They rested on a small red moon orbiting a rust-colored planet. Aster shifted beside Kendra, sending blushes of gold shimmering across his form as he dozed. He curled nearer, and she draped her sleeve-like shadows over him. She gazed out at the stars surrounding them. Acinos’s sun twinkled in the distance among other unfamiliar constellations. They were close, only another leap to the planet itself.

Aster stretched as he stirred, shimmering with cobalt light. She nudged him with her mind. “Feeling better?”

“Well rested.” He rose from the dusty orange surface of the moon. “I am ready when you are.”

She nodded and drew her awareness away from the physical world. Her senses focused, and the planet, moon, and distant stars seemed to flatten and compress. She reached out with her mind for the locations where space was most malleable, places she could fold together, bringing them close enough to touch. Then they jumped forward. Stars blurred around them like water in a rushing river, and they covered millions of miles in an instant.

Acinos lay before them, green with forests and blue with oceans, capped by ice-covered poles. Deserts spread across smaller stretches of the planet, nothing like the expanse of sand and rocky plateaus they had left behind. They drew nearer to their destination, from continent to city to university campus.

As they approached Bria’s building, they moved like shadows, too indistinct for passersby to note. Only when they had slipped in through the stone walls to an empty corridor did Aster don his bodily form. He fit in well enough, but Kendra’s body remained indistinct.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“I am.” He entered Bria’s lab, approaching her office while Kendra remained out of sight. As he was about to knock, her door opened. She blinked as she looked him over, watching him curiously.

“Bria,” he said.

“Yes? Did you need something?”

“My name is Aster. I must speak with you about your expedition to the Asteracean ruins.”

Her expression grew apprehensive, her jaw tense as she nodded.

“I’m afraid that this may sound outlandish, but please trust that I am serious. You encountered my memories embedded within the caverns you discovered. I was unaware of the effect my presence had at the time. When I woke, I realized other beings had been there, and I saw your memories alongside mine. I met Kendra.”

“You met her? She never mentioned—when?”

“After you, Antony, and Seph had left the planet. With the satellite broken, Kendra could not contact anyone, and my technology is unlike yours. But she survived and is here now. She thought it best I speak with you first, as her form is different from what it was before.”

“But … how? Where is she?”

“I’m here, Bria.” She stepped into view and waved, sending sunlight filtering through the translucent tips of her fingers.

Bria’s eyes widened and then flicked between her and Aster before settling back on Kendra, as if she were trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

“After the cave-in, the caretakers—the machines in the ruins—were able to repair my body temporarily. But their technology couldn’t sustain me long, and my body began to disintegrate the same way Antony’s arm did. The machines were agitated, and their commotion woke Aster. His ship’s technology saved my mind and gave me this new form.”

Bria grasped the lab bench, her knuckles white. “I’m so sorry.” The words erupted from her, and she drew nearer to Kendra. “Are you … alright?”

“Better than alright. I’m great, and I’m happy to see you again,” she said gently.

“Goodness, I’m relieved. I’m just not sure what to feel right now.”

“You did everything right,” Kendra assured her. “You had no way of knowing the machines could have saved me from an injury like that. I reached the research station and documented what happened to me, but the satellite went dead. And the intrepid little machines scrapped the emergency beacons for parts.”

Bria stared at her with wide eyes. “After all that, you made it here.”

“I did.” As she looked at Bria, her mind returned to the last time they had seen each other in the cavern, during the rush to collect a sample that might help Antony. “What happened after you left? Is Antony okay? And Seph?”

“They’re fine. Thankfully, Antony stabilized after losing his arm. He and Seph recently moved to a city on Lythrum-9, Seph’s home planet.”

Kendra stepped back, letting out a sharp laugh as the knot of anxiety in her chest eased. “That’s a relief.”

The door to the lab creaked open, and heels clicked against the tile floor. “I do intend to hold you to your promise to leave at a reasonable hour today,” a woman said. Her bob of dark hair bounced as she paused at the far end of the lab. “Oh. Hello there.”

“Isabelle,” Bria said as she turned to the woman. “Kendra came back.”

They gathered in Isabelle’s home, speaking long into the evening. Kendra and Aster accepted her gracious offer to host them for the night. The next morning, they met in her sun room, where light filtered in through the glass walls, glinting off the waxy leaves of potted plants. Aster leaned close to a metal cylinder filled with spiky green succulents.

“Bria and I planted those together,” Isabelle said. The other woman’s voice carried faintly from another room, too indistinct to understand, but the frustration in her tone was apparent.

“How is she?” Kendra asked.

“Shaken by what happened. But I believe she is dedicated to taking more time for herself, of which I wholeheartedly approve.”

“Good.”

Isabelle tilted her head. “And you? You told us of everything that happened, but how are you adjusting?”

