Beyond our Earth

24: Ahead

~~~~~~~SARA'S POV~~~~~~~

My plan was make-shift, and it sucked, and there was a more than likely chance it would get me killed, but it was a plan nonetheless.

I dashed down the hall and went back the way we'd come. I was going back to the spacecrafts.

It was stupid of me to think of this, really really stupid, but I thought they looked easy enough to steer. I thought I could get into one, drive it away and find my way back to earth.

I know. It was stupid.

I sped into the room, heart racing in a spur of the moment whimsical race against the clock. It would only be a matter of time before Althazar went back to my room, found me missing and came looking for me, so I would have to work fast.

I got in and started looking around. There were a lot of ships in there. Some looked big and industrial, others were sleek and fast looking. For me it was all about how easy it would be to drive one and whether it seemed solid enough to get me back to earth.

I picked one out really quickly. It was a bright red spacecraft that caught my eye earlier. It seemed decent so I messed around with the panels on it's side until something opened. I got in, closing the door behind me. The inside seemed kind of bear bones compared to the other craft I'd been in but I was sticking with it. I went to the front where the control panels were. There was also a big window so I could look out at what was ahead of me.

I scanned the buttons and looked for anything that would give me information. There were a lot of weird markings but some I could understand. Like start for example, it was a big green button with a round symbol on it. I gave it a click and sure enough there was the sound of the engine starting.

Messing around with a few other buttons and levers, I found the start stop and up controls. Left and right would have to wait for later.

There was a big garage door type wall directly in front of it so I advanced until it opened for me. Then I took a deep breath, staring out into the darkness of space. At that moment I could have stopped, gotten out and remained in the safety of the ship. But I didn't. I couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

I gathered myself and took that first leap over the edge and into the nothingness. It was scary as hell.

With my craft flying quickly away from the mother ship, I felt like I was finally free. All of space was ahead of me and I could go wherever I wanted- that was, if I figured out how to steer left and right.

 I tried a few more levers until I found the right ones. Now I was completely in control. The craft was rather user friendly actually.

 I increased the speed a little and headed forward. First thing I had to do was get as far away from the ship as possible before they found out I was missing.

Once I had set all the controls, I finally sat down and took a break. I stared out through the window. The ride was smooth and the path ahead looked clear. My heart beated relentlessly all the same. It felt like I was escaping prison.

I ran my fingers through my sweaty hair.

There were countless buzzes and beeps coming from the control panel and the engine was far from quiet, which added to the stress level. I glanced down at the flashing lights and moving dials.

"What the hell are you trying to tell me?" I asked outlowd.

There was a sudden bump which threw me off my seat. I hit the ground and grabbed hold of the chair as I slid along the floor.

A siren bellowed through the cabin. It was coming from the back of the spacecraft.

Every muscle in my body tightened. This was not looking good. I braced myself for certain death. The craft had been hit by something, it was pretty clear.

As I was about to get up, I heard another thud. This time footsteps followed.

My jaw dropped. Someone was coming for me.

I stared helplessly at the opening. The footsteps got nearer and my heart pounded harder and harder.

A figure appeared in the doorway. He was tall and wore a black metallic suit that covered his whole body. He stood there for a second, watching me. Then he raised his right hand, holding a small but obvious weapon. It was aimed directly at me and there was nothing I could do but close my eyes hard and hope this would end soon.

The sound of a shot fired through the air. It hit me but it wasn't solid. I felt it's impact but it didn't touch me. I opened my eyes just in time to see the floor nearing my face. I fell limply onto the ground. A comfortable, lazy darkness threatened to overwhelm me. My vision narrowed and I couldn't help but close my eyes.