A day without music

A small ship smoothly cut through the silent expanse of space. It left behind a bright trail of searchlights and tiny fragments of burning hull. From the Milano’s porthole, the incomprehensible beauty of space unfolded before them. The endless ocean of darkness intertwined with distant stars, like diamonds scattered on black velvet. From afar, enormous gas clouds were visible, their colorful hues creating the impression of a painting, as if an artist had spilled a glass of paint from his brushes. Fiery stars shone brightly, and it seemed like one could reach out and touch them if they only extended their hand. Some of the crew members sat lazily in their chairs, following the ship's course. Rocket was trying to take the remote from his tree-like friend. The latter clearly resisted, and at one point, simply bound him with his flexible branches. After another mission, they were heading toward an unknown destination. It was even surprising that the guards weren’t chasing them, and the starship was in relatively working condition. Only a few scratches on the hull and a broken engine reminded them of the crew’s adventures. As usual, the captain took the most important spot, in his opinion. He sat at the helm, legs thrown over the control panel. Peter was listening to music, tapping his foot in time with the beat, quietly singing along. Gamora rolled her eyes and stood off to the side. She tossed a coin in the air, observing the crew. The music blasting from the old headphones suddenly stopped. Peter jumped out of his chair at the helm and began shaking his player. A look of surprise appeared on his face, which quickly turned into anger. Star-Lord gently tapped on the square device, but that didn’t help either. — Well, have you finally broken it? — Drax asked with a slight smirk. Peter looked at the man in the chair but didn’t respond. It was clear without words; one only had to look into his eyes. Rocket walked up to the captain and crossed his paws on his fluffy chest. — Let me see what's wrong with it. You’re always messing around with this Earth gadget. Peter carefully handed the player to the mechanic. Rocket immediately began to twist it, quickly disassembling it into tiny parts. The captain grabbed his head, helplessly watching his treasure dissolve before his eyes. — How long have you been using this thing? Fifty years? — Rocket blurted out, inspecting the thin red wires. — It was a gift from my mother, along with two tapes. — Guess it’s true then. — Do you really think I’m fifty years old, Rocket? — Peter was outraged. He certainly hadn’t expected that statement and started looking around for support from his friends. Each of them was busy with their own things and didn’t seem inclined to defend their captain. — Look in the mirror, Quill, — Drax interjected, — you’re no spring chicken, and you’ve put on a bit of weight. Peter waved his hand and started waiting for the raccoon’s verdict. — You figured out what’s wrong with it? — Yeah, and I’m afraid this break is beyond repair. This time, Rocket didn’t laugh at his friend. Each member of the crew knew how important music was to the captain, and even more so, his player. That little box was the only thing that reminded Peter of his home planet. Peter grabbed the remains of the player from Rocket’s hands and headed to his cabin, muttering something sadly under his breath. Rocket felt the weight of the crew’s gazes on him but didn’t know what to say. — Alright, it's settled, — Drax said enthusiastically, — we’re going to Earth! We’ve got to get the captain his toy back! — Oh, no, — Gamora interrupted him, — Midgard is a couple hundred light years away, and the ship is in no great condition. It won’t be the end of the world if Peter stays without his jingling music. Gamora fell silent, realizing she’d said too much, and stepped back toward the wall. Rocket took the helm and entered Earth’s coordinates into the navigation system. — Forty-two minutes to the jump point, Milano should hold up. You’ll go get the player, and I’ll stay with Peter and fix the starship. — I’ll go see Quill, he’s really upset, — Gamora sighed loudly. She left the cockpit and headed to the captain’s quarters. Entering, she saw Peter sitting on the bed. He was staring at the floor, fiddling with the headphones in his hands. Peter lifted his eyes and looked at Gamora’s face, lit by dim light. — You know, in moments like these, I always wanted to listen to some music. But now... I don’t even know what to do. Gamora sat down beside him. She tried to talk to Peter, but nothing seemed to lift his spirits. The mercenary gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder before walking away. Peter lay back on the bed and turned toward the wall. He just wanted to be alone for now and immerse himself in thoughts of the past. — Ten seconds to jump entry, nine... The ship cracked as it entered the teleportation point, and through the forward porthole, the shape of Earth could already be seen. — According to the coordinates, we need to land on that long thing in the ocean. Rocket tilted the helm down, and the team headed straight for Peter’s hometown. A few minutes