Fragments Gallery
Space Jump
My eyes were wide as I watched that beloved blue ball spin away from me. Earth rapidly grew smaller and smaller as my ships velocity increased to match that of the convoy. I used to think that the trip to Europe I took in university would be the farthest from Canada that I'd ever be, but I guess I was wrong.
Being this far away, watching Earth shrink through my shuttles small rear window, seems so wrong to me. Sure I've seen, I've believed, the movies and read the books where people claim that humans were meant to leave Earth; I doubt anyone has not seen those at this point. But now that I'm actually doing it I get the feeling that I've made a mistake; maybe I was meant to stay there after all. Or maybe I'm just realizing now that with this journey I'm leaving behind everything that I have ever known.
Even if I were to someday return to my fair planet, I will have been gone for so long that I'm sure nothing will remain the same.
I check the computer screens surrounding me nervously. So far all of the readings have remained within an acceptable range. Computer simulations predicted that of the hundreds of shuttles that launched none would have any catastrophic or dangerous hardware failures. I have noticed however that not one of the many advocates for the safety of these shuttles is on this journey. They all stayed on Earth to continue to build shuttles while "settlers" like us are sent out here to brave this endless space.
We are not totally blind in this journey, we do have a heading. An unmanned drone found a suitable planet for us a few years ago, but it still feels as though we are headed out into the unknown.
Again I find myself restlessly checking my readings, everything still looks fine but that does little to ease my anxiety. I'm a doctor not an engineer or shuttle pilot; when it comes to tech like that on this shuttle and only a thin aluminum and polycarbon barrier between me and open space of course I'm going to be on edge. Besides what if I misread something, think it is alright, and then find out too late that it is not? I'm not an expert on these matters. I have the wrong skillset for that. I will be more useful once we hit ground again; once we land they’ll need me as a doctor again.
I tend to wish that we were sending larger, communal, shuttles rather than the personal, small, ships that we now reside in but according to the engineers the space jump has a better success rate with smaller ships. In this case better means a guaranteed successful jump instead of a thirty percent chance of not going off course.
I'll say that is a good reason to use the smaller ships.
A video transmission startles me as it appears on a nearby monitor.
"This is it people," said Robert Hathlow, the leader of the expedition, "We are starting our final approach to the gateway. Just continue to allow your autopilots do their jobs and we will be there within a few minutes."
Robert's video cuts as I search the surrounding skies for the construct which I knew must be nearby. A thin sliver of light catches my eye from the midst of the black in front of our little fleet. It grows closer as I watch, slowly changing into a large rectangular gateway sitting atop a small space station.
"As we have discussed before; when we approach the gate your shuttle will slow down," Robert's video is back on the screen, "After the gate is activated our shuttles will take us through in groups according to our number draw."
I glance at the small piece of paper I had tucked into a gap beside a monitor. Number forty-two. I would be going through in the middle of the group.
The gate looms closer and closer. As I stare at it a blue bolt arcs between two of the corners of the gate. Another bolt zaps across the opposite side before the gate fully activates.
Outwardly it appears as though nothing has changed in the area of the gate, but we all know differently. For those who missed the arcing the outer edge of the gate is now glowing blue to show the gate has opened.
"Good luck everyone, you know the risks as well as I but our engineers have guaranteed us that no shuttle will go astray. We will all see each other again soon."
As the leader of the expedition Robert would be going through first. Without wasting any time his shuttle shot towards the gate, passed through the portal and was gone. We all waited, our hearts in our throats, as we awaited the confirmation of his arrival.
The video started streaming again, Robert looking out at us just as he had before.
"The jump was a success," he said elatedly, "You are clear to follow!"
The shuttles in front of me began their approach and then they too disappeared. The next set went and was gone, and then the next group followed their example. It wasn't long before it was my turn.
My shuttle began to accelerate towards the gate; several other ships to my left and right matched my pace. We are close enough together for me to see the other pilots through the glass. Some of them seem calm but many look as terrified as I feel. We are almost at the gate.
I'm now passing through. I look up as we pass through the portal; I take a last look at the distant stars. Once we clear the gate, once that metal beam passes over head, the stars all change. I look around now at unfamiliar space.
That was that, I'd made it to the other side. Far ahead I can see a small green orb hanging in space. That was it; the planet we were heading to.
That was our new home.