Log 46, 5th June, Year 3393 

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Log 146 recorded by Dr. Arokana. First specimen, MR 19-1 is showing terrible symptoms. Breathing is abnormal and blood pressure is getting higher at each rate. Its body is as cold as ice. Eyes expanding out of control. Pupils dilating. There is a shrinking on the head. Hair cells began to weaken as hair began to fall off. Jesus Christ! MR 19-1's eyes had just popped out of its head. Dr. Ismail can you bring the tweezers here for me. Blood is not in red as stated before in Log 100. Blood has changed from magenta to grey with a stench similar to a dead rat. Skin began to peel off bit by bit like acid. Let's see if we can operate its abdomen to look at the organs inside. Oh, my goodness!! Ahem. Organs are all corroded. No sign of useable organs or recycled organs here. Conclusion, test on MR 19-1 is a failure. Body will be disposed immediately in the Red Room. We have no idea what MR 19-1 is and cannot identify its species based on the records in our database. It is possible that Planet 14 host a new species not in our database. That is all for today. Good night and thank you.

= xxx =

"Captain Ranveer here. Permission for BT 21-95 to land on West Deck 3.4? I repeat permission to land." Ranveer repeated as he stirred the space shuttle, awaiting for permission from his leader.

"How's Captain Halton doing, Captain?" His assistant questioned while pushing some buttons to steady their space ship as they both waited patiently.

Ranveer sighed. "The last time I check on him, he was mumbling illogical things, Tyson. We have lost four best researchers on Planet 14. That is the biggest loss we have. President Mc. Conner is not going to be happy about it."

"Captain Halton was the only survivor. He is now the big hit in BT 21-95, Captain. I have heard rumors from the rest that he is crazy." Tyson muttered as he looked out of the window, watching another space ship loading into their compartments.

"Well, do you think he is then? Rumors are meant to be spread. No one could stop these. It depends on how we see it." Ranveer explained.

"I don't know, Captain, but I believe all mad people are the best. All crazy people are the ones who make things possible. They are saner than we are."

"Captain Ranveer, BT 21-95," the voice echoed through the speaker. "Permission to land on West Deck 3.4 granted."

Ranveer stirred his space ship into their compartment. If crazy people are the ones who make things possible, could it be that Stefan was the one who caused the death of all four of their researchers or would be he one of those who would be able to create new allies with the creatures in Planet 14? Or perhaps maybe some of them would be sent off for the same mission on Planet 14. Seeing what had happened to Stefan, Ranveer dared not step into the planet again. Rescuing Stefan was an easy task but surviving there is a whole new level of things. Picking up the bottle of CA 15-5, Ranveer gulped it down as he headed out of the spaceship, ready to face the long metallic music from everyone on Mars.

"Captain Ranveer!" Captain Chen bowed as he looked towards the younger captain who bowed in respect before shaking his hands. "Good to have you back on Mars. I am glad you could make it back in time before the dateline given. Where is Captain Halton?" Captain Chen questioned before tilting his head to the side.

"Thank you, Captain Chen. I am glad to be back here too, Captain. He is..."

When he heard the sound of Stefan chuckling softly, Ranveer stood aside for a moment as he watched the guards escorting Stefan out of the space ship. Stefan was clutching onto his notebook tightly, his camera hanging around his neck proudly like a gold medal. He was giggling and laughing on his own, turning to ask the guards some questions. Captain Chen raised his eyebrows at what he had just seen. He was shocked to see his situation. Clearing his throat, Captain Ranveer turned around.

"He was already in this condition when we rescued him, Captain Chen. There was nothing we could do about it except for delivering him here." Captain Ranveer explained.

Stefan stood right next to Ranveer, the guards moving to stand behind them. Stefan giggled as his eyes looked up towards Captain Chen widely, studying those features. Slowly, he lifted up his book, staring at the same drawings before giggling again. The sound of another space ship being landed into their docks filled the air. There were robots whirring around them, helping out the workers to load the equipment into a large steel container.

