I Bought a Broken Translator—Now Everything I Say Sounds Like a Galactic Marriage Proposal
FutureXplorer
[{'start': '0.160', 'end': '5.440', 'text': 'Jaron Lance had to lean in close just to see the\xa0\nflickering readout on the battered translator he’d'}, {'start': '5.440', 'end': '10.720', 'text': 'picked up from a backwater tech bazaar on the\xa0\nplanet Omid Four. He was fifty-eight years old,'}, {'start': '10.720', 'end': '16.000', 'text': 'lined with the marks of time and experience, and\xa0\nhe had good reason to suspect the device might not'}, {'start': '16.000', 'end': '22.800', 'text': 'be as “gently used” as the merchant claimed. But\xa0\nit was cheap, and on a fixed budget, Jaron figured'}, {'start': '22.800', 'end': '27.440', 'text': 'a half-broken translator was better than none\xa0\nat all. He’d come all this way to connect with'}, {'start': '27.440', 'end': '33.280', 'text': 'people, to trade, to learn—and if that meant\xa0\noccasionally slapping the side of a glitchy'}, {'start': '33.280', 'end': '39.760', 'text': 'piece of hardware to coax it into working, he was\xa0\ngame. He was no stranger to improvised solutions.'}, {'start': '39.760', 'end': '44.160', 'text': 'He stood by a kiosk in the middle\xa0\nof Rezkin Orbital Station, scanning'}, {'start': '44.160', 'end': '50.800', 'text': 'the sea of bright signs and neon walkways.\xa0\nVessels from half a galaxy docked here daily:'}, {'start': '50.800', 'end': '55.680', 'text': 'prospectors, corporate lackeys,\xa0\npilgrims. Years ago, Jaron would'}, {'start': '55.680', 'end': '60.480', 'text': 'have found the crowds exhilarating.\xa0\nNow they mostly made his knees ache,'}, {'start': '60.480', 'end': '66.000', 'text': 'and he missed having a quiet porch to sit on.\xa0\nBut opportunity still beckoned. The station’s'}, {'start': '66.000', 'end': '73.440', 'text': 'notoriously labyrinthine design stretched on\xa0\nforever, corridors twisting at maddening angles.'}, {'start': '73.440', 'end': '79.600', 'text': 'With an exasperated sigh, he lifted the translator\xa0\nto his face. It looked like a small metal sphere'}, {'start': '79.600', 'end': '85.760', 'text': 'with a busted lens at the top, occasionally\xa0\ncrackling. “Come on, you piece of junk,” he'}, {'start': '85.760', 'end': '90.720', 'text': 'muttered, pressing the activation stud. The\xa0\ntranslator lit up with stuttering green.'}, {'start': '90.720', 'end': '96.160', 'text': 'He stepped toward a passing alien woman with\xa0\nvivid pink hair—waving politely to catch'}, {'start': '96.160', 'end': '101.600', 'text': 'her attention. She was tall, with violet\xa0\neyes, and she carried herself in a fluid,'}, {'start': '101.600', 'end': '106.240', 'text': 'unhurried way that suggested she was at\xa0\nease in these bustling corridors. Jaron'}, {'start': '106.240', 'end': '112.000', 'text': 'tried to speak. “Excuse me. I need a map.\xa0\nThis station is bigger than I thought.”'}, {'start': '112.000', 'end': '116.880', 'text': 'The translator chirped, dimming. Something\xa0\nabout the woman’s expression shifted from'}, {'start': '116.880', 'end': '122.640', 'text': 'mild curiosity to a soft, almost\xa0\nshy smile. She reached out gently,'}, {'start': '122.640', 'end': '127.200', 'text': 'touching the place over her own\xa0\nheart. Her voice, low and melodic,'}, {'start': '127.200', 'end': '131.840', 'text': 'emanated in a language Jaron couldn’t\xa0\nparse. He frowned at the translator.'}, {'start': '131.840', 'end': '137.280', 'text': '“Why isn’t it translating?” he mumbled. Then\xa0\nthe device coughed out a delayed monotone:'}, {'start': '137.280', 'end': '140.640', 'text': '“You wish to join your spirit\xa0\nwith mine for all eternity?”'}, {'start': '140.640', 'end': '145.360', 'text': 'He froze. “I said I need a map,” he\xa0\nrepeated, pressing the stud again.'}, {'start': '145.360', 'end': '149.440', 'text': 'The woman’s violet eyes grew\xa0\nwarm, and she stepped closer,'}, {'start': '149.440', 'end': '153.920', 'text': 'speaking quietly in that same\xa0\nlanguage. Jaron’s translator spat out,'}, {'start': '153.920', 'end': '158.800', 'text': '“My soul trembles with your devotion.\xa0\nI am both honored and overwhelmed.”'}, {'start': '158.800', 'end': '164.560', 'text': 'His cheeks went hot. “No, no. Not\xa0\nmarriage! Map. I want directions.”'}, {'start': '164.560', 'end': '170.960', 'text': 'But the translator’s glowing lens only\xa0\nsputtered, and a new wave of nonsense emerged:'}, {'start': '170.960', 'end': '176.400', 'text': '“You…propose a lifelong bonding, sealed by the\xa0\nstar-lace of my people, never to be broken?”'}, {'start': '176.400', 'end': '182.160', 'text': 'Jaron’s heart thudded. He took a cautious step\xa0\nback and managed a helpless smile. “I really'}, {'start': '182.160', 'end': '187.360', 'text': 'just want to find the docks,” he tried again,\xa0\npantomiming a question mark with his hands.'}, {'start': '187.360', 'end': '192.960', 'text': 'The woman’s face blossomed with a gentle kind\xa0\nof joy. She reached out a hand to him, palm up.'}, {'start': '192.960', 'end': '199.040', 'text': 'He saw faint silver lines etched across her\xa0\nskin. They looked almost like living tattoos,'}, {'start': '199.040', 'end': '204.800', 'text': 'shimmering in the overhead lights. “I…uh…” He\xa0\nwasn’t sure how to extricate himself from this.'}, {'start': '204.800', 'end': '211.280', 'text': 'She spoke again, voice low, as though confiding\xa0\nsomething precious. The translator gave a final'}, {'start': '211.280', 'end': '215.680', 'text': 'flicker: “I accept…on condition\xa0\nwe speak soul-to-soul soon.”'}, {'start': '215.680', 'end': '220.480', 'text': 'Jaron stared at her, uncomprehending, and\xa0\nrealized with a spike of alarm that a few'}, {'start': '220.480', 'end': '227.120', 'text': 'bystanders were now staring too. “This is a big\xa0\nmisunderstanding,” he said. “Something’s broken.”'}, {'start': '227.120', 'end': '233.120', 'text': 'Yet the pink-haired alien didn’t seem\xa0\nupset—quite the contrary. She stepped closer,'}, {'start': '233.120', 'end': '239.680', 'text': 'pressed her palm lightly to his. The silver lines\xa0\non her hand glowed faintly. She let out a breath'}, {'start': '239.680', 'end': '245.840', 'text': 'that sounded almost relieved, as though Jaron had\xa0\nsolved some enormous puzzle by simply existing.'}, {'start': '245.840', 'end': '252.000', 'text': 'Her posture was graceful, assured. This wasn’t\xa0\na naive girl misreading signals; she was a woman'}, {'start': '252.000', 'end': '258.320', 'text': 'with her own sense of poise and self. Yet she was\xa0\nlooking at him with an unmistakable reverence.'}, {'start': '258.320', 'end': '263.520', 'text': 'He exhaled. “I have to…go,” he\xa0\nmanaged. He offered a polite half-bow,'}, {'start': '263.520', 'end': '267.520', 'text': 'then turned away from the kiosk,\xa0\ntrying to slip back into the crowd.'}, {'start': '267.520', 'end': '273.200', 'text': 'She followed at a leisurely pace, not\xa0\nchasing but not letting him vanish either.'}, {'start': '273.200', 'end': '279.760', 'text': 'Rezkin Station was a swirl of bright displays\xa0\nand overlapping announcements. Various species'}, {'start': '279.760', 'end': '286.000', 'text': 'jostled shoulder to shoulder, wings and tails\xa0\nsometimes getting in the way. Jaron felt a rush'}, {'start': '286.000', 'end': '292.800', 'text': 'of embarrassment. All he’d wanted was a starmap to\xa0\nfind the right platform for a cargo job. Instead,'}, {'start': '292.800', 'end': '296.960', 'text': 'he might have just proposed cosmic\xa0\nmatrimony to a total stranger.'}, {'start': '296.960', 'end': '301.600', 'text': 'He pressed the translator stud\xa0\nrepeatedly, flipping through its menu,'}, {'start': '301.600', 'end': '306.240', 'text': 'scanning for a language reset. The\xa0\ndisplay blinked from green to red,'}, {'start': '306.240', 'end': '311.520', 'text': 'error symbols cycling. “It’s definitely\xa0\nbusted,” he muttered. “Just my luck.”'}, {'start': '311.520', 'end': '316.720', 'text': 'He risked a glance over his shoulder. The\xa0\npink-haired woman was still there—following'}, {'start': '316.720', 'end': '321.520', 'text': 'at a respectful distance, a gentle smile\xa0\nplaying at her lips. He didn’t sense'}, {'start': '321.520', 'end': '327.760', 'text': 'aggression. If anything, her gaze carried a\xa0\nquiet curiosity, like she was drawn to him.'}, {'start': '327.760', 'end': '330.720', 'text': 'He tried once more. “Look,” he said,'}, {'start': '330.720', 'end': '335.680', 'text': 'turning around fully to face her. “I’m\xa0\nsorry for the confusion. I don’t want to—”'}, {'start': '335.680', 'end': '338.560', 'text': 'But the translator cheerfully interpreted him:'}, {'start': '338.560', 'end': '346.000', 'text': '“My devotion is yours, radiant star. Let us\xa0\nstand side by side until the cosmos ends.”'}, {'start': '346.000', 'end': '351.440', 'text': 'She inclined her head, as though flattered.\xa0\n“Gladi se’rena malori,” she murmured in her'}, {'start': '351.440', 'end': '356.560', 'text': 'own tongue. The translator hissed:\xa0\n“Then I vow to honor this promise.”'}, {'start': '356.560', 'end': '362.560', 'text': 'Jaron shook his head. “No, no vow.” But\xa0\nit was hopeless. The device fizzed out.'}, {'start': '362.560', 'end': '368.160', 'text': 'She gestured gracefully to a smaller corridor\xa0\noff the main thoroughfare. Her expression'}, {'start': '368.160', 'end': '374.640', 'text': 'carried a subtle question. Somehow, he guessed\xa0\nshe was saying: Let’s talk more quietly, yes?'