Heli wakes up next to Gabe and gives himself a minute to watch the sky. Listening to Gabe's heartbeat and watching the ancient space debris. Who knows what is there to discover. He feels very optimistic today, like nothing could go wrong.

After a moment of peace, he pokes Gabe awake.

Gabe wakes up and hugs. The day of adventure finally arrived!

Slate is sitting at the campfire nearby. "All ready to get going then?"

"Hell, yeah!"

"We might have more goodbyes to say? But other than that. All good."

"Seems like only yesterday you joined the space program, and suddenly here you are, leaving on your first voyage. Had to design the ship special so you could both go together."

"Heli can't get rid of me. I am too good-looking."

Heli just preens with pride.

"Fair enough, I expect you want to be heading to the observatory to get the codes from Hornfels."

"Indeed, thank you, Slate."

"Yeah, thank you dude!" Gabe slaps a heavy hand on Slate's shoulder.

"Well don't take too long, it’s finally time to test the new landing hydraulics with a pilot instead of the autoflight system!"

"No worries Slate." Heli pulls Gabe along before they can do something impolite again. To the launch codes.

It's a familiar route. Jump up the steps and walk past Mica and their model ship. They can stop to talk if they like or continue past.

"Hey, Mica. Having fun?"

“Hey, it's you! Slate said you're blasting off in your ship today. I'm really excited to see the launch! Aren't you gonna go into space? Aren't you? You better not have changed your mind!”

"We have not! We are just on way. Shouldn't be long until we are up in the sky."

“You better be! It's been forever since anyone launched into space. I really, really want to see it. Really bad. Hey, you want to use my model ship again? Slate says it's just like the real thing, only less likely to start a fire.”

"Less likely to start a fire is a good trait."

They indulge the child by playing with the spaceship. Gabe holds up the child to follow the ship around.

Mica squeals happily. "Try to land on one of the geyser pools. Show me what you've got!”

Heli has done that before and does that again. Darting it around with some flourishes.

Mica claps and cheers. “What a landing! I guess that's why Slate lets you fly the real thing, huh?”

"The important thing is practice and taking it seriously."

"You should get going. You can't exactly launch your ship while hanging out with me."

"That's true. Goodbye pint-size."

"Goodbye, pay attention to the sky."

The sun has risen in the sky, continuing down the path leads to the heart of the village. Porphy is making sap wine to the right, and a few other people are around if they want to seek them out. Alternately, the direct route to the observatory would take them left.

Ooh, sap wine. Also saying goodbye to Porphy.

“Heyo, hatchlings! I hear you're leaving us to seek adventure amongst the stars. When you return, let's you, me, and Gossan open up a bottle of the Good Stuff.”

"Hatchlings? I am taller than you."

Heli motions for Gabe to shush. "You are too kind, but we should get going."

"I do hope you enjoy your travels. Good luck!”

They take the path left. Gneiss is strumming their banjo if they want to walk over.

"Hey, Gneiss! Taking care of the banjo?" Gabe says, taking a closer look at the decorations he painted.

"Course I am. I made it afterall, made all the explorer's instruments too, I suppose I've already told you about that though."

"I am sure you did..."

"He did, uh, see you later, Gneiss? Sorry, but I am kinda excited to actually go to space."

"Fair enough, remind the other explorers to take care of their instruments if you see them."

The next encounter on their path is with Tephra and Galena. "Hullo, astronauts!" says Tephra.

"Hello!" Heli says excited at the 'astronauts'.

"Do you want to play hide and seek? We don't have a signalscope to do radio hide and seek but you have one. Can we play please? One of you can even be it."

"Sorry, kids, but we are going to space, remember?"

"In a way, it's the ultimate form of hide-and-seek. You need to train to get to us."

"Oh right, that's cool too. Maybe when you come back we can play. You are coming back right?"

"We are, not sure how soon, so don't count on seeing us for the next while."

"But don't worry. No one can get rid of us so easily."

"That’s what Feldspar said, too, but they never did. Hornfels will be really sad if you don’t come back, like how sad it makes them to talk about Feldspar. So you should make sure you don’t get lost in space, too."

"We will be careful. Don't worry."

