The tempting smell of wine and familiar dishes that she thought she would never get a taste of again filled her airways as soon as she gets inside their building. A soft laugh escaped from her after realizing that that was the reason for a few minutes of meeting.
She looked back to see their boss behind, walking away. A mouthed thank you might be already enough, she thought.
“Captain,” Euno called and offered his arm.
“Whose birthday we’re celebrating for today?” she asked.
For the first time ever since it has turned gloomy, their facility became alive again. A melodious compilation of their favorite songs serenaded the entirety of their vicinity. The team is lively chatting and their voices are even more pleasant to hear as they laughed at their conversations.
“Have a guess, Captain.” He chuckled as he led her towards her seat.
“Wait me here.” He then took a picture of her before leaving.
She roamed her eyes until it landed on the large frame on the wall—a painted image of their team.
Eve smiled sadly. No matter how happy they are, she could still see sadness in their eyes; she could still hear longing in their laughter.
“Goodbyes have never been just happy or sad. It has always been both. Isn’t Anne?” she asked the program who is just standing beside her while they’re just watching her teammates enjoying their last few moments together.
‘That is what goodbyes are for, Captain. To hold you back and push you to move forward. Either way, it is up to you which one to choose.’
“Captain!” Eula waved at her, inviting her to join them.
She waved back and pointed at Euno who’s printing the photos he has taken. “Just a moment!” she mouthed and smiled.
‘Are you excited, Captain?’
“I am, Anne. I really am.”
‘This building will surely miss your team.’
Once more, she looked at every corner of the place. She had already known everything about it that whether her eyes are closed or blindfolded, she won’t get lost in there.
“So are we. We will miss everyone and everything here,” she uttered, eyeing on the painting. What a dream and a nightmare, she thought.
An alarm chimed, and a countdown started, making them stopped and wonder what it is for.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
‘Have a blast, Captain Eve!’ Anne greeted as a holographic video played.
Chronologically, it started to the date that they could barely remember up to the recent—until the present time.
She held her breath when she heard Captain Eulysis’ voice. “Captain!” She laughed when the man cracked a joke.
It went on until another voice spoke—Epharil. Sniffing her favorite scent and quenching her thirst. The way the wind danced her hair looks so nostalgic. Suddenly, the scent of her brand of sticks and wine was brought in by the breeze coming from the outside, at the garden. It smelled exactly like the past.
As it plays, furthermore, the more the sceneries became worthwhile. So worthwhile that it has reminded them that it will no longer be part of their future anymore and will just remain as part of their memories.
“Have I already told you that Lux is planning to send a team to the outer space to observe the perimeter of the scene where the last explosion took place?” She turned to the program.
‘You must have forgotten but yes, you did, Captain.’
“Then I must have told you the reason why.”
‘You surely did, too.’
“I feel it would be better not to get my hopes so high, but I want to think that they had escaped the blasting and survived.” She took a deep breath and mend herself.
'With that explosion, the chance to survive is really beyond so low, but still, zero is near to 1 as close it is to -1. Thus, there is no way that there is no chance,' she thought then gulped.
‘Captain, chances may vary from zero and kick to one hundred, but the one they have is not near to the positive. It is better if we will just move on. I believe they won’t be happy to see you mourning in times that you’re supposed to be celebrating. This is what they looked forward when you went there. If they couldn’t experience this moment, do it yourselves instead. That way, you have already done them a favor.’
“Will that be enough?”
‘It will be, Captain. I am sure it is.’
“This one is yours, Captain.” Euno approached them and gave her an album.
“Did he allowed us to take pictures of the facility?”
“Not the entirety, Captain. But he did allow us to take some of our captured pictures.”
As they went to the table, Eula showed her hair clip to her.
“Do you remember when I said I would tell you who gave me this when we come back from the mission?” she asked.
Eve nodded. “I have not forgotten that one.”
“Lili gave me this.” The woman stared and ate a morsel of her food.
“Before I left, I gave her a pair of this. But just when I was about to leave, she waved her hands and stamped her feet in the air while holding this one. She was giggling as she reached for me,” she continued, smiling like it has just happened a minute ago.
“I see. So, it was Lili.” She smiled at her. “Remember the sticks? My sticks. Those are from Head Epharil.”
“I knew it.” Eula looked away and hid her face from her.
