“I don’t like it.” Daehyun glared at the mirror.

Yongguk sighed in response.

“… I don’t like it.”

“Get over it. It’s going to help us blend in.” Himchan checked his reflection for the hundredth time, fidgeting with his new “Earthling” clothes.

“I look like a Eu-ak bird.” Daehyun obviously wasn’t listening.

Youngjae released a long sigh in unison with his General. The two couldn’t stop staring forlornly at their newly bleached and cut hair.

“It’s not the end of the world!” Jongup chirped happily, always the optimist. It earned him a half-hearted glare from Yongguk, but he brushed it off. He couldn’t wait to leave – mainly just so he could sit in the pilot’s seat again. Himchan noticed his anxiousness and laughed.

“Okay, let’s go. Any more waiting and Jongup might explode.”

One by reluctant one, they gathered their equipment and loaded onto the ship, getting a few last minute orders from Mato’s governor, who would be retiring once they returned with the Viceroy. Saying goodbye, Bang started having second thoughts. He liked this governor. Maybe they could just look for the energy source and conveniently forget about saving the Viceroy? No, Himchan would have his head.

Yongguk sighed and climbed up the ramp, throwing his stuff by the others’ and flopping into one of the empty passenger seats. Jongup was already behind the controls; his fingers flying over the screens to prep for take off.

“Strap in. We’re taking off.” He pressed a few more keys as the others pulled the seat strap over their shoulders. Two blue orbs materialized by his arms. Once everything was in order, Jongup rested his hands on top of them and leaned back, controlling the ship with his body. Once they were off the ground, he’d be able to control the ship’s functions with the control orbs. A large grin broke out on his face. Man, he loved flying.

Youngjae, on the other hand, wasn’t so fond of flying. He managed to fall into an uneasy sleep that came with lots of twitching and sporadically waking up. Eventually, only Yongguk and Jongup were left awake.

Bang took off his seat strap and moved to the spot next to the youngest.

“…Hyung?”

“Hmm?” It took him a moment to respond, considering they were still getting used to this new language they recently downloaded to their brains. Yongguk hated downloading. It made him feel like something was invading his mind.

“What do you think it’ll be like? When we land.”

“I don’t know, Jonguppie.”

A few moments of silence settled between them. Jongup chewed on his lip before finally gaining enough courage to speak up.

“Hyung?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m scared.”

“Why?” Yongguk leaned forward, focusing his attention.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. What if the atmosphere kills us? What if we end up landing in the wrong place? What if the Viceroy’s…”

Bang patted Jongup on the back. “Everything’s going to be fine. We’re the best Mato’s got; we can deal if things go wrong. The atmosphere won’t kill us, we’ll land exactly where we need to, and the Viceroy’s fine. Her kidnapper keeps demanding ransom anyway.” He rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

Jongup laughed when his General yawned. “Go to sleep… Hyung. I’ll wake everyone up when we land.”

Bang didn’t protest. “Fly safe, kid.”

“You got it.”

Yongguk leaned back and closed his eyes, falling into a restless sleep.

Bang launched out of his seat the instant the sirens started going off. It took him a moment to shake off the instinctual panic and snap into soldier-mode. Himchan was already leaning past him, trying to see over Jongup’s shoulder.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know! There’s something wrong with the fuel reactor I think… I’m going to go check it out. Someone take over.” The kid jumped out of his chair, grabbing a toolbox by the door and sliding down the hall to the engine room. Himchan looked clueless. Yongguk growled in frustration and took over the controls, his hands sinking into the virtual gel of the control orbs.  

It was a weird feeling, flying a Mato ship – one Yongguk may never get used to. Once your hands molded into the gel, it’s like you were breathing the ship, able to control it with as little as a blink or a sigh. Jongup was right; something was wrong with the fuel. Earth was right in front of them and the ship picks that moment to go haywire? Perfect.

Within seconds, Daehyun was at his side and pointing at a spot in the atmosphere. “There. Break through there.”

Yongguk flinched from the whirring noise Daehyun’s eyes made when they zoomed on anything. Someone had offered him the surgery to mechanize his own eyes, but he refused for the same reasons he hated downloading.

“The marker says-“

“I see it. I’m saying break through there.”

“Fine.” Bang grumbled and leaned forward, tilting the ship so it could break through Earth’s atmosphere without burning all of them alive.

Sometime during the breach, Jongup returned. “Fuel cells are busted. We’re going to have to just land.”

“And by land you mean crash.” Youngjae mumbled.

“Yeah. Hyung land on that pile of junk.”

“I’m not a pilot, Jongup!”

“Land anyway!”

“For crying out loud…” Himchan could feel a panic attack coming on.

“Strap in!” Yongguk barked. The others wasted no time in listening. The General grit his teeth and pulled back at the last moment, sending the ship rocking and crashing into a large pile of scrap metal and busted mattresses. Without the help of any landing gear, it tilted on its side and stayed there, bulkheads groaning along with the ship’s passengers. Smoke from the overheated engines started filling up the room and fogging the windows.

“Great. First time on Earth and my view is obstructed by smoke from our crash landing.”

“At least we landed.” Youngjae was the first after Jongup, who’d broken through the jammed access ramp to assess the damage on the outside. Youngjae took a few hesitant steps, trying to get used to Earth’s gravity system. One by one, the others took their first steps on Earth as well.

Daehyun looked down at the dirt under his feet. “This is… strangely disappointing.”

“Figures they’d still have junkyards.” Himchan scoffed.

Youngjae took a deep breath, only to choke and double over coughing. The others weren’t sure whether they should breath or not.

“I’m fine. Oxygen percentage just caught me off guard.” Youngjae shook his head and righted himself.

“Bad news; the ship’s completely busted. We’re stuck here until Mato sends another one.” Jongup emerged from the ship’s hull, wiping grease off his hands.

“Oh this is just great!” Yongguk pulled at his hair in frustration.

“Sorry, Hyung.”

Youngjae groaned and leaned against the ship. “How are we even supposed to carry this out anyway? The governor’s crazy, making us search an entire country for the Viceroy. We’re not machines.”

Machines probably would have been a better idea… Wait. Yongguk immediately perked up. Machines. Machine. Robot. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all. He immediately confiscated Jongup’s toolbox, haphazardly tossing it inside one of the ship’s rooms and scrambling around the junkyard. He pulled out everything from metal pieces to wires and screws, storing everything in the Compact Cube from the toolbox. The other members, completely perplexed by their General’s sudden shift in character, could only stand and watch him.

Once he felt he had lifted everything he needed, he walked back onto the ship, turning to address s. “Don’t disturb me until I’m done.” He closed the door, locking the air seal with a hiss.

Himchan sighed. “I can’t wait to see what he’s creating this time.”