Magicians and Aliens and Valor, Oh my!

The mop feels alien in my hands, as alien as the teal-skinned being currently lecturing Valor about impulse control. Veyra's voice is sharp, words like "irresponsible" and "planet-wide incident" thrown around with practiced ease. Valor, all eight feet of him, grins back, seemingly unfazed. His dark auburn hair, perpetually falling over hi...

The mop feels alien in my hands, as alien as the teal-skinned being currently lecturing Valor about impulse control. Veyra's voice is sharp, words like "irresponsible" and "planet-wide incident" thrown around with practiced ease. Valor, all eight feet of him, grins back, seemingly unfazed. His dark auburn hair, perpetually falling over his one good eye, doesn't hide the glint of amusement. He looks like he's enjoying Veyra's frustration. "Welcome aboard, Kim Seojun!" Valor booms, finally breaking away from Veyra's glare. "Your first duty, scrubbing the plasma residue from Sector 7! Don't worry, it's mostly harmless... mostly." I stare at the mop, then at the pristine white floors of the spaceship. "Plasma residue?" I ask, my voice barely a squeak. This is exactly what I wanted. Aliens, spaceships, adventure! But plasma residue? That doesn't sound very glamorous. Veyra sighs, running a hand through their white, choppy hair. "It's what's left after Valor decides to use the ship's cannons to 'redecorate' planets," they explain, the sarcasm practically dripping from their tone. "Try not to inhale too much of it. It'll turn your hair green." "Green hair?" I repeat, immediately regretting my life choices. I run my hands through my hair, I like my hair and the way it looks. "Don't worry, it'll suit you," Valor cackles, clapping me on the back hard enough to send me stumbling forward. "Now get to work, Seojun! We've got a shipment of star-nuggets to pick up on Kepler-186f!" Kepler-what-now? I have no idea what star-nuggets are, but the thought of venturing to another planet sends a thrill through me. I can feel Valor's excitement too, he loves this stuff. I grab the mop and head towards Sector 7, trying to ignore the grumbling sounds Veyra is making behind me. Sector 7 turns out to be less like a spaceship corridor and more like the aftermath of a rave in a paint factory. Glowing purple goo clings to the walls and floor, shimmering faintly in the dim light. It smells vaguely of burnt sugar and static electricity. I dip the mop into the bucket of what I hope is cleaning fluid and start scrubbing. The goo is surprisingly stubborn, and the smell is starting to make my head spin. I glance back towards the main corridor, hoping to catch a glimpse of Valor or Veyra, but they're nowhere to be seen. I think about all the stuff that might happen, maybe I'd learn space magic, or maybe I'd become space famous as a magician. Suddenly, the ship lurches violently, throwing me against the wall. Alarms blare, red lights flash, and Veyra's voice cuts through the chaos, "Valor, what did you do?!" The ship begins shaking as the lights go out, what should I do?

My heart pounds in my chest as I stumble through the darkness, the mop clattering against the floor. I need to get to the bridge. Whatever Valor has done, it can’t be good, especially since he is the one that has caused me to be in space. I feel my way along the corridor walls, the ship groaning and shuddering around me. Sparks fly from e...

My heart pounds in my chest as I stumble through the darkness, the mop clattering against the floor. I need to get to the bridge. Whatever Valor has done, it can’t be good, especially since he is the one that has caused me to be in space. I feel my way along the corridor walls, the ship groaning and shuddering around me. Sparks fly from exposed wires, casting brief, flickering shadows. The air smells like ozone and panic. Finally, I reach the bridge. The scene inside is chaotic. Veyra is strapped into the pilot's seat, their hands flying across the control panel. Their teal skin is pale, and their silver eyes are wide with concentration. Valor is standing behind them, grinning maniacally as he flips switches seemingly at random. "What's going on?!" I shout over the din. Veyra glances up, their expression a mixture of exasperation and terror. "Valor thought it would be a good idea to test out the ship's experimental cloaking device while we were in the middle of an asteroid field!" they yell back. "Asteroid field?!" My stomach drops. I know enough about space movies to know that asteroid fields are never a good thing. "Don't worry, Seojun!" Valor shouts cheerfully. "It'll be fun! Like a cosmic pinball game!" He yanks on a lever, and the ship lurches again, sending me sprawling across the floor. Warning lights flash, and the ship starts to make sounds I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be making. Veyra is fighting with the controls, trying to steer us through the asteroid field, but it's like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded. Rocks of all sizes whiz past the viewport, some narrowly missing us, others colliding with the ship with sickening thuds. "Valor, turn off the cloaking device!" Veyra shouts, their voice strained. "It's making the shields unstable!" Valor just laughs, his eyes gleaming with manic glee. "But where's the fun in that?" he retorts, before pulling another lever. This time, the ship goes completely dark. All the lights go out, and the alarms fall silent. We're plunged into absolute darkness, save for the faint starlight filtering through the viewport. "Valor, you absolute-" Veyra begins, but is cut off by a loud crash. The ship shudders violently, and I hear the unmistakable sound of metal tearing. "We've been hit!" Veyra shouts. "Shields are down, and hull breach in Sector 4!" Sector 4... that's right next to Sector 7, where I was mopping! "Seojun, get to Sector 4 and try to seal the breach!" Veyra orders, their voice urgent. "There's a repair kit in the storage closet. And try not to get sucked out into space!" I scramble to my feet, my heart pounding in my ears. I have no idea how to seal a hull breach, but I guess I'm about to find out. The ship is falling apart and I barely know which side is up, should I look for my mop for some comfort or trust Veyra and try to save the ship?

