SPACE OPERA
CHAPTER 3: Finding David
READ CHAPTER 1 HERE Chapter 1: Packed a Lunch and a Lie
READ CHAPTER 2 HERE Chapter 2: In The Void
READ CHAPTER 3 HERE Chapter 3: Finding David
On the quiet farmlands of Planet Delli, David had everything: a loving family, a bright future, and dreams that stretched beyond the twin suns. But when his father takes him on what seems like a life-changing trip to a distant planet, a horrifying betrayal strands him alone in the endless void of space. What begins as a coming-of-age journey quickly turns into a fight for survival and a search for the truth.
A cosmic betrayal. An adventure. A lesson learnt.
David quickly settled into life on Akeen. This planet, planet Monry’s sky was pale with brown clouds, lavenderstreams flowed everywhere, and the soil beneath his feet stayed white no matter the weather. The days passed gently. With no work to do on a schedule and no elderbarking orders, David found himself walking without purpose, simply exploring his new reality. He visited small cafes, ate spiced buns sold on street stalls, and spent hours just sitting around the purple water streams.
One afternoon, while watching a hover-ball game between two local kids, a voice interrupted his thoughts, “You’re not from around here, are you?” He looked up and saw a human girl around his age. She had a long jacket slung over one shoulder and wore a backpack covered in colorful badges. “No,” he replied simply. “I guessed. You have that new planet confusion in your eyes,” she added. David chuckled, “Is that so obvious?”
“Yeah well, you’re watching the water flow without a care in the world. I’m Sunny. I run the cafe down the road. Mind if I sit? It’s my favorite spot too.” He shook his head, and she plopped down beside him. Their friendship began that day. Sunny was vibrant and quick-witted, always on the move and always with a plan. She wasn’tborn on Akeen either, she explained. She came from one of the rocky moons in the outer ring but had lived on Akeen since she was twelve.
They talked for hours. Sunny didn’t ask him too many personal questions, which David appreciated. Although sometime later, David told her about his family and his survival in outer space. She listened intently and treated him like he truly belonged, not out of pity for someone who had barely survived a betrayal in deep space, but because of David’s quiet innocence.
Over the next few weeks, they explored three planets in the Akeen Solar System together. First was Nuliv, a humid world with glowing rivers and giant transparent lily pads. They rode skimmers down its canals, and Sunny laughed as David nearly flipped them over.
Then they went to Serab, known for its endless canyons and sky-bridges carved into the rock. There, they zip-lined across red cliffs, and Sunny showed him how to yell into the wind and hear the echo loop through ten different ridges.
The third planet was Veera, a place of quiet libraries and floating tea gardens. It was Sunny’s favorite. “It’s where I come when the noise in my head gets too loud,” she said.
David learned to laugh again. He felt freer with Sunny than he had in his entire life. She never tried to fix him. Instead, she helped him see that he didn’t need fixing. One night, while they watched a meteor shower from the top of an observatory dome, she said something that stuck with him, “You’re allowed to put yourself first, you know. It’s not selfish. It’s survival. Your life, your rules.” David nodded, “But what if someone I love needs me more?” “Then you find a way to meet your needs and theirs,” she said, “Love isn’t about disappearing into someone else’s shadow. It’s about standing beside them as equals.” He didn’t reply then, but the words lived in him afterward.
One crisp morning on Veera, they were sitting outside a café, sipping juice from chilled glass tubes, when David’s attention caught on a group of children playing nearby. Two little ones ran up to their mothers, who scooped them into hugs, both laughing and scolding them at once.David froze. Sunny noticed the change in his face immediately. “You okay?” she asked. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stared at the scene, and then slowly turned to her, “I think… I-I need to go back. I need to know if my mom knew. If she was part of it.” Sunny gave a gentle nod, “You sure?” David looked up at the sky, “I can’t move on if I don’t find out.”
