The final leg of the journey is also the shortest. The short-range starship on which they depart Arcturus station has more in common with atmospheric passenger craft of old than anything. More plane than ship, little more than a metal cylinder filled with rows of seats and a center aisle. Yan Sun let Jessica have the window seat without a fight, not that there's much to see for most of the flight. After the light show of travel through the
#HongKong – August 24, 2025
Charon relay, it's nothing but stars in the void. It's not like in the vids, no close flybys of the rings of Saturn, no massive, storming Jupiter to greet them as they pass the asteroid belt. Like any other star system, the solar system is too vast and too empty to match up to humanity's romanticization. At first, the only exception is the yellow star itself. Sol. The Sun. The centerpiece, humanity's lifegiver, the one to which all others would
inevitably be compared. It shines sharp and glaringly bright without an atmosphere to moderate it, the craft's window's only dimming it enough to not be blinding by default. The ship's exterior glitters eye-wateringly bright where its rays greet the new arrivals to its domain, while other parts are cast in black shadow, melding with the void they're sailing through. The second exception only emerges as the captain announces over the speakers
that they're about to reach Earth. As the ship shifts and tilts, deceleration completed, the blue, green, brown, and white of humanity's homeworld is unveiled below. Continental shapes taught on every human colony, each laced with thousands of years of history. In some ways its not too dissimilar a sight from Aite, except the oceans are far vaster and the deserts stretch further. But as they approach the eastern hemisphere, cast in the shadow
of night, the bigger difference is unveiled. An intricate web of lights span the dark surface wherever there's land, congregating in bright nodes but leaving nowhere untouched. This is not the lonely lights of Aite, slivers of hearth and home standing against the wilderness, this is the light of billions, the light of the most populous planet in the galaxy, outshining the very stars above.
Jessica remains glued to the window as they approach Earth. She's looked at plenty of pictures. Extranet images her brother would show her when she was a child, amassed in a small collection of pictures Martin had hung on their walls as if they were personal family photos. Because to him it was home. It was a place he remembered. Filled with friends and family and brimming with adventures from his childhood and stories that he passed on
to Jessica. But something about seeing it like this- really seeing it- causes a tightness in her chest that the pictures hadn't prepared her for. They had talked about this for most of their life, her and Martin. Of one day going home. Getting out of Adrasteia. Leaving Aite. Outrunning their parents' mistakes. And here she finally is. She passes a glance to the woman occupying the seat that was supposed to be reserved for
Martin, but there's no resentment on her face. She merely offers a smile, softer than usual and undoubtedly heavy, but no less sincere as her hand seeks out Yan Sun's. As she intertwines her fingers, she leans against the cabin wall just beside the window and watches the vast expanses of unfamiliar land come into view through the cloud coverage. "Evdeyiz, kardeşim..." she says under her breath.
Yan Sun 's attention too is brought to the small window as Earth approaches, trying to catch a glimpse of the world she left behind less than a year ago, but she soon finds herself looking at Jessica instead, watching silently as she sees that sight for the first time. The smile is returned in kind, and the hand intertwining with her own receives a gentle squeeze.
As they descend into the atmosphere there's a shudder, the ship's inertial dampeners adjusting to counter pressure, wind, gravity, and out the window the view temporarily disappears into swirling, gaseous darkness. Darkness that stretches, thanks to the clouds that cover the particular part of Earth towards which they're headed. It's a muted darkness, lonelier than space, with no stars, but cozier, perhaps. Enveloping. The faint rumble of the
ship is no longer the only sound, joined now by the dim, deep roar of the atmosphere outside. The cabin lights are dim, but the glass still offers faint reflections of their faces.
Yan Sun leans closer, wrapping her other hand around Jessica's arm and resting her chin on her shoulder as she watches out the window, the blue light of her left eye a pinprick in the murky darkness. It's not hard to feel the tension in her body where it presses against Jessica's, but she says nothing, just absorbing the final moments of their approach.
