The tone of the whole crew seemed to be drifting. Mila was now wrestling with Hi-Sun, Max and Pei were arguing. Gary looked like he was in a haze. I just couldn't put my finger on it, and I couldn't move.

I looked across to Gary and he was looking back at the stars once again. He looked down and back across to me as tears started to stream down his face. The sky above us split and a large alien vessel, surrounded by crackling sparks of static electricity, began to lower down above us just to the port side. Mila stayed as she was, wrestling with Hi-Sun, with Max and Pei completely ignoring Gary's call to arms.

Gary yelled harder and harder, but only silence was coming from his mouth. He was sweating in a frantic panic. All I could do was stand there and watch as this vessel lowered in closer. Its wings crackling with static arcs that stretched out across the horizon, thicker than any lightning bolts I had ever seen. The vessel settled right above where we had been trying to establish our drop zone to the Crystal.

A piercing hum started to build in volume until we all knelt in agony. Max buckled in excruciating pain as his ear drums exploded. He slumped and rolled right off the edge of the deck with Pei screaming at the rail, watching her partner fall into the abyss of the now black tumultuous ocean water below. Hi-Sun lost all momentum and began to slide back down towards the ocean's surface, her pace dying away. Everything was failing, and Gary was now hunched on his knees, wailing in agonised loss.

Mila fell to the ground and was now unconscious. I tried to move but was unable. I just froze like a helpless, lost child. We hit the water's surface and our wonderful dorsal pilots were scattered in all directions. The first one was hit and the slicer sharks started taking them out one at a time, tearing them apart in a bloody, shredded frenzy. The dorsals had all lost their power and within seconds were torn apart by the slicer sharks.

The vessel went silent and then — BOOM! A massive beam thrust vertically down into the ocean, spearing into the water and driving a parasitical vacuum into this, only moments ago, precious and clean planet. Mila stood and looked at me in lost despair, her tears streaming, her eyes filled with a grief I had never seen before. She reached for me, but just as our hands were about to touch, Hi-Sun lifted and split in two, right between us both. We were thrown apart as Hi-Sun now became a billion splinters.

Mila and I, falling apart and losing sight of each other forever.

I opened my eyes and sat up straight, sweating and panic-stricken. It took a moment to realise I was sitting on the side of our bed. I was covered in sweat and shaking as though I had never felt fear before.

Mila was lying beside me in a calm and peaceful sleep. Outside was as calm as ever and if anything, the pressure systems had all come to a lovely quiet null. I touched Mila's forehead and then stepped out onto the deck of Hi-Sun. Max and Pei were the only two awake and both smiled as I stepped closer towards them. I stood at the helm beside Max. Pei stepped across to prepare me a warm cup of mill tea. She handed it to me and I enjoyed the warmth as it flowed down and into my stomach.

The images of the dream slowly faded and I found my orientation once again. We are very close now. Today is the day, and if all runs smoothly, I will be able to make contact with the White Sapphire Crystal.