"I will leave all the navigation to Heli. The only thing I will do is poke at shiny things we find."

"Okay, good luck."

As they continue on their journey the next person they'll encounter is Spinel. They're fishing as usual.

"Hey, Spinel! How are the fishing biting today?"

"Fishing song, fishing song... Geez, I think my bait is wrong."

"You got to bribe the fishes better."

"I suppose I might. You're leaving the crater? Guess we'll all be a little busier without you around to lend your hands."

"Less mouths to feed. But I am sure you will adapt," Heli fidgets a bit.

"You know, if I was going up, I'd go to Giant's Deep."

"Oh, any interesting sights to see?"

"One time, after the rest of the village had left to sleep and it was just the two of us sitting around the campfire, Gabbro told me about their first trip to Giant's Deep.

They landed their ship easily enough in the waves, but couldn't see too far down, on account of how murky the water was, I guess. Too dark.

Gabbro wanted to see what lay beneath the surface, so they decided to travel deeper. They traveled down, and down... But suddenly, Gabbro couldn't go any further."

"Huh, did Gabbro hit something?"

"I was getting to it be patient. As though exercising a will of its own, the water was refusing to let Gabbro go any deeper. It held Gabbro back. ...Almost as if it were trying to protect them from something.

And then, in the terrible darkness, Gabbro saw it...!

The tentacle of some hideous beast!"

"How big was the beast?" Heli asks, this sounds like a tall tale, but he doesn't want Gabe to say anything improper.

"You know, Gabbro didn't say. Whatever it was, it freaked Gabbro out pretty good. Everyone wants to hear new stories at the village campfire, you know. Make sure you bring some back with you!"

"We will stay clear of any beasts but will do our best to report any. Thank you, Spinel."

"You're welcome, do stay safe out there." Spinel never stopped fishing but they turn their full attention back to it.

The path continues up behind the waterfall and onto to ledge near the top of the cliff.

Moraine, one of the people about their age, is out on a platform with their signal scope out.

Arkose, one of the hatchlings, is throwing rocks into the fenced off ghost matter.

Gossan, their flight coach and trainer in the space program, is standing in the entrance to the Zero Gee Cave.

There's a note nailed to the ramp leading up to the observation deck.

And of course the observatory beckons very close now.

Oh, Heli will go talk to Gossan.

Gabe (in a rare occasion where he and Heli split off) goes to inspect the note.

The note reads as follows: "I saw smoke coming from Youngbark Crater up north and figured I should go check it out. You can use the scout launcher, just please don’t break it while I’m gone – Tektite"

“Hey, I thought I might see you before the big launch. Nerves getting the better of you?”

"Oddly, not. I think I am trained enough. I think I trained Gabe enough. Do I look nervous?"

Huh, he will go up to Moraine then.

“Not particularly, but most of the explorers were before they launched. Don’t get yourself killed out there, you hear? And don't let Gabe get themselves killed either. Not after I’ve put this much work into training you. ...Haha, go on, go make Outer Wilds Ventures proud.”

“Hm? Oh, hello, astronaut. This is good weather for your launch, right? That's lucky!”

"It is. What are you looking at? Spying on someone?"

Grin. "I will. And don't worry, Gabe is... himself, but he is more competent than anyone gives him credit for."

“I'm using my signalscope to pick up sounds from distant planets. It's set to the Outer Wilds Ventures frequency so I can pick up the travelers' music. Last night I heard Riebeck's banjo coming from Brittle Hollow. I hope that means they're safe. I can hear different planets, too! it depends on what time of day or night it is, since different planets are in the sky at different times. Signalscopes are cool.”

"They are, what you think Riebeck is doing in Brittle Hollow?"

"Knowing Riebeck, they're probably exploring places that seem safe. They're not one for taking risks. If it wasn't for their fascination with Nomai ruins they probably wouldn't have ever left Timber Hearth."

"I don't get why the nerdy types like a bunch of half-destroyed things, but..." he shrugs.

"If not for the tech we've reverse engineered your ship wouldn't be nearly as good."

"Which is all good and great, but it still sounds like so much work when you start from ruins."

