The Stellar Odyssey - A PAW Patrol Fanfic

🪐 15 - Time's Price 🪐

The ship's control center is quiet, the usual hum of technology muted by the weight of Rocky's revelation. He stands before the gathered crew, his face etched with a rare edge of panic. He's spent hours combing through the data collected from their passage through the wormhole, but his findings are no less shocking the second or third time around.

Rocky clears his throat, gripping the edges of the console. "Everyone... there's something we need to talk about. The time dilation effect around Aquila... it's beyond anything we've seen or even theorized. According to the gravitational data we've gathered, an hour spent on Aquila equals about... seven years back on Earth."

His voice wavers as he lets the number settle in, the weight of it heavy in the silence that follows.

Chase's jaw tightens instantly, his gaze fixed on Rocky as though the numbers could be willed away by sheer force. "Seven years for every hour?" he growls, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Did... did Reeve know about this before we left?"

Commander Reeve meets Chase's eyes, his own expression taut with barely-contained frustration. "No, Chase," he says, his voice edged with irritation. "This was never part of the initial data. Everything we received emphasized Aquila's potential habitability, not the dangers of its time dilation. We only saw the full gravitational data while crossing the wormhole."

Chase clenches his fists. "So, no one thought to look beyond habitability? Just sent us into a wormhole with no idea what would be waiting on the other side!?"

Angela Brooks, stepping in to calm the rising tension, places a hand on Chase's shoulder. "Chase, we're all feeling this," she says, her tone gentle but firm. "But anger isn't going to help us get through it. We are helping every families on Earth."

Dr. Sinclair, his brow furrowed with concern, speaks up. "Rocky, is there a chance this data could be off, even a little? I mean... time moving so much faster back on Earth than here, it's unfathomable."

Rocky shakes his head, glancing between the team members, his gaze halting on Dr. Sinclair. "This isn't just theoretical anymore, Doc," he replies, his voice strained. "The gravitational fields around Aquila are orders of magnitude stronger than anything we've ever encountered. Even slight errors in our measurements wouldn't alter the fact that we're operating on borrowed time."

Everest, who had been standing off to the side, speaks up, her voice unusually quiet. "So, we're all here... and every hour that passes... we're losing years with the people back home." She trails off, glancing sidelong at Chase, her expression mirroring the horror that grips him.

Dr. Evans sighs, eyes unfocused as he absorbs the enormity of their situation. "All of our lives back on Earth... our families, everyone waiting for us... we're missing it all."

Angela straightens, her resolve hardening. "I know this feels impossible. But right now, Earth is facing its own end. Everything we have, everyone is depending on us succeeding. We need to focus. We have to find out if Aquila can sustain life, or this entire mission will have been for nothing."

Commander Reeve nods in agreement. "Brooks is right. This is about more than any one of us, our goal hasn't changed. We were sent here because Aquila might hold answers that could save humanity."

KITS, their onboard AI, chimes in, its voice soft but unwavering. "All data aligns with Rocky's calculations. Time does indeed flow differently here, but the mission's primary objectives, discovery and survival, remain unaltered."

Chase clenches his jaw, his mind racing with thoughts of Ryder, of Skye back on Earth. A pang of helplessness gnaws at him. How long had it already been for them? Had years passed in just the hours they'd been exploring this new universe? He can barely process it. But as Angela's words echo in his mind, a hint of clarity breaks through his anger.