A Space Story
~ 2037 ~
Elena stood motionless as crowds ran left and right, some searching for their loved ones, some in utter disbelief and hysteria. She could not accept her reality, especially alone in the crowd, staring at the Earth from above. After 10 years of orbiting our earth, the Voyager Station was coming to a dramatic end, as an asteroid torpedoed towards it at 6 slow kilometers per hour.
“Everyone, remain calm! There is a number stated on your ticket at the top right, this is your escape pod. Make your way to the pod immediately. Once again, remain calm” the sound system blared the voice of an unknown stranger. A man, nestled between the comfort of gravity giving commands to an ocean of people fearing for their life, what an idiot.
Elena looked at her ticket.
Number 47.
She made her way to the escape pod and sat, hands on her thighs, awaiting instructions. She could hear the plethora of sounds invade her thoughts. A mother’s cry for a lost daughter. A husband’s tears for a trauma-struck wife. A child’s confusion about a holiday gone wrong.
The Voyager station was the diamond of the decade, the mission all of mankind was proud of. It gave humans the opportunity to become astronauts overnight! Its circular shape and constant rotation mimicked gravity, a feat achievable by humans since the beginning of time. The silver coat of paint made it look like a star in the night sky from earth, twinkling away, while all its 450 guests enjoy the spectacular view of the galaxy, simply through their window.
Elena embarked on this adventure alone. A golden ticket, they called it, for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the luxury hotel in space. Who would say no to that? Much like a cruel allusion to the Titanic, the Voyager Station would shatter into pieces in the coming hour. All Elena could do, was wait for the rest of Pod 47 to arrive.
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~ A writer, a doctor, a child, a baker, and Elena ~
“Disembarking pod 46, please stand by”
Elena watched as the 46th pod was catapulted into the abyss of space, making it's way back to earth, safety, a mere half hour away. Although this occurred 46 times, Elena’s gut sensed a particular unease, with an urge to escape her pod. Swallowing the feeling, she strapped herself in and took deep breaths.
“Disembarking pod 47, please stand by”
The pod began to tremble as it came to life. The glow of the sun hit the silver capsule, emulating a bright, almost heavenly light, as it rose to the catapult. The latch clicked, and the child beside her placed his hand on top of hers.
“We’ll be home soon,” said the man opposite her, sensing her nervousness.
In a moment, they were shot out at a speed faster than an airplane. From the window, they saw the last of what was left on the Voyager Station and bid adieu to the feeling of uncertainty they had felt for 24 hours prior.
“I like to bake,” said the man across from Elena. “I own a small cafe on the East Side of Los Angeles. It’s very popular, i would love to have you all. I’m Adam, by the way!”
Elena appreciated his effort to distract them. Each one introduced themselves and began talking about their lives on earth. Who they were, what they did, about their family. The tension started to dissipate as they spoke and laughed together. Adam, the baker, was an elderly man looking to retire and spent all his savings on this trip to space. Blinda, the doctor, was a renowned neurosurgeon and had come to space via the hospital, as an opportunity to be an on-call doctor. Serena, the writer, was a journalist for Sky News Magazine and had finally gotten the chance to review the Voyager Station. Sammy, the child, was barely touching his teenage years, his father was one of the scientists to have worked on this project and was still at the Station, helping people evacuate. And of course, Elena, the young student who stumbled upon this opportunity by winning the golden ticket via a social media contest.
The five talked about their time on the Station, and how catastrophic it was that the men on the ground had failed to detect the small, yet impactful asteroid that would destroy this billion-dollar project. They assumed all 60 pods would have left the Station, and looked out the window to see if they could spot any.
And then, Elena felt a dip. No one seemed to notice it, but there was a shift in the forces outside the pod. The problem when dealing with space, one small change could lead to disastrous outcomes.
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~ A distant crash ~
Sammy’s eyes welled up with tears. The five crowded around the window to watch the Voyager Station break into what looked like tiny pieces. The asteroid had hit, but there was no way of knowing whether everyone made it out in time.
“I’m sure your father made it out Sammy. The scientists and men on the ground have calculated everything so precisely, it's almost a foolproof method” said Blinda.
Clink
Something had hit the pod.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
Hearts began beating faster by the minute.
“I… I think we’re being hit” said Sammy, his voice shaking.
“Hit? By what” asked Elena.
“Well, it seems like fragments from the station?” said Adam.
“How could that be? We’re so far away?” asked Serena.
“In theory, the gravitational force of the Earth could pull fragments of the broken station back to Earth, and since we’re on that path, it could easily interrupt our course,” said Sammy.
“No Sammy, surely the men on the ground would have taken into account this possibility… right?”
Before the five could confer, the pod was hit by a large fragment from the Station, sending them into a spiral. The spinning caused the five to slowly lose consciousness as the pod rocketed in another direction, changing its course from the one going home. As Elena’s eyes grew heavier by the second, she could see the Earth grow smaller, just by an inch, but that was enough for her to understand that their ill-fated adventure was not coming to an end anytime soon.
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The story would continue along the lines of the five waking from the crash in a stationary position, lost in space. They would have broken communication with the men on the ground, ensuring that they were not too far, but due to the course of their pod being altered, a rescue team would take longer than anticipated. The five must work together, ration the emergency food, and care for each other in order to survive the ten-day treacherous wait, where they would have to learn how to survive in space.