"Some of the 'ruins' are pretty intact. Maybe remnants would be a better word."

Shrug. "Anything else interesting happening lately?"

"There's the Statue Gabbro brought back from Giant's Deep. Have you seen it yet?"

"No? What about it?"

"Well based on the fragments from other statues we know they have a lot of computing hardware in them but nobody knows what it uses all that for."

Shrug. "That sounds like the sort of thing Henry would want to figure out."

"What are you hoping to find out there?"

"Me? Just the pretty sights. I am mostly going because Henry wants to do archeology in the name of The Noble Pursuit of Science."

"You two always have been inseparable. I hope you enjoy yourself out there."

Shrug. "I am a simple person. I am sure it will be entertaining one way or another." Wink.

Moraine smiles. "I expect so."

Anyway. "Do you have any other interesting facts to offer? Or should we depart ways?"

"You're the one who did all the training... I expect you already know whatever I could tell you."

Heavy back pat. "Then, see you later."

Heli and Gabe reunite, and they make their way to their destination.

The observatory beckons. The Statue Gabbro brought back is positioned prominently in the entrance, directly on their path to Hornfels.

Oh, Heli pauses for a moment to give it a closer look. He has seen it, but failed to give it proper attention.

Gabe gives it a once over from a distance. Seeing the entire thing at once.

As Heli approaches, the statue's eyes open and glow purple. Heli is unable to move or even close their eyes as what appears to Heli to be strands of symbols that might be Nomai writing flow out of the statue.

Those stands aren't visible to Gabe but they might notice Heli going completely still.

And then Helix's memories of the past 12 minutes playback on rapid rewind. All told the process takes maybe thirty seconds before the statue's eyes stop glowing and Heli is able to move again.

Heli blinks heavily and looks around, partially to make sure his eyes aren't playing tricks on him. "What the hell was that?" He takes a step back from the statue.

The Statue doesn't respond... it's eyes did stay open though. Maybe Hornfels will have some idea.

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. He keeps a wide berth from the statue and goes looking for Hornfels.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so, but I think... the statue made me rethink the last few minutes?"

"Weird"

Hornfels is easily found looking through the telescope on the upper level.

They look over upon hearing them come up. "Something very strange is going on."

"What kind of strange?"

"The sun has grown by about 10% in the last two minutes and there's a significant number of supernovas occurring."

"What? Where? How?"

"You can check my measurements on the sun if you like... the Supernovas I just started to notice. They keep happening and they seem to be happening more frequently. I.... have no idea what could be causing that, maybe Chert would know but... I doubt it. As I said something strange is happening."

Heli checks the measurements on the sun.

They seem accurate.

"This makes no sense." Heli says, checking the equipment and then looking for super-novas.

The equipment seems to be working. It takes a minute or so but just there is a supernova...

"Huh, is there something that causes supernovas or something?"

"Nothing we've ever seen. Supernovas have been pretty rare maybe one every few million seconds. This many this often.... it's unprecedented."

"...That can't be a coincidence, but what could cause anything like this?"

"I wish I knew... I can't help but worry that our star is going the same way."

"Can we evacuate then?"

"Maybe... but unless we find some new Nomai tech we'd just be choosing between annihilation in the supernova or slowly dying from running out of food and air in overcrowded ships, assuming we'd even get far enough away if we tried."

Gabe pulls Heli from his slump. "Okay, let's try starving slowly. Better than just..."

"I'll try to get in touch with the other astronauts. Ask them to fly their ships back.... and ask if they have any ideas. I'm not sure if it makes sense for you to wait or if you should try to use your new translation tool to get the gravity catapults on Brittle Hollow or the Ember Twin working, those could help us get far enough away."

Heli takes this as his cue to get a grip. "I-we will go try to do that." He grabs Gabe's by the wrist and pulls him to the nearest gravity catapult.

They take the fast path to the launch tower at a run.

"In a rush are you?" Slate asks when they arrive. 

With barely a pause, Heli grabs Slate and pulls him along to the elevator.

Slate grumbles a bit but is grabbable. "An emergency then? Something to do with the weird color of the sun?"

Entering the code goes fast and the elevator zooms up. Their spaceship awaits.

