Through the Wormhole

Chapter XVIII: Through the Wormhole (Part Upper Cretaceous)

The nerves were real. PPMC legitimately asked Dan if he felt sick. She probably would've taken him back if he said yes; however, his hook-up instincts said he would return a wuss to Molly. Something else told Dan PPMC meant what she said: traveling through the wormhole was like Portals and Aliens, and she would take care of him. Gah, why did he love geologic time?

Dan clumsily changed into his astronaut suit and went to PPMC's cockpit. He found her fiddling with the time machine.

"Dan! You're here!" PPMC rotated her hands.

"I guess I am," he nervously responded, internally screaming. A sudden jerk tossed him onto his seat's headrest, knocking his breath out. "Whoa! What was that?"

"The black hole's already starting to grab us," PPMC answered. She helped Dan sit and covered his head with his helmet. "We need to make our final jump right now."

"I thought you said this was like Portals and Aliens." Dan wanted to fold his arms, but PPMC had already strapped him in. "Oh, who am I kidding? An AI starship wouldn't know."

"Are you forgetting I'm programmed with your mom's personality?" PPMC's hands glared. "It is like Portals and Aliens. Trust me."

Dan shot her an arrogant look. "Kids, don't trust a starship. Somebody always gets hurt."

"Will you shut up and listen to me?" That was the first time PPMC sounded like a real mom. "Sorry," she eventually added. "We'll do this one step at a time, Dan. You do want that one-night stand, right?"

"Hook up," he corrected, "and yes, more than anything." He also wanted to see those prehistoric animals.

"Very well, then." PPMC rested her hand on her light speed switch. "Black hole, here we come!"

Dan wasn't much of a curser, but he cursed there, earning him a smack on the head from PPMC.

On their way through the blue tunnel, she said, "No cursing on my flight!"

"Does that matter now?"

A few minutes later, they dropped out of light speed. "Behold, Dan," PPMC giggled, "the black hole."

Dan cursed again.

The black, celestial whirlpool beneath them spun at incredible speed and blanketed an enormous vicinity section. Dan noticed something tunnel-like behind it.

"Oh, sweet Mamma!" he shouted. "We have to get out of here!"

"No can do, Daniel. The black hole has us." Sure enough, gravity caught PPMC in its trap. Her lights flickered before they went out altogether. The time machine was the only source of light now.

"PPMC, the lights!" That black hole was getting closer, and Dan didn't like it. How had he not spaghettified yet?

"Don't freak out, Dan." PPMC did not take her hands off the spiral. "This is supposed to happen."

"Tell me what to do!" Hook up or not, Dan wanted to live.

"Portals and Aliens, remember? Instead of pushing the alien into the portal, though, you're pushing me. Tell your microphone, 'Push!' It will send a signal to the time machine."

"Uh, okay." Dan understood none of the science, but he obeyed PPMC. "Push!"

Wow, it was like Portals and Aliens! At Dan's command, the alien—in that case, PPMC—hurtled for the portal—the black hole. Regardless, the closer it got, the more nauseous Dan felt. He sweated in his helmet. "PPMC..."

"And down we go!" PPMC had no right to be that excited when Dan was the only living thing on the mission.

Like hands, the black hole snatched her bow and tugged her toward it as though it were a space monster (which it was).