Silence... was the first thing Zen felt as his consciousness slowly floated up from the depths of a profound sleep. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but the calm of deep space, perceived through the faint vibrations of the ship and the low hum of its life support systems.
He opened his eyes slowly. The soft, cream-colored light of the cabin didn't sting his eyes. The feeling that lingered from this slumber wasn't the fear or despair of previous dreams. There were no brutal memories of being hunted, no pain of loss. It was something entirely different...
It wasn't a memory of a person, but of a process. The satisfying click of components locking perfectly into place, the elegant logic of a complex schematic flowing into his understanding, the phantom heat of a plasma welder in his hand... it was the "spirit of a creator" and the "unyielding will" of ÆLYA that had been transmitted to him with perfect clarity.
"Woke up just in time," Zaria's voice came from the pilot's seat. She turned and smiled at him. "We're about to arrive... at our new home."
Zen rose from his seat, feeling surprisingly refreshed. He walked to the ship's main viewport. The sight before him was the planet "Aegis Terra-03 Null," slowly growing larger. From a small point of light, it had become a gorgeous blue-green world. A delicate ring of ice orbited it, reflecting the light from the system's sun, making it look like a lone jewel floating in space.
The ship slowly descended through the thick atmosphere, revealing a landscape of vast, dark green plains and strangely shaped grey mountain ranges, eroded by time. It was a land brimming with potential, a new canvas awaiting its first brushstroke.
But then, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the ship wasn't heading for an empty plain, but toward a large complex of buildings situated in the heart of a valley. It was the old headquarters of a mining operation that should have been abandoned, but now, lights were on in several buildings, and the landing pad looked clean, as if it had been recently renovated.
"That's..." Zen murmured. "This place... looks more ready for use than I thought."
Zaria, who was piloting the ship, turned and smiled knowingly. "Probably the work of our 'secret benefactor,' I'd guess... Father must have sent a team ahead to prepare things ever since we requested this planet. He's both excited about our project and probably can't help but worry about his daughter."
Zen shook his head slightly, amused. "This isn't just 'support'... I'd call it 'spoiling'."
Zaria's spacecraft landed gently on the renovated landing pad. The ship's ramp slid open, revealing the landscape of the new planet for the first time.
Zen was the first to set foot on this new land. He took a deep breath. The air felt fresh and pure, but it was tinged with the scent of unfamiliar minerals and flora. A smell like ozone after a rainstorm mixed with the faint, sweet scent of an unknown flower.
"The air here is nice..." Zaria said as she followed him down. "But don't breathe it in for too long. There are some microorganisms in the atmosphere our bodies aren't familiar with yet. We still need masks if we're outside for long." She said, tossing him a sleekly designed air filter mask.
"Got it," Zen replied. He turned to Zaria, then let his gaze drift toward the command center standing tall before them, and the vast land that stretched to the horizon. His heart was now filled with hope and determination. He realized in that instant... his situation and ÆLYA's were no different. Both were starting anew from the ruins. Both began with the will to forge a future with their own hands.
"Alright then..." he said with a smile. "Let's begin."