In Greek, the word "planet" means "wanderers." Each of these solitary travelers carries its own world, bound to stars by gravity. Since realizing Earth isn't unique, humanity has developed many ways to observe the surrounding worlds: some shrouded in ice, others veiled in acid rain, some scarred by meteor impacts without an atmosphere to cushion the blow, some too hot, others too cold... These alien worlds offer humanity a glimpse of the fate Earth might have suffered had it not been in its just-right position, with the perfect light and conditions. Life can only arise at a point of equilibrium. By observing worlds where everything is out of balance, we can better understand our home planet.

Wonwoo has always loved the sky. Since his days as a student working extra jobs to pay for flight training, he'd always told Mingyu about his dream of escaping the atmosphere to observe and research. Mingyu, conversely, always wanted to feel connected to people, and ensuring communication between the spacecraft and Earth gave him a strong sense of connection. Their shared love for the universe, and for each other, was perhaps their common ground. Wonwoo was trained to fly beyond Earth and gaze upon alien worlds, while Mingyu remained here, in Mission Control, to ensure that every spacecraft, after its exploratory journey, had the capability to return. In the vast universe, Earth is just a faint speck of dust, but for humanity, it's home. Everything dearest and most familiar is here. He was here too, waiting for his love to return after each mission.

Mingyu held this faith as he monitored Wonwoo's every flight. More than anything, he wanted to ensure his safe return. So when the alarm lights on the spacecraft blared repeatedly in his headset, Mingyu felt disoriented. Oxygen tanks don't typically deplete this rapidly without a clear explanation; this situation didn't align with their previous data on the system's functionality. The spacecraft's second oxygen tank was nearly depleted—extremely critical, as oxygen directly impacts crew survival. The thought of Wonwoo suffocating terrified him. The ship was too far to be significantly affected by Earth's gravity. Without swift action, Pledis 17 would quickly run out of oxygen, killing the entire crew and continuing on a one-way trip out of the solar system. The last thing he wanted was for Wonwoo to be forever adrift in space, beyond Earth's gravity, beyond Mingyu's reach.

Fear nearly overwhelmed Mingyu. As flight director, he knew he needed to remain clear-headed to coordinate a solution. But his trembling, sweating hands betrayed his need for composure. Next to his workstation, Seungcheol was constantly communicating with the ship's Systems Engineering team to pinpoint the problem: "It seems there's an oxygen and nitrogen leak. I want to utilize the coolant tank to its maximum..." someone suggested. Immediately, Mission Control buzzed with a flurry of opinions. Gathering his strength, Mingyu activated his internal microphone: "Alright, everyone, calm down. We'll work through this together, but avoid speculation that could worsen the situation."

A sudden silence fell over the room. Everyone understood that Mingyu was more worried than anyone else. Up there weren't just three colleagues, but his lover and two friends from university. The room's rhythm gradually returned to its usual calm pace. After discussions with the engineering team, it appeared that an explosion on the spacecraft had disabled two fuel cell units. The problem was that this was the main power supply, and the last fuel cell was also depleting. The team had two hours to find a solution.

Mingyu understood that two out of three fuel cells being disabled meant the moon landing was officially aborted. However, being so close to the moon, orbiting it before returning would be more efficient than trying to return to Earth immediately. The command module was unsustainable; the only solution was to transfer the crew to the lunar landing module. This was the module designed to take people to the surface of Earth's satellite. According to the plan, Seokmin and Soonyoung would go through the tunnel to access it, while Wonwoo would remain on the ship to maintain communication with Earth and operate the equipment. The lunar module would only detach from the command and service modules once it reached its destination. It could provide water, oxygen, and a power alternative to the command module, which would lose power. The irony was that this module, originally designed only for Soonyoung and Seokmin to land on the moon's surface, was now their life raft.

"All controllers, I need someone to calculate the minimum energy required for the lunar module to sustain life," Mingyu said, striving for the utmost calm. He was the last person allowed to panic. Not only because he was Wonwoo's boyfriend, but also because he was the highest-ranking person in Mission Control. "I understand we've never considered completely shutting down the command module, and the lunar module has never been activated under these circumstances. But according to the data we just received, we have only 15 minutes before the command module completely loses power. So we'll only have 15 minutes to activate the lunar module. Vernon, assist him in providing the data so Seokmin can activate the module. Meanwhile, I need Seungkwan to transfer the location data from the command module computer before the power fails. Chan, you have 4 minutes to double-check the algorithm and ensure all the information Wonwoo inputted is accurate. We've never performed these two actions simultaneously, but the team has no other choice. EVERYONE STAY CALM AND FOCUS! WE NEED TO GET ALL THREE OF THEM BACK SAFELY!"

~~~

Time seemed to freeze in Mission Control. Mingyu felt the stiffness in his neck from the tension until Wonwoo's voice crackled through the comms: "Okay, CARAT, the command module has completely lost power. We've stabilized in the lunar module; all data is stable." Like a sedative, Mingyu slumped into his chair, hands clutching his head. Everyone in Mission Control breathed a collective sigh of relief. With limited information and no direct visual, they'd made a split-second decision, and now they knew it was the right one. Many problems remained, but for now, the three astronauts were safe.

Seungcheol clapped Mingyu on the back. "Good job. I think you should find somewhere quiet to calm down. We've got a lot to deal with. I'll brief the board; you go."

Ensuring the ship's vital signs remained stable, Mingyu swayed to his feet. He couldn't bear it any longer. Everywhere in Mission Control was crowded; the only place he could be alone was the restroom. It seemed only now that his personal terror fully crashed down. Letting himself tremble uncontrollably, Mingyu gasped for breath as tears welled, making it hard to breathe. There was only a 10% chance Wonwoo would return. That damned percentage felt like a curse clinging to his boyfriend. But even so, it had never dropped below 70%. For the first time in many years on the job, Mingyu felt uncertain about the future.

Jeonghan entered the restroom with a glass of water. "You look more panicked than Wonwoo right now. Drink this cold water. Quickly, before I pour it over your head." Mingyu slowly counted to the rhythm as the cool liquid flowed down his throat. Jeonghan's tiny calming trick always worked. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2...

Leaning wearily against the floor, Mingyu felt his muscles betray him. Clenching his trembling hands, he closed his eyes and let the fear spill out: "He almost ran out of oxygen. Just five more minutes, and all three would have been dead. Just imagining the spacecraft drifting past the moon into the void was unbearable. I couldn't accept a future without him. The air beyond is cruel and biting, and he's prone to hypothermia. Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn." Mingyu clutched his head, completely submerged in despair.

Jeonghan sighed and ruffled his hair. "Don't talk like you've completely lost hope. There's still a 10% chance all three of them will return safely." Mingyu looked up at his older friend with bewildered eyes. "Remember, you're the one in charge of Mission Control. Whether they make it home or not depends on your decisions. They're still waiting for you to give further instructions. Sit here any longer, and that percentage will drop to 1%," Jeonghan rolled his eyes. Sometimes this kid was incredibly naive.

Nodding in understanding, Mingyu shakily stood. He needed to keep fighting. Wonwoo couldn't be a "wanderer" in space; he had to come home.