“It is strange, but good. Strange to lose the body I knew and adjust to something different. Still, the change has brought freedom and a surprising comfort with it. I wish the situation hadn’t been so dire, but I think I would have chosen this form even under less harrowing circumstances.”

“I understand,” Isabelle said with a smile.

Bria returned and settled into the small recliner with a huff. “It’s done. They’ll have someone out to fix the satellite within the next 48 hours.”

“That was all it took?” Kendra asked.

“There was some yelling on my part. I told them someone had been stranded on the planet because of their poor satellite maintenance. I gave them a story that was mostly true without providing details about Aster or the caretakers. They won’t visit the surface. For that matter, I don’t expect the company that funded our expedition to visit the planet either—the last I spoke with them, they seemed content to abandon the research station there. That leaves it to you and Aster to decide who you inform about the curator and the ship.”

Kendra nodded. “We’ll be cautious about who we invite to the planet. Do either of you know researchers who might be able to help the curator?”

“I do,” Bria said. “Iditri, a former graduate student of mine, works in an extensive library, one of the biggest in the galaxy. She has experience with ancient databases and technology.”

Isabelle tapped her chin. “I have a few contacts as well. This wouldn’t be the first time an AI from an earlier era was found stranded. I believe I know someone who helped relocate one from a ruined vessel lost deep in space.”

“That’s promising,” Aster said. He turned to Kendra, and a bright pulse of hope traveled from him to her. “Can we visit this library after we see Antony and Seph?”

“Absolutely,” Kendra said.

“I hope you can find something of your own people in the archives,” Bria said.

Aster smiled. “I hope so too.”

“You are both welcome here for as long as you’d like. Though I understand if you’d rather check in on Antony and Seph. I’m sure those two will be happy to see you.”

“I want to see them as well,” Kendra said. “But I will visit you two again soon.”

Bria rose and took Kendra’s hands, unfazed by their translucence. “I am so glad you’re alright and grateful you came here.”

“Of course we did.”

Isabelle stood then, holding out her arms to Aster. “Hug?”

“Oh. Oh, certainly,” he said and stepped forward to embrace her.

They said their goodbyes. As the sun rose overhead, Kendra and Aster took flight as shadows racing across the sky, leaving Acinos behind.

When Lythrum-9 appeared, Aster stopped, floating above the atmosphere as he regarded the planet. Awe radiated from him in plumes of violet fire. As Kendra observed the surface from their vantage point in space, she understood. The green hues of the forests covering the planet were so brilliant they seemed to glow. She and Aster descended, flying over immense lakes where the water sparkled, glittering and pristine. They crossed tree-lined mountains until they found New Calathea nestled between rolling hills.

The address Bria had given them led to a trendy-looking extended stay hotel. Mindful of avoiding people, they headed for the room, and Aster knocked on the door. There was no answer, however, even after a minute and another knock, so they flew up to the roof to wait out of sight. Atop the building was a patio with chairs and couches alongside a small bar.

In the distance, there were decorative stone archways marking the main roads to New Calathea. A small skyline rose in the east. Kendra spotted a university campus to the west alongside what she guessed was the university hospital. Her gaze returned to the patio, and she noticed the couple standing in the far corner, almost hidden on the other side of the empty bar. They leaned against the railing, looking in the opposite direction. The wind ruffled Antony’s wavy brown hair as he laughed softly at something Seph had said.

Kendra gestured to them, and Aster’s feet tapped against the floor as he landed beside her. “Antony? Seph?”

Seph turned first, his mouth falling open. He quickly patted Antony’s arm, whispering to him. Antony whirled around with wide eyes. He stumbled toward her, transfixed, as he said her name in a hoarse whisper. “Kendra,” he repeated. “You’re here.”

“Hi Antony.”

“I want to hug you. Can I?”

“Of course. It might feel strange.”

He wrapped himself around her, and she concentrated as much as she could on keeping her body solid. She felt the weight of him against her, and the warmth pouring off him.

“You’re right, that tickles,” he said, letting out a high-pitched laugh of relief. He stepped back, grinning at her as they turned to Aster, who was shaking Seph’s hand.

“It’s good to meet you,” Aster said. “I believe I saw a few of your memories, but that’s hardly a proper introduction.”

“And good to meet you as well,” Seph said with a smile.

Antony turned back to Kendra, his eyes glassy. “We watched the videos you left. The satellite is working again, and we wanted to know what happened. I—I’m so sorry.”

“Really, Antony, I’m okay. As for this,” she said, gesturing to her form. “I’m happy like this.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Seph said. “From what little I understand of your method of travel, it’s astounding. I’m sure it’s an adjustment, but the upsides are obvious.”

“It is amazing,” Antony said. “But I wish we could have done something for you. I mean, you went back into the ruins for me.”

