Chapter Text
Shiro smiled at his audience, a little nervous, before beginning his practiced speech, “Good afternoon, gentlemen. First off, I’d like to thank this board for taking the time to hear my proposal. Now we’ve all heard of the legend of Marmora, a planet on the outreaches of our solar system that was home to an advanced civilization, possessing technology far beyond our own that according to ancient Greek texts, was suddenly struck by some cataclysmic event that caused it to disappear.”
“Now some of you may ask, why Marmora? It’s just a myth, isn’t it? Pure fantasy. Well, that is where you’d be wrong. 10,000 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids, Marmora had electricity, advanced medicine, even the power of space travel. There are accounts of Marmorans coming to Earth. Impossible, you say? Well, no. No, not for them. Numerous ancient cultures all over the globe agree that Marmora possessed a power source of some kind, more powerful than solar, than coal. More powerful than our modern nuclear reactors.
“Gentlemen, I propose that we find Marmora, find that power source, and bring it back to Earth. Now this-” Shiro shuffled around for a few moments, before turning on his projector and showing a blurry picture of the stars up on the wall behind him, “is a copy of the photographs taken during the Kerberos mission. Looking into space from Kerberos’ surface, there’s a large celestial object,” Shiro pointed to a particularly large amber dot, “visible with the human eye, currently unexplained! Notice that the celestial object is giving off a distinct amber glow. Marmora was identified by astronomers by its distinct amber glow. I did the calculations and that celestial object is within the same orbit that Marmora was proclaimed to be! I propose that this unidentified celestial object is Marmora!”
Shiro tapped his fingers against the dot, “Gentlemen, uh, I’ll take your questions now,”
Suddenly, his communicator beeped. “Uh, would you gentlemen please excuse me for a moment?” Shiro quickly darted to the other side of the room, cutting in front of the projector, the stars illuminated on his face for a brief moment, to get to the desk where his communicator lay. He picked it up and held it to his ear,
“Deep-Space Exploration Division, Takashi Shirogane speaking,” He said smoothly. The voice on the other end started ranting. “Yeah. Sorry about that. You know how electricity can be in this building. Uh, just, just a second.” Shiro unplugged the large projector, almost tripping on the wire, and turned the main lights back on, showing his group of ‘gentlemen’ to be nothing more than a bunch of empty chairs. He held the communicator back up against his ear, “How’s that? Is that better?” The voice on the other end continued ranting about how inconvenient the sudden loss of power to their offices had been, “And don’t let it happen again!” The voice said finally before closing the link in a huff. Shiro sighed, before turning back to the group of empty chairs.
“Now, I’ve plotted a route that will take myself and a crew past Kerberos and directly to Marmora. Using ancient astronomers’ knowledge about the position of Marmora in the Earth’s sky at different times of the year and the position of the planet at the time of the Kerberos mission, I’ve been able to predict where the planet will be at any point in time, give or take a hundred miles.”
The clock above Shiro’s desk let out a loud series of chimes. Shiro smiled and retrieved his disc of slides from the large projector. “Showtime”, Shiro said, confident that the board would approve his mission. Finally, he’d be able to continue on the Holt legacy. If only they could be here to witness it , Shiro thought with a pang of remorse. Suddenly his communicator buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the message.
“Dear Mr. Shirogane, this is to inform you that your meeting today has been moved up from 4:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m,” Shiro read aloud. He glanced at the clock on his wall.
4:02
“What?!” Shiro exclaimed, rushing up the stairs, hoping to catch the board before they left the meeting room. He ran down the hallways, almost knocking over three separate people in his haste. By the time he got to his designated meeting room, it was empty save for Commander Iverson. The only person he really needed to approve his proposal. Commander Iverson was sitting calmly at the head of the table, as if Shiro wasn’t over half an hour late to his own meeting. Shiro’s spine straightened and his shoulders squared as he saluted the Commander.
“At ease, Shirogane. Don’t worry about the time,” he said, cutting off Shiro’s apology with an impatient wave of his hand, “I figured that was an error on the part of my secretary. You would have been fifteen minutes early otherwise. So. Tell me your proporsal.”
Shiro took in a deep breath, his palms a little sweaty from the sudden onset of nerves. “First off, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to hear my proposal. Now, we’ve all heard of the legend of Marmora, a planet on the outreaches of-”
“Let me stop you right there. Shirogane, why exactly are you bringing up Marmora? The Garrison is a scientific and military institution. We don’t deal in fairy tales,” Commander Iverson said, his brows furrowing in obvious disapproval.
“It’s not a fairy tale, sir. It exists! I can show you!” Shiro hurried over to the projector in the back of the room, quickly turning it on and inserting his disc of slides. A illuminated picture of space filled the opposite wall, “Now if you look just left of center, you can see a large celestial object giving off a distinct amber glow. Marmora was famous for its amber glow. I did the calculations and this object falls within Marmora’s supposed orbit. It is Marmora.”
