Arthur sat quietly in a ship that was rattling violently as if it had been hastily taped together, in his hand sat a communicator that he had given Coleman before he left to the snowy trap that had taken those he had loved. He was staring at a picture of Alara, he had taken the photograph of her while she was loading her truck.
She had the most beautiful eyes, they were warm and kind, with hints of tragedy singing at the edges. Her lips were soft and thick, her hair sat curled at the pit of her back, and her umber skin, while besmirched with the occasional scar, was still flawless.
It was all he had left of her, he wished he a stolen a photograph of Gary, but he always refused, stating it would ruin the device.
"Who is that?"
Arthur turned his head and made eye contact with Coleman, who sat opposite him the small shuttle.
"Alara, the woman I love."
Coleman leaned back, the straps of the seat she sat upon squealed under the new pressure.
"Do you miss her?"
Arthur looked back at the communicator for a second before closing the device, sliding it into a pocket on his thigh.
"Everyday."
The appendages on her back fluttered lightly as she placed her hands on her thighs.
"Do you think you will ever see her again?"
Arthur paused for a moment, not lifting his head to meet her gaze, eventually he shook his head.
"I don't know, I certainly hope so, I just don't know if I have the strength to do what needs to be done."
The ship they sat in shuddered one last time before everything seemed to sit in place, compressing slightly, they were wrapping, turning a trip that would take millennia into moments.
Wrapping, at its core, is very similar to a worm hole, but instead of opening a large two-way portal, you opened a gap in-between space. Once inside the space closed behind you rapidly, shooting you forward at unimaginable speeds.
After two seconds the ship almost sighed, resuming it's previous creaking. Arthur got up from the seat and walked over to the bay doors, silently waiting for their arrival. Coleman sat up and followed him, pressing her hand against his back ever so lightly.
"I owe you, I might not live anywhere near as long, but at the very least I can help you find the strength."
He didn't turn to face her, staring absently at the sheer metal doors.
"I'm so sorry Arthur, I didn't know."
After a few moments he spoke without turning to face her.
"Don't be, it's my fault, I should've said no to your request. If I had I might've been there to say goodbye."
She removed her hand from his back and walked up the small bay, returning to her seat, watching him diligently.
"Don't say that, you couldn't have known."
Arthur squatted, his hand climbing up to his face, as if trying to cradle it. She felt her heart ache as she looked upon the broken man. He opened his mouth and let out a silent wail.
'We never did find her remains, what if she's alive out there waiting for me.'
He looked at the door and leaned forward, feeling the cold metal across his forehead. A dark look overtook his face.
'I miss them so much. Why is my accursed body the way that it is?'
He stood up and walked over to her, she looked up at him, unmoving from the netted seat.
"Did you mean what you said?"
She nodded, her hair brushing against her cheek, after a pause he continued.
"Where are we going as of right now?"
She shrugged, her leather jacket squeaking lightly on her back. While it could fit her, it wasn't made with her rear appendages in mind.
"To one of the Front's leading capitals, we need to report what happened. I figured you'd prefer to do it in person."
He returned her shrug with a nod and looked back at the metal door, Alara stood leaning against it, watching him emotionlessly. His eyes lit up for a moment, a swirl of emotions took hold of his heart in a grip made of steel. Coleman saw the look on his face and stared at the doors, attempting to see what he saw. After a few moments he spoke.
"What are you doing here?"
Coleman looked back at him, perplexed at the question.
"What are you talking about?"
The cogs in Arthur's mind clicked, she couldn't see Alara.
He sat down and rubbed his eyes.
"Don't worry about it."
He never let Alara leave the corner of his vision for the rest of the flight, her haunting appearance sent his senses into overdrive.
...
The ship they were on broke through the clouds above a massive city, tall metal buildings sat reaching for the skies and below those buildings, dug into the ground were labyrinths of homes and markets. The city, known only as Omega-1, was an abomination to the natural order, a true monolith to sentient life's ever-growing need to escape their confines. The planet harbored no natural fauna or flora, held together entirely by their import and export industry.
The ship landed on the top of a metallic alloy and concrete skyrise, the sun sending cascading shades of light through the windows, pouring down into the streets far, far below.
Coleman stepped out of the ship first, sending a few lieutenants down to warn of their arrival. She flipped her hair and look at Arthur, waiting somewhat impatiently for the man to step off the ship.
Arthur stood at the door to the cargo bay, a foot below him sat warm, gray concrete. The sky was red and sent almost malevolent shadows dancing around on the surface of the building. He was focused on Alara, who stood to his left, her arms crossed across her pale nightgown, she was watching him.
'You seem so real, is this some form of torture, to have the person I love sat before me, far out of my reach?'
After a few more moments staring at her, Coleman let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Let's go already, you've been acting so fucking weird for the last hour."
Arthur snapped back to reality and disembarked from the ship. He walked over to Coleman and smiled at her lightly.
"I thought I was always strange to you."
She rolled her eyes and began walking to the large metal doors that swung open automatically.
"You are not wrong, how about we go with stranger than usual."
He followed her down the corridor to an elevator made of plated glass. She pushed a few buttons and a voice came over the intercom.
"Welcome to the Front's reporting station, how can I assist you today?"
Coleman spoke, the beginnings of a smirk appearing on her face. Arthur leaned into a corner opposite Alara, who stood with her back to the door, silently watching him.
"Coleman and Arthur Donovan reporting in."
After a few moments of silence, the voice reappeared, sounding rather shocked.
"I've had the council hall cleared, they will be there waiting for you when you arrive."