Chapter 1: Eyes That Watch

The Cress-1 floated in a fixed, geosynchronous orbit—a large, stealth satellite, aligned in its nature to remain undetectable to the humans below, who were still in the infancy of space exploration. Its inhabitants, the Zephri, were distant descendants of Earth’s humans—Terra, as they called it. From their silent vantage, the Zephri observed the species they had once been, witnessing humans as they existed before: fragile, limited, yet full of potential. The Zephri themselves had transcended such bounds, advanced beyond most disease, endowed with undeniable strength, and blessed with extraordinary perception.   Ven was new to the Cress-1, assigned as an observer after arriving from Stella Six A, a space station at the far reaches of the Milky Way. The satellite felt small to him in ways he wasn’t used to—intimate, in a way. The Cress-1 housed only twenty Zephri. He could hear the sounds of everyone on board: a resonant harmony, a carefully orchestrated symphony. The electric hum of machinery twisted and spun to maintain orbit. Steady beeps and trills of life-support systems kept them all alive. Over it all floated echoes of whispers among the crew.   Ven’s job was to observe a single human—one who had been chosen for him—and take detailed notes on how they lived their life. A simple task, he thought. After all, it was rare to see the roots of what they had come from; few were ever afforded such an opportunity.   He stared at his own reflection in the monitor before activating the viewing screen. He studied his Zephri features: teal eyes glowing in the reflection, scanning the angle of his jaw and the faintly glowing veins along his tan skin. His hair, black and kept short on the sides but longer on top, had a stubborn lock that always brushed his brow.   He took a steadying breath, chest rising and falling, and turned on the screen. There she was. Chocolate-brown eyes—not exactly looking at him, but focused on a canvas as soft brushstrokes filled it, accompanied by a gentle melody playing in the background. Her long, deep-black hair fell messily around a heart-shaped face, and her focus was something he hadn’t realized humans could possess.   It was his first glimpse at humanity—and here it was, raw and unguarded. Ven took out his datapad and began to type, unprepared for the flood of fascination and wonder that gripped him.