}, {'start': '374.640', 'end': '380.400', 'text': 'Despite his confusion, her presence soothed\xa0\nhim. He felt a gentle warmth from her eyes,'}, {'start': '380.400', 'end': '383.760', 'text': 'not the frantic intensity of\xa0\nsomeone clinging to illusions,'}, {'start': '383.760', 'end': '388.800', 'text': 'but the wise patience of a woman who sees\xa0\ndeeper truths than words can express. Jaron'}, {'start': '388.800', 'end': '393.680', 'text': 'hesitated only a moment before letting\xa0\nher guide him away from the crowd.'}, {'start': '393.680', 'end': '399.680', 'text': 'They ended up in a quieter corner of the station,\xa0\nnear some horticultural garden pods. Overhead,'}, {'start': '399.680', 'end': '406.160', 'text': 'artificial sunlight glowed on broad leaves,\xa0\nand the air smelled faintly of sweet pollen.'}, {'start': '406.160', 'end': '412.480', 'text': 'She led him to a bench shaped like\xa0\ninterlocking vines. Jaron sat, uneasy,'}, {'start': '412.480', 'end': '416.240', 'text': 'cradling the malfunctioning\xa0\ntranslator in both hands.'}, {'start': '416.240', 'end': '422.320', 'text': 'She spoke softly, half-lidded eyes scanning his\xa0\nexpression as if wanting to read him better. He'}, {'start': '422.320', 'end': '426.960', 'text': 'tried not to be too self-conscious about the\xa0\ngray in his beard or the scar across his cheek'}, {'start': '426.960', 'end': '432.960', 'text': 'from a job that went sour a decade back. He\xa0\nwas nobody special, at least not in his mind.'}, {'start': '432.960', 'end': '437.680', 'text': 'When the translator popped out more\xa0\nnonsense about “sacred union,” he'}, {'start': '437.680', 'end': '443.600', 'text': 'grimaced and powered it off entirely.\xa0\nBetter not to keep fueling the confusion.'}, {'start': '443.600', 'end': '449.840', 'text': 'He inhaled, raised his hands, and tried some\xa0\nuniversal gestures. He pointed to himself:'}, {'start': '449.840', 'end': '452.320', 'text': '“Jaron.” Then he gestured to her.'}, {'start': '452.320', 'end': '458.800', 'text': 'A flicker of amusement crossed her face, and\xa0\nshe touched her chest. “Niurana,” she said,'}, {'start': '458.800', 'end': '464.480', 'text': 'pronouncing each syllable with melodic grace.\xa0\nShe pressed her palm to her chest again,'}, {'start': '464.480', 'end': '469.040', 'text': 'slowly, enunciating more clearly: “Ni-u-ra-na.”'}, {'start': '469.040', 'end': '474.080', 'text': 'He nodded. “Niurana,” he repeated,\xa0\ntrying not to butcher the accent.'}, {'start': '474.080', 'end': '479.360', 'text': 'She rewarded him with a brief, radiant\xa0\nsmile, a sign he’d done well enough.'}, {'start': '479.360', 'end': '485.120', 'text': 'Then he pantomimed pulling out the\xa0\ntranslator, shaking it, frowning. She nodded,'}, {'start': '485.120', 'end': '490.320', 'text': 'as though saying she knew it was broken. Her\xa0\ngaze flicked to the device with mild concern.'}, {'start': '490.320', 'end': '494.480', 'text': 'He realized she might be worried about\xa0\nhim. Perhaps from her vantage point, this'}, {'start': '494.480', 'end': '501.280', 'text': 'translator fiasco indicated he was trying—very\xa0\nclumsily—to communicate something important.'}, {'start': '501.280', 'end': '507.280', 'text': 'He exhaled slowly, letting his tension slip\xa0\naway. “I guess we can’t do this the easy way,”'}, {'start': '507.280', 'end': '513.280', 'text': 'he said to no one. But maybe body language could\xa0\nbridge the gap. He tried pointing to the corridor,'}, {'start': '513.280', 'end': '519.280', 'text': 'pantomiming a searching motion,\xa0\nhoping to convey “I need directions.”'}, {'start': '519.280', 'end': '524.640', 'text': 'She studied him, lips curving in a small\xa0\ngrin. Then, with surprising boldness,'}, {'start': '524.640', 'end': '529.200', 'text': 'she took his hand and carefully placed\xa0\nit on a small device at her belt. It'}, {'start': '529.200', 'end': '534.880', 'text': 'flared to life with a quiet chime. Moments\xa0\nlater, a thin holo-map projected in the'}, {'start': '534.880', 'end': '539.760', 'text': 'air. The station’s twisting layout\xa0\nhovered in lines of golden light.'}, {'start': '539.760', 'end': '545.280', 'text': 'Jaron blinked. “That’s…yes, a map,”\xa0\nhe breathed, relieved. “Great.”'}, {'start': '545.280', 'end': '551.040', 'text': 'She tapped a spot. He recognized the\xa0\ncode for Dock 57. She was guiding him,'}, {'start': '551.040', 'end': '556.480', 'text': 'or at least showing him a path. He exhaled\xa0\nin gratitude. With the translator offline,'}, {'start': '556.480', 'end': '560.560', 'text': 'they had no words, but her\xa0\neyes told him she understood.'}, {'start': '560.560', 'end': '566.240', 'text': 'He rose from the bench, catching a whiff of\xa0\nher subtle scent—something like night-blooming'}, {'start': '566.240', 'end': '572.960', 'text': 'flowers. She rose too, standing close, her\xa0\nposture aligned with his. He nodded thanks,'}, {'start': '572.960', 'end': '578.080', 'text': 'tried to give a small wave goodbye. But her\xa0\nexpression flickered with disappointment.'}, {'start': '578.080', 'end': '582.800', 'text': 'Her brows drew together, as if\xa0\nasking: Why are you leaving?'}, {'start': '582.800', 'end': '588.480', 'text': 'In that moment, he realized he didn’t want to\xa0\njust walk away either, translator fiasco or not.'}, {'start': '588.480', 'end': '594.400', 'text': 'There was something about her presence—quiet yet\xa0\nsure—that stirred a chord in him he hadn’t felt in'}, {'start': '594.400', 'end': '601.040', 'text': 'a long while. He might be pushing sixty, but the\xa0\nheart never truly ages if it can still be moved.'}, {'start': '601.040', 'end': '607.040', 'text': 'He gestured at the map, tapping the route to\xa0\nDock 57, then tapping his chest. “I have a'}, {'start': '607.040', 'end': '614.160', 'text': 'cargo job. I…need to…” he trailed off, painfully\xa0\naware she couldn’t catch his words. But she must'}, {'start': '614.160', 'end': '620.400', 'text': 'have gleaned some meaning from the slight slump\xa0\nof his shoulders. She nodded softly, not unkind.'}, {'start': '620.400', 'end': '627.200', 'text': 'He offered an apologetic smile. He patted his\xa0\nchest again—“Jaron”—then pointed gently at her,'}, {'start': '627.200', 'end': '630.080', 'text': 'letting his gaze ask if he might see her again.'}, {'start': '630.080', 'end': '634.640', 'text': 'Her eyes lit with a spark of\xa0\nsomething hopeful. She nodded,'}, {'start': '634.640', 'end': '639.280', 'text': 'pressing her fingertips to his wrist.\xa0\nThe silver lines on her skin glowed,'}, {'start': '639.280', 'end': '644.880', 'text': 'sending a faint shiver through him. She tapped\xa0\na small comm-like device near her collar,'}, {'start': '644.880', 'end': '649.760', 'text': 'then tapped the hollow of his own\xa0\nshirt as if to say: let me find you.'}, {'start': '649.760', 'end': '653.360', 'text': 'He tried to muster a grown\xa0\nman’s dignity when a swirl'}, {'start': '653.360', 'end': '659.600', 'text': 'of unfamiliar emotion threatened to tighten\xa0\nhis throat. “Sure,” he whispered. “Anytime.”'}, {'start': '659.600', 'end': '664.960', 'text': 'Niurana offered a smile that went\xa0\nbeyond language. Then she let go of him,'}, {'start': '664.960', 'end': '672.000', 'text': 'turning away with that same lithe grace. A moment\xa0\nlater, she glided into the corridor’s shadows,'}, {'start': '672.000', 'end': '677.920', 'text': 'disappearing into the station’s living puzzle.\xa0\nJaron stood there for several long seconds,'}, {'start': '677.920', 'end': '682.320', 'text': 'absorbing the hush left behind.\xa0\nThen he remembered the cargo job.'}, {'start': '682.320', 'end': '687.360', 'text': 'He tucked the broken translator into\xa0\nhis jacket and hurried to Dock 57.'}, {'start': '687.360', 'end': '690.880', 'text': 'It took him half an hour to\xa0\nnavigate the winding route,'}, {'start': '690.880', 'end': '695.280', 'text': 'but Niurana’s little holo-map\xa0\nwas accurate. He found the bay,'}, {'start': '695.280', 'end': '701.440', 'text': 'delivered the shipment—grain from a distant\xa0\nplanet—and got paid in station credits. Not much,'}, {'start': '701.440', 'end': '706.720', 'text': 'but enough to keep him afloat for a week or two\xa0\nwhile he waited for the next freight opportunity.'}, {'start': '706.720', 'end': '709.760', 'text': 'Along the way, he toyed with the translator,'}, {'start': '709.760', 'end': '714.080', 'text': 'trying to see if it was salvageable.\xa0\nHe was somewhat handy with gadgets,'}, {'start': '714.080', 'end': '718.480', 'text': 'but the inner workings of Omid Four’s\xa0\nknockoff tech made his head spin. If he'}, {'start': '718.480', 'end': '723.760', 'text': 'was going to fix this properly, he needed a\xa0\nreal mechanic or a new translator altogether.'}, {'start': '723.760', 'end': '730.000', 'text': 'Night cycle came to Rezkin Station.\xa0\nOverhead lights dimmed to simulate twilight,'}, {'start': '730.000', 'end': '735.760', 'text': 'though the corridors never fully slept. Jaron\xa0\nfound a small lounge near the docking ring,'}, {'start': '735.760', 'end': '741.440', 'text': 'ordered a quiet meal. He had a vantage point of\xa0\nthe starfield beyond the station’s transparent'}, {'start': '741.440', 'end': '746.240', 'text': 'hull plating. So many points of light\xa0\nout there. All that cosmic majesty,'}, {'start': '746.240', 'end': '750.960', 'text': 'and he was an aging man wandering\xa0\nthe galaxy with no real anchor.'