"Supernovas... everywhere and our sun is expanding. We are trying to find a way to evacuate..."

"How can I help?"

There's two seats in the spaceship though with the grav crystal people should be able to manage even when they aren't strapped down, at least so long as they don't crash.

Once they're strapped in does Heli aim for Brittle Hollow or The Ember Twin?

Heli aims for Brittle Hollow, putting him away from the sun, if that's at all possible. "I-I don't know. We need to get people away from the thing."

After liftoff, Slate speaks "Let me take the controls for a minute, you two should get your suits on I reckon. I can't get out of the ship without one. As for how we can get away... I don't rightly know. Seems like a long shot hoping we can get this bit of Nomai tech working when we never have before but I'll help however I can."

"Yes..." He starts saying, but honestly he is not sure, and having a task to do helps. So they go on getting their suits.

"Well, would you look at that. Wonder if that's related somehow." If they look out the cockpit window they'll see that large chunks of Brittle Hollow's surface have fallen into the black hole at it's center. Slate sets them down next to the gravity catapult. "There's a bit of a drop to get to what we think are the controls but you should be able to manage with your jetpacks, it'll be a lot faster than taking the stairs."

"At least we trained..." Heli says, trying to understand the magnitude of the situation.

Gabe guides him by the shoulder to their way.

It's a bit of a jump but they can make it down to the controls platform though it might be a bit of a rough landing.

There are three bits of Nomai text waiting to try their translator on. Two next to the mech cage thing and one ring floating off to the side. There's also the wire mesh itself which can be investigated.

...Might as well get some use of the translator.

The ring says: The shuttle is currently resting at the Quantum Moon.

The text on the right says: Activate the gravity cannon

The text on the left says: Call the shuttle home

If Heli glances at the sphere at the base of the wire mesh structure it lights up with purple light.

Heli will call the shuttle home and communicate his findings to Slate, while investigating the mesh more closely.

Experimenting with the sphere reveals that it moves around the mesh cage following Helix's gaze. If it moves all the way up on the right a Nomai spaceship is warped back onto the platform using the same mechanism as Hearthian Little Scouts just in a larger scale. It has a gravity lift.

Heli reports this. "Maybe we can use it to escape?" He tries to figure out how far the thing might go.

"Maybe, I suppose that depends what it looks like on the inside."

There isn't a good way to estimate the speed the shuttle will be launched at without launching it with a little scout or a person inside it to track it's position.

He and Gabe try to investigate the interior.

A quick jetpack jump takes them to the shuttle's Grav lift and then into the interior. There's what seems to be a control console at the front of a very spacious interior. The shuttle has breathable air inside and there's a scroll of Nomai text which probably isn't urgent but might make for interesting reading if they're stuck there for a while.

"I think we can squeeze ten people here?" He reports to slate.

"It would be a real squeeze." Gabe uses the translator on the Nomai writings, because... why not?

"Well if it can hold ten people at all that's a lot better than our ships."

Gabe can at least start reading the text. Is Gabe reading it out loud?

No, he reads it, but only says the important part. "We can get the Quantum Moon by the South Pole."

Heli is basically already inside and Gabe follows him. "Okay, I will try to get this thing up and see about rescuing people..."

There appear to be three settings on the controls: Left, Middle and Right. Which does Heli try first?

Middle.

There's a strange flash and an odd sensation but nothing appears to have changed.

Right? Left if that doesn't work?

Nothing appears to happen after trying right. Left results in a sudden feeling of acceleration, a strange lensing of light and launch. They are flying off at a fair clip though they don't appear to be accelerating. It would probably be a bad time to walk out the back.

Gabe holds tight to Heli's arm, since his hands are busy.

Heli tries to stop the thing before they get too far. He tries the middle setting. How far do they go? Can they contact slate?

They don't get very far because as soon as he tries the middle setting the flash of light repeats and they're back on the gravity canon's launch platform. "What just ..." Slate begins to ask. But the Sky goes dark. "I think we might be out of time."

"No! We... there ou to be something we can do!"

Gabe hugs him.

There is a rush of blue light coming over the horizon and then Heli feels no sensation from his body while his memories since waking up replay.

