I'll Be There For You

MAVERICK

Year: 2342

Month: September

Date: 18

Destination: Zeroa (Location undiscovered)

They met Neha. He watched as Naina's eyes gained life as he'd never seen before. He watched her march up to Neha and punch her hard in the stomach.

Neha doubled over. "Is this how you greet friends?"

"If said friend decided to just fly off the planet, then yes. This is exactly how I greet friends."

Naina's voice was shaking.

Roshan, Sameer and Ankit joined her at the entrance and the four of them enveloped Neha in a hug. They were all crying. Wow. Um. Awkward.

"You dumb dumb piece of shit." Roshan whispered fiercely.

"I missed you too." Neha replied.

Finally, finally, they all broke apart.

"Do you suppose we could hug each other like that?" Clive muttered in his ear.

He'd come to tolerate the guy. "Clive, I will decorate your body with knives as a gesture of our friendship. What say?"

He smiled. "Ah, there's the Mavey I love."

He walked away before Maverick could bonk him on the head.

Vani cleared her throat and walked up to Neha.

"Hi! I'm Vani! It's wonderful to meet you. How's your day been?" she asked.

As one, Maverick, Clive and Phoenix once again slapped their palms to their heads. Déjà vu.

She turned to them. "Again? What did I ask wrong this time?"

Oh my god.

Neha laughed and held out her hand. "I'm doing great. It's wonderful to meet you. Isha mentioned there'd be others joining my dear friends."

Maverick's ears perked at that. "You've met Isha?"

Her eyes widened. "Met Isha? Oh please, Isha and I are best friends now."

"Yea we're really not."

They all turned.

Holy shit.

They saw her. It was a Zeroan. The first Zeroan they'd ever seen.

She saw their expressions and took a step back. Oops. Maverick forgot that to her, they were aliens too.

But, her eyes. They were beautiful. Solid rounds of the brightest gold. Her eyes were gold. So that had been true.

"He was right. Covey was right." Vani said softly.

Isha's head snapped to Vani.

"You know him?" She asked.

Vani nodded. A smile was forming on her face. "I do. He has also given me something that I'm supposed to give to you. Please come with me."

Isha's eyes narrowed.

Vani laughed. "Please. You're far more capable of killing me."

Isha's face scrunched in confusion. "Killing? What?"

"Never mind. Come with me."

With that, the two girls walked out of the cockpit.

Neha tilted her head. "What was that all about?"

"Never mind that. Tell us how you became friends with her?"

"So you won't even mention me Neha? I'm hurt."