later, the Milano was landing, attracting numerous gawking stares from the people of Missouri. The locals clearly weren’t prepared to meet an alien ship. Moreover, they hadn’t expected to see a giant tree and a shirtless gray man stepping down the extended ramp. — What are you staring at? — Drax shouted. The crowd quickly dispersed, and the Destroyer laughed heartily. — Alright, now we need to find Peter’s player. Drax and Groot walked cheerfully through the bustling street, looking around at the city. They passed bright store windows and restaurants that smelled of something unbelievably delicious. Drax kept turning around to point at the passing people, laughing loudly. Before they could reach the electronics store, Groot noticed a boy sitting on a bench, with something resembling headphones sticking out of his ears. The aliens approached him and stared at the kid, who didn’t notice them and was engrossed in his book. As soon as the shadow of the tall Drax fell on the pages, the boy looked up and froze in fear. The last thing he saw was a giant hand reaching for his face. Drax yanked the device from his ear and showed it to Groot. — Do you think this looks like an Earth player? The boy immediately jumped up from the bench and began gesturing frantically. He tried to take the hearing device back from the brute. — What’s he doing? — Drax growled and turned away from the kid, — the nerve of him. — Please, give it back to me, — the boy pleaded. His speech was barely intelligible, and Drax stared at him in surprise. Groot snatched the hearing device from the Destroyer’s hands and returned it to the boy. The tree wrapped its tendrils around Drax and quickly pulled him along. After a couple of streets and countless stares from onlookers, the friends spotted a store with the sign «Antiques & Vintage Goods». A vinyl record with notes floating around it adorned the sign. — Looks like this is the place, — Drax grunted as he leaned against the door. The shop bell jingled, and a pleasant melody played inside. — How can I help you? — asked the store clerk, stretching the words as he stood behind the counter, opening a large box with an office knife. Drax didn’t answer and walked deeper into the shop, eagerly scanning the shelves for a square player. He darted from place to place until his attention was caught by a blue, worn-out box with a picture of a player on it. — Just like Quill’s, — he said, — we’ll take this one and leave. The captain will be so happy! — I am Groot, — the tree replied in his usual manner. — What do you mean, how are we going to pay? In units, of course, — Drax said, walking up to the shopkeeper. He placed the player on the counter and dumped a jingling pile of coins from a cloth bag. — What is this? — the shopkeeper asked in astonishment, — are you going to pay? — This is money, stupid Earthling. Give us the player, or you’ll regret ever being born. — Listen, if you’re not going to pay and keep threatening me, I’ll call the police. And trust me, then you’ll regret your words, — the clerk said calmly, clearly used to such situations. Meanwhile, the Destroyer scooped up the player and headed for the exit. Groot hurried after him. The shopkeeper reached for the phone and began dialing a short number. But the crew rushed toward their ship. They dashed down the street, Drax laughing and shouting nonsensical things, while Groot covered his face with his hands in embarrassment. Upon reaching the Milano, Drax stopped to catch his breath. He leaned against the side of the ship and panted heavily. Groot grabbed the player and climbed aboard. They were greeted by Rocket, who was wiping his paws off something black and sticky. Apparently, he had just finished fixing the starship. The door immediately slammed shut with an unpleasant sound, and the team was hit with blasts of cold air. The engines began to hum, and they could feel the ship lifting off, leaving Earth far behind. — I see you got it all sorted out, — Gamora said, smiling. She was proud of her teammates. — Gamora, give him the player. Peter will be happy to get it from you. Gamora looked at the floor, embarrassed, and took the player from Groot’s hands. She approached Peter’s door but stopped before entering, rehearsing what she was going to say. The mercenary lightly touched the door, opening it. Peter was lying in complete darkness, although he usually enjoyed watching the outside world through the small porthole in his room. Gamora approached him and gently shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes and took a while to comprehend what was happening. Gamora had forgotten everything she had meant to say and simply handed the box to Peter. — This is from all of us. — Thanks, but what is it? — Peter switched on the lamp above his bed and opened the porthole curtains. When he saw the label on the box, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Star-Lord quickly tore open the gift, his face lighting up with a sincere smile. He pulled the player out of the box and connected the headphones. — Do you want to listen to it with me? Gamora sat down beside him, staring into the black-and-green glints of light reflecting in Peter’s eyes…