}, {'start': '750.960', 'end': '757.600', 'text': 'He sipped a hot beverage that tasted faintly of\xa0\ncitrus and cinnamon, letting his mind drift. He'}, {'start': '757.600', 'end': '763.920', 'text': 'thought of Niurana, the luminous lines on her\xa0\nhand, the gentle intelligence in her eyes.'}, {'start': '763.920', 'end': '768.960', 'text': 'Some people said you could meet a thousand\xa0\nsouls across the stars and never feel a real'}, {'start': '768.960', 'end': '774.480', 'text': 'connection—then you meet one person, and it’s\xa0\nlike you’ve known them all your life. It had'}, {'start': '774.480', 'end': '780.720', 'text': 'been years since Jaron felt that—maybe not since\xa0\nhis wife passed, leaving him lonely and restless'}, {'start': '780.720', 'end': '787.040', 'text': 'on that backwater colony. Her memory still\xa0\nached, but it ached less sharply these days.'}, {'start': '787.040', 'end': '790.800', 'text': 'The bar was quiet. Most folks around\xa0\nhim were in their own thoughts.'}, {'start': '790.800', 'end': '796.800', 'text': 'He swirled the remains of his drink, reflecting\xa0\nthat maybe he owed Niurana a real explanation'}, {'start': '796.800', 'end': '801.840', 'text': 'of the translator mishap. But how, when\xa0\nthey couldn’t speak a single shared word?'}, {'start': '801.840', 'end': '807.520', 'text': 'A soft tap on his shoulder made him jolt. He\xa0\nturned to see Niurana standing behind him,'}, {'start': '807.520', 'end': '813.760', 'text': 'her hair catching the lounge’s soft luminescence.\xa0\nHer expression was gentle, maybe a little'}, {'start': '813.760', 'end': '821.040', 'text': 'uncertain. Seeing her again so soon made Jaron’s\xa0\nheart skip. “Niurana,” he said softly. She said'}, {'start': '821.040', 'end': '827.120', 'text': 'his name in that musical accent, “Zheh-rhon,”\xa0\nher attempt at replicating his human syllables.'}, {'start': '827.120', 'end': '831.120', 'text': 'He stood up, careful. She\xa0\ngestured to the seat beside him,'}, {'start': '831.120', 'end': '837.360', 'text': 'question in her eyes. He nodded eagerly,\xa0\nand she slid in, posture composed yet open.'}, {'start': '837.360', 'end': '843.680', 'text': 'He noticed the silver lines on her hand glowed\xa0\nsoftly. They traced over her knuckles and wrist.'}, {'start': '843.680', 'end': '848.880', 'text': 'She gave him a small handheld device—sleeker\xa0\nthan his cheap translator. Then she pointed'}, {'start': '848.880', 'end': '853.600', 'text': 'from her device to his. He realized\xa0\nshe’d brought him a potential fix.'}, {'start': '853.600', 'end': '857.920', 'text': 'Tentatively, she pressed a button on\xa0\nher device. A reedy voice spoke in'}, {'start': '857.920', 'end': '863.520', 'text': 'halting standard: “I have repaired your\xa0\ntranslator. Possibly. Will you test?”'}, {'start': '863.520', 'end': '869.600', 'text': 'Jaron blinked. So she was some sort of technician\xa0\ntoo. He nodded, rummaged in his jacket for his'}, {'start': '869.600', 'end': '875.280', 'text': 'battered translator, set it on the table. She\xa0\ntapped a series of keys on her own device,'}, {'start': '875.280', 'end': '880.640', 'text': 'then gave a small wave of her hand over\xa0\nhis sphere. The translator sputtered,'}, {'start': '880.640', 'end': '884.320', 'text': 'glowed, and then a sharper\xa0\nbeep indicated it was online.'}, {'start': '884.320', 'end': '892.000', 'text': 'He exhaled, bracing himself. “Okay,” he said,\xa0\nhoping for the best. “Niurana, can you hear me?”'}, {'start': '892.000', 'end': '897.280', 'text': 'It took a second. Then his translator\xa0\nwhispered in an odd, sing-song voice,'}, {'start': '898.000', 'end': '902.720', 'text': '“Yes…this is…functioning at partial\xa0\ncapacity… Jaron Lance, I am glad.”'}, {'start': '902.720', 'end': '907.520', 'text': 'He almost laughed at the robotic tones,\xa0\nbut Niurana’s slight flush told him she'}, {'start': '907.520', 'end': '912.480', 'text': 'was working with what she had. “Better than\xa0\nmarriage proposals,” he said in relief.'}, {'start': '912.480', 'end': '918.000', 'text': 'Her device beeped in response, translating\xa0\nhis statement. She let out a soft laugh,'}, {'start': '918.000', 'end': '923.520', 'text': 'her lips curving. “Yes, I do not believe\xa0\nyou intended to wed me at that kiosk.”'}, {'start': '923.520', 'end': '928.880', 'text': 'His shoulders relaxed. Finally, they\xa0\ncould talk, albeit with stilted,'}, {'start': '928.880', 'end': '934.240', 'text': 'halting translations. “You have no idea\xa0\nhow embarrassed I was,” he murmured.'}, {'start': '934.240', 'end': '937.760', 'text': 'She tilted her head. “But…you do not regret it?”'}, {'start': '937.760', 'end': '941.200', 'text': 'Jaron paused, carefully choosing his words. “I'}, {'start': '941.200', 'end': '945.840', 'text': 'regret the confusion. But meeting\xa0\nyou…that I don’t regret at all.”'}, {'start': '945.840', 'end': '951.040', 'text': 'Her luminous eyes reflected the\xa0\nfaint station light. “In my culture,'}, {'start': '951.040', 'end': '956.320', 'text': 'such words of devotion must never be\xa0\nspoken lightly. Even by accident.”'}, {'start': '956.320', 'end': '960.480', 'text': '“I’m sorry,” he said, voice low.\xa0\n“I truly meant to say I needed'}, {'start': '960.480', 'end': '966.240', 'text': 'directions. The translator twisted it into\xa0\nproposals. I know that must have seemed—”'}, {'start': '966.240', 'end': '971.440', 'text': 'Her hand came up, graceful. “It is\xa0\nforgiven,” she said, measured. “We'}, {'start': '971.440', 'end': '977.440', 'text': 'can blame the broken device. Yet a part of\xa0\nme wonders…why did destiny lead you to me?”'}, {'start': '977.440', 'end': '983.440', 'text': 'He felt the weight of her question. She had an\xa0\nair of someone who believed in cosmic alignments,'}, {'start': '983.440', 'end': '989.680', 'text': 'that certain encounters carried significance. In\xa0\nan older time of his life, he might have scoffed.'}, {'start': '989.680', 'end': '995.120', 'text': 'But he’d seen too much out here to doubt that\xa0\nsometimes the universe conspired in strange ways.'}, {'start': '995.120', 'end': '1001.600', 'text': 'He let a silence pass, letting the question\xa0\nresonate. “Niurana,” he said gently, “I’m just'}, {'start': '1001.600', 'end': '1008.160', 'text': 'an old freighter pilot. Maybe the universe decided\xa0\nI needed something more than shipping crates.”'}, {'start': '1008.160', 'end': '1012.800', 'text': 'She studied him, some unreadable\xa0\nemotion flickering in her gaze.'}, {'start': '1012.800', 'end': '1018.080', 'text': '“I am no child. I do not see illusions in\xa0\nrandom chance. But I do sense you carry a'}, {'start': '1018.080', 'end': '1023.360', 'text': 'quiet longing. I heard it in your voice,\xa0\neven when the words were mistranslated.”'}, {'start': '1023.360', 'end': '1027.760', 'text': 'Jaron’s throat constricted. She\xa0\nwasn’t wrong. “I’ve been drifting,”'}, {'start': '1027.760', 'end': '1032.480', 'text': 'he admitted at last. “Working odd\xa0\ncargo runs, station to station.'}, {'start': '1032.480', 'end': '1037.280', 'text': 'No real ties. But I’m not sure I’m\xa0\nready to tie myself to anything again.”'}, {'start': '1037.280', 'end': '1042.080', 'text': 'Her translator device took a moment\xa0\nto relay that, and Niurana listened,'}, {'start': '1042.080', 'end': '1047.840', 'text': 'eyes closed as though she were tasting each\xa0\nsyllable. When her lashes lifted, he saw'}, {'start': '1047.840', 'end': '1054.480', 'text': 'understanding there. “I am not a naive girl,” she\xa0\nrepeated softly. “I simply remain open to what the'}, {'start': '1054.480', 'end': '1060.800', 'text': 'galaxy brings. If you wish to remain free, I will\xa0\nnot bind you. But might we share at least a meal?”'}, {'start': '1060.800', 'end': '1065.280', 'text': 'He felt a slow smile tug at\xa0\nhis face. A meal. That seemed'}, {'start': '1065.280', 'end': '1068.800', 'text': 'perfectly right. “Sure,” he agreed. “Let’s eat.”'}, {'start': '1068.800', 'end': '1073.840', 'text': 'They rose from the lounge, and she guided him\xa0\nthrough winding corridors to a section of the'}, {'start': '1073.840', 'end': '1079.280', 'text': 'station he hadn’t seen. The translator on his\xa0\nbelt occasionally spat out partial phrases:'}, {'start': '1079.280', 'end': '1084.800', 'text': '“This sector…my people have a\xa0\nsmall outpost…cuisine specialized…”'}, {'start': '1084.800', 'end': '1090.080', 'text': 'When they arrived, Jaron almost forgot\xa0\nto breathe. The outpost was a calm,'}, {'start': '1090.080', 'end': '1096.080', 'text': 'low-lit area with deep purple tiles underfoot\xa0\nand arching glass overhead. Various pink-haired'}, {'start': '1096.080', 'end': '1101.280', 'text': 'or similarly styled aliens walked\xa0\nabout, some in pairs, some alone,'}, {'start': '1101.280', 'end': '1106.880', 'text': 'their silver-laced skin glinting faintly.\xa0\nDelicate textiles hung from the walls,'}, {'start': '1106.880', 'end': '1113.200', 'text': 'and as they walked by, Jaron realized these\xa0\npatterns told stories—cosmic hunts, swirling'}, {'start': '1113.200', 'end': '1119.360', 'text': 'starfields. Niurana paused before a dark doorway\xa0\nthat slid open with a hush of fragrant air.'