"Alright then, Captains. Let's head over to the Round Room. President Mc. Conner will be expecting us in another ten minutes. It is not wise to be late. Come on then." Captain Chen suggested as he began to head back into Roaming 95.

Walking passed the hallways, Ranveer took glances at his old friend. Anyone who is a close friend of Stefan knew that he was the best researcher they ever had for his batch. Stefan was the smartest researcher who then decided to move on to study on flying space ships. Again, he exceled in within three years, breaking the record of being the best spaceship driver. All that smartness in him had now faded away into a black hole which seemed to lost its way, just like how Stefan had lost his sanity in Planet 14. If being smart means being crazy at the end, Ranveer prayed that no one else on Mars would be bound to this fate ever again. In fact, he hoped that no one else would be sent to Planet 14. There must be something there, or maybe someone who had cause this. Everything comes with a price and cost. There must be a price Stefan had to pay to stay alive and a cost they have to bear to have his return.

"President Mc. Conner." Captain Chen wished. "Captain Ranveer and Halton have returned."

President Mc. Conner turned around as he looked towards his loyal captains. Upon setting eyes on Captain Halton, he began to wonder what was wrong with the man.

"Captain Halton, what are you smiling at? Is there anything funny in the room that you have not seen?" President Mc. Conner questioned sternly, crossing his arms behind him.

Ranveer cleared his throat. "We apologise for that, President. Captain Halton has been this way since we rescued him from Planet 14. We might need a different way to approach him."

Scrunching his face in disgust, the President walked down from his seat gracefully, his white uniform tight on his body. Once he stopped in front of Stefan, Stefan giggled even more as he waved his hands in the air and began poking onto his face. Ranveer was already burying his face in his own palms, not because of the embarrassment, but because of Stefan who is no longer afraid of the President. Stefan began laughing out loud. President Mc. Conner reached out to get the book from Stefan only to be shouted at in gibberish, something none of them here understands. His voice was in a melody. It was as if he could work as a piano himself.

"Anyone here understands? Ranveer?" President Mc. Conner questioned. When everyone refused to answer, he added. "Captain Halton, if you think pretending to be mad could make you escape from questions, you are wrong."

Escape? Ranveer turned to look at his old friend. Stefan is a person who would hold true to his responsibilities. There isn't a possibility that he would escape this conversation. Yes, he did escape death, but he definitely isn't trying to escape this. How can the President not see the madness in his eyes? Stefan continued to giggle and chuckled as he began to sing an unknown song, causing the President to stiffen in anger. Ranveer was pretty sure that the President could erupt or crack at any moment at the anger boiling in his blood.

"Coffee." Stefan muttered as he sniffed the air for a few moments.

"Excuse me, Captain. You wasted my time here and ...."

"Coffee!" Stefan barked as he growled at the President as if he was some kind of animal. "When I say I want coffee, I mean that I want a hot boiling coffee."

Tapping his middle finger above his right finger, the President signalled for one of his assistants to get coffee. Stefan had made himself comfortable by pulling out the chair without being invited. He began flipping through the pages on his book, pointing to a full sketch before leaning back on the chair. He chuckled and laughed. President Mc. Conner picked it up sending curious glances to Stefan. 'A day in the blue is another day in the dark.' The sentence was written repeatedly for five times in a row where the last one ended up in a messy scribble. When his assistant has returned with the cup of coffee, Stefan immediately gulped down the hot caffeine greedily before chuckling again.

"You see, old man." Stefan started looking at the President. "You don't know what is out there. You never will. They are too fast to be catch and too agile in the water. Once they have gotten you, there is no way out of it. Either you drown with them or you play along. I am pretty sure you hate games, so..." Stefan stopped and made a bubbling sound effect with his lips, "Your head will be rolling on the ground the next second."

President Mc. Conner leaned closer to Stefan, studying his messy figure with thick beard on his chin and his unruly long hair. "Then, why are you alive, Captain?"

