Chapter 3
While walking at the hallway, Annie remembered what Joe said.
It is true, she got the wealth to spend, even she will stop serving, she will leave a peaceful and harmonious life. But thinking back to her parents, she can't help but to feel sad.
Her parents was just an ordinary people leaving inside the Pangaea. They work twelve hours a day just to bring a couple of cans for dinner. Not only that, her mother never step on college while her father was a drop out. Although her father was a genius and very skillful, it doesn't mean that they will have a good life.
One day, while working in the factory. A fire broke out, everyone ran out for their life while inside, there is a little girl who was trap. The fire blaze furiously and anyone who tried to save her got injured by the fire.
No one knows where the little girl was trap and if she is still alive. Seeing the fire that keeps burning without stopping, everyone loss hope, but her father was not. Using a wet towels to rap his body, he ran towards to building and walk out with a little child on his embrace.
Because of his heroic act, he become popular. Lots of invitation and gift came raining towards him, but he never accept even one from them. For him, seeing and hearing the child's laugh was considered a gift and a reward to him.
On the live interview, he was ask by the host, why he done such reckless action. The only thing he answered was; "while watching the building on fire and everyone loss hope about the child's life, I feel or my instinct, I don't really know what it is because I don't have a child right now, I felt that it is my child out there, trap somewhere. And I need to make an action to save her. And if saving a life is reckless, then I am fool"
During that time, the father of the little girl he just save was the current director. He then given a reward but to the director's surprise, her father declined it. And instead requested that he wants to be part of the mission that explore the universe to search for a planet to live on.
The director agreed, and her father become the first crew who never managed to graduated college. He was assigned on engine room where he become the assistant of the head engineer.
That's the time where the life of her father turned around. Slowly, step by step he got promoted until he become the captain. On the other hand her mother used her father's salary to start a business. Every year it grows up and become the second biggest company inside Pangaea. On other hand, knowing that he will become a father, Bryan work very hard until he was promoted but when everything was in reached. The mysterious ship appeared and end up his life including her mother.
Because of this, she wants to experience what her father and mother experienced. She never used any amount from her inheritance, she supported herself by working two to three jobs and when she got on college, she even used a scholarship from the Union.
As for the company of her mother, she never let it down. She still monitored it from behind without letting anyone know, except Joe. At first, she though it will not work, but to her surprise the company grow and expand to the red planet. Right now her lawyers was taking over her business since he cannot join them because of her job as captain.
Her train of though was interrupted when suddenly her communicator bip. It was Clyde, she raised her hand and answered. After answering, a miniature Clyde appeared just above her wrist watch.
"The team are already here, cap" Clyde reported.
"I'm on my way" she replied and cut off the connection.
She turned right and boarded the elevator that connects to the hangar.
Pangaea was designed as spherical shape ship that rotates as fast as the Earth to gave an artificial gravity. Buildings and other houses are build upside down facing the core while there is an elevator that connects both sides. Pangaea was protected by a glass like material that was hard enough to endure any impact from comets or asteroids that lost its path. But today, in order to prevent that from happening, the Union installed powerful plasma cannons and other weapons to shoot out any debris or ships from the enemy. So far, there is no accident and no comets pass the defensive line.
Annie boarded the elevator which has a transparent wall. From inside she can see the beautiful buildings, trees and other animals running here and there while people are happily chatting to each other. Pangaea was like a paradise, although it is built from metal structure, the Union never forget to bring soil and plants or even animals. They are also part of the ecosystem. Trees will gave the oxygen needed for the living humans and animals and in return, they will take care the plants. It is like a life cycle which is both party benefited.
Annie's destination was the outer side of the protective wall. Hangars are stretch out to the farthest. These is because giant starship are prone to accident and there are others that were damaged and where very dangerous.
When Annie got outside from the protective wall, she can already see the silhouette of her ship, the Angel. It was huge, almost a thousand metres on length and four hundred metres wide. Its shape was like the Black Bird but with smaller wings and the engines are place behind instead of on the sides. Angel was coloured white with two blue strips to its body and red lines that crosses like spider web on top.
"Welcome back captain" When Annie step in, she was greeted by Angel the artificial intelligent on the ship.
"Thank you!" Annie responded and walked straight to her cabin.
Upon reaching her cabin, Annie placed her luggage inside the cabinet. Without nothing left to do, she walked out and went straight to the bridge to meet her crew.