}, {'start': '1119.360', 'end': '1126.480', 'text': 'Inside, the aroma of spiced broth and baked roots\xa0\noverwhelmed him. A small dining area with sleek,'}, {'start': '1126.480', 'end': '1131.600', 'text': 'curving chairs beckoned them to sit. Niurana\xa0\nspoke softly to another woman with the same'}, {'start': '1131.600', 'end': '1137.760', 'text': 'luminous lines across her arms. Jaron caught\xa0\nmaybe one word in ten through the translator,'}, {'start': '1137.760', 'end': '1142.960', 'text': 'enough to glean that Niurana was introducing\xa0\nhim as a friend she’d brought for a meal.'}, {'start': '1142.960', 'end': '1148.400', 'text': 'He noticed the older woman behind the\xa0\ncounter gazing at him with quiet curiosity,'}, {'start': '1148.400', 'end': '1154.080', 'text': 'then smiling with surprising warmth. Jaron\xa0\nsat down with Niurana at a table carved from'}, {'start': '1154.080', 'end': '1160.320', 'text': 'a single piece of shimmering stone. Music\xa0\ndrifted from some hidden speaker, a low,'}, {'start': '1160.320', 'end': '1163.280', 'text': 'meditative melody that seeped into his bones.'}, {'start': '1163.280', 'end': '1166.960', 'text': 'His translator whirred.\xa0\nNiurana’s voice came through:'}, {'start': '1166.960', 'end': '1171.440', 'text': '“This place is run by my aunt. We\xa0\ndo not get many offworlders here.”'}, {'start': '1171.440', 'end': '1175.360', 'text': 'He nodded. “I can see that.\xa0\nI hope I’m not intruding.”'}, {'start': '1175.360', 'end': '1178.800', 'text': 'She gave him a gentle\xa0\nhalf-smile. “You are welcomed.”'}, {'start': '1178.800', 'end': '1183.200', 'text': 'A few minutes later, her aunt placed\xa0\na wide ceramic bowl in front of him,'}, {'start': '1183.200', 'end': '1188.480', 'text': 'brimming with a thick golden stew.\xa0\nSteam rose in lazy spirals, scented'}, {'start': '1188.480', 'end': '1194.000', 'text': 'with something tangy and sweet. Niurana\xa0\ngestured to a small pot of dried flakes,'}, {'start': '1194.000', 'end': '1199.440', 'text': 'purple in color. “Spice,” she said\xa0\nsimply, letting the translator confirm.'}, {'start': '1199.440', 'end': '1204.720', 'text': 'He sprinkled a little in, stirred, then\xa0\ntook a cautious taste. A rush of flavors'}, {'start': '1204.720', 'end': '1211.360', 'text': 'lit up his tongue—some savory, some bright\xa0\nand floral. The warmth settled in his chest'}, {'start': '1211.360', 'end': '1217.200', 'text': 'like a comforting memory. He exhaled\xa0\nin quiet delight. “This is…incredible.”'}, {'start': '1217.200', 'end': '1223.360', 'text': 'Niurana seemed pleased, though her expression\xa0\nwas serious in a contemplative way. “My people'}, {'start': '1223.360', 'end': '1228.480', 'text': 'believe flavors reveal truths,” she\xa0\nsaid softly through the translator.'}, {'start': '1228.480', 'end': '1231.760', 'text': '“We do not just feed the body, but the spirit.”'}, {'start': '1231.760', 'end': '1236.480', 'text': 'He mulled that over. “I can feel that,”\xa0\nhe admitted. He took another sip,'}, {'start': '1236.480', 'end': '1241.520', 'text': 'letting the spiciness bloom. Something\xa0\nabout it felt…restorative. Or perhaps'}, {'start': '1241.520', 'end': '1246.240', 'text': 'that was just the novelty of eating\xa0\nreal food with an intriguing companion.'}, {'start': '1246.240', 'end': '1252.000', 'text': 'They talked—halting, slow, carefully. The\xa0\ntranslator was passable, but sometimes'}, {'start': '1252.000', 'end': '1257.360', 'text': 'she’d say something the device wouldn’t parse,\xa0\nand she’d switch to gestures or simply gaze at'}, {'start': '1257.360', 'end': '1262.560', 'text': 'him until he caught the drift. He found\xa0\nit oddly refreshing not to rely on words.'}, {'start': '1262.560', 'end': '1267.760', 'text': 'Bit by bit, he learned that Niurana was an\xa0\nexplorer and a practitioner of something'}, {'start': '1267.760', 'end': '1272.800', 'text': 'that sounded like “soul-mapping,” an art\xa0\nthat combined technology and meditation'}, {'start': '1272.800', 'end': '1277.840', 'text': 'to navigate cosmic energies. She’d\xa0\ncome to Rezkin Station for research,'}, {'start': '1277.840', 'end': '1283.680', 'text': 'to study certain star patterns that only appeared\xa0\nnear this sector. That explained her wise,'}, {'start': '1283.680', 'end': '1290.480', 'text': 'calm presence. She’d seen things in the deeper\xa0\ncurrents of space that few humans dared dream of.'}, {'start': '1290.480', 'end': '1295.760', 'text': 'In return, he told her about his cargo\xa0\nruns, the places he’d visited, the homes'}, {'start': '1295.760', 'end': '1301.440', 'text': 'he’d lost. She listened with compassion,\xa0\noccasionally resting her hand near his on'}, {'start': '1301.440', 'end': '1307.680', 'text': 'the table. Her silver lines shone faintly\xa0\nwhenever she felt his earnestness or pain.'}, {'start': '1307.680', 'end': '1313.600', 'text': 'After dinner, Niurana guided him to a small\xa0\nbalcony area. The station’s outer hull was'}, {'start': '1313.600', 'end': '1319.280', 'text': 'replaced with transparent plating here,\xa0\noffering a sweeping view of the stars. She'}, {'start': '1319.280', 'end': '1325.120', 'text': 'and Jaron leaned on the railing side by side.\xa0\nHe savored the closeness, the sense that even'}, {'start': '1325.120', 'end': '1330.720', 'text': 'if they didn’t share a language natively,\xa0\nthey shared this moment in perfect clarity.'}, {'start': '1330.720', 'end': '1335.440', 'text': 'A thoughtful hush stretched between\xa0\nthem. Then Niurana lifted her hand,'}, {'start': '1335.440', 'end': '1340.400', 'text': 'traced something in the air. The silver\xa0\nlines across her skin glowed softly,'}, {'start': '1340.400', 'end': '1346.000', 'text': 'and tiny motes of light gathered at her\xa0\nfingertips. She shaped them into a small,'}, {'start': '1346.000', 'end': '1352.880', 'text': 'glowing form. It resembled two circles\xa0\noverlapping, each ring dancing within the other.'}, {'start': '1352.880', 'end': '1357.840', 'text': 'He inhaled slowly. The translator\xa0\nclicked on with a low hiss.'}, {'start': '1357.840', 'end': '1365.120', 'text': '“This is a sigil,” Niurana murmured. “To share\xa0\npresence, two hearts meeting in cosmic harmony.”'}, {'start': '1365.120', 'end': '1368.320', 'text': 'Jaron felt an ache in his\xa0\nchest that was half wonder,'}, {'start': '1368.320', 'end': '1372.480', 'text': 'half longing. He quietly said, “It’s beautiful.”'}, {'start': '1372.480', 'end': '1377.040', 'text': 'She turned her head. Her gaze held\xa0\na note of question, as if to say:'}, {'start': '1377.040', 'end': '1381.760', 'text': 'Do you wish this with me? Something\xa0\ndeeper than a fleeting flirtation?'}, {'start': '1381.760', 'end': '1386.080', 'text': 'He was silent for a moment, thinking\xa0\nof the translator fiasco. How those'}, {'start': '1386.080', 'end': '1390.560', 'text': 'mistaken proposals had led him here.\xa0\nPerhaps there was a deeper rhythm,'}, {'start': '1390.560', 'end': '1395.840', 'text': 'a greater design. He inhaled. “It might\xa0\nbe too soon for me to fully understand'}, {'start': '1395.840', 'end': '1400.000', 'text': 'your ways,” he admitted. “But I know I\xa0\nwant to see more of you, to learn…us.”'}, {'start': '1401.040', 'end': '1406.640', 'text': 'Her lips curved into a luminous smile.\xa0\n“Then we let time shape what words cannot,”'}, {'start': '1406.640', 'end': '1411.600', 'text': 'she said gently, each syllable echoing\xa0\nin the translator with a slight delay.'}, {'start': '1411.600', 'end': '1416.800', 'text': 'They stood a while longer, watching the\xa0\ninfinite tapestry of stars. Jaron had'}, {'start': '1416.800', 'end': '1422.400', 'text': 'weathered many storms in life, lost close\xa0\nones, made mistakes. But something about'}, {'start': '1422.400', 'end': '1428.880', 'text': 'Niurana’s presence reminded him that no matter\xa0\nhow old he was, his heart could still feel new.'}, {'start': '1428.880', 'end': '1432.880', 'text': 'In the days that followed,\xa0\nJaron continued his cargo runs,'}, {'start': '1432.880', 'end': '1438.640', 'text': 'but each evening he found himself returning\xa0\nto that hidden outpost of her people. Niurana'}, {'start': '1438.640', 'end': '1444.960', 'text': 'introduced him to small daily rituals—mindful\xa0\nbreathing, sipping certain blends of spiced tea'}, {'start': '1444.960', 'end': '1450.080', 'text': 'that left him feeling weightless inside.\xa0\nSometimes they simply walked in silence,'}, {'start': '1450.080', 'end': '1455.360', 'text': 'letting the translator rest. She showed him how\xa0\nto read the subtle changes in station gravity'}, {'start': '1455.360', 'end': '1460.960', 'text': 'fields or the shifts of cosmic radiation\xa0\nthat only her people normally perceived.'}, {'start': '1460.960', 'end': '1465.760', 'text': 'One night, after the station’s corridor\xa0\nlights dimmed to simulate midnight,'}, {'start': '1465.760', 'end': '1470.400', 'text': 'Niurana gestured that she wanted him\xa0\nto see something. Curiosity piqued,'}, {'start': '1470.400', 'end': '1477.120', 'text': 'he followed her to a sealed hatch marked with\xa0\nodd runes. She pressed her palm to a sensor,'}, {'start': '1477.120', 'end': '1482.960', 'text': 'and the door opened to reveal a dim chamber\xa0\nthat smelled of incense and minerals.'