ERA ADRIFT

3: ASTRAL ARRAY

    
      As the star scape lined up the galaxy across. The shuttle drifted across the void. Plummeting into utter darkness not a sound was to be heard across the interior of each shuttle compartment. Echoed as pressure seized through each canopy.
    *Tsss* the canopy echoed. As the shuttle began its fourth stage separation. Each shuttle ventured off in their own direction.
Era drifted ahead as the two had fallen into deeper slumber as pressure was released in space. The gas pushed the spacecraft further toward their destination.

    It was only a matter of time till they reached further away from their planet.
   He could see her again. Dreaming of a home in which she existed. Her soft face, purple hair smiling as they shared interested over time and space.
   To him, she was the greatest construct to exist above the threshold. Her smile illuminated the night sky. The way her cheeks perked up. His eyes were lost in hers.
    She smiled back at him as she climbed over him.
   Passing through dreams like a subliminal worm hole. She appeared again, smiling to him as she turned away to her car to head home.
   Wishing it wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other, he wished she'd come back.
The way her voice had soothed him, wanting to spin out of control through a subtle vortex. Neurons fired in his mind like atoms splitting causing a chain reaction.

As the Era was set adrift in space, the cosmic nature guided the shuttle through the endless universe.
Like stars set to journey with them, they drifted beyond the majestic wonderland of space. Crossing forests of dust like embers floating through space.

A service bot named Bow turned on and deployed around the shuttle matting. Tiny only surpassing the heel of a human. Bow's main feature was to clean the floor paneling. Aw struck, Bow looked up at the celestial garden above him and watched as the vibrant reds, blues, and golds drifted by it.
The white trimmed black toned projected screen emitted a blue face the smiled with wonder. Though Bow only had one function. Bow was able to comprehend full conversations and solve difficult problems. Uniquely, Bow was able to communicate with one small word. "Bow." The aw struck bot smirked as it stopped and stared continuously. Curious, the small bot ventured off to the cabin and saw the humans the shuttle had carried.
A man, with a cat on his chest and a woman, turned over to the side of the cryo-table facing the window above the man.
"Bow." The robot beeped out as it went back into the main chamber. After a couple hours of cleaning, Bow sat aside the nook area and watched as the stars passed by. Waving, the tiny bot sat there and let it's battery slowly die out. But the small bot was ok with it, allowing itself to fall asleep inevitably to the sight of cosmic wonder. Seemed quite alright for the small android.

3 months later: 8,673 miles from the nearest space station.

As the cryo-chamber decompressed the sound and pressure of air hitting Jacob's skin had awoke him. Jolting forward, Bailey was still under cryo sleep. Leaving the canopy open for the cryo pod. He left Bailey awaken on his own.
Following behind him, an hour later. Jenny had awoken the same way, as she jolted forward. A large and fast thump to the head and an instant headache had made her groan aloud.
"Where are we?" Jenny asked.
"Maximus Antorra; the bridge galaxy home of the largest celestial anomalies near our solar system." Jacob paused. "This is where we'll make our jump through those wormholes."

"Era, this is echo relaying your comms, are you going to go ahead with the mission." The main shuttle pilot asked as they waited for a response.
Jacob waited as he cleared his throat stuck in a decision. Looking at Jenny, she smiled to him. Grabbing his hand off the ejector. She replied. "I'm with you, from Glecies to the end of the universe." Looking over at the switch. Jacob pulled the lever back as the shuttle jolted backward away from the tempest. Watching the shuttle as the drifted away Jacob grabbed the controls and turned the shuttle towards the field of wormholes. As the interior of the shuttle started to shake heavily. He started to accelerate toward the wormhole; Kylora-B.

    Grabbing Jenny's hand he smiled back and apologized to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't be better for you." Turning back over to the center console Jacob hit the throttle and jumped into the center vortex.

    Looking at the stars around them. Jacob and Jenny looked as they questioned the physics of the stars around them. Crushing from the pressure of gravity. The wormhole split and shot the shuttle further away from their target trajectory. Trying to man the throttle Jacob forced the shuttle sideways as the shuttle started flipping around at a faster rate of speed. Using the stabilizers to try to ease the spinning. Jenny released the pressure of the stabilizers to slow down their rotation.
    For a split moment he could see it. Fainted but visible. The stars as they passed by and through a black hole. As they passed further through they saw more black holes around them.
  
    Watching as galaxies passed them, the Era passed through the other end of the wormhole spinning uncontrollably.
    Turning to the console to the left of him, Jacob tried to control the stabilizers to relax the spinning ratio.
   Once the shuttle had stabilized, Jenny sat next to Jacob unconscious as Jacob stood up and glided behind the main console. A large planet beyond them appeared. Jacob moved back to the front of the ship.
   "Era, deploy long range radar and display on the main console."
  Understood
Jacob looked across the map and studied their surroundings as most of the planets around them had been habited with life.
   "Era, give me information you have on this system, all the information you have." Jacob ordered as the shuttle AI scanned.
  Our technology isn't as advanced as the technology on any of these planets.
  But it seems we have slipped to a timeline 450 years in our distant future.

   "450?" Jacob stood up confused as Jenny sat back still unconscious. He looked over to her with concern of her reaction.
  "What's the specific year in this galaxy." Jacob asked.
   2656, there is a large unknown military presence in this system I'd advise you to flee away as we are not equipped with any combat or defense systems in our shuttle.

   "Deploy a probe and have it relay any information that we may need." Jacob stated as he turned the shuttle around.
   "How far is the occupied zone from us." Jacob asked.
   268 light years, I'll set a warp travel destination for us.
   "How long will the take?" Jacob asked.
    It should take us about 3 months and 14 days to reach the green zone.
   Jacob authorized the setting and moved Jenny back into her cryo chamber. As he sat back into his chamber he looked at a small bot that had just sat there watching the stars.
  Getting back up Jacob grabbed the bot and set it on its charging station.
   Looking over at the android, he studied its distribution engraving.
   "B-O-W, a self maintaining companion for explorers, will clean and accompany you on your journeys." The designated retail seller stated in a small video played across Bow's central monitor.
    "I'll see you soon Bow." Jacob stated as he set Bow back down on its charger.
  Jacob closed the container from the inside and locked his seal in as he closed his eyes.