Stefan hissed, giggled and burped before sipping onto the coffee again. "Why? Why am I not dead yet? Do you think I could be dead so easily?" He chuckled.

"Excuse me?" The President questioned.

"Winding ways through the greens. Cold nights under the black. Millions of stars in the grey. Can you patch that, old man?" Stefan questioned.

President Mc. Conner crossed his arms as he hissed at his reliable Captain. Looking around, he turned to his guards. "Send him to Dr. Song. I want a full and clear report on his mental health. Take him away."

"Leave me alone! Let go off me!!!" Stefan yelled and trashed about as the guards grabbed onto him. "Let go of me!!!"

Ranveer watched Stefan's grey eyes in anger as he was being dragged out of the Round Room. Both Captain Chen and Ranveer remained silent as they watched the President picked up the book on the table, studying the drawings and the wordings. Tapping onto the table multiple times, President Mc. Conner looked towards his assistant handing the book to her.

"Send this to the Research Department and see what they can get from these. I saw the camera Captain Halton is having, take that too."

"President..." Ranveer started. "What are your plans?"

"Once I got the results from the labs and his mental reports, I shall re-announce my orders. Thank you, Captain Ranveer for bringing him back. You may take your leave now."

Ranveer said nothing. Stepping out of the Round Room, he began to recall everything what Stefan had said since the beginning. Nothing made sense. Perhaps he could get more information from the Research Department once they have gotten their results. Making his way to the upper floors of Roaming 95, Ranveer removed his gloves before he headed towards his cubical. Once he had gotten himself clean and sanitized, Ranveer stepped into his personal cubical, laying down on it comfortably. Planet 14. What is in there? He recalled seeing nothing during the rescue, but considering how Stefan had reacted, nothing doesn't seem to be the best word to describe what is happening.

--- xxx ---

Stefan ran through the swamp as he panted heavily at the pain on his chest. He clutched onto his own heart and headed towards the rock nearby to sit. His grey eyes were studying the swamp carefully till he had felt a pair of cold, scaly hands on his neck. He turned around coming face to face with the fish-eye creature who offered him a smile so sweet that it melted his cold heart. Stefan reached out again gently to touch those cold silver cheeks as he leaned into her hug when she wrapped her fish tail around his leg the minute she swam forward. She hummed a soft melody on her lips as she reached up kissing onto his lips gently as a gesture of welcoming his presence close to her.

"Yukhta. That's my name." She stated out of a sudden as she looked into his eyes.

Stefan chuckled as he raised his eyebrows only to gasp when she shifted into a human-like lady. Her tail remained and her eyes were now in silver grey. Her lips were rosy red. She had perfect curves every man would crave for. Stefan wrapped his arms around her waist as he brushed her cheeks gently. He was pretty sure it wasn't a dream. Pinching himself, he realized that he felt no pain and was totally tempted by her company.

"So, you can shift into a human?" Stefan questioned curiously as he traced his fingers onto her collar bones gently, running his fingers in between her blue hair.

Yukhta nodded. "Only when we choose to."

"You are a mermaid? A space mermaid then?"

She giggled. Her laughter filled the empty swamp as she shook her head. "No mermaid. We are stronger, faster and..." Yukhta leaned forwards, her fingers tugging onto his clothes as she grinned, an evil smirk plastered on her face before it disappeared in seconds. "Confusing." She whispered into his ears before pulling away.

Stefan nodded at her words. His grey eyes studied her figure as she untangled herself from him, jumping into the swamp. Popping her head out, Yukhta was already in her original form. Her fish eyes looked directly into Stefan's grey eyes while humming a soft melody while she lifted her palms from under the water and formed ripples around her. The water danced according to her touch like honey bees attracted towards the sunflowers in the meadow. It calmed Stefan's ears to hear those soft melodies. He closed his eyes to drown himself into those melodies only to winced at the pain when she began hissing and howling before disappearing. "Sa'ne. Save me." It was all she hissed before blood covered her silver face and melted into the swamp.