Kommer’s implant glowed green and blue, like the patterns on Nessa’s skin. A sphere appeared and hovered above Kommer’s implant. Most of the sphere was blue, but there were patches of green and some of white.
“Earth,” he answered Nessa’s question after a long silence. “You’re going to Earth. In the Milky Way Galaxy.”
Nessa tumbled a step back.
“It’s not a good idea.”
“What choice do we have?” Kommer snapped.
“Not going to a strange planet,” Nessa said. “Where the idea could backfire and we die.”
“We’re going to die anyway,” Kommer’s tone cut into Nessa.
He released a long breath, and then his demeanor softened.
“They’ve attempted to make contact with us several times over the past century,” he said in a near whisper. “It’s safe to assume friendliness.”
There was a pregnant pause. Kommer broke the silence again.
“Will you go?”
Nessa’s hearts skipped a beat. She gazed into the night sky outside, and at the stars that speckled the sky.
“Will you go?” Kommer’s question repeated in her head.
Nessa rubbed her palms together, and shook her head.
“There’s not the food shortage you’re saying there is,” she said to him. “My family has plenty. We have more than enough for our living community and ourselves.”
She bowed slightly at Kommer and said, “I should leave now.”
She kept her head low as she made her way toward the entrance, and then stole a glance back at Kommer. He stood, unmoving, his head down. She held her implant to the access pad, and the door unsealed.