The Alpha Centauri Expedition

11. Flight of Bimasakti

Rizki's gaze seemed to enchant her, as at that moment, there was nothing she desired more than to be sitting side by side with the person she loved in the front seats of the most advanced spacecraft in the world, on a historic mission for humankind.

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The next day, on Friday, June 28, 2458, at 9 AM, the Space Force held a press conference at the B. J. Habibie space base to announce the plan for the Alpha Centauri mission to the public. Journalists from various domestic and international media were invited to attend. The press conference was led by the Chief of Staff of the Space Force, Marshal Yudha Latif, and attended by several high-ranking government officials. Of course, all the crew members of the Bimasakti spacecraft were also present at the event. It was, in fact, the crew members that the journalists were eagerly waiting for. They were very eager to interview the crew members and make them the main content of the news. Among the crew members of the Bimasakti spacecraft, there was one person who captured their attention the most. Who else if not Gayatri.

Gayatri had always been the center of attention for journalists due to her unique profile. As the top pilot in the Space Force, she stood out even more as the only woman in the elite corps of spacecraft pilots. Adding to her allure was the fact that she was the daughter of a legendary astronaut. But what made her beloved by the media was not just her accomplishments. It was the combination of her extraordinary skills and admirable personality, all wrapped in a beautiful and charming appearance. This had turned her into a media darling ever since she joined the Alpha Centauri expedition team a year ago. From that point on, her photos and videos started to appear all over the mass media and went viral on AI-net. In a short span of time, she became a new idol, especially among teenagers, parents aspiring their children to be like her, and undoubtedly single men who fell in love with her. Gayatri was aware of all this attention, but she didn't let fame consume her. In fact, she disliked it. She did her best to avoid media coverage whenever possible, although it didn't always work. Like at the moment.

The press conference was held in the spacious and grand auditorium of the B. J. Habibie space base. Officials and the crew of Bimasakti, dressed in their orange overalls, sat on the stage to provide explanations and answer the journalists' questions. The front rows of the auditorium were filled with hundreds of reporters and fans eager to meet their idols. Several small anti-G drones carrying 3D cameras were seen floating around, covering the event. At exactly nine o'clock, the MC started the event with a welcome speech from Marshal Yudha Latif, followed by an explanation of Bimasakti's departure plan by the head of the Alpha Centauri expedition program, Vice Marshal Andi Firdaus. Then, there was an explanation of the team's readiness by the mission commander, First Marshal Haris Abdullah.

Finally, the much-awaited event arrived, the interview with all the crew members of Bimasakti. The journalists seemed very enthusiastic and asked various questions to almost all the crew, including the androids, Major Arjuna, Major Srikandi, and Sergeant Bima. As expected, Gayatri received the most questions. Although she didn't like it, she remained patient and responded to all the questions politely. Time flew by, and almost two hours had passed, and the press conference was about to end. As the MC was about to conclude the event, suddenly a journalist from the back row stood up, asking for a chance to ask one last question. At first, the MC hesitated, but eventually, she granted the opportunity. The journalist then proceeded to ask his question.

"I want to ask Captain Rizki and Lieutenant Gayatri. I know both of you are the pilot and copilot pair on this mission. So, throughout this year, you must have become very close. As far as I know, neither of you have partners. Is there actually a special relationship between the two of you?" the journalist asked. Hearing the question, Gayatri was taken aback. She didn't expect such a question. She looked at Rizki, and Rizki looked back at her. They exchanged glances. Gayatri felt that the question needed to be denied immediately. However, before she could speak, Rizki's voice was heard ahead of her.