The Protogen Generation

To the limit

KYLE'S P.O.V.

The Adastra shot through high-level clouds as we ascended into space. I kept a death grip on the control column, easing our sharp climb to reach orbit.

Behind me, Conrad fiddled with the radio, cycling through various frequencies in an attempt to communicate with the ground.

“Does that even work?” I asked.

“Yeah—” Conrad replied, turning a small dial on the radio.

Pruitt's loud voice boomed into my headset.

“—WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” He sounded pissed, understandably. “IF YOU CONTINUE, YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO OVERSEE THE AGENCY—”

Conrad quickly grabbed a headset and began speaking into it. “Look, Dad, I'm sorry—” he stuttered, “I just can't let you ignore what has happened.”

I clicked on my microphone. “Pruitt, I've looked up to your family name since I was little,” I said. “And to a degree, I still do. However, I'll never be looking up to you specifically.”

Pruitt’s tone shifted, though the anger was still present. “Raymond? You are dragging my son to his death with that half-cocked plan of yours! If I ever have the opportunity of meeting you again, I will make sure you remember it.”

His words angered me—not in an annoyed way, but in a way that left me confused. My grip on the control column tightened as if I could crush it in my hands.

I held my thumb on the control yoke, hovering over the mic button. My microphone activated, and without thinking, I acted.

“You'll be outright THANKFUL to ever see me again!” I yelled into the mic. “Because as far as I'm concerned—YOU are a liar. To my colleagues. To the public. And to your own children!”

Pruitt didn’t have much of a reply. He wasn’t expecting the sudden outburst, and neither was I.

“Two minutes until we're in orbit,” Conrad said, breaking the tense silence. “And can we shut off the damn radio now?”

I didn’t say anything. Instead, I continued staring out at the cracked windshield in front of me. “Well... uh,” I said, “just wait a moment.”

I took a deep breath and adjusted my grip on the control column. “We’ll be transmitting scientific data at 3GHz frequency. Adastra out.” I gestured for Conrad to cut communications with the ground, which he promptly did.

I turned back to Conrad. “Once we’re in orbit, get the gravimetric computers going. Send the additional data to the ground at 3GHz.”

He nodded. “We’re just about to match the EX-5’s orbit,” he said. “Engine shut-off in ten seconds.”

I counted down, and when Conrad said so, I shut off the engines. Suddenly being weightless was... interesting, to say the least.

Bits of dust and other minuscule debris began floating about the cabin, including Michael’s hoodie. Conrad looked on in awe as beams of light illuminated the floating particles.

“Try not to get any in your eyes... or eye, in my case,” I said, unbuckling my seat harness. I haphazardly pulled myself away from the cockpit and toward the flight engineer’s station.

I settled into the seat as Conrad activated various scientific computers. “Once we reach the coordinates where the EX-5 disappeared, we’re getting out of dodge.”

Minutes passed as I worked through circuit breakers and other systems to activate the hyperspace cell. To my relief, I succeeded in connecting it. The cabin lights flickered momentarily as they began drawing power from the cell.