Eve hemmed to lighten up the atmosphere. “She asked me to keep it. But not to try smoking. But I won’t dare to do it either, even if she had asked me to. Aside from that, I no longer have anything in memory of her.”
“Maybe she already knew back then that they won’t make it back,” Eula muttered and gazed at the nine men, drinking without the need of hiding themselves to the cameras.
“I don’t think so. She wanted to take us all back home. It is not that she already knows about it—she had expected it to happen.”
“That’s absurd, Eve. Who would prepare for her death—”
“Did you really listened to the presentation yesterday, Head Eula?”
The woman turned red, obviously guilty. “I was actually spacing out yesterday, I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.” She stared at her and drank up her wine. “In missions that your life could be at risk, the first thing you should get prepared for is your own death. That is exactly what she did, Eula.”
The Head is about to say something when one of their entrance guard came, holding a box on his left hand and plaque on his right hand.
“Captain, these are presents from Captain Evan and his team,” he reported.
“Where is he?”
“He had already left after giving his greetings, Captain.”
“You should have let him in, Anne.” She glanced at the hologram.
‘I am sorry, Captain, but I was ordered to not let anyone meddle with your event today.’
“And who ordered you?” She wondered and placed the gifts on the table.
‘The boss himself, Captain.’
“Personally?!”
‘No, Captain. His program did.’
“Oh, Program Lux.” She nodded then turned to the guard. “Call your pal. Eat with us, please,” she commanded before dismissing the man.
“Do you think the boss has always been like this for every personnels who leave?”
“I hope so, Eula. What I know is that all of us here has to handle at least one risky mission before our contract ends. If not as risky as the one we had, they have to take three missions.”
“What happens exactly if a team failed to fulfill the mission given to them?” her Head query.
“They are expected to extend their stay here for a year or two.”
“That’s unfair,” Eula uttered.
“Rules are rules here, Head. Not even Captains can be an exception to that.”
“Who fool came up with such rules?!” the woman hissed lowly.
“Who else aside from the boss? His uppers may have been given the position as his officers, but they can’t break any of his orders—unless he’s away.”
“Here is for you, Captain; and this one is for you, Head Eula,” one of their members gave them glasses of wine.
Eve’s eyes widened as she recognized the brand. She quickly hold its bottle and read the name. Her lips automatically formed a smile while she breathes in its smell. 'What a fine class one,' she praised inside her head and pour another glassful of it.
“Is everyone here already?” She roamed her eyes around and counted them.
“Twelve, thirteen, fourteen…” As soon as they understand what she’s doing, they counted with her. “Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one.” She stopped and gazed at the two guards. “Twenty-two, twenty-three.”
She sat down and raised her glass. “We’re complete! Cheers!”
“Cheers!” they replied in unison and proceeded to spend the rest of the day without entertaining sadness.
The sun set, and the moon has risen up, so are the stars. With the dim lights, they could clearly see how the sky shines on them. No star is not twinkling. The calming breeze of the wind embrace them that brought them silence.
“Captain, thank you for giving us success,” one of the men stated while gazing at the stars.
Eve smiled and silently celebrated for them. At last, nine of them can already go home tomorrow morning.
“Captain Eve, can we just spend the rest of the night without sleeping?” he then inquired as he turned to her.
“I was actually about to ask that. Yes, of course.” She was teary eyed nodded and looked at them.
She can already imagine how even more quiet their building will be once the nine have left already. She took a lungful air, and she went to each one of them; unpinned their budges as she put on their watches that for some reason were given to them as souvenirs.
'Maybe the boss had thought if they couldn’t take their things, a souvenir will be enough as their remembrance of being an astronaut to the organization.' She thought.
“Are these watches included in our fee, Captain?” one asked and examined it.
“It is.”
“Thanks to the boss then.”
“Captain, will you be accompanying us when we leave?” another one wondered.
“I don’t know, bud. It is up to him if he’ll allow us,” she responded to the man and took a step backwards to see them wearing all the same.
“There you go. You all look decent gents,” she praised.
“We have always been, Captain!”
They all laughed as they agreed. “Always,” she repeated and motioned Euno to take them a picture.
Not long after, the dawn started to welcome them to the new day. Dews and fog mist the outside of the building while the sun beams kissed the place.
“They are already free, Eve.” Eula stood up beside her and hugged herself.
“We all are now, Eula. It’s just that we have to make them go first before us.”
“Us first before you.” The woman corrected.
“It is a Captain’s duty.”