Chapter Text
[Journal Entry]
They say that space is cold.
That it's dark.
That it is an endless void where nothing listens and nothing responds.
I don't agree.
For as long as I can remember, space has always seemed to me... full.
Full of lights that flicker as if breathing, of invisible routes that only exist if you know where to look, of stories that float between planet and planet, waiting for someone to find them.
I grew up hearing stories that most would consider legends: of maps that led not to places, but to destinations; of pirates with more heart than honor; of a ship called RLS Legacy that changed the course of the galaxy more than once.
My parents always said that the universe rewards those who dare to explore it together.
My dad used to say it looking at the stars, as if he was still waiting for one of them to answer him.
My mom said it smiling, as if she already knew the answer.
They met at the Royal Interstellar Academy, at first they did not get along, but due to things in life they ended up in an adventure that ended up being the beginning of everything.
They grew, graduated, rose faster than many thought possible.
They worked side by side.
They explored.
They discovered.
And, somewhere between one trip and another, they decided to start a family.
That's where I come in.
Since I was a child I was fascinated by ships, engines, impossible trajectories, and the beauty of the universe.
While other children were playing pirates, I wanted to know how solar sails worked, why certain routes were more stable than others, what was beyond the known maps...
Dr. Doppler said that I had a restless mind.
Amelia said I had potential... although I had to learn discipline.
B.E.N. said that I talked more than him and that it was nice to have someone sociable by his side.
And Morph... He ate all my cookies and played with me.
My grandmother said something simpler:
that I was a cheerful and happy girl.
And yes, for a while... I was.
Everything changed after a trip.
An important scientific mission with experimental technology.
I remember the goodbyes.
I remember the promise to return soon.
I remember looking at the sky expecting to see a ship that never returned.
They said a lot of things. But I realized that I would never see my mother again.
And I learned, very early, that silence can also be an answer.
After that, the house remained the same... But he didn't feel the same.
I learned not to ask questions.
Not to cry when no one was looking.
To turn sadness into numbers, theories, equations.
My brother doesn't remember Mom.
Sometimes I wonder if that makes him lucky... or if one day he will feel the same emptiness that I learned to carry.
I grew up hearing that the Hawkins surname was an honor from sailors, acquaintances, and admirals.
That I had to be proud of it.
I have a great future ahead of me along with the stars.
But I hate the stars.
Now I'm no longer a smiling, innocent little girl. And I have to make a difference if I want to make my own life outside of this family.
And I know something I didn't know when I was a child:
The universe is not fair.
But it's not simple either.
Stars don't lie.
People... sometimes yes.
And there are stories that don't end when they say they're over.
This is mine...
And that of my family.