Someone to watch over me

Len Mattern drifts through the uncanny veil of hyperspace, where reality twists into its opposite, and lands in the bustling Golden Apple Bar on the distant world of Erytheia. After years of longing, he finally spots Lyddy, unchanged in the glow of alien lights, and the surge of old affection overwhelms the fatigue of his journey. The bar’s alien patrons and the hum of distant stars frame a reunion that feels both inevitable and fragile.

With a curt greeting, Len pushes past the cluster of men surrounding Lyddy, demanding the attention he’s craved for so long. Their conversation is a delicate dance of half‑remembered names and quiet uncertainty, as Lyddy’s sharp blue eyes assess the man before her while a lingering sensation of being watched gnaws at the edges of the room. The pair arrange a private meeting, hinting at deeper currents of duty, desire, and the strange darkness that seems to follow them.

As they retreat to a modest chamber high above the bar, the atmosphere tightens with an unspoken promise and a growing dread that something—perhaps a hidden observer—won’t let their tentative peace go unchallenged. This opening blends classic sci‑fi intrigue with a pulsing, personal quest, inviting listeners to follow Len’s struggle between past vows and the mysterious forces that now shadow his every step.