Four massive Virtixes drifted forward, their long—at least thirty-foot—tendrils pulling a wide, flat platform beneath a stone-glass dome.
They set it down in front of Zeros—
carefully, almost ceremonially.
Through the transparent cover, it was visible:
inside lay a small mound of dark Pyrolytic Vitreum.
The material shimmered—
a deep, glass-like glow reacting
to the bioluminescent pulses of the Virtixes themselves.
One of them—the largest—
gracefully drifted above Zeros,
trailing the tip of its tendril along the android’s body,
leaving flowing neon patterns across his surface—
like a greeting,
like recognition,
like respect.
Phoenix spoke quietly, almost in a whisper:
“Zeros… that’s her.
The one…
their best hunter.”
Blindy snapped, offended:
“THE HELL?!
I WANNA SEE TOO!
Is she—like… is she hot at least?..”
Phoenix sighed with the patience of a saint
desperately considering sleep mode:
“Captain.
She is thirty-seven feet long.
You are not even a food source.
You do not qualify as an object of interest.
And certainly not as a mate.”
Blindy, lowering his voice like he was negotiating a date:
“C’mon, Rusty…
just take a pic or something…
show me later…”
Phoenix paused—
sometimes even an AI wonders
why it keeps answering the captain:
“Honestly…
I would personally recommend taking her with us.
She would be extremely effective in combat.
But her environment is here:
dense atmosphere, methane pressure, darkness.
Do you know what happens to mollusks on land?
That—
is what would happen to her.”
Phoenix raised his tone slightly:
“So I will thank them on our behalf…
and suggest we get the hell out of here
before either you or Zeros ruin everything.”
They didn’t waste time.
Z-P-N-E-S 2.0 descended smoothly onto an open patch—
the moment the hull touched down,
dozens of Virtixes surrounded it.
They hovered around the ship,
clearly fascinated,
studying the “being”
that had spoken to them from the sky.
Blindy put on his scooter goggles—
his eyes instantly turned into huge green circles,
like he was heading to a carnival, not a mission.
When the cargo bay doors opened,
he stepped forward—
confident, almost ceremonial—
like an explorer about to set foot on promised land.
And then—
he inhaled.
Methane.
And everything else in that atmosphere.
First breath.
His face went red instantly.
He started coughing like his lungs were trying to explode
and run in opposite directions.
He doubled over,
collapsed onto one knee,
choking, gasping—
then instantly turned and crawled back behind the energy shield,
grabbing the floor
like a sailor dragged off deck by a wave.
Zeros, handing the platform with the pyrolytic material inside,
didn’t even look at him.
“Phoenix. We’re leaving.”
Z-P-N-E-S 2.0 hummed low and deep.
The air trembled—
the ship began to rise slowly,
still glowing like a cheap diner sign
in the darkest, most run-down corner of the galaxy.
Its hull shimmered in chaotic colors—
a dirty rainbow,
like someone set a “disco mode”
on an old Windows XP-era visualizer.
The Virtixes answered in kind.
Dozens of lights flared beneath the ship—
they drifted around it in glowing spirals,
echoing its colors, amplifying them, dimming them,
as if this were some ancient escort ritual.
The higher the ship climbed,
the more of them slowly descended back down—
into their native darkness,
sending it off with their glow,
the outsider
who had ignited a small birth of a star on their world.
But a few—
brighter, bolder, more curious than the rest—
kept rising with it,
as if trying to touch the wing of a new god.
And among them—
her.
The hunter.
Her long, flexible body stretched upward,
reflecting the ship’s light,
as if trying to memorize
every shade of this strange sky
it had brought with it.
She followed Z-P-N-E-S 2.0 the longest.
All the way to the edge of the atmosphere.
Until the fog beneath her began to tear apart—
and the ship accelerated—
sharp, sudden, like a fired bullet.
A moment—and Z-P-N-E-S 2.0 flashed high above,
a cold-blue arc of acceleration—and vanished.
The glowing points of the Virtixes kept shimmering below for a long time, as if trying to hold onto the light that had just slipped away.
[Jackie gasped—so loudly Dick flinched, and it came through the mic clearly]“Aigo…
They left… and the planet’s still intact…
Even the Virtixes are alive…
I wish I could see them myself…”
[She nudged Dick with her elbow, demanding attention]“You know… this whole time I was sitting here, listening—
and I was so worried about them.I thought—this is it.
No one survives.And the galaxy would never even know
that such an incredible species existed…”
[She exhaled warmly]“I think I fell in love with Phoenix.
He’s brilliant.If not for him—
Zeros, that grumpy fool, would’ve wiped the whole planet.”
[Dick burst out laughing]“Baby, you sound like your own grandma was in danger.
That’s why we love you.
You always worry about every weird space creature out there.
Adorable.”
[His tone shifted—playful, but with a warning edge]“But careful with those love confessions—
half the listeners, especially your fan-boys…
and some of your fan-girls…
might get jealous.”
[He slapped the desk, switching into his signature baritone]“Alright, dear listeners!
Reminder—you’re tuned in to Night with Melody & Jackie Ro™,
on RADIO NEBULA 69.99 FTLM.With you—
your one and only, unmatched, unforgettable,
absolutely legendary
Dick Melody.And right here with me—
Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Rho:
brilliant, stunning,
and damn it—the best DJ in the entire universe.”
[Jackie flicked a switch Dick leaned back, clicked another toggle, and stretched]“Go on, baby.
Drop Butt Pimple—
or whatever you’ve got ready.Let’s take a music break…”
[Jackie clicked the switch again, and you could hear the smile in her voice]“You know, Mr. Melody…
I was thinking—
it’s been a while since we played anything from the Saga of Code.
And—funny enough—
I’ve got something perfect for you, Dick.”
[Dick tensed slightly]“For me? What is it—a love song?”
[Jackie giggled]“Exactly. A track from The Saga of Code—BLUSHING MOON™—performed by the beloved Nova Liría™—oh no, I’m not okay—I love her so much—okay—okay—sorry—yes, the one you pretend not to cry to.”
[She added softly, smiling]“Don’t worry, Dick. It’s a melodic love song.”
[The music fades—and he explodes back on air]“Baby…
It’s alright.
Not the best romance shit I’ve heard in my life…
But—yeah. Not bad. Not bad.
Alright—let’s continue…”