THE SPACE REQUIEM PART ONE : GENESIS

After the mission, Tristan had flown home, settling Cullen into his bed. Cullen was exhausted and was asleep, his multiple deaths during the battle drained him out, this meant Cullen would be out of commission for a while. Cullen was a unique entity known as an Aeter, part of a rare , ancient race of only around 30 individuals. These beings were immortal and had been alive for millions of years, originating from the planet Perpet. Despite their rules forbidding meddling with other planets, Cullen had left Perpet thousands of years ago due to personal issues, becoming one of the few Aeters to venture beyond their home world.

Aeters were unable to die , even if every atom of their bodies were destroyed, they would persist. They possessed extraordinary abilities, such as flight and energy manipulation, allowing them to generate energy blasts from the surrounding atmosphere. Tristan had discovered Cullen alone on a distant world and had taken him in, and the two had been friends ever since.

One morning, Tristan closed Cullen's door quietly, allowing him to rest, and turned his attention to the Unostem. This device was a gateway to the universe, providing access to communications, videos, music from various planets, and more. Tristan used the Unitab, a site on the Unostem that displayed job requests from across the cosmos. He spent the morning scanning for suitable jobs but found nothing promising.

Frustrated, Tristan decided to gather supplies for himself and Cullen. He headed to the Sector gate. Tristan wanted to go to sector 5 which was known for its bustling trade and was one of the most densely populated areas in the universe. Tristan paid the necessary fare of 70 Lunars to pass through.

Sector 5 was a hub of activity, with trade flourishing across its 14 planets. Among these, the planet Cosec stood out as one of the wealthiest. Its rich resources attracted traders and travellers' from across the galaxy, making it a prime location for commerce.

Tristan typed Cosec into his ship's navigation system and set it on autopilot after the gate spat him out. He travelled for 2 hours , as he began to drift off to sleep in his chair, an unexpected voice crackled over the ship's speakers.

"Hello, is anyone out there?"

Tristan peered out the front. A ship , drifting aimlessly, was visible in the void of space.

"You over there, please help me," the voice continued. "My ship is almost out of power and fuel."

Tristan's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. "I can take you to the nearest planet, but it's going to cost you."

"I'll give you anything," the desperate voice replied. "Just take me to the nearest planet. It's not too far from here."

"Fine," Tristan said with a sigh. He activated his ship's magnetic cable and connected it to the stranded ship. Slowly, he began towing it toward the closest planet. "I hope you have an oxygen mask. The nearest planet hasn't been terraformed yet."

"Yes, I have one," came the relieved reply.

As they approached the planet, Tristan tapped a button on his control panel and spoke through the comms to the other ship. "You should have enough fuel to land now. I'm going to detach your ship."

With a gentle nudge, Tristan released the magnetic cable, allowing the stranded ship to towards the lime-green planet below. The planet's turbulent atmosphere was visible from above, with constant storm clouds swirling ominously.

Tristan donned his eye goggles and oxygen mask before heading to the back of his ship. He opened the door to the other ship, which was smaller and less sophisticated than his own. Inside, the vessel had three seats, and the interior showed signs of wear and tear.