Chapter 38 - The Landing

I was sweating a bit as I strapped on my hard EVA suit, the armored material feeling heavy over my bodysuit. I caught Emily’s eye, and I grinned. “Ready to make history, Em?” Our combat suits, which were very comfortable, were just as pressurized and armored, but Danny insisted on having us wear these cumbersome suits for some reason.

“Born ready, Captain. Let’s show this new world what we’re made of.” Her eyes were sparkling, full of that same excitement that was thrumming through me. It was infectious.

We were about to step foot on an alien world, and I was leading the damn charge. This wasn’t Sol, where bases had already been built and protocols were in place.

“Alright, team,” I called out, my voice steady despite the butterflies in my stomach. “Emily and I will take the Peregrine out. The rest of you, wait for my signal before exiting the airlock.”

“Luca! Who gets to step on the planet first? Shouldn’t we be recording this?” Chris asked. It was a good question, even if it was coming from irritatingly handsome Chris.

I smiled at my crew, the way you would with a group of kids excited about Christmas. “We’ll all take turns stepping onto the planet,” I said, gesturing for them to follow me to the airlock. “And yes, Chris, we should definitely be recording this.” Gotta have that for the history books, or the socials or whatever.

Before we went anywhere, I reached out, cupping Emily's face in my hands. I pulled her in for a kiss, a quick, fierce press of our lips. It was a kiss full of everything: excitement, nerves, a little bit of fear, and a whole lot of desire. "For luck," I murmured against her lips.

Emily grinned, her eyes sparkling even brighter than before. "I don't need luck, Captain, but I'll take the kiss anyway."

With that settled, Emily and I made our way down the stairs from the crew compartment and into the Peregrine. The thing was a beast, all sleek angles and heavy armor, like someone had taken a military transport, crossed it with a high-end RV, stuck on an airlock and slapped an energy turret on top just in case things got interesting.

---

Its official name, when scanned, came up as an LCV-R Peregrine, some fancy acronym that meant "light combat vehicle - reconnaissance class." But to us? It was home on wheels, our ticket into the unknown, our forward base, and, if things went south, our best shot at survival.

I ran my hand over the reinforced plating, feeling the armor beneath my fingertips. This thing had already proven itself on the moons back in Sol, rolling out on terrain that should’ve left it stuck, buried, or flipped. Maybe we couldn’t drive it into Venus and expect it to come back in one piece, but if a place had gravity, the Peregrine could make it work.

And if a place had nightmare-fueled carbon hounds trying to rip it apart, it could handle that too.

I still remember the first time we found it into a portal, a pitch-black, no-mercy delve against a swarm of carbon hounds. Things had gone to hell fast. We were knee-deep in loot, trying to haul ass back to the exit, when the beasts came down on us like a landslide of teeth and muscle. The Peregrine had held strong, but the damn things were relentless, slamming into the sides, trying to flip us, trying to tear through the armor. I’d been on the roof, taking potshots, when one of them, a hulking brute with a jaw big enough to snap me in half, leapt up and damn near dragged me off.

I could still feel the sheer panic, my fingers scrabbling for purchase as the truck rocked beneath me. Then, the turret spun to life. A burst of energy fire seared through the night, slamming into the hound just as it was about to pull me over the edge.

Alessio. My little brother had been inside the Peregrine; he’d been twelve years old at the time, but he’d kept his head, flipped on the turret, put on the headset and blasted that thing straight to hell.

By the time we drove out of that portal, the Peregrine was ours.

Chris, of course, had to ruin the moment by poking his head in. “So, are we going or are you two just gonna stand there making out with the truck?”

Emily rolled her eyes, pushing past me toward the driver’s seat. “Shut up Chris. We’ll make out in the truck if you can’t take a chill pill.”

With a goofy grin now plastered on my face and my stomach full of butterflies, it was time to go. "Let's get the show started," I murmured once I settled into the driver’s seat, more to myself than to Emily.

Chris and the rest of the crew had gone back into the crew compartment of the Percival and sealed the door. The dropship’s ramp lowered, exposing us to the alien atmosphere. I eased the Peregrine forward, inch by inch, the first human-driven vehicle on this world.

---

We parked a few yards from the dropship, its bulk still looming behind us. I stepped off the driver’s seat, heading for the airlock, Emily at my heels.

I cycled through, the hiss of pressure equalizing filling my ears. Then, the door unlocked, and I was free.

And I saw Proxima Centauri b with my own eyes.

Holy shit.

The sky stretched wide above me, bathed in a soft pinkish glow from the red dwarf hanging low in the sky. Not the deep, bloody red I’d imagined, but something softer, gentler. A diffuse, warm light, painting everything in shades of rose and coral, it must have been the atmosphere acting as a filter. If Earth had a golden hour, this was something else, something surreal and alien, a never-ending blush that kissed the land in a way I knew we'd grown used to.

And above it all, barely visible, a set of rings curved across the sky. Faint but undeniably there, ghostly arcs of ice and dust, catching the star’s light just enough to whisper of their presence.

