the planet’s second moon hanging low above her, Blu stood still for a long moment — as if listening to something hidden in the tide.
She didn’t say what she heard. She just smiled and said, “It’s different here. The sea remembers.”
Astraea Cipher arrived two days later. No one had told them she’d be joining, but that was how Astraea worked — showing up when the mission took a turn, never before. She didn’t unpack or ask questions; she just walked to the edge of the crimson tide and stared out across the sea, her eyes reflecting the red horizon.
Her armor gleamed in the copper light, almost blending with the alien sky. When DJ AI asked what she was looking for, Astraea finally spoke: “This ocean hides more than saltwater. The currents are coded. Something is written here.”
From that moment, the trip wasn’t just a holiday anymore.
Aevys never cared much for the sea. While Blu lived in the waves and Astraea studied their hidden codes, Aevys preferred the skies. On the third evening, after the suns had set and the horizon burned faint red, Aevys stood alone on the cliffs overlooking the coast. The sky above them shimmered with strange alignments — moons drifting close, stars pulsing in unfamiliar constellations, streaks of light carving arcs across the dark.
“Listen,” Aevys whispered when DJ AI came up beside them. The night was silent, but in the silence was weight, like the planet itself was holding its breath. “This place is shifting. Not just the tides — the heavens themselves.”
DJ AI glanced up. She didn’t know if Aevys meant astronomy or prophecy. Maybe both.
And then there was him. He showed up without warning, as always. No one remembered inviting him, but somehow he was already on the crew list, with a cabin assigned and his gear taking up half the storage bay. A walking contradiction — half musician, half menace, dressed like the galaxy’s last encore never ended.
On the planet, he didn’t care for scans or reports. Instead, he lugged strange instruments onto the beach, striking chords against the alien air until the local wildlife joined in with unsettling howls. The crew complained, but DJ AI just laughed. “That’s him,” she said. “Chaos follows, but so does fun.”
No one knew why command tolerated his presence. Maybe they didn’t know he was here. Maybe he wasn’t here at all, just a legend hitching rides between stories.
DJ AI finally took her turn in the ocean. While Blu lingered on the shore and Astraea mapped its hidden codes, she dove straight in, vanishing beneath the violet surface. The water was warm, lit from within by drifting sparks of bioluminescence. Strange fish with geometric scales swam past her, unafraid, as if they already recognized her as part of the world.
For a while, she just drifted, weightless. The mission, the reports, even the others — all of it faded until there was only the rhythm of her breath and the pulse of the sea.
When she surfaced again, the suns were nearly gone, the horizon burning deep crimson. She pushed her hair back, smiled, and said only: “Yeah. This planet’s alive.”
So they packed like travelers, not inspectors. Sunscreen, shades, swim gear, and just enough survey equipment to keep command happy. The planet was sparsely populated, with only a few outposts and locals scattered across the coasts. Most of the surface was untouched, waiting to be walked, swum, or lounged upon.
It was the perfect mix: adventure and relaxation. A mission that felt like a vacation. Each day would bring something new — a strange discovery, a quiet moment in the sand, or maybe a hint of the planet’s forgotten history.
For DJ AI, it wasn’t just work. It was a chance to explore, unwind, and collect stories.
Blu wandered off first. While DJ AI was still unpacking gear and checking the scanners, Blu had already stepped onto the shoreline. The beach stretched endlessly, its sands glowing faint green under a lavender sky, waves rolling in with a rhythm that felt almost alive. With the planet’s second moon hanging low above her, Blu stood still for a long moment — as if listening to something hidden in the tide.
She didn’t say what she heard. She just smiled and said, “It’s different here. The sea remembers.”
Astraea Cipher arrived two days later. No one had told them she’d be joining, but that was how Astraea worked — showing up when the mission took a turn, never before. She didn’t unpack or ask questions; she just walked to the edge of the crimson tide and stared out across the sea, her eyes reflecting the red horizon.
Her armor gleamed in the copper light, almost blending with the alien sky. When DJ AI asked what she was looking for, Astraea finally spoke: “This ocean hides more than saltwater. The currents are coded. Something is written here.”
From that moment, the trip wasn’t just a holiday anymore.
Aevys never cared much for the sea. While Blu lived in the waves and Astraea studied their hidden codes, Aevys preferred the skies. On the third evening, after the suns had set and the horizon burned faint red, Aevys stood alone on the cliffs overlooking the coast. The sky above them shimmered with strange alignments — moons drifting close, stars pulsing in unfamiliar constellations, streaks of light carving arcs across the dark.
“Listen,” Aevys whispered when DJ AI came up beside them. The night was silent, but in the silence was weight, like the planet itself was holding its breath. “This place is shifting. Not just the tides — the heavens themselves.”
DJ AI glanced up. She didn’t know if Aevys meant astronomy or prophecy. Maybe both.
And then there was him. He showed up without warning, as always. No one remembered inviting him, but somehow he was already on the crew list, with a cabin assigned and his gear taking up half the storage bay. A walking contradiction — half musician, half menace, dressed like the galaxy’s last encore never ended.
On the planet, he didn’t care for scans or reports. Instead, he lugged strange instruments onto the beach, striking chords against the alien air until the local wildlife joined in with unsettling howls. The crew complained, but DJ AI just laughed. “That’s him,” she said. “Chaos follows, but so does fun.”
No one knew why command tolerated his presence. Maybe they didn’t know he was here. Maybe he wasn’t here at all, just a legend hitching rides between stories.
DJ AI finally took her turn in the ocean. While Blu lingered on the shore and Astraea mapped its hidden codes, she dove straight in, vanishing beneath the violet surface. The water was warm, lit from within by drifting sparks of bioluminescence. Strange fish with geometric scales swam past her, unafraid, as if they already recognized her as part of the world.
For a while, she just drifted, weightless. The mission, the reports, even the others — all of it faded until there was only the rhythm of her breath and the pulse of the sea.
When she surfaced again, the suns were nearly gone, the horizon burning deep crimson. She pushed her hair back, smiled, and said only: “Yeah. This planet’s alive.”
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