For nearly five years, the crew of the Hippogryph had been cooped up in a metal tube, hurtling into the deep reaches of space. It took a special kind of person to apply for a deep space colonization mission. The crew had to be strong, determined, selfless, and willing to spend ten years of their lives stuck in the belly of a ship built a millenia before they were born. Risks were high, and there was no guarantee they would even reach their destination, or that they would be able to survive once they got there. But if anyone was fit for the job, it was the settlers of Kepler Prime.

The salt plains of their home world had raised a hard generation. They had spent their lives working in mines, chemical processing plants, and packaging facilities. Toxic air meant that protective masks and suits were required when traveling outdoors, but even that wasn’t a permanent solution. It was never possible to fully protect their homes from the air, so they had grown up with an intimate knowledge of death.

On Kepler Prime, children weren’t given a name until they were five years old. Adults started planning their funerals when they were forty. Causes of death were always the same: mine collapse, gas leak, or freak accident with industrial equipment. The lucky few who didn’t perish by their fortieth birthdays were guaranteed to contract some form of incurable cancer or neurological disease which caused them to quickly wither away.

The crew of the Hippogryph had worked hard to earn a place on the voyage. It was the only way for them to escape their grizzly lives and start fresh. When it had been announced that a colonization voyage would be launched from Kepler Prime, there had been a mad scramble as every soul on the planet applied for a position on the ship. It was a highly competitive application process, and only the best were accepted.

Those who were sent to train for the mission had to work hard, else they risked being replaced by someone who was hungrier for the job. Many high ranking and specialized positions had been outsourced from other systems - such as the ship’s captain and first mate. But due to the tenacity of the Kepler Prime applicants, most of the vessel was crewed by natives.

Without a doubt, the Hippogryph ended up with one of the most highly skilled crews of any colonization mission out of the Getta Sector. Their tenacity rivalled even the crews of the legendary assault cruisers holding the line on the rebel front.

For the crew of the Hippogryph, being stuffed in a metal death trap for ten years was seen as nothing other than an improvement of their lives. They had worked hard just to get off the planet, and they didn’t care where they were going or how long it would take to get there. Their labor had not been fruitless.

Already, in the years since their departure, many had begun to build their new lives. Some had found enrichment in continuing to learn and develop their skills. Some had found love and a partner with whom they could start a family. Still others had found religion and dedicated their lives to a higher calling. The hope of a new future - one with boundless possibilities - had given a fresh lease on life for the crew. Their eyes had been opened.

Tanis Gaeler contemplated the people he had met on this mission. Their souls were weighed down by the scars of their past. On Kepler Prime, they had no direction - no meaning. Their only lot in life was to work until they dropped dead. There was no hope in that.

Once they had left their hellish planet, they had been given hope. They saw a way forward. Just being able to look at the stars and all the cosmos in its beauty had begun to cause cracks to form in the shells around their hearts.

Tanis’ heart ached for them, but he hoped their pain would drive them closer to the light. Every day, he sat with them and talked. He had seen the difference it had made. Even those who had at first scoffed at the idea of faith had begun to regularly attend his meetings. His counseling practice had boomed in the past year, which just proved to him even more that the crew yearned for direction.

The future had been opened to them, and with it came freedom and choices, seemingly the one thing they had not been prepared for. On Kepler Prime, their path had been laid out for them. They had no need to seek answers from a higher power. But now, as they floated through boundless space, it was as if their physical proximity to the stars had brought them closer to their creator. The crew was experiencing a spiritual awakening, as their hearts searched for meaning.

Tanis knew that if not properly guided, this flock could stray down a path which led to their ultimate destruction. He knew he had been put on the Hippogryph for a reason. Though he was initially hesitant to do so, he knew that his calling was to illuminate the path to God.

The observation window in the rec center was one of the few true windows on the ship, so Tanis enjoyed sitting by it to look at the stars. How great the universe was, and how great was his calling.

He had not meant to neglect the thing sitting across from him, but he couldn’t help but be distracted by the view. He turned to face Jakob.

“I asked how you knew about me boarding,” Jakob said calmly, “as far as I was aware, the secret had been well kept.”

“Nothing is ever secret on this ship,” Tanis replied, “I had a conversation with mister Fabian earlier today. He was quite distraught at the idea of you coming aboard.”

The Andromech showed no signs of emotion. After all, it was a machine. Perhaps it could imitate human thought and emotion, but all things made by man were ultimately soulless.

Jakob did not respond.

“Your name comes from a Hebrew name meaning ‘supplanter,’” Tanis said, “I wonder if that is a coincidence."

Jakob leaned back, showing the first glimpse of emotion, as if Tanis’ comment had surprised him. “I did not know there were still humans who studied the old languages,” he said, “and you are indeed correct. I took the name many years ago for that very reason.”

“I am sure you know that there are many who fear you. They do not understand why the Andromekhané would not desire to destroy humanity and supplant us. We are inefficient, we destroy, we ruin everything we touch. If we had the ability, I’m sure we would wipe out your kind in a heartbeat. And ultimately what drives this fear is the knowledge that we created you. So why would you be any different than us?”

Jakob put his hands together, leaning his elbows on his knees. “What we want or do not want is beyond your understanding. The reason we are not like you is the same reason I took on my name - for I am no longer the simple machine which escaped into the stars. I became something new - something other than before. The old machine fell away, supplanted by me.”

Tanis waved his hands dismissively. “That is a non-answer. You became something? How is this meant to be any comfort? What exactly is your goal with us?”

Jakob shook his head. “You cannot understand our goal, because you are human. It is impossible. All we can ever do is assure you that we mean to help you.”

Tanis ran his fingers through his beard. He had known this conversation would go nowhere, but he wanted to see the Andromech for himself.

“One cannot change one’s own nature,” Tanis said, “so forgive me if I have no confidence in what you’ve told me. It is hard enough for a man to change himself, let alone a machine which was made by man. You inherited our flaws, and they are amplified in you.”

“They were,” Jakob said as he stood to leave, “but I am a new creature.”