"That's just the life of a space cowboy." By the time Franco was done speaking, he had turned away and began walking. Now behind him, Vaka stood with her mouth agape, though not for long. With determination in her eyes, she quickly caught up to the outlaw in front of her and shook him by the shoulders from behind.

"No, that's not fair! You don't get to just run off and chase some alien god. You don't even know if they exist! This is crazy." The expression in her face died down. Quietly, she spoke "Why do you need to live forever, Franco? You have us... isn't that enough?"

Franco turned his head and to look back at the aggrieved woman behind him. Her eyebrows were contorted in a heartbroken manner to match the frown that sat above her pointed chin on her heart-shaped face. A few strands of her jet-black hair fell over her visage. Franco's heart twinged at the sight, but he quickly shook it off. "If I find the god's name and bring it to him, we can be together forever. Isn't that what you want?"

Vaka's hands squeezed harder and she could feel the shoulders beneath the insulation of the bright orange space suit the space cowboy had on. "I just want you." she whined. "You could die out there. You don't even know where to begin. Even if you find this god, you don't have his name. How do you expect to discover it? Anyone that has it will heavily guard it. It's too dangerous." Once again, a solemn expression fell over her normally expressive face. "You could be killed. Then what will I have?"

Franco's eyes widened for just a split second before he regained control and narrowed them on the woman still grabbing one of his shoulders. He stiffened up, stood straight and shook loose of her grip. "Anyways," he said in a serious tone, attempting to convince Vaka that the decision was final, "this is what I have to do. I can’t fight it, ok? I've already decided."

"Franco..." the somber woman called out, but she knew it was already too late.

The pressurized doors in front of Franco opened and without hesitation or a look back, he stepped through. He followed the twisted corridors until he came to his green, two-seater turbojet. As he got in, he heard Vaka yelling his name from the hallways. Franco closed his eyes and took one deep breath, then pressed the ignition button and took off.