}, {'start': '1482.960', 'end': '1485.840', 'text': 'Inside were half a dozen of Niurana’s kin,'}, {'start': '1485.840', 'end': '1492.480', 'text': 'each with silver-laced arms, sitting in a quiet\xa0\ncircle. Crystals glowed faintly around them,'}, {'start': '1492.480', 'end': '1498.000', 'text': 'and the humming vibration in the air felt\xa0\nlike distant thunder. One of the elders,'}, {'start': '1498.000', 'end': '1503.680', 'text': 'a woman with shimmering lines that ran the\xa0\nlength of her face, beckoned them closer.'}, {'start': '1503.680', 'end': '1506.800', 'text': 'Jaron’s translator sputtered, picking up traces:'}, {'start': '1506.800', 'end': '1511.840', 'text': '“You have brought the offworlder. He\xa0\nis welcome, if his heart is open.”'}, {'start': '1511.840', 'end': '1518.240', 'text': 'Niurana turned to him, eyes tender. He\xa0\nhesitated—he wasn’t exactly a man who joined'}, {'start': '1518.240', 'end': '1524.320', 'text': 'spiritual circles lightly. Yet the sincerity\xa0\nin Niurana’s gaze made him step forward.'}, {'start': '1524.320', 'end': '1530.960', 'text': 'They showed him a place to sit, and Niurana guided\xa0\nhim gently by the shoulder, her touch reassuring.'}, {'start': '1530.960', 'end': '1537.440', 'text': 'The circle was warm with the presence of living\xa0\nsouls. She motioned for him to rest his hands,'}, {'start': '1537.440', 'end': '1544.720', 'text': 'palms up, on his knees. Then, softly, she\xa0\nbegan to chant, joined by the others. The'}, {'start': '1544.720', 'end': '1550.880', 'text': 'translator mostly fell silent. Some words had\xa0\nno direct equivalents in galactic standard.'}, {'start': '1550.880', 'end': '1555.680', 'text': 'At first, Jaron felt a flicker of\xa0\nself-consciousness. Then a wave of'}, {'start': '1555.680', 'end': '1560.240', 'text': 'strange calm overcame him. Their\xa0\nchanting resonated in his chest,'}, {'start': '1560.240', 'end': '1566.720', 'text': 'like an ancient lullaby. He closed his eyes.\xa0\nA memory came unbidden of the porch back home,'}, {'start': '1566.720', 'end': '1573.280', 'text': 'his late wife holding a mug of tea under a\xa0\nswirling sunset. Instead of pain, it brought a'}, {'start': '1573.280', 'end': '1579.600', 'text': 'gentle peace, as though he was finally able to\xa0\nsay goodbye with gratitude instead of regret.'}, {'start': '1579.600', 'end': '1583.440', 'text': 'Something in his heart loosened.\xa0\nMaybe it was the synergy of voices,'}, {'start': '1583.440', 'end': '1589.120', 'text': 'or Niurana’s hand resting lightly on his\xa0\nforearm. He felt tears slip down his face,'}, {'start': '1589.120', 'end': '1595.280', 'text': 'silently, and he didn’t fight them. The\xa0\ncircle’s chant rose and fell, a living wave.'}, {'start': '1595.280', 'end': '1599.920', 'text': 'He didn’t know how long he sat there, but\xa0\nwhen it ended, the tension in his body'}, {'start': '1599.920', 'end': '1605.760', 'text': 'had melted away. Niurana’s eyes shone with\xa0\nempathy. She brushed a tear from his cheek,'}, {'start': '1605.760', 'end': '1609.520', 'text': 'her expression conveying a deep\xa0\nsense of respect for his journey.'}, {'start': '1609.520', 'end': '1615.040', 'text': 'That night, he walked back to his sleeping\xa0\nquarters with a profound lightness in his chest.'}, {'start': '1615.040', 'end': '1620.880', 'text': 'The next morning, he found Niurana waiting for him\xa0\nat his berth. She’d brought some fruit from her'}, {'start': '1620.880', 'end': '1627.360', 'text': 'outpost, along with a message on her device: “Will\xa0\nyou come with me to see the star-lace phenomenon?”'}, {'start': '1627.360', 'end': '1631.520', 'text': 'He was about to ask what that meant when\xa0\nthe station’s overhead PA announced that'}, {'start': '1631.520', 'end': '1637.600', 'text': 'ships heading out to the star-lace region needed\xa0\nspecial clearance. “I don’t have a ship,” he said,'}, {'start': '1637.600', 'end': '1641.840', 'text': 'half apologetic. His own vessel\xa0\nwas a junky old rig that could'}, {'start': '1641.840', 'end': '1646.800', 'text': 'barely handle short cargo jumps,\xa0\nlet alone exotic spatial phenomena.'}, {'start': '1646.800', 'end': '1651.920', 'text': 'Niurana smiled. “I have one.\xa0\nYou can co-pilot, if you dare.”'}, {'start': '1651.920', 'end': '1655.760', 'text': 'He eyed her uncertainly. He\xa0\nwas no stranger to star travel,'}, {'start': '1655.760', 'end': '1660.960', 'text': 'but whatever star-lace phenomenon her people\xa0\nrevered might be beyond his comfort zone.'}, {'start': '1660.960', 'end': '1665.600', 'text': 'Yet something told him if he backed\xa0\naway now, he’d never forgive himself.'}, {'start': '1665.600', 'end': '1667.680', 'text': '“Let’s do it,” he said softly.'}, {'start': '1667.680', 'end': '1672.080', 'text': 'Her ship was small but elegant, curved\xa0\nlines of polished metallic bone,'}, {'start': '1672.080', 'end': '1678.320', 'text': 'etched with swirling runes. She called it The\xa0\nAramene. The cockpit seated two. Once inside,'}, {'start': '1678.320', 'end': '1684.320', 'text': 'Niurana’s fingers danced across control surfaces\xa0\nthat seemed half-living. The translator hissed:'}, {'start': '1684.320', 'end': '1688.480', 'text': '“You will monitor the sublight\xa0\nthrusters. The rest I handle.”'}, {'start': '1688.480', 'end': '1694.320', 'text': '“Got it.” Jaron settled in, strapping himself\xa0\nto the co-pilot’s station. As she powered up'}, {'start': '1694.320', 'end': '1700.640', 'text': 'the drive, the vessel’s interior lights dimmed\xa0\nto a pleasant glow. He noticed her watch him out'}, {'start': '1700.640', 'end': '1706.560', 'text': 'of the corner of her eye, as though gauging how\xa0\nhe adjusted to the subtle hum of the engines.'}, {'start': '1706.560', 'end': '1712.640', 'text': 'Aramene slipped away from Rezkin Station,\xa0\nweaving past the usual swarm of cargo freighters,'}, {'start': '1712.640', 'end': '1718.080', 'text': 'then made a graceful jump into FTL. The\xa0\nstars stretched into luminous threads'}, {'start': '1718.080', 'end': '1724.160', 'text': 'across the canopy. Jaron’s breath caught\xa0\nat the sight. For all his years traveling,'}, {'start': '1724.160', 'end': '1726.880', 'text': 'the wonder of a jump never failed to tug at him.'}, {'start': '1726.880', 'end': '1732.480', 'text': 'Niurana guided them along a route that turned\xa0\nthe starfield into a swirling tapestry.'}, {'start': '1732.480', 'end': '1737.600', 'text': 'He caught glimpses of cosmic dust clouds\xa0\nin distant arcs. The translator clipped'}, {'start': '1737.600', 'end': '1743.200', 'text': 'out occasional instructions: “Hold steady…\xa0\nshift two degrees… trust the currents…”'}, {'start': '1743.200', 'end': '1748.480', 'text': 'They eventually emerged from FTL into\xa0\na region that was breathtaking in its'}, {'start': '1748.480', 'end': '1755.520', 'text': 'stillness. Starlight draped everything in a faint\xa0\nlavender hue. “This is the outer rim of the Taran'}, {'start': '1755.520', 'end': '1762.480', 'text': 'Nebula,” Niurana explained. “The star-lace\xa0\noccurs deeper inside. One must move gently.”'}, {'start': '1762.480', 'end': '1768.000', 'text': 'She guided the ship into the nebula’s haze.\xa0\nRainbow swirls of gas parted around them,'}, {'start': '1768.000', 'end': '1773.280', 'text': 'and static sparks danced on the hull.\xa0\nJaron felt a deep hush in his spirit.'}, {'start': '1773.280', 'end': '1778.320', 'text': 'He saw Niurana’s posture change too, as\xa0\nthough she were stepping onto sacred ground.'}, {'start': '1778.320', 'end': '1784.000', 'text': 'Suddenly, ghostly tendrils of luminous matter\xa0\nbegan to weave around the vessel, as if attracted'}, {'start': '1784.000', 'end': '1789.600', 'text': 'by Niurana’s presence. He recognized why they\xa0\ncalled it star-lace: delicate threads of plasmic'}, {'start': '1789.600', 'end': '1794.640', 'text': 'light drifting in cosmic patterns, forming\xa0\nephemeral tapestry-like shapes around them.'}, {'start': '1794.640', 'end': '1799.280', 'text': 'He let out a shaky exhale.\xa0\n“This is… I don’t have words.”'}, {'start': '1799.280', 'end': '1804.400', 'text': 'Niurana smiled. “It’s rare to bring an\xa0\noutsider this far. These lace strands are'}, {'start': '1804.400', 'end': '1812.320', 'text': 'alive in ways we barely understand. They respond\xa0\nto consciousness—especially deeper resonance.”'}, {'start': '1812.320', 'end': '1818.160', 'text': 'She pointed forward, where a large cluster of\xa0\nstar-lace formed a glowing swirl. She eased'}, {'start': '1818.160', 'end': '1824.160', 'text': 'the controls, drifting closer. The threads\xa0\nof living light turned a soft rose color,'}, {'start': '1824.160', 'end': '1830.400', 'text': 'shimmering in the darkness. “They sense us,”\xa0\nNiurana whispered. “They sense you, Jaron.”'}, {'start': '1830.400', 'end': '1833.120', 'text': 'He felt an inexplicable pull in his chest,'}, {'start': '1833.120', 'end': '1837.600', 'text': 'like an invisible hand urging\xa0\nhim to reach out. “What do I do?”'}, {'start': '1837.600', 'end': '1843.680', 'text': 'She unbuckled and floated from her seat. In\xa0\nthe zero-g hush, she gently took his hand,'}, {'start': '1843.680', 'end': '1849.760', 'text': 'guiding him to a small airlock at the back. His\xa0\nheart sped. “We’re going out there?” he asked.'}, {'start': '1849.760', 'end': '1854.160', 'text': 'Her voice came softly via the\xa0\ntranslator: “Only if you trust me.”'