Lost in Space

Chapter 7: Singularity

I might just take a moment right now to relax. I do not know how much time has passed since we had left Earth, and eventually I might not want to. For all I know, it may be more than 5 months since leaving Earth. For all I know, the next moment may be something that is crazier than what has happened. I am still unsure what to say at the moment, but I had to ask something. "So... what do we do now?"

Stephen was obviously surprised that I said it. "You finally ask that question?"

"I am sorry. I... I just do not know what to do now. We had our second big escape from 5G-189, and she is obviously not giving up anytime soon. What do you expect me to ask?"

"Maybe, what should we do when we meet 5G-189 again?"

"I am really not sure right now. Do know everything that has happened up until this point? When we left the ship? When we crashed on what is actually Gliese 581c? When we witness the human cleansing at Gliese 581g? When I used the special cuffs to knock out 5G-189? When you made the deal with 5G-189? Let's not mention all of the other stuff afterwards." It is hard to believe that I am remembering all of this.

Ashley interrupted. "Wait... What deal did you make with 5G-189, Stephen?"

"The deal was that, if 5G-189 found us, she can kill us."

"Are you crazy!?! You made a deal like that with her!?!"

"Look... She is going to destroy all humans. It would not make a difference if she destroyed us because of the deal or because of H.E.P.N.I.S. or whatever."

I had to interrupt their conversation. "Ashley, Stephen. We need to make a plan."

They both yelled at me, "so you finally said it!"

"Okay, jeez... I am sorry it took a while for me to say it. The problem is that, every time we are away from 5G-189, we are never given enough time to plan anything against 5G-189 before she arrives."

Stephen calmed down quickly. "Well, then... What should we do then?"

"I am not the person you should be asking, since I do not do well under pressure."

Ashley seemed to have an idea. "Hey, what about me?"

"What about you, Ashley?" I know what she wants.

"I am a great planner. I used to be with my friends at the space center all the time and play games in the adventure building."

"Okay, but I do have one question. You do know about the game world versus reality world debate, right?"

"Yes, I do know that. The thing is that the space center we are in seems to have a lot of advanced technology."

Stephen came back in the conversation. "What a minute... You like space?"

"Like space? Someday, I wish to become an astronomer." Ashley looked out the side window at the door. She put her hand on the window slowly. "I have always wonder what lurks out there. Maybe, I can discover a new star system or maybe even a galaxy and I could become famous for my discoveries."

I cried a little bit. "That... That really makes you seem incredibly determined. I really do you become an astronomer one day."

"Thanks, Jordan."

I turned and looked to the front. "Hey, what is that black thing in front of us?"

Hyle was obviously in panic. "Oh no! We have to divert away!"

"Away from what?"

"What do you mean, Jordan? THAT IS A SINGULARITY! In simpler terms, we are talking about a black hole."

Stephen started to freak out. "Get back, Jordan. Hyle and I will try to get the ship to fly away!"

I had to said this. "You obviously cannot fly away from a black hole! The force needed to escape would kill us!"

"There is only one way to see if we will be killed under such force."

I turned to Ashley. "Let's hope we can escape."

"If we don't make it, then..." Ashley didn't know what to say.

"Then... wait..."

"I don't know..."

Hyle spoke to us. "You two better sit back and hold on to something very firmly."

"Grab the side!" I yelled out, pointing to the handles at one of the sides. We weren't just holding onto them. Ashley and I had our arms wrapped around the handles because we were both scared that we would fly out of the ship.

Ashley looked to me with a frightened look in her eyes. "Jordan, if we do not make it, I just want to say that we did not get to get to know each other more often. I wanted to know who you really were, but I—" It was too late. We were in the black hole. The rest of what she said was overpowered by both the sound of the ship and the sound of the black hole.

"3A-932, do you have any idea where Jordan and Stephen are?"

"I actually do not know. For all I know, the ship itself is not even on our wide-range radar. It was there one moment and then it wasn't the next."

"Are you saying they mysteriously disappeared off the radar?"

"It seems to be that way."

5G-189 stepped closer to 3A-932 with a confused look on her face. "How can somebody just disappear off the grid just like that?"

"I do not even know. I was paying closing attention to their coordinates. The next thing I knew was that their coordinates became unknown. The radar is fine."

"We will find them. They cannot just leave us like that. They must have turned off their GPS signal."

"We will try to figure out what happened."

"Do you remember their relative position?"

"Yes. They should be straight ahead." He looks forward. "Here they—wait... where are they?" He paused. "That... does not make any sense."

"When was the last position taken?"

"30 minutes ago."

"They should not be that far off then."