Flight to the stars

Chapter 1: Endurance

One of them is a world where people mentally advance faster and their bodies have adapted with time and become more...able to survive and understand better.

Jeremy - A 22 year old guy who is often underestimating his possition and due to his his clumsy and big self esteem, he often ends up with the short straw. The story starts with him walking on the debris of a recently destroied ship in space, not far from his station.

He walks, weightless in the silent presence of the cosmos.

- "Jeremy how is it looking so far?" Juliah asks.

Juliah - The leader of one of the crews sent near Amah a
substitute for the current Earth.

- "It seems completely natural to me a ship to suddenly shatter
on it's way back to us, Juliah..., wouldn't you agree." Jaremy replies with a short laugh following his attempt of a joke.

- "Very funny Jeremy... Listen. I don't want you staying more than you have to, but we have clear orders to check for any crew members who MIGHT have survived the explosion." Juliah added with a worried tone.

- "You seem to be quite positive about their well-being." *Blows bubble gum. It pops*

- "Are you chewing a gum, Jeremy?!" Juliah focuses on the real trouble again.

- " Now when you mention it, I might be..."

- *Sigh...* "You know that it's strictly forbbiden to carry, even less - Chew a damn bubble gum!"

- "Relax...what's the worst that could happen?" *He chews it once more before making a baloon out of it. It grows bigger and pops. The gum from the bubble sticks to the inside of his helmet...

- "Shit..." Jeremy said whit a quite voice.

- "Jeremy, are you okay?"

- "Yeah..."

- "Alright. Enough for now. We just got a message of an incoming asteroid rain coming our way, I'll need you to--"

*Someone is talking from the other side of the speaker*-- "Guys." *Juliah looks at the three people chatting behind her. They leave. "As I was saying. Get your ass back to the station ASAP."

Jeremy continues to walk foreward only able to see what's there with his periferal vision. He steps off the debris accidentally.

- "WOOOAH!"

He begins floating into space. Jeremy tries to regain control as he is spining. He remembers to use his thrusters. After a short while he manages to stabilize his state. He calms down...

- "Jeremy?!"

- "Jeez, Juliah...haven't you heard a man adoring the view?"

- "It didn't sound like you were adoring it... And didn't you hear me? Get back to the station."

- "On my way..."

Juliah backs off from the control board, talking back to a phone call through her ear piece. Meanwhile...

- "Warning. Thruster malfuncion has been detected." The AI

of Jeremy's suit informs him.

- "That doesn't sound good." Jeremy notified. *The jetpack stops* "Juliah? Do you copy? Juliah!"

Back at the station, the count down till the asteroid rain is narrowing down...

The crewmember's gaze fell on the board of the ship and saw something disturbing.

- "Um..Julaih?"

- "Yes. Carren?" Juliah said back.

- "Someone is in trouble."

Jeremy's suit lights are red on the control board. Juliah quickly goes back and puts her headset.

- "Jeremy?!"

- "Juliah! What took you so long?"

- "What's happening now?!"

- "The thrusters stopped working, I don't know why."

- "Shit..." - Juliah said silently... "Hang on!"

- "Hang on? What would that mean? Juliah!?" The speaker stops transmiting. - "Damn it..." Jeremy manages to see something in front of him, barely. The gum falls off and lands on his face.

- "Not everything seems to be going to hell..."

He sees the metal piece attached to the big broken space ship. With a tight grip he pulls himself and enables his magnetic boots to be able to walk. Sadly, they didn't work either.

- *Sigh* "I spoke too soon."

- "Warning, asteroid rain inbound. Estimated colision - 60 seconds. The AI notificated. The message ended with an ear-numbing *beep*

Jeremy calmly tries to get himself towards the ship... He thrusts himself using the debris. Jumping from one to another. He pushes himself off a giant asteroid. Without looking what's in front of him. He lunches himself at a window of the shattered ship. The collision sends him unconcious for a few seconds.

- "Warning. Asteroid collision in 10 seconds." Panically he wakes up and sees the station on his left. He grabs the nearest thing to him and halls himself towards the station. He closes in.

- "Come on." He gets closer. - "Come on!" He ends up close to the base...but still far from the hatch... - "GAH!"

- "Warning. Asteroid rain at critical range. Caution is advised." Jeremy waits in silence...acceping his death in the upcoming few seconds.... Suddenly a hand comes and grabs him from the hatch.

- "Get in!" Juliah pulls him inside and closes the hatch. A rough smack follows on the outside of the hatch. Jeremy breathes heavily.

- "Enabling oxygen. Please stand by." The station's AI slowly compressed the room. Juliah sat on the bench inside the room while Jeremy was on his ass on the floor. The AI finished its job. Jeremy continued breathing rapidly. Juliah removed her helmet.

- "Jeremy..." - Juliah said calmly. "Take off your helmet, things are alright now..." The door from the inside of the room opened. A woman with a wheelchair came in. Juliah pushed herself off the bench and sat in it.

- "I'll be expecting a report of the crash site. But for now...rest." Juliah added before the woman pushed her further inside the station. Jeremy finally took his helmet off. Then his suit.

Later that day...he opened the door to his room. There was a bunk bed. He laid on the upper one and threw the blanket onto himself. After a bit, a voice came form bellow.

- "Jeremy, bro. You okay?"

- "Yeah, yeah...Just had a rough day..."

- "Alright..." Silence followed. "Hey, know that I'll be by your side if needed, 'k?

- "I know, Brock" Jeremy said while staring at the opened necklacewith a picture of his mother, with the moon light shining onto it from thesmall window. "I know you will..."