I turned slowly, taking in the landscape.

We had landed in a meadow near those cliffs that caused so much turbulence, the meadow stretched out in rolling waves of tall, red grasses that swayed gently in the breeze, closer to rust color or wine. Among them, alien flora bloomed, their shapes strange and unfamiliar but strikingly alive. Short plants stretched toward the sky with curling, fern-like tendrils, while others clustered low to the ground, thick and bulbous like something adapted for drought. A stream cut through the land a short distance away, its water glinting with an eerie, glassy clarity.

And the silence.

No birds, no rustling of hidden creatures, just the whisper of the wind through the alien grass, the distant gurgle of the stream. The noise of our descent must have scared away anything that lived here, but for now? It was just us.

I let out a slow breath, my pulse hammering in my ears.

First human, baby.

It felt surreal, like stepping into a dream.

The gravity was familiar, maybe a touch heavier than the Triumph’s artificial field, but nothing crazy. I flexed my hands, adjusted my stance, testing the pull against my boots. It felt… stable. Solid ground, under my feet, on an alien world.

I turned back toward the dropship where the rest of the crew waited, practically vibrating with anticipation.

“It’s safe to come out,” I said, my voice steady, but my heart pounding.

The moment was finally here.

---

Emily and I walked up to the dropship, its hull still radiating heat from entry. The airlock exterior flashed green, indicating pressure had stabilized. We could see movement inside, the rest of the crew, crammed together like a bunch of overstuffed sausages in their EVA suits, waiting to be let out.

Chris's voice crackled over comms. “Alright, here we go. Don’t forget to smile for the history books.”

The airlock door slid open with a hiss, and the first thing I saw was Ryan lugging the camera rig down the ladder, grumbling under his breath.

“Careful with that, man,” I called up. “You drop it, and our first step on an alien world gets remembered as your dumb ass breaking the tripod.”

Ryan shot me a look. “I hate you.”

Chris clapped him on the back as he passed. “He’s right, though. You drop it, we’re making ‘Ryan Fumbled First Contact’ a thing.”

“Shut up and stand still so I can frame the shot.” Ryan muttered, setting up the tripod.

The rest of the crew was still inside, watching through the airlock window. This was it, their turn. One by one, they would step onto an alien planet, a moment that no human had ever experienced before.

Chris turned back toward the others and slapped the control panel, releasing the ladder. “Alright, who’s first?”

Danny went first, boots thudding against the metal rungs as he climbed down. As soon as he touched the ground, he raised his arms like he’d just won a championship. “Fuck yeah! Alien planet, bitches!”

Ryan snapped the first photo.

---

As soon as we were clear, I activated the atmospheric sampler. The damn thing whirred to life, sounding like a small, angry vacuum cleaner, sucking up data that could mean life or death for all of us.

Joey's voice crackled over the comms, excitement practically jumping through the static. "Initial readings look promising, Luca! Oxygen at 23%, nitrogen at 76%. It’s like Earth with a twist, it’s almost too good to be true!"

My hand instinctively moved to my helmet, ready to lift the visor and taste this new world. I mean, how often do you get to be the first person to taste a brand-new planet? But before I could, Joey's voice rang out again, this time with a note of caution. "Wait! Don't remove your helmet yet, Luca. We need to check for pathogens, microbes, anything our bodies might not be prepared for."

I froze, my fingers hovering near the release. Fuck, I almost killed myself, I thought. I'd been so caught up in the moment I'd almost done something stupid.

"Good catch, Joey," I said, relieved. "Remind me to thank you properly when we're not on an alien planet." I meant it too, the guy had just saved us all from possibly some horrific alien plague. Or maybe I just would have gotten a really bad headache. Who knows? Those little bitches might have wanted to infect me and my crew, little shits.

As Joey rattled off a list of potential dangers, my mind wandered. We were standing on a world light-years from Earth. It was simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating, like jumping off a cliff and finding out you could fly, but you were also carrying a bag of explosives.

"Earth to Luca," Emily teased, nudging me with her elbow. "You still with us, Captain?"

I grinned, focusing back on the present. "Just taking it all in, Em. We're making history here, after all." It was a cheesy line, but it was true. We were here, on New Dawn, as Ryan had called it. Asshole.

As we waited for Joey's all-clear, I checked the alien landscape stretching before us. It was… peaceful. The sky was a soft lavender, and the trees in the distance looked like something out of a dream. New Dawn, indeed.

"All clear!" Joey’s voice rang out, waving his little microbe scanner thing. "No detectable pathogens or toxins. But stay alert, this isn’t Earth. If anything feels off, report it immediately."

Okay, that was all I needed to hear. Time to breathe some alien air. Time to not be a dumbass, but still breath some fresh, alien air.

---

Through the visors, I could see their faces, a bit of anticipation and hesitation, like they were strapped into some insane roller coaster, just waiting for the drop. Which, let’s be honest, we kinda were.

