„Admiral Berisha, planetin Kepler-186F duket të jetë i banueshëm. A duhet të ringjallë pasagjerët?“ (Admiral Berisha, planet Kepler-186F is within sight. Should I revive the passengers?)

„Po. Ne duhet të vënë këmbë në tokën e saj së shpejti.“ (Yes. We should set foot on its soil soon.)

This short radio conversation may mean nothing at first glance, but for Sergeant Argjend Gjebrea, the message couldn’t be any more exciting. For almost a decade, he had spent his life inside a cryostasis pod, his body frozen and stored, unable to age, always with the risk he may never be revived. Now there was greater hope than ever for the twenty thousand passengers aboard the Anijen Perandorake Shqipëtar (Albanian Imperial Spacecraft) (APS) Përballim. All twenty thousand passengers, and the various crew aboard, had said their final goodbyes to their families on New Tiranë, and endured nine years, seven months, and three days in cryostasis, for this one moment: setting foot on a new planet. The Përballim was a colony ship, sent to Kepler-186F, an Earth-sized planet located within its star’s habitable zone discovered on 17 April 2014. And now, the Përballim was in orbit around it.

The ship summarily revived the passengers. Gjebrea was among the last, and was somewhat disoriented and nauseous when he emerged from his pod. In due time he recovered. He met up with his comrade-in-arms (and secret crush), Captain Ardita Ramadani, and decided to kill some time in conversation.

„A keni ndonjë ëndrrat gjatë pezëm?“ asked Ramadani. (Did you have any dreams during stasis?)

„Jo,“ replied Gjebrea. „A të?“ (No. Did you?)

„Jo“ was her reply. „Shkencëtarët thanë që ne do të, pse. Gënjeshtarët.“ (No. The scientists said we would, though. Liars.)

„Vërtet, ata shkencëtarë, me llogaritëse e tyre dashuroj,“ said Gjebrea. „Ata shkencëtarë, me pajisjet e tyre të avancuar. Ata shken--“ (Yeah, those scientists, with their fancy calculators. Those scientists, with their advanced equipment. Those scien--)

Berisha’s voice interrupted Gjebrea mid-word: „Kujdes ju lutem, kjo është Admiral Berisha. Që të gjithë pasagjerët janë ringjallur, unë do të doja për të njoftuar se ne jemi në prani të një planet të banueshme. Përballima do të prishur atmosferën në rreth pesë orë. Nëse dikush prej jush dëshiron të parë planetin para se atëherë, të raportojë në kuvertën e ulët shikimin. Ekipet riparimi ju lutem raportoni te zhvesh e pasme të motorit për të riparuar mburojë të dëmtuara. Aktiviteti jashtë automjetesh është e ndaluar deri në një njoftim të mëtejshëm. Faleminderit.“ (Attention please, this is Admiral Berisha. Since all passengers have been revived, I would like to announce that we are in the presence of a habitable planet. The Përballim will be breaching the atmosphere in approximately five hours. If anyone of you wishes to view the planet before then, report to the lower viewing decks. Repair crews please report to rear engine hull to repair damaged shielding. Extravehicular activity is forbidden until further notice. Thank you.)

„Duan të shohin atë?“ asked Ramadani. (Wanna check it out?)

„Po,“ he replied. „Pse jo?“ (Yes. Why not?)

It was beautiful.

Kepler-186 was located some 492 light-years away from Earth, but New Tiranë was located much closer to it-- a mere 75 light-years. Kepler-186F was suspected to be habitable, and the visible vegetation indicated such. According to the Geneva Articles, if a ship of a particular nationality lands on an unclaimed planet, it is claimed by that nation. This world was soon about to belong to Albania.

Ramadani put her hand around Gjebrea’s back. „Shikojeni atë,“ she commented. „Ka një kontinent i vetëm në mes të një deti të madh.“ (Look at it. There’s a single continent in the middle of a vast sea.)

That “continent” was about the size of Asia on Earth. It reminded Gjebrea of the theoretical Pangæa that existed on Earth millions of years ago, surrounded by the Tethys Sea.