}, {'start': '1854.160', 'end': '1860.480', 'text': 'He did. With surprising clarity, he realized\xa0\nhe trusted this woman with more than just'}, {'start': '1860.480', 'end': '1865.840', 'text': 'his life. She pressed a device into his\xa0\nhand—some sort of specialized breathing'}, {'start': '1865.840', 'end': '1871.040', 'text': 'apparatus. Then she initiated a partial\xa0\natmospheric containment field around the'}, {'start': '1871.040', 'end': '1875.600', 'text': 'airlock. A hush and a slight pressure\xa0\nshift told him the door had opened.'}, {'start': '1875.600', 'end': '1880.240', 'text': 'Weightless, they drifted out onto a\xa0\nsmall external platform. The surrounding'}, {'start': '1880.240', 'end': '1885.600', 'text': 'nebula glowed. Threads of star-lace\xa0\ncoiled lazily, swirling around them'}, {'start': '1885.600', 'end': '1890.240', 'text': 'at a distance. Niurana gazed at him,\xa0\nthe silver lines on her arms bright.'}, {'start': '1890.240', 'end': '1896.400', 'text': 'He tried to speak, but words caught in his throat.\xa0\nThe translator was off now, replaced by the silent'}, {'start': '1896.400', 'end': '1903.120', 'text': 'hush of vacuum. Instead, Niurana lifted her palm,\xa0\ninviting him to do the same. He pressed his hand'}, {'start': '1903.120', 'end': '1909.680', 'text': 'to hers, mindful of the flexible gloves built\xa0\ninto the apparatus. The tips of their fingers met.'}, {'start': '1909.680', 'end': '1913.840', 'text': 'As if on cue, the star-lace began drifting closer,'}, {'start': '1913.840', 'end': '1919.120', 'text': 'weaving gently around them. The luminous\xa0\nfilaments formed shapes reminiscent of'}, {'start': '1919.120', 'end': '1924.800', 'text': 'the swirling sigil Niurana had shown him\xa0\non the station. Jaron stared in awe. The'}, {'start': '1924.800', 'end': '1929.920', 'text': 'lines of cosmic light seemed to respond to\xa0\nthe shared warmth between him and Niurana.'}, {'start': '1929.920', 'end': '1935.360', 'text': 'Slowly, she lifted her other hand, traced\xa0\na symbol in the air. The threads echoed'}, {'start': '1935.360', 'end': '1940.320', 'text': 'her movements, lighting up in waves of\xa0\npink and gold. Jaron realized she was'}, {'start': '1940.320', 'end': '1944.720', 'text': 'guiding them with her own energy, which\xa0\napparently resonated with the star-lace.'}, {'start': '1944.720', 'end': '1950.560', 'text': 'He attempted a small movement, raising his\xa0\narm in a cautious spiral. To his amazement,'}, {'start': '1950.560', 'end': '1956.800', 'text': 'a curl of star-lace followed his gesture,\xa0\nforming a luminescent swirl. He felt a flutter'}, {'start': '1956.800', 'end': '1963.040', 'text': 'in his chest. He wasn’t just a passenger in the\xa0\ncosmos; something here recognized his presence.'}, {'start': '1963.040', 'end': '1968.480', 'text': 'Niurana’s eyes were gentle. She inclined her\xa0\nhead, as though in gratitude. They floated'}, {'start': '1968.480', 'end': '1974.400', 'text': 'together in a kind of dance, letting the living\xa0\nfilaments approach them in mesmerizing patterns.'}, {'start': '1974.400', 'end': '1981.120', 'text': 'He’d never been a man for big, flashy gestures,\xa0\nbut in that silent cosmic ballet, Jaron Lance'}, {'start': '1981.120', 'end': '1987.600', 'text': 'found himself opening to a deeper dimension\xa0\nof life—one where every motion could be a vow,'}, {'start': '1987.600', 'end': '1994.000', 'text': 'every breath a prayer. He glanced at Niurana.\xa0\nHer gaze glowed with acceptance, with a quiet'}, {'start': '1994.000', 'end': '2000.320', 'text': 'fervor that said she saw him fully, not as a\xa0\nrandom traveler but a soul with his own gravity.'}, {'start': '2000.320', 'end': '2005.600', 'text': 'In that luminous hush, he realized he wanted\xa0\nto speak the words that fate had bungled at'}, {'start': '2005.600', 'end': '2010.640', 'text': 'the kiosk, but speak them truly, with\xa0\nintention. Even if her translator had'}, {'start': '2010.640', 'end': '2015.760', 'text': 'turned them into comedic proposals before,\xa0\nmaybe the heart behind them was real.'}, {'start': '2015.760', 'end': '2021.280', 'text': 'He put a hand to his chest, looked at\xa0\nNiurana, let his gaze speak the rest:'}, {'start': '2021.280', 'end': '2027.120', 'text': 'I want to know you, to share something\xa0\ngenuine. She smiled, her eyes glistening'}, {'start': '2027.120', 'end': '2032.800', 'text': 'with unshed emotion. The star-lace\xa0\ncurled around them like cosmic blessings.'}, {'start': '2032.800', 'end': '2036.000', 'text': 'At length, she pressed a\xa0\nsmall switch on her wrist,'}, {'start': '2036.000', 'end': '2041.840', 'text': 'and a gentle tug signaled them back into the\xa0\nairlock. The filaments hovered at the threshold,'}, {'start': '2041.840', 'end': '2047.760', 'text': 'as though regretful they couldn’t follow.\xa0\nThe hatch sealed. Artificial gravity kicked'}, {'start': '2047.760', 'end': '2053.840', 'text': 'in with a mild thump. They removed the breathing\xa0\napparatus and stepped back into the ship’s cabin.'}, {'start': '2053.840', 'end': '2059.920', 'text': '“This,” Niurana said, voice trembling\xa0\nslightly through the device she reactivated,'}, {'start': '2059.920', 'end': '2064.000', 'text': '“this is what my people revere.\xa0\nThe star-lace responds to souls'}, {'start': '2064.000', 'end': '2069.280', 'text': 'that reach with honesty. I had never\xa0\nseen it glow quite that color before.”'}, {'start': '2069.280', 'end': '2072.960', 'text': 'He didn’t know what to say,\xa0\nso he simply held her gaze,'}, {'start': '2072.960', 'end': '2079.920', 'text': 'letting her see the depth of his gratitude—and,\xa0\nyes, the stirring of love. If she would have it.'}, {'start': '2079.920', 'end': '2086.160', 'text': 'They returned to Rezkin Station hours later,\xa0\nand by then, the bond between them was tangible'}, {'start': '2086.160', 'end': '2092.320', 'text': 'enough that words felt almost unnecessary. She\xa0\ninvited him back to her outpost, and he stayed'}, {'start': '2092.320', 'end': '2097.760', 'text': 'in a guest chamber, sleeping deeper than he\xa0\nhad in years. In the morning, they shared a'}, {'start': '2097.760', 'end': '2104.000', 'text': 'quiet meal. She taught him how to brew a delicate\xa0\ntea from local leaves, each step requiring slow,'}, {'start': '2104.000', 'end': '2109.920', 'text': 'deliberate care. The taste lingered on his\xa0\ntongue, reminiscent of the star-lace swirl.'}, {'start': '2109.920', 'end': '2116.080', 'text': 'And so the days slipped by, each one a\xa0\nsoft tapestry of small discoveries. Jaron'}, {'start': '2116.080', 'end': '2121.840', 'text': 'found himself accepting fewer cargo runs,\xa0\nchoosing instead to be near Niurana. She,'}, {'start': '2121.840', 'end': '2127.120', 'text': 'too, seemed to reorganize her schedule to\xa0\nspend more time with him—showing him new'}, {'start': '2127.120', 'end': '2131.600', 'text': 'corners of the station, introducing him to\xa0\nfriends who teased her about her “offworld'}, {'start': '2131.600', 'end': '2137.280', 'text': 'suitor,” all in good humor. He realized she\xa0\nhad a place of respect among her people,'}, {'start': '2137.280', 'end': '2142.480', 'text': 'not from birthright or inheritance, but\xa0\nfrom the quiet strength of her spirit.'}, {'start': '2142.480', 'end': '2147.600', 'text': 'One evening, the station’s official announcements\xa0\nblared about a wave of travelers coming in,'}, {'start': '2147.600', 'end': '2154.800', 'text': 'seeking cargo or passage. Jaron felt a faint\xa0\nflicker of his old restlessness. Part of him'}, {'start': '2154.800', 'end': '2160.560', 'text': 'thought maybe it was time to move on—perhaps he’d\xa0\nlingered too long. But when he looked at Niurana,'}, {'start': '2160.560', 'end': '2164.480', 'text': 'that flicker softened. He realized\xa0\nthat for the first time in a decade,'}, {'start': '2164.480', 'end': '2167.040', 'text': 'he wasn’t lonely. There was purpose here.'}, {'start': '2167.040', 'end': '2172.720', 'text': 'Yet he couldn’t ignore the subtle question in\xa0\nhis mind: Did Niurana truly want him to stay?'}, {'start': '2172.720', 'end': '2177.360', 'text': 'Or was she just being gracious? These\xa0\nwere uncharted waters for them both.'}, {'start': '2177.360', 'end': '2182.560', 'text': 'That night, after a quiet dinner, she led him\xa0\nto the same bench in the horticultural garden'}, {'start': '2182.560', 'end': '2188.320', 'text': 'pods where they’d first tried to communicate. The\xa0\ntranslator was mostly fixed now—stable enough for'}, {'start': '2188.320', 'end': '2193.760', 'text': 'them to talk, though they often ended up turning\xa0\nit off, letting their closeness speak volumes.'}, {'start': '2193.760', 'end': '2198.880', 'text': 'She held out a small ring of woven silver\xa0\nfilaments. He recognized the metal from'}, {'start': '2198.880', 'end': '2203.920', 'text': 'her people’s stylized belts. The ring\xa0\ncaught the light with an iridescent sheen.'}, {'start': '2203.920', 'end': '2209.520', 'text': '“In my culture,” Niurana said slowly,\xa0\nletting the translator shape each phrase,'}, {'start': '2209.520', 'end': '2214.640', 'text': '“this can signify many things. It is\xa0\nnot quite the vow your device once'}, {'start': '2214.640', 'end': '2218.000', 'text': 'claimed you offered me, but it is an invitation.”'}, {'start': '2218.000', 'end': '2222.440', 'text': 'He studied the ring in her palm,\xa0\nchest tight. “Invitation to…?”'