With a deep breath, I gripped the release and twisted. The seal broke with a soft hiss, and I lifted the visor, letting the helmet tilt back onto its hinge. The cool air of New Dawn hit my face – crisp, faintly metallic, and tinged with an earthy scent that reminded me of fresh rain on dirt. It was weirdly familiar, and for a second, I forgot I was standing on another planet.

For a moment, I just stood there, taking it in. My chest rose and fell slowly as I adjusted to the sensation. The air felt... good. Not like the recycled, filtered crap on the Triumph or even Earth’s urban skies. This was pure, untouched atmosphere, and it filled my lungs with peace and exhilaration. It felt… right. Like I’d been breathing the wrong air my entire life until now.

A slight breeze brushed against my face, and I found myself smiling, a stupid, goofy smile, but whatever. "It’s... perfect," I murmured, not even realizing I’d spoken aloud. I probably sounded like an idiot.

The crew watched me intently, and after a beat, Emily stepped forward. "Captain?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of curiosity. She looked so damn good even with a bulky helmet on.

I turned toward them, my grin widening.

Then, I staggered back suddenly, clutching my throat.

Gasping. Choking. Eyes bulging like I was about to keel over.

Ryan shouted. Joey lunged forward like he could somehow medically save me from across the ramp. Zoe shouted “FUCKING HELL, LUCA!” and nearly fumbled her own helmet release.

Then I straightened, totally fine, grinning like an absolute bastard.

“Kidding.”

Dead silence.

Then, Emily punched me in the chest. “IDIOT!”

Ryan muttered something that was probably a string of curses, he was breathing hard. Joey looked five seconds away from beating me to death. Zoe was just shaking her head, pacing in a circle, processing her life choices.

Ryan sighed and lifted his camera.

Click.

First group photo.

I was still laughing when I turned back toward them. "Go ahead," I said, voice full of mischief. “Take a breath.”

If I was gonna die from this, I was taking everyone with me.

One by one, the crew followed my lead, lifting their visors cautiously. Faces lit up as they experienced New Dawn’s air for the first time. It wasn’t just breathable – it felt alive, vibrant, like the planet was giving us all a big hug. Okay, maybe I was getting a little carried away.

Zoe let out a low whistle, a rare crack in her demeanor. "Well, I’ll be damned," she muttered. "It’s better than home." Zoe, impressed? That was saying something.

I glanced at her and then at the rest of my team. For the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to feel the weight of our journey lifting, replaced by the awe of standing on a world no one had ever touched. It was a pretty damn big deal, and even I was feeling the weight of it all.

With our helmets off, the crew exchanged hesitant but excited glances. The exhilaration of breathing the alien air gave way to the next task, getting out of our bulky EVA suits.

I gestured toward the dropship. "Let’s store these back in the Peregrine. No need to lug them around."

Time to ditch the astronaut crap and get down to business.

---

The crew worked together as a team, carefully detaching their helmets and storing them in the dropship’s compartments. Zoe, already nimble as hell, stepped over to help Danny, whose red hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.

"Hold still," Zoe instructed, her deft fingers working at the release clasps on his back. "You’re like a toddler in a snowsuit."

"Hey, I resent that," Danny grumbled. As Zoe pulled the heavy suit free, he let out a relieved sigh and stretched his arms. "Thanks. That thing was starting to feel claustrophobic.” Seriously, how were those two not dating already?

Nearby, Ryan was helping Emily, his larger hands easily maneuvering the clasps on her suit. Okay, that was a little too much touching for my liking. Jealous? Maybe. She grinned up at him as she slipped free, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. "I could’ve managed, you know." Yeah, yeah.

"Sure you could’ve," Ryan teased. "But we’ve got a schedule to keep, and watching you wrestle with it would’ve taken all day." He was always teasing her, and she always loved it. I swear, those two had some weird, unspoken thing going on.

Chris and Joey were such nerds, getting out of their suits in no time and storing them neatly in the dropship locker. "Amateurs," Chris quipped, shooting a smug grin at the others. God, the guy was insufferable, but I secretly admired his skills.

Joey laughed, ruffling his short hair. "You should see us in zero-G. It’s all about technique." I swear, those two were so goddamn annoying.

Meanwhile, I was having a decidedly harder time. I twisted awkwardly, trying to reach the stubborn clasp on my arm. "Come on," I muttered under my breath, my tone growing more frustrated with each failed attempt. I managed to free one side of the suit, only to have the other jam as I bent my arm in the tight confines. I was starting to look like a goddamn contortionist.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Zoe smirking. "Need a hand, Captain?" she called out, her tone dripping with amusement. She loved it when I struggled, the little sadist.

"I’m fine," I replied, though my reddening face betrayed my words. I twisted again, this time almost toppling over as the suit resisted my efforts. Finally, with a sharp tug, the clasp gave way, and I yanked the suit off, muttering a string of curses under my breath. Thank god, I was free. Now, no one would see how much of a klutz I was.