But Gjebrea wasn’t really paying any attention to Kepler-186F. All he knew was that Oh my God, she’s embracing me, she’s embracing me, she’s--

Providence slapped his face. Snap to attention, soldier!

Yes, sir!

„Çfarë është e gabuar, Argjend?“ asked Ramadani. „Pse kaq serioz?“ (What’s wrong, Argjend? Why so serious?)

„Oh, kjo është asgjë,“ he replied. (Oh, it’s nothing.)

„A jeni i sigurt? Për shkak unë e di për shtrydhje tuaj.“ (Are you sure? Because I know about your crush.)

Gjebrea was speechless. „Si ae dini?“ he finally asked. (How did you know?)

„Për shkak unë mund të them nga rruga që ju sillen me mua.“ (Because I can tell by the way you behave with me.)

Gjebrea blushed slighly. „Mos të jetë i zënë ngushtë,“ she said. „Unë nuk do mend.“ (Don’t be embarrassed. I don’t mind.)

Just then, a large shadow was cast over the couple when an asteroid floated in front of the viewing glass. And then the two realized just why Admiral Berisha had forbidden extravehicular activity. Fortunately, it didn’t collide with the Përballim.

„E pra, që ishte e frikshme,“ commented Ramadani. She nuzzled closer to Gjebrea. „Të mbështetur mua, Argjend.“ (Well, that was frightening. Back me up, Argjend.)

Gjebrea complied. „Pse do të ketë asteroidet?“ he wondered aloud. „Kepler nuk ka treguar--“ (Why would there be asteroids? Kepler didn’t show--)

What cut off Gjebrea was a massive, ship-rocking explosion. Alarms and lights went off. Admiral Berisha came onto the Përballim’s PA.

„Kujdes ju lutem, kjo është Admiral Berisha. Për shkak të një dështim katastrofik motor, unë urdhëroj të gjithë pasagjerët për të braktisur anijen. Për fat të mirë, një planetin i banueshëm është deri përpara anijes. . . .“ (Attention please, this is Admiral Berisha. Due to a catastrophic engine failure, I am ordering all passengers to abandon ship. Fortunately, a habitable planet is up ahead of the ship. . . .)

Nobody was really paying any attention to the admiral or the disjointed words of the automated voice: „KUJDES: reaktor kryesore shkëputur.“ „KUJDES: integriteti strukturor i komprometuar.“ „KUJDES: Sistemet e brendshme mosfunksionimi.“ (WARNING: main reactor offline. WARNING: structural integrity compromised. WARNING: internal systems malfunctioning.) They were all scrambling to the escape pods. It was every man and woman for his or herself. Gjebrea and Ramadani ran to the lower hangar. They boarded adjacent escape pods. They strapped themselves in. They sealed the pods. A moment later, the security tethers were cut. The propulsion rockets fired. All that could be heard was the soft hum of flowing electricity within the pods, for no sounds existed without air to carry them.

They were in space.

The pods came into more trouble than expected. Apparently, this “habitable” planet was surrounded by a merciless asteroid field. Pods were being destroyed by these unpredictably-moving monsters, often dozens at a time. Gjebrea looked up at the Përballim; it appeared that a massive asteroid had slammed into the main reactor. He looked back down just in time to dodge an iron-laden asteroid heading for him. Ramadani did the same.

The two entered the atmosphere. They were the only two pods to do so. They crash-landed in the middle of what appeared to be a temperate forest. The weather appeared to be winter. Gjebrea strapped on a tight, heavy Level-Γ respirator and climbed out of his pod, looking around for Ramadani’s. Fortunately, she touched down not far from him. He went over and found the door still shut. Upon forcing it open, a bloodied corpse fell to its knees, then planted its face into the snow. Seeing this sight, he was first shocked, then devastated. Ardita Ramadani, the best friend he knew, was killed by the sheer force of the landing.

It also meant something else, and when he realized it, the prospective frightened him more than anything else. If Ardita was killed, everybody else was in orbit around this alien world, or trapped aboard the Përballim, obviously dead, then. . .

He was the sole survivor. Next Chapter: Lone Wolf Estimated time remaining: 22 Minutes