UNIVERSE 69

By: Crystal Child

 

Chapter Four:  Not Unless…

 

“It’s amazing, the things we do to train out people.  We train them so hard sometimes, that I think they may fall over, dead, in training.  I just wish these things weren’t so necessary for our survival.  There would be a lot less pain, that way.”

 

-Secret Captain’s Log of Sora Kamen Third Captain of Universe 69

 

 

I jerk awake suddenly, as the red light comes on.  Sometime earlier, Tranq returned to the room sometime earlier and is now opening the desk drawer.  I must have made some noise, because he turns abruptly.

 

“They’re JUMPING?”  I ask, pulling myself out of bed.

 

“Yeah.”  Tranq pours some pills into his hand, “Captain’s orders.”

 

He tosses me two and pops the others into his mouth, before placing the container back in the drawer and reaching for the hook on the ceiling.

 

“She’s going nuts.  How can we Jump so soon after those errors?”

 

“The lady has to stay on schedule, man.  Hold on.”

 

Just as I grab the hook just as the Jump starts.  The familiar sense of weightlessness comes again and the light blinds me temporarily.

 

This Jump, there are no problems.

 

~~@~~

 

The realization hits me about 10 minutes after Jump.  I feel so much better now than I did when Shade came in earlier.

 

I should probably go find her and apologize for being so rude.  She’s really sensitive about that.  But I’ll do that later.  I have class next shift.

 

~~@~~

 

He studies all of us, making sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.  Of course, I’d rather be doing something else, but hey, that’s just me.  His eyes roam over all of us, I can feel his glare on the back of my head.

 

Jay coughs beside me and I cast a glance at him.  He’s grinning wildly.  He’s done something he isn’t supposed to do, I can tell just by looking at him.

 

“Mr. Berg, Mr. Mason.”  The instructor says, “You’ve been in my class long enough to know what I usually do.  But I’ve been given new lessons.  You, being pilots, may want to listen up.”

 

I turn my chair to face the man, and Jay follows suit.  We both lean forward and stare at the guy intently.

 

“Go on.”  I say. Jay snickers.

 

“Your…problems with authority…has reached way up in the order of people, and I’ve been ordered to keep you an extra shift for the rest of your training…to put you in a simulator.”

 

“Huh?  What about-?”  Jay begins.

 

“You’re being dismissed for the time being so you can spend almost all your time with me.”  The instructor smiles dryly, “Lucky me.”

 

Jay and I exchange glances as Stako turns his chair and smiles mockingly at us.  We choose to ignore him, “Simulation?”  Jay asks.

 

“Yes.  As much as I hate to admit it, they want you to run the simulators a few times.”

 

“Sweet.”

 

The instructor rolls his eyes and motions for us to turn back to our screens.

 

~~@~~

 

“This way, gentlemen.”  He leads us down a back-corridor and through a dark hallway.  We enter a dimly lit room filled with computers.  “Mr. Mason, you’ll go first.  Go through that door, there’s an assistant there to help.  Mr. Berg, that chair has your name all over it.”

 

For a long time, the only noise in the room is the buzzing and clicking of machines.  Suddenly, the noise stops and silence reins. 

 

“Mr. Davison,” A voice comes in over the speaker, “Failed one.  Begin two.”

 

“Copy.”  The instructor, Mr. Davison, says.

 

The machines begin their noises again.

 

Mr. Davison sits on the other side of the room, reading papers.  After a while, he looks up at me, “He’ll go three times, then it’s your turn.”

 

“Sure.”

 

~~@~~

 

Jay appears about 15 minutes later, looking tired and defeated.

 

“Fun?”  I ask.

 

His lop-sided smile doesn’t reach his eyes, “Just wait till YOU get in there.  It’s…interesting…”

 

I rise and go out the door he just entered through.  It opens into a large, white room.  In the center, there is an off-white globe-shaped object, the shade darker from the rest of the room is the only thing that gives it away.

 

“Over here.”  It’s a woman’s voice.  She’s wearing a white lab coat with a white hood and long white sleeves, and blends almost perfectly, so that I almost miss her.  I can’t see her face as I approach.

 

“Hold still while I put these on.”  Her soft hands brush against my head.  She’s placing things on my forehead.  She puts a heavy object over my brow, and steps behind me to attach something to the back of my neck.

 

“Follow me.”  The only way I can keep sight of her is the small square of black on the back of her lab coat.  She goes to the large globe, and opens a hatch.  I see her arm motion for me to go in.