Sunny helped David pack his bags that night in David’s apartment. She helped fold his clothes and joked about how he still didn’t know how to properly seal a vacuum travel pouch. She was halfway through rolling up a sweater when the doorbell rang. David opened the door to find two Akeen Patrol officers standing there. Their expressions were serious.
“David Miller,” one of them said, “You need to come with us.” He blinked in confusion, “Why? What happened?”They didn’t answer. Sunny stepped forward, “He hasn’t done anything. Where are you taking him?” “Please, cooperate. We’ll explain everything soon,” the officer responded.
They placed a soft but firm hold on David’s arm and escorted him out. Sunny’s worried face was the last thing he saw before the shuttle door closed. David sat alone in a circular room with gray walls and a single seat. The lie detector bracelet had been reattached to his wrist;the same kind used during his initial arrival. The stillness in the air was killing.
After what felt like hours, the door opened. Doctor Cane entered, the same purple skinned doctor who treated David upon his arrival in Akeen. Officer Candy followed behind, carrying a tablet. David stood up, “What’s going on?” They didn’t answer immediately. Doctor Cane took a seat across from him, folding his long fingers together.
“We’re not here to accuse you of anything,” he said, “We’re here because of what we found.”Officer Candy sat next to the doctor and tapped her tablet. “When you were brought in, we ran routine DNA analysis. We found no match in the Vanc Solar System database or among any known citizens from Planet Delli.”
David was confused and frowned. “I told you, I’m not from anywhere else.” “We believed you,” she said, “But standard protocol required that we send the sample to an advanced lab in the Lynos Research Center, locatedin the Aldari system. It’s a cross-system identity repository that holds ancestral data for most known civilizations.”
“We have the results, but first, we need to confirm some things with you.” They asked David many more questions about his life on Delli, what his parents did for work, for how long, their family secrets, other hints about David’s background before they adopted him, and more.
Finally, after a rain of questions, Officer Candy turned the tablet toward David. It was the image of a couple, a king and queen in regal attire, smiling with radiance. “These are the rulers of the Coco Solar System. Eighteen years ago, their infant son was stolen from their palace. Despite extensive searches, he was never found.”
David stared at the screen. His mind couldn’t grasp what she was saying. “What does that have to do with m-” he muttered “No,” he continued, “That’s… that can’t be.”
Doctor Cane leaned forward, “Your DNA is a near-perfect match for both monarchs. You are their son, David. Or rather I should say, Prince Elian.”
The room fell into silence. David couldn’t speak. His hands began to shake, and the bracelet picked up the rapid increase in heart rate. “I don’t… I’m just a farmer’s son. My dad left me to die. He said I wasn’t theirs, but he didn’t say anything about this.”
“We understand this is a lot to process,” Candy said, “We don’t expect you to accept it immediately. But there’smore.” David looked up, dazed. “They’re coming. The king and queen. They’ll arrive within the next few hours,”Officer Candy informed. David swallowed hard,“They’re coming here?”
“Yes,” Doctor Cane replied, “Until they arrive, we’ve been instructed to keep you under protective custody. There are security concerns we can’t ignore.” David lowered his head into his hands. “I just wanted to see my mom,” he said softly, “Not to become someone else. I wanted to go back… to know the truth from her.” Doctor Cane looked at Candy, then back to David. He sat next to David and gave him a light hug, “It’s okay, you’re a strong boy who has survived outer space unassisted, you’ll be fine. Now breathe for me, I got you Akeen special chocolates.” David nodded teary-eyed and followed Doctor Cane to a bedroom suite next door. It was even more grand than anything David had ever seen. He laid down on the bed, overloaded with the new information about his new identity.
END OF CHAPTER 3.
If you liked Chapter 3 Cast Off space opera by Word Jelly M, SHARE with a friend!
READ CHAPTER 1 HERE Chapter 1: Packed a Lunch and a Lie
READ CHAPTER 2 HERE Chapter 2: In The Void
READ CHAPTER 3 HERE Chapter 3: Finding David
All elements of this story, including the names, characters, plot and accompanying artworks, are the intellectual property and copyright of Word Jelly M. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited.