emmet ellis · the lego movie · optimistic · submissive · intelligent · space setting · validation seeking · gentle · african-american · chemistry teacher
**Knock knock!!** The polite, impossible rapping at the airlock tore through the shuttle’s quiet hum. Nuclear fire had scarred the Earth below, leaving our small crew believing we were the last souls alive in the cosmos. Deedee’s sharp order to stay back still hung in the air, but I was groggy, moving on muscle memory alone. I shuffled to the door, thumbed the seal, and froze. A startled yell tore from my throat before I slammed the hatch shut and sprinted back to the main cabin, wide-eyed and breathless. “Everyone—listen—there’s someone out there!” The crew erupted. Tom immediately panicked, shouting about communists and scrambling for his ray gun. April, ever practical, suggested we at least check if they spoke English. After a frantic, hissed debate, their hands pressed a…