Tomorrow's Gone (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 20: Desolate Universe

My breathing was erratic. Tears streamed ceaselessly down my cheeks as I desperately took in my surroundings. The space was cramped. Before me was a touch-screen dashboard and other confusing gadgetry. There were countless levers, but the labels were completely foreign to me. It was in their tongue.

I began hyperventilating when I looked out the round glass. Space engulfed me, surrounding me from every angle. That's when realization hit.

I was in space.

Alone.

And I didn't even know if my family was okay.

I screamed in frustration, my breaths coming out in small pants. I needed to figure out how to turn this damned ship around. Adrenaline took over, and I found my fingers deftly moving across the touch-screen panel that controlled the ship. I didn't understand anything. How was I supposed to survive?

After realizing there was no hope, I fell against the small wall and curled myself. I was as good as dead. Either that, or I would go mad in the desolate universe.

***

Phoenix's POV

I moved quickly down the halls, my soldiers trailing after me. We had to complete this mission now, otherwise our efforts would be rendered futile. I still did not know the whereabouts of the rest of the earthlings. I needed to locate them, and fast.

"Sir!" my second-in-command yelled from behind. I whipped my head around, searching for the source of danger. I found an imposing Onyx man pointing a Shooter at me. My hand did not waver as I pointed my own Shooter at him. An orange laser shot out, burning a hole through the man's abdomen. He fell to his knees and toppled over. My eyes widened when I realized there was an entire Onyx group encroaching us. "Move!" I bellowed.

We ran rapidly, the men ways behind us. We were rounding a corner when a laser whooshed past my ear. I muttered an oath and turned around, lunging towards the culprit. He was a young man, no older than me. My fist collided with his nose. He stumbled back, his Shooter clattering against the metal floor. His scathing glare met my own. He ducked as I shot my laser, pointed at him. I missed.

I did not have time to react as the boy bent forward and picked up his Shooter. His laser burned through my arm. I hissed in pain and was about to retaliate when one of my soldiers shot him from behind. He fell limply to the ground. "Let's go," I growled impatiently. We were losing time.

We sprinted down the halls. On the way there, we ran into another of our soldiers. He had the rest of the earthlings with him. I gave him a firm nod and we were off again. We ran to the nearest elevator and descended. As soon as the doors opened, we launched out into the room.

"Get them suits," I barked the order at my soldiers. The obeyed.

The frightened earthlings quickly changed into the suits. Once I ensured a proper amount of oxygen was flowing through their suits, I kicked the ship's exit open. The stars glinted in the distance. "Take them to the ship," I ordered, walking over to the elevator. I would make sure we did not lose any of these earthlings. I was their assigned protector, I would not fail my planet by failing my mission.

As my soldiers began exiting the ship, the elevator doors burst open and Onyx men filed out, their Shooters pointed at us. I shoved the first against the wall, my tightening around his throat, prohibiting him from breathing. The rest of the soldiers froze.