The ship was shuddering. Rattling. Immense tidal forces from the black hole were trying to tear the ship apart.
"We can't take any more of this! Our fuel supply is a hundredth of what we'd need," Allay panted.
"We need to take the escape pod," Nul said gravely. "They're faster. They've got enough power to get us out of this."
"Nul is correct," D20 confirmed. "My calculations show that if we were to perform a staged maneuver in the next ten minutes, we may have sufficient Delta-V to escape the event horizon."
"Proxy," Aldair yelled into the mic. "We're gonna use the escape pod. The Avidan is lost, though."
"Shit..." Proxy growled through the radio. "It wasn't cheap. Get your butts back here safe."
"Alright," Meouch growled, "the Void are gone but we're out of fuel. Ditch every personal item you can and get to the escape pods." Under Meouch's thunderous voice, Allay noticed Tycho and D20 whispering.
The plan was first to pack everyone into the escape pod safely. Then they would accelerate using the Avidan's engines, but once the fuel was depleted, the escape pod would eject and carry them out to a stable orbit around the black hole.
The ship was already heavily damaged from the Void's (very nearly successful) attempt to pummel them into the black hole. Sparks shot out of damaged wires. A smoky haze filled parts of the ship, along with the smell of gunpowder.
"Tycho, you should shrink enough to fit in someone's hands. You'll be less massive," Commander Meouch bellowed.
"Okay," he said, distracted.
It was beyond cramped in the escape pod. Cushioned seats meant for two people had four, one of which a 6'10" giant. Allay, D20, and Aldair felt sandwiched and frustrated that the blue-furred Meouch was sitting in the pilot's seat rather than next to them.
D20 piped up in his high monotone. "We will detach the escape pod at our periapse and accelerate out from the black hole. Be advised, this will cost us 11 months of time."
"Eleven months!?" Allay yelled. "This maneuver is gonna cost us a year?"
Nul bowed his head. "There's no better alternative."
"Sounds like a plan, then," Meouch said.
The engines roared, and the escape pod jolted forwards. The cushioned seats swallowed up the crew as they were forced into it by the acceleration. A chorus of strained groans was barely audible over the low, deafening roar of the engines. "Ungh," Aldair grimaced. "This hurts."
"There are only three minutes and twenty two seconds until the burn is complete," D20 informed her.
"See," Nul yelled above the roar. "Just a little longer. The pod's acceleration is half of this."
"Okay..." Aldair shrugged.
"Tycho," Allay began, staring at D20's closed hands. D20 shifted his weight. "You're awful quiet in there."
"I guess so," said Tycho's voice. "This is kind of scary."
D20 followed him up. "Tycho is too small for you to hear him so I will be relaying his communications."
"Alright," Meouch said over his shoulder. "We're almost at our periapse."
The engines sputtered out as the fuel finished off and the inside of the pod returned to ambient beeps and pings. Meouch placed a blue claw on the detach button. "Prepare detaching sequence in ten..."
Nul noticed D20 was frowning and looking down. "Hey, Dee," he said softly. "You good?"
"...Five," Meouch continued.
D20 did not respond.
"Three, two, one... detach!" The button glid easily down under his finger's pressure. But nothing happened. Meouch tried it again with still no result. "I'm getting an error on the detachm-"
"Guys," came Tycho's voice. It wasn't from D20, though. It was from the speakers. "I got some bad news." Everyone glared at the speakers.
"I'm not on the pod."
All gases were shifted to D20's hands with a chorus of "what!?"s. "D20," Nul said gravely. "Open your hands. Right now."
He did so. There was nothing in them. Nul's eyes widened. He got up and sprinted to the commlink.
"Tycho, whatever you're doing, get back-"
"I can't," Tycho said. "The remote detachment cables were damaged during the battle. I have to drop you guys manually."
"Tycho, what are you-"
"Wait what's-"
"Tycho! Get back aboard this ship!"
"Tycho, listen to me! I already lost one friend to get somewhere, I am not gonna-!"
"You guys let me see things I wouldn't believe. Tycho said weakly as he grasped a tall lever. "Attack ships off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate..."
"Tycho," Nul roared, "stop with the fucking... Blade Runner and get back here!"
"All those moments will be lost..." Tycho continued as the lever began to glide.
"Tycho, STOP! WE CAN-"
"...In time..."
"WAIT! TYCHO! WAIT!"
"...like tears... in rain."
"NO! DON'T-"
"See ya later, alligator."
The lever locked into place with a ka-chunk. The pod detached from the Avidan and solid rocket boosters flung it away. The crew could only watch as Tycho and the Avidan fell back into the black hole.
The pod filled with screams. "Tycho," Nul whimpered, "FUCK!" He slammed the console.
Already the ship was descending into the abyss, and keen eyes could make out a tint of red and the slowing of the Avidan's descent. The overwhelming power of the black hole was already starting to take hold.
The Avidan and Tycho were beyond saving now.