Commander Iverson said nothing, only letting out a breath through his nose. Shiro fidgeted. Finally Commander Iverson stood up and walked towards the back of the room.
“I’ve heard enough,” he said, shutting off the projector with an audible click. Shiro’s stomach dropped. That was it? That couldn’t be it! Shiro had worked too hard. Dr. Holt had worked too hard.
“Sir, if you could just-”
“I am not spending millions of dollars to explore a old wives’ tale, Shirogane,” Commander Iverson said with a tone of finality but his eyes softened and he laid a gentle hand on Shiro’s shoulder.
“I know these last few years have been hard on you. The crash landing of the Kerberos mission cost you your hand and the Holts their lives,” Shiro couldn’t help flinching at the casual mention of the crash. Commander Iverson pretended not to notice, leaving Shiro what was left of his dignity. “I know that Marmora was Dr. Holt’s pet project and now you want to honor his legacy. But you can do that by living your life, instead of wasting away chasing after a, a pipe dream. You have a lot of potential, Shirogane. Don’t throw that all away over a fantasy .” Shiro stilled at the word ‘fantasy’. He suddenly was filled with fury that the Commander would all but spit in the face of his calculations, his evidence. He stepped away from the Commander, determination etched on his features.
“Sir, it’s not a pipe dream! And if the Garrison rejects my proposal… well, consider this my resignation.” The Commander opened his mouth as if to try to change Shiro’s mind, but he could tell the man was steadfast in his convictions. Even to his own detriment. Iverson sighed heavily.
“Very well,” Commander Iverson said succinctly, leaving the room without another word. Shiro ran a hand through his hair, dejected. After all these years dedicated to the Garrison…it was over. Perhaps it was for the best. Perhaps he could finally move on, get over the crash that had sent his life in turmoil all those years ago.
No. He couldn’t give up. He’d find another way to Marmora, even if he had to build the spaceship himself. But that was a fight for another day. Now, he just had to muster up the energy to pack up his things and head home.
Shiro fumbled to get the door to his apartment open, what with his arms full of research and his belongings from the Garrison. He stepped into his empty apartment and let out a heavy sigh.
“I’m home,” he called out dejectedly, “Kuro? Here kitty.” ‘Kuro’ being the black cat that kept Shiro company. He reached out to turn the lights on, flicking the switch next to the door. Nothing happened. He toggled it a few times, before lightning illuminated the room.
Kuro wasn't the only one waiting for him.
A womanly figure was standing by the window. Shiro tensed, dropping his box of belongings and taking on a fighting stance. He was rusty when it came to hand-to-hand combat but he was sure he could hold his own long enough to alert the police.
The woman turned around, her eyes assessing Shiro but she made no move to attack him.
“Who…who are you? How did you get in here?” Shiro asked, trying to mask his fear. By the unimpressed look on her face, he could tell he had failed.
“Takashi Shirogane, I presume,” She said. The woman was stunning. Tall and athletic, with rich mahogany skin and a shock of white hair piled into a bun atop of her head. Regardless of the white hair, though, she didn’t look to be much older than Shiro. She was in a plain black dress but she held herself like a queen. She sat down on the plush sofa next to the window.
“My name is Allura. I’m here on behalf of my father, who has a most intriguing proposition for you. Are you interested?” She asked, putting her hands in her lap. Shiro looked at her, dumbfounded.
“Your…your father? Who is your father?” “Alfor Smythe,” She replied easily. Shiro recognized that name. Everyone knew of the reclusive billionaire who had made his fortune in creating state-of-the-art medical devices.
“Alfor Smythe is your father? But, but what could he possibly want to speak to me about?” Shiro asked.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Shiro paused for a moment, thinking it over. He was intrigued by the suspicious proposition, no doubt about it. He was a scientist at heart, and this whole situation piqued his natural curiosity. So against his better judgment, Shiro agreed to go with Allura to her family’s mansion.
It was an awkwardly long drive. At least, it was for him. Allura seemed perfectly content to stare out the window and sit in silence. Finally they arrived to a set of tall, imposing iron gates. The gates opened and the car drove up a winding driveway to a large imposing mansion. Actually, the term ‘mansion’ felt like an understatement, the building was so immense.
The inside of the mansion was somehow even more opulent. It almost seemed smug in its splendor. The furniture all had the look of highly cherished antiques, kept pristine despite their age. The carpet was so intricately designed, Shiro felt bad just stepping on it.
“This way, please,” Allura said, noticing Shiro had stopped to gape openly at one of the full sets of armor that lined the walls. He followed after her, walking past the fireplace and glancing up at the large family painting above the mantle. Were those mice on Allura’s shoulder? He stopped to have a better look.