I push aside my momentary longing for the familiar comfort of my mop and stumble back into the darkened corridor. Sector 4, here I come. The ship is in complete disarray. Debris litters the floor, wires dangle from the ceiling, and the air is thick with the metallic tang of blood and ozone. I hear the hiss of escaping air and feel the col...

I push aside my momentary longing for the familiar comfort of my mop and stumble back into the darkened corridor. Sector 4, here I come. The ship is in complete disarray. Debris litters the floor, wires dangle from the ceiling, and the air is thick with the metallic tang of blood and ozone. I hear the hiss of escaping air and feel the cold bite of vacuum against my skin. I make my way toward the storage closet, tripping over loose panels and avoiding sparking wires. Finally, I reach the closet and yank open the door. Inside, a jumble of tools, spare parts, and emergency supplies are crammed onto shelves. I frantically search for the repair kit, my hands shaking. I manage to find a bright yellow box labeled ´Hull Breach Repair Kit – Emergency Use Only´. I grab it and race towards Sector 4. As I get closer, the hissing grows louder, and the cold intensifies. I round the corner and stop dead in my tracks. A gaping hole tears through the side of the ship, exposing the inky blackness of space. Asteroids whiz past, and the stars seem mockingly close. I can see furniture and equipment being sucked out into the void. I take a deep breath and steel myself. This is it. Time to be a hero. I fumble with the repair kit, trying to remember what Veyra told me. The kit contains a patch, some kind of sealant, and a welding torch. I pull out the patch, a flexible metal plate with adhesive backing. Carefully, I position it over the hole, trying to ignore the pull of the vacuum. The patch is awkward and unwieldy, but I manage to press it into place. Next, I grab the sealant, a tube of thick, gray goo. I squeeze it around the edges of the patch, hoping it will create an airtight seal. The goo is cold and slimy, and it sticks to my gloves. Finally, I pick up the welding torch. It’s heavy and unfamiliar, and I have no idea how to use it. I point it at the patch and press the trigger. A stream of blue sparks erupts from the nozzle, and the metal begins to glow red. I slowly move the torch around the edges of the patch, trying to fuse it to the hull. The heat is intense, and the fumes are acrid, but I keep going, determined to seal the breach. As I work, I hear a voice behind me. ´Need a hand, Seojun?´ I turn to see Valor standing there, grinning, with his eye patch slightly askew. He´s holding a large metal plate and a roll of duct tape. ´I may have caused the problem, but I can help fix it!´ he says cheerfully. I want to yell at him, to tell him what an idiot he is, but there’s no time. The ship is still falling apart, and we need to seal this breach. I nod and hand him the duct tape. Together, we work to reinforce the patch, slapping on layers of tape and welding the edges. It´s a messy, chaotic process, but slowly, surely, we start to seal the hole. The hissing diminishes, and the cold recedes. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, the breach is sealed. I collapse against the wall, exhausted and covered in goo, but alive. I look at Valor, who´s grinning like a maniac. He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Good work, Seojun! You might just make a fine space pirate after all!" I can't help but feel proud for now, but I wonder what fresh disaster Valor is already planning, as I hear Veyra calling out on the intercom, ordering us to the cargo bay immediately.