Chapter Text
"Tell me your observations of the object, computer."
"It appears to be a book bound in black leather. There are no words on the cover. It is uncontaminated and safe to touch."
"Alright. Redirect the ship towards it."
"Changing route. . ."
[ 5 minutes later ]
"Huh. I think it's really old. The handwriting looks very...old-fashioned." Sounds of paper rubbing against paper filled the ship as the man flicked through the pages.
"Perhaps it was lost from Earth's orbit."
"And travelled all the way here, to the Kuiper Belt?" The man scoffed. "Yeah right. I bet my mind's playing tricks me again. First it's talking space objects, now this? I think I need sleep."
The sound of metal clanking sounded from somewhere under the floor, as if the robotic AI scoffed at the man in it's own mechanical way.
"Highly unlikely. You have been keeping a proper sleeping schedule for—"
"Alright! I get it."
". . ."
"Will you read it?"
"Computer, I'm currently floating in the middle of nowhere with nothing else to do other than trying to count how many other stars I can see from here. Of course I'm going to read it! Would you rather I count how many strands of hair I have on my body—?"
A loud beeping startled the man out of his exasperated rant.
"Who's calling me, computer? Is it my wife?"
"It's your boss."
"Ugh..."
...
"Yes, Houston?"
"Astrodude! You been keeping busy?"
The man in the spaceship audibly sighed.
"Was that a sigh I heard? Now you know I can't have you sighing! There's work to do, you know?"
"What do you want, Houston?"
"Straight to the point I see! I love this guy." The man on the other side of the call seemed to direct his last statement to someone else beside him before turning back. "Anyways. You haven't forgotten about your original mission, right?"
"No, Houston, I've still been exploring the solar system to its full extent."
"Ha ha, that's my favorite astronaut. Don't mess this up, alright? We've barely gotten any new information from you recently. If you don't find anything, especially space-oil, USA is gonna get our asses!"
The call was quickly ended after an outburst of hysterical guffaws.
"..."
"Very few space probes have travelled this far out into the Kuiper Belt. It is very likely you will find something worth sending back?"
"I don't see the point of it anymore...I think I need a holiday."
"Perhaps you can read the book while on your way to Earth?"
"...Yeah, I guess." The sounds of rustling resumed. "It's been a while since I've read a book."
"Then you will enjoy reading it."
"By the looks of it, I don't think so. It looks like some ancient scriptures. Just look at this handwriting! I can barely understand it."
"Would you like me to read it for you?"
"Nah. I want to read it myself."
Silence envoloped the tiny spaceship that drifted through the vast expanse of space as the man began to read, the elegant curled writing reflecting on his eyes in the starlight.