Space travel is like a tornado. You never know when it's going to pick you up and where it's going to spit you out. All you can do is hold on tight and hope for the best.

It has been five years since we left the warm bosom of mother Earth, and we have seen many things I never thought possible. Yet, even after so many adventures and misadventures we've been through on our journey through the vast universe, I can't help but miss home.

I remember the beautiful planet that Earth is with melancholy. No matter what people say, I still claim she is magical. Perhaps age and stress had etched new wrinkles on her familiar face, but she is the same beauty I knew as a child.

It all started that fateful day five years ago. I was on Earth visiting family when we got strange orders from the High Command. The only thing that the message said was that we had to report to Lunar Base 1, where we would receive further instructions.

The mere fact that we had to go to the Moon or Luna, as the natives call it, had me agitated. Lunars weren't a friendly bunch, especially towards the Earthlings, as they refer to us, though we prefer to be called humans.

The only reason Lunar Base 1 was even allowed to take root was to appease the Earth's government. That one small sacrifice on Lunars' part ensured that humans would view them as friendlies, which they usually are not.

They aren't our enemies either. What they are is very prickly aliens who prefer to be left alone and not interfere in Universal Politics. I guess they are similar to introverts in some ways.

"Captain, we are clear for landing," my first officer, Jackson, informed me the moment we reached Moon that day that started it all.

"Bring her in," I said.

Space Titanic was a magnificent spacecraft. Though some thought that naming her after the ship which sank a long time ago was a stroke of bad luck, I didn't believe so.

History doesn't repeat itself, but it was close enough.

"Captain Jeremiah, reporting for duty," I said the moment I reached the office of the Lunar Base 1 commander.

There wasn't time to waste. I wanted to leave the Moon's surface as soon as possible. No one needed the repeat of the 'Moon Landing incident'. That day the Lunars scared the living daylights out of the astronauts, thus prompting the government to create the fake video of the landing and never attempt it again.

After all, when a hostile race of huge aliens tells you to leave and never come back, you do that without questions asked.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, captain," Ikes, Lunar Base 1 commander, said.

"Of course. Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on? The orders were very cryptic." I said.

"Yes, we couldn't risk the information getting out. I'll get straight to the point. We've spotted a space anomaly approaching Neptune's orbit." Ikes said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"That's just it. We don't have the faintest idea. Our scientists are stunned. It's like nothing they've ever seen before," he said.

"To be frank, sir, wasn't the same true for everything that we've ever discovered? They didn't know anything about the Moon either when they first reached it." I said, not understanding why he sounded so worried.

"Luna," he corrects automatically, as political correctness has spread like wildfire, and everyone has to embrace it whether they like it or not.

"But, yes, you are correct. However, this time it's different," Ikes said.

"How so, sir?" I asked respectfully.

"As you well know, Lunars have existed as a species for much longer than humans. Their cloaking technology and technology, in general, was at its peak when we were just infants taking first steps into the universe. Thus, you must realize that their scientists possess larger knowledge than any human could ever have, and even they don't know the answer." Ikes said.

"You mean, Lunars agreed to work with human scientists, sir?" I asked, stunned.

From the moment first humans were allowed to land on Luna, there has been evident segregation. Humans were tolerated but never accepted. Usually, the Lunars avoided any contact with humans.

"They were the ones who brought attention to the issue," he said.

"What do you need me to do, sir?" I asked.

"I need you to bring the scientists and their equipment as close to the anomaly as possible. They need to get clear readings," he said.

"Yes, sir," I said, hoping to wrap up the meeting and be on my merry way.

"And, captain, I am talking about human and Lunar scientists as well," he said.

His words came like a cold shower that I didn't need.

Lunars and I had a history, the type where I swore I would never have any contact with any Lunars as long as I lived.

In a cruel twist of fate, I had to face the fact that I would have to open my beautiful home to my enemy, and that made me frown in disgust.

"Now, I know that you've had your problems with Lunars before. However, this is much bigger than any personal grudge. You will treat them with the same respect as their human counterparts. Understood?" he said firmly.

"Yes, sir!" I replied with drilled practice.

Once back on the ship, I realized that scientists were already loading up their equipment, and I did my best to ignore the presence of Lunars among them.

Ignoring a Lunar is quite a difficult task since they tower over humans with their large muscled bodies, which were almost blindingly white. Especially hard to ignore were their huge round heads that stood in disproportion with their humanoid bodies, which were already large enough.

I had a feeling it would be a long journey, but I would have never guessed how right I was. It came as a surprise to all of us that what should have been a short exploration mission, turned into a six-year-long one.