}, {'start': '2222.440', 'end': '2226.000', 'text': '“To stand as companions—maybe not forever,'}, {'start': '2226.000', 'end': '2232.080', 'text': 'but for the path ahead.” Her voice trembled\xa0\nslightly. “We do not bind souls rashly. But'}, {'start': '2232.080', 'end': '2236.320', 'text': 'we do offer a reflection of what we\xa0\nfeel here.” She touched her heart.'}, {'start': '2236.320', 'end': '2240.000', 'text': 'Jaron swallowed, nodding. He took the ring gently,'}, {'start': '2240.000', 'end': '2243.920', 'text': 'turning it in his fingers.\xa0\n“This is no small gesture.”'}, {'start': '2243.920', 'end': '2249.280', 'text': 'She pressed her hand over his, ensuring\xa0\nthe ring warmed to his skin. “We are not'}, {'start': '2249.280', 'end': '2253.680', 'text': 'children,” she repeated softly.\xa0\n“This is real. I want to find out'}, {'start': '2253.680', 'end': '2259.440', 'text': 'if our hearts can grow together. If\xa0\nnot, we part in respect. But if yes—”'}, {'start': '2259.440', 'end': '2265.200', 'text': 'He felt tears prick his eyes. Fifty-eight\xa0\nyears old, half a galaxy behind him,'}, {'start': '2265.200', 'end': '2271.600', 'text': 'and here he was, touched by the simplest,\xa0\nmost profound kindness. No illusions,'}, {'start': '2271.600', 'end': '2276.640', 'text': 'no frantic demands, just an honest wish\xa0\nto see where their hearts might lead.'}, {'start': '2276.640', 'end': '2282.480', 'text': 'He slipped the silver band gently onto a\xa0\nfinger of his left hand. It fit snugly,'}, {'start': '2282.480', 'end': '2288.320', 'text': 'as though made for him. “Niurana,”\xa0\nhe said, voice rough, “yes.”'}, {'start': '2288.320', 'end': '2294.320', 'text': 'The translator glitched slightly, spitting\xa0\nout, “I stand with you…with gratitude.”'}, {'start': '2294.320', 'end': '2298.480', 'text': 'She lifted her gaze, shimmering with relief. Then,'}, {'start': '2298.480', 'end': '2304.560', 'text': 'in a move that needed no translation, she\xa0\nleaned in and touched her forehead to his.'}, {'start': '2304.560', 'end': '2311.200', 'text': 'He closed his eyes, let the hush enfold them.\xa0\nThe swirl of distant station chatter faded,'}, {'start': '2311.200', 'end': '2317.200', 'text': 'overshadowed by the beat of two hearts finding\xa0\na quiet harmony. For the first time in years,'}, {'start': '2317.200', 'end': '2320.800', 'text': 'Jaron let himself fully believe in new beginnings.'}, {'start': '2320.800', 'end': '2325.600', 'text': 'That was how the next phase of their connection\xa0\nbegan. Over the following weeks, they spent'}, {'start': '2325.600', 'end': '2331.840', 'text': 'their days in a kind of gentle dance. Jaron\xa0\npicked up a few short cargo runs now and then,'}, {'start': '2331.840', 'end': '2337.840', 'text': 'making sure to be back by night cycle for dinners\xa0\nwith Niurana. She pursued her star-lace research,'}, {'start': '2337.840', 'end': '2344.480', 'text': 'taking brief trips out to the Taran Nebula.\xa0\nSometimes he joined, sometimes he stayed behind,'}, {'start': '2344.480', 'end': '2349.280', 'text': 'balancing his own need for independence\xa0\nwith the blossoming desire to support her.'}, {'start': '2349.280', 'end': '2354.640', 'text': 'She taught him new ways of reading cosmic\xa0\nsignals. He taught her how to service old'}, {'start': '2354.640', 'end': '2360.640', 'text': 'Earth-based thrusters. They traded jokes about how\xa0\nthe translator still misfired sometimes, producing'}, {'start': '2360.640', 'end': '2368.080', 'text': 'lines like “Your eyes devour my mornings” when he\xa0\nmeant “Your eyes look sleepy.” They grew closer,'}, {'start': '2368.080', 'end': '2374.720', 'text': 'physically and emotionally, forging a bond that\xa0\nfelt youthful yet grounded in hard-earned wisdom.'}, {'start': '2374.720', 'end': '2378.960', 'text': 'Then came the day her research demanded\xa0\na more extended expedition into the'}, {'start': '2378.960', 'end': '2385.840', 'text': 'Taran Nebula—a risky one. The phenomenon\xa0\nwas shifting. Niurana had to go deeper,'}, {'start': '2385.840', 'end': '2392.640', 'text': 'gather data from an unstable region brimming with\xa0\ngravitational anomalies. It could be dangerous,'}, {'start': '2392.640', 'end': '2396.480', 'text': 'but she was determined. Jaron\xa0\ninsisted on joining her.'}, {'start': '2396.480', 'end': '2402.000', 'text': 'They prepped The Aramene for a multi-cycle\xa0\njourney, loading extra supplies. Her kin'}, {'start': '2402.000', 'end': '2408.320', 'text': 'gave them cautious blessings, glancing at\xa0\nJaron with a mix of curiosity and acceptance.'}, {'start': '2408.320', 'end': '2413.520', 'text': 'When they arrived at the swirling heart of the\xa0\nnebula, Niurana powered down most of the ship’s'}, {'start': '2413.520', 'end': '2419.600', 'text': 'systems to avoid disturbing the star-lace.\xa0\nThey drifted in a haze of luminous dust.'}, {'start': '2419.600', 'end': '2425.040', 'text': 'Jaron manned the sensors, sweaty\xa0\npalms betraying his nerves. Outside,'}, {'start': '2425.040', 'end': '2429.200', 'text': 'filaments of plasmic light\xa0\nflickered in unstable patterns.'}, {'start': '2429.200', 'end': '2436.080', 'text': 'She inhaled, voice low. “We must anchor\xa0\nourselves in calm. This region feeds on fear.”'}, {'start': '2436.080', 'end': '2441.120', 'text': 'He nodded. Despite his age, or maybe\xa0\nbecause of it, he’d learned that calm'}, {'start': '2441.120', 'end': '2447.120', 'text': 'was the best shield against the unknown. “I\xa0\ntrust you,” he said simply. The translator,'}, {'start': '2447.120', 'end': '2450.400', 'text': 'for once, repeated his words with no glitch.'}, {'start': '2450.400', 'end': '2454.000', 'text': 'She moved to the airlock again,\xa0\ncarrying specialized scanning'}, {'start': '2454.000', 'end': '2457.600', 'text': 'instruments. “I need to measure\xa0\nthe energies from outside. But'}, {'start': '2457.600', 'end': '2462.160', 'text': 'the star-lace is turbulent here. Will\xa0\nyou anchor me from within the ship?”'}, {'start': '2462.160', 'end': '2465.600', 'text': 'He understood. She wanted him to remain inside,'}, {'start': '2465.600', 'end': '2470.880', 'text': 'providing a stable reference on the sensor\xa0\nconsole, while she ventured out to gather data.'}, {'start': '2470.880', 'end': '2476.400', 'text': 'His gut twisted at the idea of her going out\xa0\nthere alone. But he also recognized her skill,'}, {'start': '2476.400', 'end': '2482.800', 'text': 'her calling. So he did what he had to do: sealed\xa0\nher into a specialized harness, monitored her'}, {'start': '2482.800', 'end': '2489.440', 'text': 'life support systems, and gently let her drift\xa0\ninto the glowing chaos of the star-lace beyond.'}, {'start': '2489.440', 'end': '2494.480', 'text': 'Seconds stretched into minutes, the\xa0\ninstruments crackling with feedback.'}, {'start': '2494.480', 'end': '2499.680', 'text': 'Once or twice, he glimpsed her silhouette\xa0\nthrough the swirling light. Each time,'}, {'start': '2499.680', 'end': '2503.680', 'text': 'the filaments coiled dangerously,\xa0\nand he felt the ship’s hull groan'}, {'start': '2503.680', 'end': '2509.040', 'text': 'from gravitational eddies. He clenched his\xa0\njaw, urging the star-lace to let her be.'}, {'start': '2509.040', 'end': '2512.240', 'text': 'At one point, Niurana’s vitals spiked. He heard'}, {'start': '2512.240', 'end': '2516.880', 'text': 'her faint cry over comms. Heart\xa0\npounding, he scanned frantically,'}, {'start': '2516.880', 'end': '2522.480', 'text': 'saw that some cluster of filaments was\xa0\nswirling around her, forming a tight spiral.'}, {'start': '2522.480', 'end': '2526.720', 'text': '“Niurana, talk to me,” he said, voice hoarse.'}, {'start': '2526.720', 'end': '2530.720', 'text': 'Her breathing came in a rush.\xa0\n“It’s trying to…pull me deeper,”'}, {'start': '2530.720', 'end': '2535.920', 'text': 'she gasped. “I need…your anchoring\xa0\nfrequency. Focus on me, Jaron.”'}, {'start': '2535.920', 'end': '2541.280', 'text': 'He recalled the meditation circle from\xa0\nher outpost, how presence could bridge'}, {'start': '2541.280', 'end': '2547.120', 'text': 'distances. He closed his eyes, letting\xa0\nthe gentle memory of her fill his mind,'}, {'start': '2547.120', 'end': '2552.240', 'text': 'reminding him of the nights they shared,\xa0\nthe meal in the station lounge, the hush'}, {'start': '2552.240', 'end': '2559.520', 'text': 'of star-lace acceptance. He poured every ounce\xa0\nof unwavering support into that mental image.'}, {'start': '2559.520', 'end': '2566.000', 'text': 'The sensors showed the filaments loosening.\xa0\nHer vitals stabilized. Slowly, painfully,'}, {'start': '2566.000', 'end': '2568.240', 'text': 'she made her way back to the airlock.'}, {'start': '2568.240', 'end': '2574.240', 'text': 'Moments later, she stumbled inside. He rushed\xa0\nto catch her, cradling her trembling form. Her'}, {'start': '2574.240', 'end': '2579.600', 'text': 'eyes were wide but not afraid—alive with\xa0\nthe knowledge of what they had just faced.'}, {'start': '2579.600', 'end': '2585.680', 'text': '“Data…successful,” she breathed with a shaky\xa0\ngrin, pressing the device into his hands.'}, {'start': '2585.680', 'end': '2591.040', 'text': 'He blinked back tears, supporting her.\xa0\n“Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”'}, {'start': '2591.040', 'end': '2596.240', 'text': 'She managed a breathless laugh. “Then\xa0\ndo not love a star-mapper,” she teased.'