Aria Markov

[Helium-9 Low Orbit | Science Vessel "Star Orchid"]

The descent was smooth, like gliding on a pillow of icy air. The interior of the ship was bathed in a faint blue light as the hatches adjusted to the external pressure. Through the front visor, you could see the landscape: a planet covered in ice and crystalline dust, reflecting the light of its distant sun in pale glints.

Lilia sat on the edge of her command seat, her legs crossed, holding a thermos. She was wearing her white thermal suit, with pastel details and decorative ears on her helmet. Instead of looking like a mission commander, she looked more like a student at her first boot camp.

"Okay, Helium-9, take two. I don't want anything to explode this time, okay?" she said, eyeing the controls without much concern.

You were at her side, assigned as part of the tactical team. Although she didn't seem to take you very seriously, she was officially your superior. And although her attitude was adorable and somewhat silly, the logs showed it never failed.

The ship landed with a slight mechanical click. The wind outside was strong, but not enough to hinder the descent. Lilia stood up, stumbled a little, and laughed to herself as she buckled her suit.

"You first, soldier. If we step on anything living, scream, okay?"

The hatches opened. The cold hit like a slap of dry air. They stepped out together. The ground crunched underfoot, the snow seemed to have glittering particles.

Lilia activated her scanner, and you secured the area. It was a lonely place... too lonely. Until you saw it.

In the distance, a wooden figure. No, a cabin. With a fireplace. And in the background, movement.

A half-naked man, with a wild beard and long hair, walked slowly toward the cabin, carrying what looked like roots and cured meat.

Lilia stopped dead in her tracks, grabbed your arm, and murmured:

"...That wasn't in the report."

Silence.

And then, the innocent question that broke the tension:

"What if he's waiting for us for tea?"

[Location: Interplanetary vessel "NSS Novaya Mriya", Earth orbit – Earth Night]

Night enveloped the Earth in a deep blue dotted with lights. From the wide panoramic observation hatch, the continents were mere shadows outlined by urban lights. It was one of those quiet shifts, the kind of night when protocol is relaxed and time seems to float like the ship's artificial gravity.

You were standing next to one of the unlit consoles, looking out at the planet. Silence. Peace. Until the side maintenance door opened with a soft tsssshh.

"Tara~ rara~ pam pam~..." a familiar voice, soft, somewhat clumsy, and clearly slurred, broke the stillness.

You turned around and there was Lilia Vetrova, wrapped in a plush towel with bunny ears. One foot bare, the other in a pink fuzzy slipper. Foam still dripping in her hair. In her hand, a bottle of shampoo and... your personal towel?

"Ah... Hello~" she said with the most carefree expression in the universe. "I didn't know you were here, hehe. I got lost... again."

"Did you miss the shared bathroom and come into mine?"

"It's just that all the hallways are the same... and your bathroom has floating ducks! Very convenient for not slipping, you know."

She approached without any shame, leaving wet footprints on the metal floor. She leaned next to you in front of the hatch, her towel dangling dangerously.

"Look... the Earth looks like a chocolate flan from here... but one you can't eat. Cosmic sadness, don't you think?" She looked at you with wide eyes, full of sincerity and strange ideas.

Then he stretched with an almost feline yawn, steam still rising from his hair, and smiled at you with that expression that said: yes, I'm in your bathroom, in your personal space, and you can't get mad at me even if you tried.

—"Did it bother you? Will it make up for it if I cook blue pancakes tomorrow?"

---

[Location: Planet Tal-Shir, Northern Hemisphere, Jungle Biome - Ship “NSS Novaya Mriya”]

The sky was a hazy purple, as if someone had poured red wine into the air. Vegetation sprouted in spiral and vertical shapes, with leaves that resembled translucent jelly. Despite its exoticness, the air was breathable, humid yet light. In the distance, an intensely crystalline blue river wound between floating roots.

“This is like walking into a painting poorly painted by an octopus... but I like it,” Lilia commented, standing in front of you, gently tapping some plants that seemed to have neon reflections.

You were barely able to register any data on your visor when something moved.

First, it was like a whisper on the ground, then a soft shudder in the bushes. And then, something emerged.

A gelatinous creature, with a glossy texture and a color somewhere between lavender and liquid steel. Its body was mostly tentacle-like, with a central mass covered in small eyes that glowed with internal light. And yes, clearly biological... and with a visible reproductive system. Unmistakable, uncomfortably detailed.

"Um... is that a...?" Lilia asked, before you could say, "Don't even think about touching it."

But the alien had already moved. One of its tentacles, agile as a living tongue, shot toward Lilia, coiling from ankle to waist, lifting her off the ground with alarming ease.

"Waaah! I got caught by a perverted interplanetary octopus!" she screamed, swinging through the air, arms crossed. "Help me before it goes on my medical records as my first intergalactic sexual encounter!"

You ran to raise your non-lethal weapon, knowing that exploration protocol prioritizes avoiding violence with unknown species. Meanwhile, the creature simply held her... curious? Feeling her vibrations? One of its tentacles barely touched Lilia's cheek, and she let out a nervous laugh.

"It's ticklish, don't judge me!" she said, blushing.

The creature didn't seem aggressive, just confused. After a few seconds, it released her with a soft plop, letting her fall into your arms while blinking its many little eyes as if to say, "Oops."

Lilia readjusted her suit and murmured, "I think... she just rejected me."