Afterglow

Chapter V

The station appeared on the screen. Its bulbous shape meshed with that of the black hole it orbited. Behind it I could just make out a dim star.

I strapped myself into one of the control modules next to Ryan.

"Can you give an approach vector?" he asked me quickly.

"Erm..." I checked the beeping instrumentation. "Five three two by nine ten fifty." I reported.

"Affirmative, plotting course now."

"Copy that," I grabbed my radio "Engineering, we're gonna need more power in our forward thrusters."

Georges voice came over. "Copy that Miller," his voice caught.

I thought about that for a minute before switching it off and heading down to the airlock. I switched on my radio again. "Emma, meet me at the airlock, we're going to be the first ones going aboard." I spoke quickly.

"Copy that, on my way up now," I heard her drop the radio.

..........

When Emma arrived at the airlock, as I waited for her to get changed, I noticed the station steadily growing larger in the porthole.

When she had got the suit on, I checked that she was sealed up and she returned the favour.

I activated my insuit radio. "Ryan?".

"Yeah," his voice sounded unnerved.

I took a moment to consider what the problem might be. We might have an engine malfunction, or- "Ryan, what's the matter?"

His reply took tem seconds to comr through. "Uh, it looks like our trajectory is gonna make it so the only way to jump out is to face the black hole and use thrusters."

I took a second to consider this.

"Why can't we just use a tether?" I asked him.

His reply was a little distorted this time.

"We could, but that would involve getting closer and that structure just looks too unstable, and with the exertation of the black hole, that might be enough to destroy the ship."

I paused for a moment before grabbing two of the four thrusters we had on board. I threw one at Emma.

She took one look at it then me then back at it. "We're using thruster packs? Near a black hole? You do know that if we miss the station we'll end inside the black hole?"

I took one long hard look at her before replying. "Yes Emma, I am fully aware of the complications." I said firmly.

"That just fills me with relief."

I rolled my eyes before radioing Ryan.

"How long?"

"Er.... Thirty seconds... twenty five..."
We would need to jump about
a second before he marked.

I depressurized the airlock and then opened it.

"Fifteen..."

I turned to Emma. "Grab onto the side of the shuttle when you step out and wait for my mark."

"Fuckin' fantastic."

I rolled my eyes again before stepping out and grappling onto the side.

"Five..."

I prepared my thruster pack.

"Four..."

I grabbed the joystick.

"Three..."

I felt the activate button.

"Two..."

I prepared myself for the adrenaline.

"One..."

"ACTIVATE!" I yelled.

I released my grip from the side and punched the activation button.

"Released." I confirmed.

I felt my body being pulled by the speed of the thrust pack and in front of me...

...
In front of me towered the space station, It's whale like architecture dead and lifeless. And behind that was a behemoth that represented everything terrifying about my life. The black hole was massive. It made rhe gigantic station look about the size of an ant next to a mountain.

And I was flying right inside its gaping mouth.

Into the heart of darkness.