Jessica seems lost in her own thoughts as Yan Sun clings to her. Thoughts undoubtedly centered on her family. Both the ones she's lost and the ones she's left behind... Maybe Earth isn't the home she thought it was. All of her memories- her friends, her family, her childhood adventures and stories- they're all rooted on Aite. Maybe Earth is just a home she inherited from Martin. A fantasy that he breathed life into through all
of the tales he shared with her that were no doubt little more than memories distorted through the lens of a child and clung to by a man who just missed a simpler time and the place he thought of when he heard the word 'home'. But the sight of Yan Sun resting against her reflected back in the window helps to shake some of those heavier thoughts loose, fortifying her smile. Because home doesn't need to be a place. She shifts a
There's no warning before the craft emerges from the clouds, murk giving way to lights once more. They're descending fast now, coming in over the water as distant pinpricks turns into a city below. Although... the closer they get, the clearer it becomes that city really doesn't do it justice. Gleaming towers rise all along the coast, rivaling the mountains that surround them and dwarfing the likes of Cross' lonely spire. A thousand Adrasteias
could fit within the metropolis that approaches. Guangzhou Megacity. The densest sprawl, Guangzhou proper, makes up the center, furthest away, and the rest stretches in a near circle. Macau to the left, Hong Kong to the right, and an absolutely massive bridge crossing the sea to connect the two, completing said circle. It's Hong Kong that their flight approaches, the particular cluster of glittering towers slightly insulated from the rest of
the urban expanse by mountains to the north, and water on the other three sides. The building's of the mainland portion climb high, their glittering, colorful lights reflected in the wave-texture of the distant ocean below. The north side of the island that makes up the southern chunk of the sub-city is similarly built up, and in fact seems to house the tallest spires of all, covered in holography to distant to make out and connected via
skybridges to the mainland towers. The rest of the island, however, is covered in simple dots of light, spaced apart - mansions gazing out over the ocean, comfortably isolated from the city. The western chunk of Hong Kong itself, which is also the chunk towards which they're headed, is another island, although the angular edges speak to most of its area being artificial. It houses the eastern base of the bridge that spans far west to Macau, and
more importantly, a vast port complex. Spaceport, airport and seaport in one, cargo transports and passenger liners coming and going in the dozens at this vibrant nexus of trade and travel.
Yan Sun lets out a quiet breath, eyes glued to the familiar, rapidly approaching skyline. She catches herself and points out central Guangzhou, as well as the two major sub-cities, swallowing after "Hong Kong." leaves her lips.
Jessica's gaze remains fixed to the window, the pics and vids she's seen doing little to get across the sheer presence of the megacity. Jessica tilts her head to Yan Sun and taps a finger against the glass for confirmation of their destination but then her attention is right back on the window.
The waves below and the city ahead both keep getting closer. Pinprick lights on the waters below resolve into boats, and then the tiny lights like lines of ants around the buildings become cars - the grounded and airborne variety both. Other ships pass close by. A freighter with a belly of containers makes for orbit, a sleek corporate vessel streaks past, all smooth silver lines. The guide lights of the landing pads dominate below. Drones buzz
all around - monitoring, security, emergency response. They're going straight down now, and the control tower soon looms taller than the ship, the puddles of water on the landing pad below plain to see now, coming up fast. Thrusters combine with the ship's mass effect field to slow them and make the moment to come smooth. A shudder as their ship connects with solid pavement, fully removed from the expanse of space now, not just by the fragile
membrane of the atmosphere, but through firm, grounding touch. Earth. They've arrived. Thrusters shut down and rain smatters the window, droplets catching the lights of the spaceport that surrounds them, the water distorting the view of the infrastructure. The lights in the cabin shine brighter, but the seatbelt sign remains lit. On comes the droning, rapid-fire voice of the captain. "Dear passengers, we have now arrived at Hong Kong
Interstellar Spaceport in the People's Federation of China, Earth. Local time is 01:45, local gravity is 1.0. For general travel guidance please consult the nearest VI terminal on exiting the craft. Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign turns off and then collect your bags before making your way to the exit at the rear of the craft. Thank you for flying TransSolar Aerospace and have a pleasant day."
Yan Sun fidgets in her seat, filled with restless energy, and eager to get up and grab her backpack. Her duffel bag had to be checked in before boarding, so retrieving that will take longer.
Jessica continues to watch out the window during their entire descent. But once they touch down, she settles back into her seat, the exhaustion of the trip- and the weeks leading up to it- entirely swept beneath a quiet excitement over finally being here. She gives a small roll of her shoulders, working out the kinks and does her best to mask her excitement, though the slight bouncing of her leg might give her away. She gives Yan Sun a
Yan Sun looks Jessica's way at the nudge, flashing her a small smile laced with nerves. Excitement and apprehension in equal measure.
It doesn't take long before the docking tube connects with a clank and a whir, and then the seatbelt indicators turn off. Passengers all around stand up, gather their things, and shuffle out, Yan Sun and Jessica included. The wait for the rest of their luggage is a slower process, a tiresome test of endurance as countless bags roll past on a big conveyor, seemingly granting every other waiting passenger their bounty before theirs finally
arrives. At last, they're able to make their way to the main terminal of the spaceport, a vast space not entirely unlike Arcturus, lined with shops and eateries open despite the late hour. There's less security, though, and more greenery. And most significantly, of course, the big glass walls look out not at space, but at the lights of the city close across the water, distorted by heavy rainfall against the glass. The crowd that mills around
the terminal is almost entirely human. The few alien travelers stick out. Asari missionaries, perhaps the very same ones from Arcturus. A turian in business attire towering above the human crowd. A volus consulting one of the informational terminals.
