Rimister Kryat, Sophie is 14

We've hit yet another dead end. A whole year of searching, of tracing the Eridanus' flight path, trying to figure out what happened after they lost contact with Earth, and we've gotten nowhere. Well, okay, we've figured out exactly at what point they deviated from the planned course, but we still don't know why or where they went after that. Aldred had an epiphany a few days ago and told me he felt sure what trajectory they would've taken. He talked me through the data points, and I started to see what he was seeing. He's so smart. I'm so lucky to get to be doing this with him. I'm so lucky to be getting to do this at all. Although sometimes I think maybe this is more hopeless than if I was still on Earth just hoping news would turn up. I don't know how many more failed epiphanies I can cope with. Aldred's idea made so much sense, and we surveyed the system he pinpointed as the most likely destination, and then we made the trip to this terraform-likely planet on the edge of the known universe - exactly the sort of place the Eridanus team would have taken an interest in studying. But despite our hopes, our scanners showed no signs of human life signs, or human technology, anywhere in the vicinity. We stood in the teleport watch's oxygen shell on this planetoid with a roaring wind and an atmosphere that's almost there, and I looked over at Aldred and just for a second I saw the crushed look on his face, before he hid it from me and his usual look of steady seriousness and determination came back. I wish I could do that. I'm completely unable to shove down how upset I am.

I mean, it's not like I expected it to be easy to find the expedition but I'd felt so hopeful that between the two of us, and with how powerful the teleport watch is, that we could find whatever had caused them to lose contact with us - maybe they'd had to stop and do repairs and been delayed - and then we would find them and I would see my dad again and I could take him home and we would find out where Rachel and Kris were living and we would get them back and we'd be a family again. It sounded so simple in my head but faced with a desolate planet that hope felt completely childish. It had already been a year - two years really, since the Eridanus had gone missing - and our best lead had shown up nothing. I can't help feeling like maybe this was all a waste and we'd never find them.

Aldred can clearly tell what I'm thinking and he spends the rest of the day trying to cheer me up; we take an unapproved trip to a spaceport that I'd previously eyed when passing through on our mission, and we buy these fried food sticks that look so tasty and taste even better than they look. I wolf mine down - I've been so used to the nutrient bars we carry in our packs - and as I'm licking my fingers afterwards Aldred laughs at me and offers me the second half of his portion. I hesitate even though I'm so so tempted but he insists and as I take it from him I wonder is this what it would be like to have an older brother? But then I remember my own siblings somewhere out there and I feel awful again. I hope Louise can find where they ended up soon.

The suns are arcing down the sky and bathing us in light. I haven't really been awake that long so it's sort of weird to be on a planet where the day is ending but I'm getting used to the disorientation that our sort of travel involves. I sit contemplatively on a stone bench where we've been loitering and eating outside the port and watch Aldred stretched out lying on his back, arm held up lazily to protect his eyes from the dying light. It's so rare to have a still moment like this; Aldred is so organised and we've been jumping efficiently from one destination to the next, but now that our next step is unclear it makes sense to stop for a moment. It feels weird and a little unsettling but it's nice too. I can see Aldred's dress shirt is becoming untucked and it's a little wrinkled under his vest. I asked him once why he dresses so formally even though our job is so chaotic and he said it helps him to stay focussed, and to project readiness and professionalism. I don't really know what he means by that. I think I'd go crazy in clothes like that. I'm much more comfortable in the green t-shirt and trousers I had on me when I left home, although the shirt is getting perhaps a bit small for me. The best clothes I have are the boots Aldred got me for my birthday; he haggled for them in an alien market - they're size adaptable!!! Super soft material and comfy!! Should fit me for the rest of my life! And they make me feel very cool wearing them. Maybe that's what Aldred means about his clothes making him feel more ready for things, like it's a uniform, like if you wear the right things you can be competent and brave, like you can invent the type of person you want to be.

My thoughts are still wandering when Aldred groans and sits up. "Alright, I think that's enough of a break. You seem pretty anxious to keep going."

Do I? I mean I guess I am. But it's hard to get too worked up about it when "I don't even know what we can even do next."

"Come on sprout, there's lots of options." Aldred says with a soft smile. He pulls out his digifile and sits next to me, holding it between us so I can look at it with him. He's trying to teach me how to use the Science Institution data and research software. Or more correctly how to interpret it. "We can visit some of the Eridanus planetfalls that we've skipped over - maybe they picked up some tech or something that could've interfered with the communication systems. Or there's the astronomy centre on Ranigrous, they might have some info about phenomena in the vicinity of Larndres."

"Ooh, okay, that seems like a good option." I say, eyes roving over the screen. "I feel like there must've been something big to interfere with communication. So to Ranigrous then?"

He ruffles my hair and laughs. "Not quite. We've got to go back to Earth, back up the data we've collected, log the latest tests for the watch, get permission for the next trips, and so on."

I yawn and then pout. "Always so much work to do."

"It's okay, I'll do most of it. You should catch up on sleep anyway, clearly." He pokes me in the side teasingly.

I squirm away from him and then my brain is ticking over again. "Hmm, actually is it okay if I write one of the reports this time? I feel like I need to practice."

He looks at me with an expression I don't understand. "Of course you can."

"Nice." I smile at him. I can only hope my report will be a tenth as good as his are, but it feels good to try anyway. Maybe it will help find a detail that could point us towards the Eridanus. That's a lot to ask but I guess worst case scenario is I'm merely contributing to the sum of human knowledge. That doesn't sound too bad.

Aldred gets to his feet and I follow his lead, as always. Teleport watch at the ready, he extends his hand to me and I take it, thinking about all our dead ends, and how we might end up searching every planet in the universe in our search for the expedition. There's a seemingly endless road ahead of us, but at least we get to do it together. Onwards then, until we find the answers.