The Unknown Darkness

Don't Think, Just Go

The stars stir throughout the infinite space that clutters the vast nothingness ahead. Rowan stands against the window dazing from the seclusion of fresh air and a wider social life beyond her three-member crew.

Rowan remains staring outward when Jax comes and put his arm around his baby sister. Protecting her was the only thing Jax knew. After Rowan signed up for the NASA internship, so did he. His shaggy brown hair hangs over his eyes causing him not to see the beauty that she saw, yet he never saw anything on the same level Rowan did. When she was a child asking questions was what she was good at. Even though she didn't have friends, she had knowledge which was just as fulfilling to her.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Jax wonders. "Home?"

"Well, yes, and the broader selection of books than this ship has," Rowan admitted. That sends him into giggles. Only she would be thinking about books than anything else on a trip, literally outside this world. Not real food. Not friends. But books.

Roger and Sophia are playing cards at the table across the room. Staring intensely at each other. Trying to guess each others next move in their 3rd round of poker. Roger throws down his deck sending them sliding towards the center of the table. The center that held varying prizes of Sophia's cassette player next to four strawberry flavored suckers and Roger's Canadian beanie with an unopened pack of Blue Sweed cigarettes.

"There's only so many times you can cheat," Roger accuses.

"You mean win," Sophia snickers pulling in her newfound belongings by wrapping her arms around the pile. Snickers echo the room. Beckoning to home-sick twins to leave their worries.

"Maybe Roger needs to switch to decaf," Jax motions towards the red head bouncing in his seat, " being so surprised that he lost is starting to annoy me. I mean, don't get me wrong, the first couple of times were funny, but way to set yourself up like that."

"Hey! Have you ever considered I'm just letting Sophia win?"

"Nah, I've play Sophia. She's really good or you just really suck at poker." Jax points out. Rowan's lips twitch upward leaving her vulnerable.

"That's what I was lookin' for!" Jax nearly shouts, picking her up and spinning in a complete circle before setting her back down. "Some transmissions shouldn't put you so down."

"When it's been 72 sols without a single transmission, yeah I'm gonna be upset," Rowan defends. A sol is like a day on Earth but several hours slower.

"They're probably just caught up with the Russians. We weren't that happy either when word came they were sending a craft into space around the same time as us," Sophia concludes. She takes out a cigarette from the pack, eyeing the skilled covering twisted over the pinches of tobacco.

"Could be a break," Roger chimes.

"For this long? We should be working. I'm not staying up here any longer than I have to," Rowan exclaims. "Plus, what happens when we run out of food. Besides, do they really expect us to do our job if they can't even get their crap together?" Silence settled throughout the room. Rowan rushed out, leaving the tension behind.

Passing the gym, control room, storage module, then finally into the resting cavity of the spacecraft. They called it the Bunkers. Bunks fit snuggly into holes of the wall. Tags claim each bed for a specific crewmember. Sophia Henson- a short blond woman that held the degree of chemist, who flirted with Roger ever now and again. Oblivious, Sophia is to think no one notices. Roger Phlaris- a red head botanist who was the comical one of the group. He always lightens the mood even at the scariest of times. Jax Tosino- Rowans "older" brother by 49 seconds that holds an occupation as her co-leader. They share the same hair color, wavy rustic brown, with green eyes that shone blue when enthusiastic. Freckles don't occupy his cheeks as Rowan's, but a stranger can still tell they were related.