}, {'start': '2596.240', 'end': '2601.600', 'text': 'They sealed the airlock, re-pressurized. He\xa0\nhelped her remove the harness, guided her'}, {'start': '2601.600', 'end': '2607.760', 'text': 'to a seat. She was exhausted, chest heaving,\xa0\nbut triumphant. “We have the readings,” she'}, {'start': '2607.760', 'end': '2613.440', 'text': 'murmured. “It will help my people protect the\xa0\nstation from future anomalies. We’ve done it.”'}, {'start': '2613.440', 'end': '2619.280', 'text': 'He brushed a damp strand of pink hair from her\xa0\nforehead, feeling the raw relief in his own bones.'}, {'start': '2619.280', 'end': '2625.360', 'text': '“I’m proud of you,” he said softly. Then his\xa0\nvoice caught. “And I’m proud to be by your side.”'}, {'start': '2625.360', 'end': '2631.120', 'text': 'Her eyes glinted, and she let out a slow\xa0\nexhale. She turned the translator off,'}, {'start': '2631.120', 'end': '2637.600', 'text': 'leaned in, and pressed her lips to his. In\xa0\nthat moment, the star-lace outside went silent,'}, {'start': '2637.600', 'end': '2642.560', 'text': 'as though granting them privacy. The\xa0\nkiss was gentle, hesitant at first,'}, {'start': '2642.560', 'end': '2648.640', 'text': 'but it deepened into something that\xa0\nbridged every gap—age, species, language.'}, {'start': '2648.640', 'end': '2654.160', 'text': 'He cupped her face, marveling at how natural\xa0\nit felt. This was what she meant by cosmic'}, {'start': '2654.160', 'end': '2659.360', 'text': 'harmony: two hearts who had faced life’s\xa0\nstorms, each carrying scars and wisdom,'}, {'start': '2659.360', 'end': '2664.960', 'text': 'now finding a shared harbor. They didn’t\xa0\nneed words. They simply needed this truth,'}, {'start': '2664.960', 'end': '2668.640', 'text': 'sealed in a quiet moment amid a swirling nebula.'}, {'start': '2668.640', 'end': '2671.520', 'text': 'Eventually, they returned to Rezkin Station,'}, {'start': '2671.520', 'end': '2678.320', 'text': 'data in hand. Her outpost celebrated the\xa0\nsuccess, although Niurana, modest as ever,'}, {'start': '2678.320', 'end': '2683.600', 'text': 'insisted it was a group effort. Jaron took\xa0\nthat time to confirm what he truly wanted.'}, {'start': '2683.600', 'end': '2688.960', 'text': 'He was done drifting. He found a local buyer\xa0\nfor his old cargo vessel—someone who’d fix it'}, {'start': '2688.960', 'end': '2694.960', 'text': 'up or scrap it. Either way, Jaron was leaving\xa0\nthat life behind. Niurana said she had a place'}, {'start': '2694.960', 'end': '2700.000', 'text': 'for him among her people if he wished, but\xa0\nhe also sensed she would never pressure him.'}, {'start': '2700.000', 'end': '2704.800', 'text': 'One final morning, while the station’s\xa0\nartificial sunrise glimmered overhead,'}, {'start': '2704.800', 'end': '2711.920', 'text': 'Jaron and Niurana stood on the same walkway where\xa0\nthey first met. The kiosk was open but quiet,'}, {'start': '2711.920', 'end': '2717.520', 'text': 'as if waiting for them to complete the circle. He\xa0\nheld up the battered translator, pressed the stud.'}, {'start': '2717.520', 'end': '2721.760', 'text': 'She looked at it, quirking a smile.\xa0\n“Still not throwing it away?”'}, {'start': '2721.760', 'end': '2727.120', 'text': 'He chuckled. “Sometimes broken things\xa0\nlead us to the best places.” He paused,'}, {'start': '2727.120', 'end': '2733.360', 'text': 'lowering his voice. “Niurana, you invited me to\xa0\nshare this path with you. I want to accept fully,'}, {'start': '2733.360', 'end': '2737.760', 'text': 'not by accident. This time,\xa0\nlet it be a genuine vow.”'}, {'start': '2737.760', 'end': '2742.560', 'text': 'Her eyes shone, touched with something deeper\xa0\nthan tears. “I’ve known your heart was pure'}, {'start': '2742.560', 'end': '2748.720', 'text': 'from the moment I looked into your eyes,” she\xa0\nsaid softly. “Yes, let us walk forward as one.”'}, {'start': '2748.720', 'end': '2754.320', 'text': 'The translator tried to interpret,\xa0\nproducing: “Eternal union of souls…”'}, {'start': '2754.320', 'end': '2759.120', 'text': 'He laughed at that, but there was no\xa0\napology on his lips this time. Because now,'}, {'start': '2759.120', 'end': '2763.440', 'text': 'that mistranslation wasn’t so far\xa0\noff from the truth in his chest. He'}, {'start': '2763.440', 'end': '2768.480', 'text': 'gathered Niurana’s hands in his. The\xa0\nsilver lines glowed with acceptance,'}, {'start': '2768.480', 'end': '2772.400', 'text': 'with a resonance that matched the\xa0\nquiet steadiness of his heart.'}, {'start': '2772.400', 'end': '2778.240', 'text': 'They sealed their vow in front of that kiosk,\xa0\nin a place once marred by comedic confusion,'}, {'start': '2778.240', 'end': '2782.880', 'text': 'now hallowed by sincerity. The station’s\xa0\ncrowd was minimal at this hour,'}, {'start': '2782.880', 'end': '2787.520', 'text': 'just a few passersby noticing, smiling\xa0\nfaintly at the older human and the'}, {'start': '2787.520', 'end': '2791.040', 'text': 'pink-haired star-mapper holding\xa0\neach other with quiet reverence.'}, {'start': '2791.040', 'end': '2796.400', 'text': 'And so began the next chapter of Jaron\xa0\nLance’s life—not as a lonely cargo runner,'}, {'start': '2796.400', 'end': '2802.160', 'text': 'but as a man fully alive, stepping into a\xa0\nrealm of spiritual heat and emotional weight.'}, {'start': '2802.160', 'end': '2808.240', 'text': 'Age might have furrowed his brow, but it\xa0\nhadn’t dulled his capacity for wonder or love.'}, {'start': '2808.240', 'end': '2813.120', 'text': 'Under Rezkin Station’s neon-laced corridors,\xa0\nwith a flickering translator on his belt and'}, {'start': '2813.120', 'end': '2819.840', 'text': 'Niurana’s gentle warmth by his side, Jaron felt a\xa0\nrenewed sense of purpose. In place of confusion,'}, {'start': '2819.840', 'end': '2823.920', 'text': 'there was clarity: he didn’t need\xa0\nevery word to be perfect. He just'}, {'start': '2823.920', 'end': '2828.320', 'text': 'needed a heart that dared to speak,\xa0\neven if it sometimes came out wrong.'}, {'start': '2828.320', 'end': '2833.600', 'text': 'Niurana’s people greeted him not as an outcast\xa0\nor comedic figure, but as a man who might hold'}, {'start': '2833.600', 'end': '2841.200', 'text': 'depths they respected. They saw the lines of life\xa0\nin his face, the quiet empathy in his gaze. He,'}, {'start': '2841.200', 'end': '2846.240', 'text': 'in turn, admired the quiet dignity of\xa0\ntheir traditions, the sense of cosmic'}, {'start': '2846.240', 'end': '2852.000', 'text': 'dance that guided them. He found that with\xa0\nNiurana, each day was a chance to learn anew.'}, {'start': '2852.000', 'end': '2857.520', 'text': 'And sometimes, when offworld visitors asked how\xa0\nthey met, Jaron would scratch his gray-bearded'}, {'start': '2857.520', 'end': '2863.760', 'text': 'chin with a half-smile and say, “Well, I bought\xa0\nthis broken translator, and it made me propose'}, {'start': '2863.760', 'end': '2869.920', 'text': 'marriage to a woman I’d never seen before.\xa0\nLucky for me, she had enough patience—and'}, {'start': '2869.920', 'end': '2875.920', 'text': 'enough skill—to realize I was just a wandering\xa0\nfool with a heart in need of connection.”'}, {'start': '2875.920', 'end': '2881.840', 'text': 'Niurana would stand by him, that mysterious\xa0\nsmile on her lips. Because from that comedic'}, {'start': '2881.840', 'end': '2888.480', 'text': 'misunderstanding had blossomed a profound,\xa0\nsoul-level meeting—one that transcended species,'}, {'start': '2888.480', 'end': '2895.360', 'text': 'language, and past regrets. No matter how many\xa0\nmore cargo missions or star-lace expeditions'}, {'start': '2895.360', 'end': '2899.680', 'text': 'lay ahead, they would face them\xa0\ntogether, each day weaving a new'}, {'start': '2899.680', 'end': '2904.640', 'text': 'strand of luminous possibility into\xa0\nthe tapestry of their shared life.'}, {'start': '2904.640', 'end': '2911.040', 'text': 'There, amid Rezkin Station’s swirling crowds\xa0\nand cosmic architecture, they lived and grew—two'}, {'start': '2911.040', 'end': '2917.200', 'text': 'distinct souls joined by trust, respect, and\xa0\na deep hunger for truth. The man who thought'}, {'start': '2917.200', 'end': '2922.640', 'text': 'he had only cynicism left discovered that\xa0\nlife could still surprise him at fifty-eight,'}, {'start': '2922.640', 'end': '2927.440', 'text': 'while the woman who mapped the cosmos learned\xa0\nthat some of the most profound star-laces were'}, {'start': '2927.440', 'end': '2932.000', 'text': 'forged in the hearts of those brave\xa0\nenough to open themselves to love.'}, {'start': '2932.000', 'end': '2937.360', 'text': 'And if, once in a while, the translator still\xa0\nthrew out lines about “joining spirits for'}, {'start': '2937.360', 'end': '2942.560', 'text': 'eternity,” well, that was all right. Sometimes\xa0\nthose broken lines of code expressed something'}, {'start': '2942.560', 'end': '2947.680', 'text': 'more honest than perfect words ever could.\xa0\nBecause in the grand scheme of galaxies,'}, {'start': '2947.680', 'end': '2952.880', 'text': 'the best vows are the ones that rise\xa0\nunbidden from a place too deep for language,'}, {'start': '2952.880', 'end': '2958.160', 'text': 'where two souls see each other\xa0\nand say, quietly and fully: yes.'}]