 

Inside, it’s pitch black and the only thing I can see is a chair.  It looks just like the ones used in the Starships, the small fighter-ships that I’m used to pilot.  I know how to strap myself in.  There is a pleased noise from the door, before she whispers, “Good luck.”  And closes the door, sealing me in.

 

The room slowly begins to fill with light, and the curved walls take on the view of the brightly lit Launch Bay.  The simulator is beginning to make me think I’m really there.  I feel like I’m at the controls of my Starship.

 

‘Are you going to start?  Or what? ’ A voice asks in my mind.

 

I reach out and touch the control panel.  It’s solid beneath my touch.  Amazed, I reach out and start the engines.

 

‘Maybe I really AM in my ship…’ I begin to think, the major part of my brain accepting that I can touch and see—I hear a voice telling me I’m ‘Go’ for exit—and now I hear.  I decide that’s the best thing to think in a simulator.  That you are really there.

 

I launch out into space.

 

“Fill in the empty area on 14-66 C.”  A voice comes into my ears, slightly muffled and sounding like it’s being broadcast through a microphone.

 

“Roger.”  I answer automatically.

 

The stars fill my sights as I move to the commanded position.

 

~~@~~

 

Before I realize what’s happening, there is fire coming from the darkness.

 

“What the--?”

 

“FIRE!”

 

I obey, and my own green laser shots fill Space.  There is an explosion.  Then another. 

 

“Perfect!  Keep it going!”

 

It feels like eternity before there is no movement, but the clock says it’s only been 10 minutes since I left Launch Bay.

 

“They’re coming around again!”  A voice shouts.

 

From the blackness, silver ships burst through space, firing lasers at us.  I have to move my ship quickly to evade the shots.  There are hundreds of these ships, all slightly bigger than my Starship, with short, stubbed wings and a small body.  There are no windows.  I can’t tell who it is I’m fighting.

 

I hunt down 10 of them, one by one.  I get so caught up in my victory, that I don’t even see the one behind me, until it’s too late.

 

The world bursts into static.

 

~~@~~

 

The second time around.

 

This time, I’m able to get those 10 ships AND the one behind me.  My squadron and I are able to destroy all the ships from the wave.

 

There is a loud ‘BOOM’ from outside that creates a wave of space and pushes my ship backwards.

 

“What the hell?”  You’re not supposed to hear anything in space.  Not unless…

 

I raise my eyes.  The massive silver ship reflects the image of Universe 69 on it’s side, and the stars, almost blending in with its surroundings.  The only things that give it away are our reflections.

 

The only noise in space is the sound of a ship coming out of Jump.  It creates a shift in matter, which produces a wave, to make room for it, and creates the noise.

 

I’m so amazed by the ship that I don’t see what destroys me.

 

~~@~~

 

The third time.

 

I’m still amazed by the ship.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  But this time, something in the back of my mind registers weapons.  And I pull the ship to the right.  A laser fire barely misses me.  I direct the Starship upwards, and go over the ship, falling behind it, seeing it’s aft side.

 

“Re-board UNIVERSE and prepare to Jump!”

 

If I fire once, it will alert my presence, and destroy me.  I have no choice in this small ship, but to retreat.

 

The ship Jumps when I’m back inside.

 

Static.

 

~~@~~

 

“That’s it?”  I ask as the woman opens the door, “There’s no more?”

 

“Oh, there’s more.  Believe me.”  She says, “But you’re all out of time.  Shift is over.”

”Ah.”

 

~~@~~

 

Jay has fallen asleep, his head is tilted to one side, and his mouth is partially open.  Mr. Davison motions for me to come closer to him.

 

“Amazing.  Jay couldn’t get past looking at the front of the ship.  He didn’t survive to make it to Jump.  I have to turn in reports of you two every time you’re in there.  I dare say, you may find yourself with your license back in your hands quicker.  Now wake him up and get out of here.”

 

“Yes sir!”

 

~~@~~

 

“Man, that was amazing.  I really felt like I was in my Starship.”  Jay says, stretching his hands over his head.  We’re walking down the dark hallway, heading back towards the classroom to get our stuff.

 

“I know.”

 

“How’d you get so far?”

 

“I’m not sure.  Its like I…I don’t know…like I knew that something was gonna happen from a certain angle.  I didn’t even know what killed me the second run through.”

 

“Well, I think you’re just lucky and remembered where and when you died and moved yourself.”

 

“Maybe.  Who knows.”

 

As we talk, a hidden door opens and a woman steps out.

 

She has short, dark hair and is wearing dark clothes and a long cape.  She smiles briefly and says, “Excuse me.”

 

She brushes past us, and heads down the hallway.

 

I don’t know who she is, but I feel as if I should.