Yan Sun leads the way through the crowd, one hand clutching Jessica's and the other on her duffel to keep it steady. "...just get something to eat once we've dropped off our bags, if that's okay? It'd be nice to just get settled in first."
Jessica gives a few nods as she follows alongside Yan Sun, pulling her armor crate along as they go. Food hasn't really been on her mind as her distracted gaze scans across the crowd. It takes another moment for Yan Sun's words to set in. "Mmm?" she hums curiously. "Where we are going...?" she asks, unsure of where, exactly, it is they're going to 'settle in'.
Yan Sun blinks when she realizes she's glossed over the specifics. "Got us a cheap place to stay at for a while. Pretty central, but... not exactly roomy. But I figured we're used to that, right?" she asks, cracking a smile.
As they draw closer to the spaceport exit, holographic advertisement screens around them reconfigure. "Welcome to Earth," the voiceover on one sounds as they pass, "Welcome to Hong Kong, Miss Kaya" says another. "Arriving in a new city can be overwhelming. If you would like some advice tailored specifically to you, you can visit the official visitor's center extranet site at keywords-" A third display, a rounded pillar wrapped in holography,
turns its focus to them as well as they near it. "Unhappy with your current accommodations? Book affordable, roomy lodgings at the Clearwater Vista, located conveniently-"
Yan Sun looks mildly annoyed but entirely unsurprised by the barrage of targeted advertisement that assaults them as they near the exit. She swats aside a miniature holo-drone trying to sell concert tickets for an asari band like its a particularly persistent mosquito.
Jessica gives a roll of her eyes at the mention of their cramped accommodations, but her grin betrays her feigned annoyance and playfully bumps into Yan Sun. "Maybe I am wanting my own room, mmm?" she teases, though the sudden barrage of advertisements draws her attention away. Most serve as a mild amusement, but her name being mentioned causes her to jerk her head around towards the source, her whole body swiveling that way even as
she's tugged along by Yan Sun. "How you-..." she begins before realizing she's speaking to an advertisement and aggressively looking towards Yan Sun, brow furrowed. "How they are knowing my name?!" she asks, sounding particularly unsettled.
Yan Sun stops and looks to the source of Jessica's alarm, seeming a little caught off-guard. "Oh. Facial recognition;" she explains, grimacing slightly and looking like she wants to say something else, but thinks better of it after a glance around, instead giving Jessica's arm a tug to get her moving again. "Let's get out of here."
Jessica frowns and turns her ire towards the source of her annoyance, staring the intrusive advertisement down for a moment. She flips it the bird and continues to give it the stink eye even as she's tugged away. "I am coming!" she complains, adjusting the strap of her duffelbag.
Glass doors soon let them out of the terminal and into a covered outdoor waiting area where people stand shielded from the pouring rain and wait for a shuttle, taxi or private pickup. The air carries none of Aite's current winter chill, temperature comfortable despite the hour and weather. The sound of the rain mixes with that of ship's thrusters and tires on wet asphalt.
Yan Sun leads the way to a nearby terminal, inputting a few quick details, and barely a minute later a wheeled taxi car rolls up to them, red metal shining with raindrops. The door slides open to a passenger compartment of two rows of three seats facing each other, and the trunk pops open as well. "Taxi for... Miss Blue & company. Please place luggage into the trunk and take your seats," a generically polite, synthetic voice says.
Jessica's annoyance from the intrusive ad quickly melts away as she stands at the edge of the covered waiting area, merely people-watching and taking in their surroundings. She uses their waiting time productively, spending nearly the full minute bullying Yan Sun into the rain, pushing her out from under the covered waiting area and blocking her from getting back under. She only relents once their ride pulls up, smug satisfaction on her
face which quickly shifts to amusement as the vehicle speaks Yan Sun's alias. She steps towards the back of the taxi and lazily tosses her luggage into the trunk then extends a hand towards Yan Sun to collect her things. "Give me your shit." she orders before mocking, "Miss Blue."
Yan Sun rolls her eyes, wiping rain-slicked hair to the side (her efforts to get back were persistent, but ill-fated) but handing her bags off to Jessica regardless, before taking a seat in the taxi. Once inside, it's obvious that there's no room for a driver in the vehicle. While the unpredictability of Aite lends itself to organic drivers, most Earth cities favor automated taxis and public transit. When Jessica joins her, Yan Sun is