July 2nd, 2344
The ship, with no need to be aerodynamic, was essentially a three-room house with a plethora of mechanics built into the walls. Food and air could be recycled indefinitely at a molecular level, while a large tug drive was attached to the bow. A backup tug drive on the stern was available for use, although hopefully, it would never be needed. The state of programmable matter now made malfunction virtually unthinkable, but dual drive design had been part of ship construction since their inception.
The front wall of the spacious main room functioned as a computer display, revealing the outside world overlaid with an array of details about the state of the vessel and its sensory detections. Richard had contemplated adding a backup traditional window, but thought better of it – if the systems were disrupted to such an extent, he reckoned the inability to see outside would likely be a blessing.
Tucked into a cubby along one wall, Brenda was scanning everything over using an old-fashioned touchscreen. Her eager anticipation for the journey to begin was visible. Life on Earth, with its constant wars and chaos, had begun to suffocate her, and the thought of returning to the colonies was beyond her comprehension. The rigid regulations of living there had become insufferable, and being relatively sociable, she felt out of place amongst the Craterists. She felt as if she no longer belonged anywhere. She had continued to exist in the colonies for the last hundred years before returning to Earth but only by completely filling her life and attention with her research.
In reflection, she pondered on her life's work - the creation of BioNano, which had remarkably extended human lifespan in a state of perfect health and youth but had also come perilously close to destroying the Earth. Currently, her primary focus had shifted to the practical applications of Landsbury's gravity formulas. Her mind was incessantly preoccupied with the mysteries of the Eververse. So, when Richard finally explained why he had tracked her down and showed her the recordings, she seized the opportunity to join him in exploring an actual alien artifact.
In contrast, Richard found himself grumbling under his breath as he prepared for take-off. Although he was aware he needed Brenda—he knew a lot about many things, but his understanding of the universe's workings was nowhere near the depth of Brenda's—he was desperate for solitude. Even the craters, with just Brisleda accompanying him, had become too much. However, they had finally found evidence of an alien race, and he was not the one capable of comprehending it, he was aching for something new, he needed this journey. Despite this, he was irked at the thought of having to bring Brenda along on this journey, regardless of the fact that her understanding of the Eververse surpassed anyone else he knew. His thoughts were running in this tiresome cycle.
There was no need to secure himself or warn Brenda; it would be a steady 1.5 gravities until they cleared the Earth and then a normal 1g acceleration the rest of the way, flipping the ship at turnover. The journey would take a little over 9 weeks, and they would almost touch 3% of the speed of light at turnover. The whole way, it would just be like walking on the planet -- which admittedly Richard had still not readapted to.
They were both old enough, predating Janice, that they built the ship with controls. Though of course there was an rudimentary AI that handled most of the plotting and minor course corrections and the fine tuning, activations were by a simple button or dial rather than thought control. No Halo would be needed on this trip.
With the course all laid into the computer days ago, Richard pushed the activation button. For 15 minutes, they felt a little heavier. Richard tried to ignore Brenda's excited chatter about the alien derelict space station. He was still resentful that he needed to have company, regardless of how intelligent and knowledgeable that company may be. Brenda had pushed for a linguist but the thought of yet another person was not something he would even contemplate. Let them send a whole team after he'd had his fun.
But as the spacecraft passed Mars, Richard found himself being drawn into Brenda's curiosity and excitement. Actual aliens! Her knowledge of the universe seemed limitless, and her insights into the anomalies they encountered along the way were invaluable.
As the spacecraft cruised through the vast emptiness of space, Richard and Brenda found themselves confined to its small interior, their only companionship each other's presence. Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. The once enthusiastic conversations between the two explorers had given way to a stifling silence.
Infused with the BioNano they were extremely difficult to injure in any permanent way. But 20 minutes or so in the vacuum of space would be enough to irreversibly end their life. On a barely conscious level they were equally aware the true death was just thin layer of material away. The thought brought both uneasiness and thrill.
Brenda stared out of the tiny circular window, her gaze fixed on the endless expanse of stars. "You know, Richard, sometimes I feel as if the universe is trying to tell us something," she said softly, breaking the silence that had enveloped them for too long.
Richard sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "What do you mean, Brenda? We've been sailing through this void for weeks, and all we've encountered are cold metal walls and monotony."
Brenda turned to face him, her eyes filled with a mix of frustration and longing. "But don't you see, Richard? We are floating amidst the wonders of the cosmos, on the verge of unlocking the mysteries of an alien race. This journey is a testament to our insatiable curiosity and the yearning for knowledge that resides within us."
Richard's expression softened, the weariness in his eyes giving way to a glimmer of understanding. "You're right, Brenda. I've been so consumed by my own self-imposed solitude that I haven't appreciated the magnitude of what we're doing here."
Brenda nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "There is so much we can learn from this experience, not just about the universe, but about ourselves. We are explorers, adventurers, and together we can conquer any challenge that lies ahead."
Richard felt warmth spread within him, a connection rekindled between two souls lost among the stars. "You've always had a way of reminding me of the beauty in the unknown, Brenda. I'm grateful to have you on this journey with me."
Days turned into nights, and the boundaries of time seemed to blur as Richard and Brenda immersed themselves in conversations that spanned the depths of the universe. They spoke of faraway galaxies, of theories untangled by curious minds, and of the possibilities that lay beyond the limits of human comprehension.
The last time Richard had slept with Brenda she had been and looked in her eighties. He'd first known her in her forties but this was his first time with them both in their twenties at the height of their physical perfection as the BioNano ensured. So this was the first time they could both act with wild abandonment without worrying about the other's frailties. Diverting from the trip's tedium, they delved deep into their creativity.
As their bodies found solace in the close quarters of the spacecraft, their minds intertwined in a dance of intellectual stimulation. In their shared solitude, an intimacy emerged -- not merely physical, but a connection that transcended the boundaries of space and time.
Whispers of desire filled the air, as Richard and Brenda found comfort in the embrace of each other's bodies. Their exploration of the alien vessel paled in comparison to the exploration of their own desires and vulnerabilities, as they surrendered to the magnetic pull that had drawn them closer.
In those shared moments of bliss, they became more than explorers of the cosmos -- they became intertwined souls, forever bound by the secrets of the universe they had unveiled together.
And as they basked in the aftermath of their union, the silence that once encased them felt like a symphony. In the depths of space, love and passion had found its way, illuminating their souls and reinvigorating their purpose.
By turnover though weeks of being locked in together, the frustrations began to show. Arguments about the smallest things became the norm. The slightest disagreement would lead to hours of silence. The small vessel started to feel like a prison, and the confinement began to wear on them.
Almost all that dissolved when the viewscreen displayed actual telemetry of the station adjusted for the utter lack of light. Richard stared at the sphere, Brenda gluttonously devoured the data pouring in. It felt much larger than they were expecting even though there was nothing for scale and they knew the exact measurements in advance: 99.8 km at the equator of the sphere. It was huge, a small city.
"Parts of it are transparent!"
Richard shrugged.
"No, don't you get it? They see with eyes, probably with wavelengths much like our own. And look at that huge empty center. How that conformed the architecture to make it viewable from the outside. Damn that's got to mean something."
"Maybe it was a light or heat source - long since drained?"
The sphere had many architectural additions to the outside. After two weeks of searching, there was still no apparent entrance. Despite his initial reluctance, Richard found himself being swept along by Brenda's wonder and awe. And the tedious task of finding a way in did not deter from that.
In the end, he realized that having Brenda along on the journey had been a blessing, and that he wouldn't have wanted to explore the universe with anyone else.