I jump out of bed, my heart racing as the red emergency lights pulse through the hallway, turning everything into a sea of crimson. The corridor looks completely different, almost alien under the eerie glow, and the usual hum of the ship feels heavier, like a warning. Without thinking, I rush to the left, heading straight for the control room where I know the others will be.
As I enter, the sight of the crew immediately hits me—they're all gathered, their faces tight with worry. The atmosphere is suffocating, everyone exchanging anxious glances as they whisper in low voices, eyes darting from the flickering screens to one another. I can feel the weight of the tension in the air, like we're all on the brink of something terrible.
The Admin, standing rigid by the central console, turns to me and says in her usual overly complex tone, "Anne, can you elucidate the current whereabouts of Engineer Roma?"
Before I can respond, I see her—Roma, coming down the hallway, her face hard to read, caught somewhere between fear and resignation. She steps inside and, with a heavy sigh, says the words we all dread. "We're in serious trouble."
"We'll be lucky if it's a wormhole and not a black hole," Roma says, her eyes locking with each of us, one by one, as if trying to convey the gravity of the situation through sheer gaze alone.
"A wormhole might throw us into some random part of the universe," she continues, her voice steady but grim. "But at least we'll have a chance to survive. Unlike a black hole... where there's no coming back."
"What? You're telling me you have no solution and we're screwed either way?" Jenny snapped, her frustration clear in every word. She crossed her arms, glaring at Roma.
"Do something! Don't tell me it was completely useless hiring you!" Jessy chimed in, her voice sharp with anger. For several tense seconds, the two of them yelled accusations and demands, but Roma stood there, unfazed, deep in thought, ignoring their outbursts.
Finally, Roma broke her silence, speaking calmly. "The only thing I can think of is to accelerate as much as possible... to create our own gravitational field, and escape the event horizon."
"But I don't know if it will work. It's a hypothesis that's never been tested," Roma admitted, her voice uncertain.
In that instant, everything around us began to stretch—walls, furniture, even our own bodies, elongated and distorted as if reality itself was unraveling. The two strippers, frozen with fear, collapsed to the floor, clinging to each other in silent desperation, bracing for the worst.
"What phenomenon is currently manifesting in our immediate surroundings?" the manager inquired, her voice composed yet drenched in her characteristically intricate language. She observed the chaotic distortion, clearly trying to comprehend the incomprehensible.
"We're spaghettifying, which tells us it's a black hole. It looks like we're orbiting it, but getting closer little by little," I said, analyzing the data from our advanced systems.
"Roma, should I initiate the FTL acceleration process?" I asked, glancing at her as she continued to think.
"Yes, we have no choice," Roma replied, and immediately started the acceleration sequence.
I quickly moved to review all the critical systems. Helium-3 reserves—check. Deuterium and tritium levels—check. Everything was ready. "We're beginning. Everyone, sit down and put on your seatbelts and G-force protective gear," I instructed, my voice firm as the ship prepared to engage in what could be our only chance at survival.
Everyone sat with faces full of extreme worry, not uttering a single word. The tension was thick, and after a few moments, the AI's voice broke the silence.
"10% of the speed of light reached."
Just as we were adjusting to the acceleration, an unexpected warning blared through the speakers.
ALERT: YOU HAVE EXITED THE TERRITORY OF THE MILKY WAY REPUBLIC. PROTECTION BY REPUBLIC LAWS AND INSTITUTIONS IS NO LONGER APPLICABLE. EXERCISE CAUTION
We all looked at each other, stunned.
"I've never heard that alert before," Jenny said, her voice shaky.
"Very few people have," Roma replied, her eyes fixed on the data streaming across the computer screens. "It's unexpected since we were still several light-years away from the territorial boundaries. We only reached 10% of the speed of light for a few seconds."
"GPT, please, how far are we from the Republic's border?" I asked the AI, my voice carrying the same sense of disbelief we all felt.
"The location using the Universal Positional System is unknown. Calculating, calculating," the AI announced as it worked on determining our position.
"Inferring from the visibility of the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way, we are approximately 2 million light-years from the Republic's border," it continued.
We were all left utterly astonished by the information provided, grappling with the enormity of our situation.
"How is that even possible?!?" Jenny exclaimed, her voice tinged with despair.
Before I could open my mouth to discuss our next steps, another, even more critical alert blared through the speakers.
ALERT: FTL Engine Disconnected. ALERT: Change course immediately. The ship is on a collision course with an unknown planet.
"We don't have time to figure out why we're here," Roma said with an uncharacteristic seriousness. "Okay. Anne, I'll be your co-pilot. No one else here is qualified."
"Everyone, stay seated and keep your suits on. You could die if you stand up or remove them," I instructed, recalling my training at the Academy.
"Roma, prepare the fusion core for emergency overdrive; we're going to need to push it to the limit. In fact, prepare for an emergency collapse," I added, engaging the brake engines and redirecting all available power to them.
All the lights around us went out, leaving only the glow of the brake engines at the front of the ship. The dim illumination cast eerie shadows, and in the quiet, I could hear the sound of sobbing from the back seats of the cockpit.
After a few minutes of intense focus, I realized from the incoming data that our only option was to collapse the fusion engine, using all its power in a few minutes to reduce our speed.
"The planet is now visible, and it looks quite familiar," I said, scanning the view. "GPT, analyze the planet we're heading towards and provide its characteristics. What planet does it resemble?" Roma asked, her fingers moving deftly over the ship's controls.
"The planet has characteristics very similar to the capital of the Republic, Earth," GPT reported.
"Finally, some good news," Jenny said from the back, her tone carrying a hint of hope.
"Let's not celebrate just yet; we're still traveling at an extremely high speed. Roma, initiate the fusion engine collapse process," I instructed, feeling determined to save myself and the crew.
"I was about to recommend it. It will leave us without space travel capabilities for several years, but at least we'll survive," Roma said as she began the collapse process.
"ALERT: Dangerous energy levels detected. Improper release could cause catastrophic damage," the ship's warning system blared. This alert continued for several minutes, its repetitive tone a stark reminder of the peril we faced.
The planet finally came into view, a stunning blend of blue and green. Beautiful oceans stretched out beneath us, and the polar ice caps shimmered with a pristine whiteness. I'd have to say the view was breathtaking…
"We are finally entering the atmosphere. Brace for impact," I announced, my voice steady despite the urgency of the moment.