The doors opened with a hiss at Officer Peterson's order. I pressed a hand against my temple, my headache worsening. I could hear faint whispers, as if someone stood behind me. Officer Peterson looked stiff, squinting at the sunlight as the doors lowered. 

    Two people came into view. They wore uniforms of silver and dark green, a badge of gold on their lapels. It was one woman and one man. There was nothing odd about them, except for their very existence. How were they here? We had landed at the same time as the Pioneer, so how had these two already gotten onto the surface? We were supposed to case the surroundings first to see if the rovers had missed any threats.

   Two loud voices echoed into my ears, making me wince slightly. They badgered my skull and ranted relentlessly.

    "--who they think they are--"

    "To the Solar System itself, look at their clothes!"

    "Somewhat official looking sign on their pockets--"

    "Are they cosplayers or something?"

    "Woman definitely looks like the commanding officer. Both look sick."

    "I can't wait to tell her about this--"

    With a grunt, I turned my eyes to the woman. She laughed at us. She had the audacity to laugh in front of us. I opened my mouth, but ice water was dropped over my spine as I realized something.

    Neither of their mouths moved. Both stood there expectantly. The woman had her hands on her hips, fighting a snigger. This can't be right. Did I lose my mind? The guy studied us curiously. I took a step back, lips parting in shock. I must have.

    Officer Peterson staggered slightly, tripping over the bay door lip and falling onto his back. "Oh my god," he whispered. "I can -- that's their -- this can't be happening!"

    He looked paler than he had when he woke up. Realization crashed over me, and I grabbed his shoulder. He struggled, but I whispered hastily in his ear, "You hear it too?"

    Officer Peterson froze, eyes darting to mine. He licked his lips and nodded. My eyes flicked toward the two soldiers. They observed us. "What's their deal? The guy looks like he's about to piss himself."

    "This isn't a good sign. They could be enemies. The fact that the woman has two weapons of some sort on her is dangerous. We might have to detain them." My eyes slid toward the guy as his hand twitched toward a holster on his hip. Officer Peterson saw him as well, judging by how he tensed further.

    I had no time to come to terms with what I was hearing. Instead, I straightened and cleared my throat. Focus, Veve.  "Where is Captain Spencer? I need a word with him."

    "Who the hell is Captain Spencer?"

    "She's definitely got authority. Maybe she landed at the wrong Settlement."

    The guy tilted his head. "Do you have a first name for this Spencer fellow?"

    My eyebrows went downwards, tightening. Not by now. The original Spencer is long-since dead. "Is a member of the Spencer family not the Captain of the Pioneer anymore?"

    "The Pioneer! She's asking about that thing? Why?"

   "The Pioneer . . . I actually do think that the Captain was a Spencer. Weird."

    He scratched his head. "Why do you need Captain Spencer?"

    I clenched my jaw, starting to get irritated. "It is higher than your paygrade. Where is he? He should have met us here." In fact, no one should have left the ship yet, including these two. They'd taken a needless risk.

   "Who are you?" asked the woman snidely. "A cosplay group?"

    Officer Peterson stepped back at her harsh tone. I bristled, but didn't let myself get too angry. A good officer never took out anger on people below them. "I am First Officer Genevieve Autumn of the Patriot I. This is Technical Officer Quinn Peterson. Do I need to show you my stripes or communication clasp to prove it?" My tone challenged her. 

   The woman snorted. "Yup. Definitely a cosplayer."

   "The Patriot I? Like the one from the myth?"

    Officer Peterson jumped. "Myth?" He blurted, but I hastily clapped a hand over his mouth. He froze. The guy looked at him curiously, but didn't seem to catch what Officer Peterson had said. I shot the Officer a sharp look. He ducked his head.

    The guy's thoughts continued on. "Are these guys just mad or ill? The Patriot was supposed to be the ship that came with the original Pioneer. It never arrived, according to the myth. These two must have gotten a bump on the head when they crash-landed." The guy spread his hands. "You two look tired," he tried. "How about we go to the Docking Station and get you two something to eat and somewhere to rest?" "Then we can get a doctor to check them. I think they're just sick."

    My thoughts raced quickly. Had I actually gone crazy? Hearing this man's thoughts was one thing. Hearing that the Patriot was considered a myth was something else. I subtly pinched my arm, but it ached. I was awake. 

    "Would you mind telling me what date it is?"

    The woman arched an eyebrow. "It's Zoel-549."

    I gritted my teeth. "In Earth years? That makes no sense."

    "Earth years?! This lady is insane."

   "Earth? Uhh . . . What year did the Pioneer take off..." All I heard was numbers for a bit, until one finally had the blood drain from my face. "It'd be somewhere around 2570 I think..."

    I started to feel light-headed. Officer Peterson appeared shaky, and he tugged on my arm and hissed in my ear. "2570? That's five hundred years. The trip was supposed to take three hundred!"

   "You're telling me!" I whispered back. "They think we're insane."

   "How can we tell them otherwise?"

    "They think the Patriot is a myth." I turned my head to the guy. He was saying something about dates. "We need someone who can confirm who we are."

    "Who?"

    "A Spencer. Surely they'll have information." I turned to the two soldiers, raising my voice. "Does a descendant of Captain Malik Spencer live nearby?"

    "Like she thinks she can get an appointment with Mayor Spencer within in next year! Ha!"

    "She knows his name. Perhaps she read it somewhere."

    The guy bit his lip. "Mayor Spencer lives in Settlement Mirah. I'm sure you could get an appointment."

    We needed to see that Mayor Spencer. "Where can we find Mayor Spencer?"

     The woman crossed her arms. "He's a busy man, lady. You can't just waltz into the Settlement and barge in on him." "She doesn't even know where to the find the Town Center. Isn't he in the tallest building?"

    I smiled wryly at that. "Officer Peterson, activate the Patriot's defensive abilities."

    He obeyed and tapped on the screen. The two soldiers watched as the cargo bay door closed and locked. Officer Peterson returned to my side. "Nothing can get inside, now. The crew is safe, First Officer."

   "Excellent." I knew from the building reports that the Patriot was impossible to get inside when the defensive abilities were turned on. "Take us to Mayor Spencer."

   "Who are you to order us around?" The woman asked.

   I lifted my chin. "I won't repeat myself. Either take us to him or I will find him myself."

    "You don't even know where he is."

    "I know he's in the tallest building in the Town Center," I said innocently. "I'm certain I can find which floor he's on easily enough."

   "How does she know -- that's classified!"

   The woman froze, her eyes wide. "Crap. She's serious. I'll radio ahead of time so that we can get her detained before she goes after the Mayor."

    Officer Peterson stiffened, but I shook my head at him. "Fine," relented the woman. If I hadn't heard what she actually meant, then I might have been convinced I could trust her. "We'll take you to Mayor Spencer."