We Leapt Into the Sky

Chapter 3

The days passed as they studied every inch of the stone temple. Each inscription was documented, each carving photographed and reconstructed into holograms for their records.

Bria, thankfully, was far from possessive of the microscope she'd hauled across the galaxy. Kendra and Antony analyzed stone samples at the research station, haunting the lab together while the other two worked on site at the temple.

In the early morning, Kendra woke to the sound of rustling in the other bed. She blinked into the gloom before rolling over to face Antony. He stared back at her, rubbing his eyes, his wavy brown hair curling in all directions.

"You awake?" he asked, voice rough. The hazy pink light washed over him, leaving his tan skin pale.

"Yeah."

"Have you been going somewhere at night?"

"Just out into the lab when I can't sleep. Staying in bed doesn't help when I have too much on my mind," she said, propping herself up on her elbow. "Equipment diagnostics are a great sleep aid."

"It isn't because of me?"

"No, sometimes I can't sleep."

Unconvinced, Antony studied her face, and she continued, "Hey. You're fine. Space travel is rough on me. Takes time to get myself sorted out."

"Oh. Alright."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I really don't. But if we're sharing a room, it's going to be obvious when I freak out in my sleep," he said. "It doesn't happen all the time."

"I know. I'm no stranger to nightmares and stress dreams, and we've only been here a couple of weeks. If you wanna talk, we can, but I don't need an explanation," she said.

"Okay. Thanks." He paused. "I am glad you're here, though. I didn't want to be alone."

"Yeah, I didn't either," she said. She touched her feet to the cool floor and stretched.

There was a knock at the door—it was Bria. She wore pajamas, curly hair in a loose braid that rested against her collarbone. Her appearance was casual, but her expression was clear and alert.

"Good morning, you two," she said. "I realize it's early, but some data we started processing last night is finished. I've shared the results with both of you. We were going to have a quick chat in the common area."

"Sure, be there soon," Kendra said, closing the door.

Antony yawned. "Man, it's too early for this. If she's in pajamas, I'm not getting dressed either," he said, climbing out of bed.

Kendra and Antony followed the sound of chatter to the living area. Bria sat with her legs crossed, propping her laptop on her thigh. Seph was on the other end of the couch in his own pajamas, though he must have combed his hair.

"This is a phenomenal find," Bria said, her tone enthusiastic but measured. Seph nodded vigorously, humming in agreement. It was odd watching them. Seph was lanky and thin, his body angular. Bria was tiny next to him, petite with soft curves and a heart-shaped face. And yet her personality was sharp, her eyes piercing.

"What is it?" Antony asked, taking a seat on the opposite couch.

"We compared the scans we took of the temple with the documented sites from Asteracea. It's a convincing match," Bria said.

"It's pretty wild," Seph said, grinning. "We're talking about a culture, a world of cultures that rose and fell long before space travel. And Asteracea isn't exactly close. How would one of their temples end up here, of all places?"