Don't Accept Your Death!

The warning alarm coming from everywhere was what awoke Liu Fen, leaving him confused to whether he had a hellish headache from where he smashed his face against the control panel or from the demonic siren's wail erupting from all the corners of the spaceship, ricocheting against the walls and infiltrating his sensitive ears.

Whimpering, he tried to lift himself from what he came to realize was actually the button that flared all those noises and caused the ship to go apeshit.

Before Liu Fen could scold himself for sleeping on duty, a sharp pain spiked up through his whole body, a pain akin to the one you acquired the morning after a hardcore workout section. Liu Fen knew it was not the reason. He hadn't worked out in nearly four years.

The trouble of rising himself back to his captain chair was enough to knock the breath out of his lungs, but Liu Fen still had a decent amount to let out a frightened shout at the disfigured body scattered over the glass of the ship. For all the Gods, did he run over someone? Possibly one of the allies? What should he do?! He was definitely a wanted criminal around all galaxies now, a disgrace for Intergalactic Lounge University, a disgrace for himself!

It took Liu Fen a whole minute to realize the body was, in fact, not dead, but mostly because it was a scarecrow, not made of living matter. Sighing in relief for not having his entire career ended, Liu Fen started a fit of quick, short laughter… until his eyes wandered to a not-so-far object that seemed to be catching on fire among the cornfield Liu Fen had landed on. For one moment of panic, he pondered the possibilities of the whole cornfield catching on fire and how long it would take to catch him.

But, after a moment of studying it, Liu Fen noticed it wasn't on fire, but surely there was smoke coming out of it. The object felt extremely familiar… from the color to the shape, and, finally, the way it exploded into a thousand pieces out of the blue, sending Liu Fen flying back on his chair, glad that, even with a slightly torn seat belt, it could still decently hold him down.

Chest heaving, Liu Fen thought he would faint. Faint and hit his head back on his control panel and fire out those revolting alarm sirens. That wouldn't do. Liu Fen got this far. A tiny ship explosion wouldn't hurt him.

A blue captain chair on fire came flying in his direction, consequently causing Liu Fen to let out the ugliest scream while waiting for a painful impact.

It hit the glass of his own spaceship, kicking back to the ground, disappearing among the insanely tall corn stalks below.

Before Liu Fen could congratulate himself for the well-built sensor protection he worked so hard to achieve, he came to a realization: wait, a captain chair? Was this spaceship on duty, just like his? And it crashed… just like his? But, wait! Where was he? Which planet was this? Where was the closest ILU branch organization? And, oh, Gods, did the pilot survive that awful spaceship explosion? Of course not, that would be impos—

The siren alarms went back again to chanting their hellish wail, now not Liu Fen's fault. The control panel revived to life, a big red dot blinking threateningly at him. It read, INTRUDER INSIDE THE SHIP! INTRUDER INSIDE THE SHIP!

Oh. Good. Gods.

Whatever planet that was, an inhabitant was breaking into his spaceship, thus breaking around three intergalactic laws! Which meant… that wasn't an ally planet!

Unbuckling his seat belt, Liu Fen finds himself unbalanced when standing up. Whatever he intended to do, he would not be able to. He possibly had a concussion and just holding himself together on his feet caused unbearable pain.

Liu Fen sat back on his chair and waited to die.

It would be an honourable death. He was serving his planet, on duty, on a mission. The ship was able to make contact with its place of origin (ILU's labs) and, after around three Earthly months, the situation would be transmitted and his body returned. Returned as a hero.

Liu Fen relaxed into the captain chair, a smile creeping into his face at the ideal vision of his departure from this universe. Maybe he'd like the after death plane… whatever there was in there. No problem, he'd be the one dying a hero, not Tao Yong.

"Oh, thank the Gods you're alive," a very familiar voice muttered close to him.

Liu Fen opened his eyes at the intruder.

It was Tao Yong.