And then we wakes up. Witnessing the Station in orbit of Giant's Deep exploding once again.

He is suddenly up, startled and looking at his surroundings like he expecting them to catch on fire.

"You alright there Heli?"

Gabe is also awake. "Dude? is there some problem?"

Heli stops shaking and blinks. "Sorry, sorry. I think I had a nightmare."

"It's a big day, anyone would be nervous."

Heli looks up at where the station was. The sight is not comforting.

"Yeah, it, it must have been it."

"You get nervous too easily." Back pat.

"I know it’s tradition to sleep out under the stars the night before a launch, but if you ask me it makes you all a bit jumpy.”

"It was actually pretty good, for the most of it... It's probably just regular trepidation." He avoids looking up. "We should go, uh, thank you, Slate. For everything."

"You're welcome. I'll see you again after you get the codes."

"Indeed... thanks again."

"Thank you dude!"

Slate just huffs fondly.

Things are exactly as they were in Heli's 'nightmare' Mica is standing near their model ship by the path to the observatory.

...

"Hey, Mica. Having fun?"

Their response to Gabe's identical question is also identical.

“Hey, it's you! Slate said you're blasting off in your ship today. I'm really excited to see the launch! Aren't you gonna go into space? Aren't you? You better not have changed your mind!”

"...No?"

"You don't sound very sure."

"I am sure." Heli says, sounding even more unsure.

"Leave him be, he is just getting last minute cold feet. We will be up in the sky in no time."

“You better be! It's been forever since anyone launched into space. I really, really, want to see it. Really badly. Would practicing with my model ship help with his cold feet?"

He is about to say no, but obviously he is getting a dream influencing his waking life too much. Then with more certainty injected in his voice he says. "Yes."

"I hope it really helps. Try to land on one of the geyser pools."

He does exactly that without any flourishes but very on the mark not that he is trying to avoid anything related to the dream.

"Nice job, I guess that's why Slate lets you fly the real thing, huh?”

"The important thing is practice and taking it seriously..."

...he trails off by the end of that sentence.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"He is, Mica. Heli is just like that sometimes." Gabe says, though he does think it's a little odd.

"Ok, good luck up in space!"

"Thanks short one!"

They proceed on their way, and once they are out of earshot.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Nothing is wrong! It was just a silly but intense nightmare." And he is getting a sense of Deja Vu because of it. He doesn't look up to check on the size of the sun.

"Okay..."

Porphy is making sap wine in the same place as in Heli's 'nightmare'

Cool, sap wine. Also, saying goodbye to Porphy. "Hey, Porphy! How are things today?"

It's not an unusual place for her to be.

"Hello."

“Heyo, hatchlings! I hear you're leaving us to seek adventure amongst the stars. When you return, let's you, me, and Gossan open up a bottle of the Good Stuff.”

"Hatchlings? I am taller than you."

"What did you two just say?"

"I was just saying we should share a bottle when you get back from space."

"Sure, of course. We would love to." Heli manages to smile by the end of it.

Porphy looks askance at Heli but just says."I'll be sure to put one aside then."

"It was nice talking to you, but we should get going."

"I do hope you enjoy your travels. Good luck!”

Gneiss is sitting in front of their house strumming on their banjo a bit off the path to the observatory if Heli and Gabe want to make a small detour.

"Hey, Gneiss! Taking care of the banjo?" Gabe says, taking a closer look at the decorations he painted.

"Course I am. I made it afterall, made all the explorer's instruments too, I suppose I've already told you about that though."

"You did." Heli says, which is the most obvious explanation why he remembers it.

"Yeah, I recall that."

"If you happen to meet them, make sure they're taking care of them, taking care of themselves too for that matter. That goes for you too. Take care of each other out there."

"We will."

"Heli can't get rid of me that easily." Gabe says giving Heli a side-hug. "I am sure we will see you soon."

"See you soon then."

"See ya..."

They don't meet Tephra and Galena next, right? Even if they do, this must be the usual spot to find them, right!?

However did he guess? They're usually off making mischief in various places but when they're taking a break Galena's porch isn't an unusual place to find them. 

"Hullo, astronauts!" says Tephra.