Zack in Space

Zack in Space

Zack was used to people raising their eyebrows at her name. “Yes, I’m a girl, and yes, my name is Zack,” she’d say with a grin. But no one questioned her skills when she stepped into the pilot’s chair of the starship Mz008.

The ship hummed around her, panels glowing like tiny constellations. Outside the viewport, Earth shrank to a blue marble. Zack’s heart raced, not with fear, but with the thrill of finally leaving home for the stars.

Mz008 was an old exploration craft, half legend, half junkyard miracle. Its AI, called Echo, flickered to life. “Pilot Zack, please don’t crash me,” it said dryly, making Zack laugh.

They shot through the dark, weaving between drifting rocks and silent, frozen clouds of dust. Zack felt lighter than she ever had on Earth, like the weight of everyone’s expectations had fallen away.

Their first stop was a shimmering space station built on an ice comet. A tall alien with silver skin waved as they docked.

“Welcome, traveler of Mz008. I’m Lyren,” they said, their voice echoing like music in a cave.

Zack shared stories of crowded schools and noisy city nights, while Lyren spoke of starstorms and silent skies. Echo chimed in with sarcastic comments that made them both laugh.

Later, they visited a tiny moon covered in glowing purple grass. Zack raced Lyren under three moons while Echo projected constellations across the sky.

As Mz008 turned back toward Earth, Lyren’s ship flew beside them, a promise carved in starlight.

“Come back soon, Zack,” Lyren said over the comms. Zack smiled at the infinite dark that no longer felt lonely. “Count on it,” she replied, her new friends glittering like extra stars in the sky.