“Of course we did—we would have done anything that could help,” Kendra said. “I’m sorry about your arm, but it’s a relief to see you’re okay otherwise. How are you?”

“It is an adjustment—I can’t pretend it’s not. But I have a consultation with the prosthetics department at the hospital next week. I’m planning to get a removable arm. There’s a surgery to install a base plate, but the rest I’ll be able to take off if I want. There will be a lot of physical therapy, of course, but I should have a good range of motion and sensation. So, overall? I’m okay. I’m alive.”

“I’m glad.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “In a way, I have my own physical therapy ahead. Except in my case, it’s learning how to be physical again.”

Antony laughed. “Yeah, we can compare notes.”

“Tell me about New Calathea.”

“We’re staying at this hotel while we find our own places.” He glanced at Seph with a playful quirk of his lips. “Partially a concession to pragmatism. I’m going to have a ridiculous number of doctor’s appointments over the next few months, so I’m considering renting an apartment near the hospital for now.”

Seph tucked his hand under his chin. “I’m tempted to get a place downtown for the sheer novelty. They do quarterly rental agreements here, so I could move if I hate it.”

Antony huffed. “Yeah, it’s more that he wants to spend three months browsing the art galleries and museums. More convenient to just sleep there while he’s at it.”

“Well, we’ve both been eying those houses in the arts district, but I’d rather wait a few months until they’re done with construction there.”

“And we both decided to wait until we settled in somewhat before jumping into long-term cohabitation.”

“We’re being very pragmatic.”

“Never mind that we are, in fact, living together right now.”

“Which is also practical because we’re splitting the cost,” Seph said with a grin.

“And by that logic, we’ll end up living together before we officially start dating.”

Seph pulled a face, pretending to be appalled. “Oh no, if we’re going to be living together properly, I want you to be my boyfriend, not my roommate.”

Kendra gestured between them. “So, you two …?”

“Formally wooing each other but saving the official first date for after I get my arm,” Antony said. “Mostly because I’d like our relationship to begin with a period of flirting that doesn’t include sniping at each other in the desert or sad venting while in quarantine on a medical station.”

“That’s … very rational,” Aster said.

“I applaud you,” Kendra intoned.

Antony huffed, his eyes crinkling. “What’s next for you?”

“We’re planning to do what we can for the machines back in the ruins. And try to find more of Aster’s people.”

“Do you want my help with anything?”

She shook her head. “Only your friendship—you and Seph deserve a rest. We’ll be working with Bria and Isabelle and traveling to the archives to meet with other researchers.”

Seph tapped his wearable, bringing up a hologram. “That reminds me. After we accessed your videos, I was going through the research I had collected about Asteracea. I found the original article describing the planet. Thought you might find it interesting.” He passed the hologram to her, and she began to read aloud.

“From the Proceedings of the Galactic Archaeology Consortium, on the discovery of the ancient civilization of the planet ‘Asteracea.’ Our travels brought us to an unknown star system. There we found an empty planet, devoid of plant and animal life. Cities lay in ruins, crumbling after years of corrosion by the elements.

“The inhabitants of the planet had faced the collapse of their environment. Dry earth and rocks were left, land unable to sustain anything growing. Yet, remnants of stone buildings survived, and engraved upon them were hints of the past vitality of the world. Intricate carvings of flowers adorned the walls, floors, and columns of the remaining architecture.

“And though the planet was unfamiliar, the images bore a striking resemblance to common plants from our explorers’ homes. Daisies sprawled across the buildings of this world, leaves and petals carved deep enough into the stone that even the harsh environment could not fully wear them away. And so we named the planet Asteracea. An empty world filled with images of flowers from long ago.”

Kendra drew her gaze away from the text to the city around them and the green hills beyond it. “I wonder if Asteracea looked like this when the planet was still inhabited. Filled with trees and plants and life.”

“It would have been beautiful,” Aster said.

Antony caught Kendra’s eye. “Might be somewhere to consider if you two are looking for a home in the future.”

Seph nodded to Aster. “It’s the sort of place that can help one’s mind feel at ease.”

“Maybe … we’ll think about that,” Aster said.

Kendra rested her hand on his shoulder. “We will.” His eyes glittered in the light spilling over the horizon, and he smiled at her, his expression full of warmth. Beyond him, Antony leaned against the railing. Seph slung an arm around his shoulders, and Antony relaxed into the touch.

Peace washed over her as she watched the sun set over the brilliant green mountains. As the sky darkened to a rich cobalt, the first stars of the evening appeared. Just hours ago, she and Aster had rested among those stars. They had crossed space as travelers cloaked in shadow and color. She and Aster would sail the stars again; they would explore the vastness of this universe and those beyond it. She was a scientist and he an archivist; together they would embrace unknown worlds with joy and wonder. And then they would return from their travels to the company of their friends. They would come home to a world that was as vividly alive as they were.