“Step lively, please. My father does not like to be kept waiting,” Allura said with a disdainful sniff, striding towards the elevator across the room. Shiro quickened his pace to catch up to her.
“You will address him as ‘Mr.Smythe’ or ‘sir’. You will stand unless asked to be seated. Keep your sentences short and to the point. Are we clear?” Allura said as the elevator took them up to the next floor, her tone clearly stating that any deviations in behavior would not be tolerated. Shiro couldn’t help his involuntary gulp. Allura nodded, satisfied with his response. The elevator doors opened to a large study, books covering every available surface despite the numerous bookshelves that lined the walls.
“And relax,” Allura said as Shiro stepped out of the elevator, “he doesn’t bite. Often.” With that the doors closed, leaving Shiro to face Alfor Smythe alone. He walked into the room cautiously before a painting on the wall caught his eye. It couldn’t be…
“Dr. Holt?” he couldn’t help asking aloud. But it was unmistakeably a painting of Dr. Holt and the man Shiro assumed to be Alfor Smythe.
“Finest man I ever met,” a voice spoke up. Shiro jumped. It had come from a chaise lounge in the furthest corner of the room. Shiro hadn’t even noticed the man but now that he had he was impossible to miss. The man stood up and made his way over to Shiro, extending a hand out in greeting. The resemblance between Allura and her father was astounding. They both had the same deep mahogany skin and striking white hair. The same regal bearing. Alfor had a white beard to match his hair and there were laugh lines faintly etched into his face. Still, he stood tall, as if otherwise untouched by age. Shiro shook his hand, still waiting to wake up from this crazy dream. But Alfor just gave him a gentle smile,
“Alfor Smythe. Pleasure to meet you, Takashi,”
“I go by Shiro, actually,” Shiro corrected automatically before blushing in mortification. Alfor laughed.
“Shiro, then.”
“Did you really know Dr. Holt?” Shiro couldn’t help asking.
“I met Samuel Holt while doing contract work for the Garrison. We stayed close friends ‘till the end of his days,” the older man said. Shiro looked away. Regardless of how many times people told him otherwise, he would always carry blame in his heart for what happened to Dr. Holt and his son He had been the one piloting the ship when they had crash landed, after all.
“He even convinced me to help fund some of his expeditions. He spoke of you often, actually. He was your mentor, I believe?” Alfor continued. Shiro nodded. “Yes, he was. Funny. He, he never mentioned you,”
“Oh, he wouldn’t. He knew how much I valued my privacy.”
“Mr. Smythe, should I be wondering why I’m here?”
“Shiro, for years Samuel talked my ear off about Marmora and the amazing power source on the planet. So I finally told him that if there was ever proof found of the planet existing I would fund his exposition myself. And he found it, the moment he snapped that picture on the surface of Kerberos. Now, I know your mentor’s gone, Shiro, God rest his soul, but Alfor Smythe is a man who keeps his word,”
Alfor Smythe looked at the picture of Dr. Holt up on the wall, heaving a sigh before continuing, “Well, what are we standing around for? We got work to do,” Alfor moved over to sit at the desk in front of the fireplace. Shiro followed him.
“But Mr. Smythe, you know, in order to do what you’re proposing, you’ll need a crew.”
“Taken care of.”
“You’ll need engineers and…and pilots.”
Alfor spread out the papers on the desk, the pile turning out to be a stack of profiles of the main crew members. “Got ‘em all. The best of the best. Lance McClain, fighter pilot, top of his class at the Garrison. Pidge Gunderson. Don’t let her age fool you. She’s forgotten more about technology than you and I will ever know. Hunk Garret, engineer extraordinaire, He’s also a medic, so it’s like two crew members in one. All we need now is an expert in Marmoran lore. So, it’s decision time. You can either build on Dr. Holt’s legacy or you can go back to your desk job at the Garrison,”
Shiro was stunned. He slumped into the chair across from Alfor. “This is for real,” He muttered, dazed. “Now you’re catching on,” Alfor said with a smile. Shiro stood up again, excited by all the possibilities.
“All right. Okay. I suppose it’s good that I resigned this afternoon,”
“I felt it best to approach you before you found another job. I don’t like to leave loose ends.”
“Uh, my apartment. I’ll have to give notice.”
“Taken care of.”
“My clothes?”
“Packed.”
“My things?”
“In storage.”
“My cat?”
Suddenly, Kuro appeared out of nowhere, jumping up onto the table with a little ‘meow’. Shiro scratched in between the cat’s ears. “Wow,” he murmured.
“Marmora is waiting, Shiro. What do you say?” Alfor said.
Shiro figured he should have been a little wary of Mr.Smythe’s overarching influence, but he was too focused on the mission. Finally, Marmora was within reach, closer than it had ever been before.
“I’m your man, Mr. Smythe. You will not regret this!” Shiro said eagerly, shaking Mr. Smythe’s hand once again. He had spent years preparing for this.