Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Science Fiction

   I lay in my bunk on the fourth night since we left Earth, tomorrow we'll have to wormhole jump, meaning we'll lose contact with command, the last connection any of us have to Earth. Turning onto my side I try to think of something else, like what and possibly who we'll find out there as I fix the collar of my suit, not wanting to take it off, just in case of an emergency. I slowly start to drift off into a dreamless sleep.
   The next morning I sit up and stretch my arms out in front of me with a silent yawn, before tying back my hair into my usual low ponytail and pull back my privacy curtain. Swinging my legs out I drop to the floor and walk to my seat, sitting down and checking our location. "Did they send the coordinates yet?" I ask, slightly impatient at how long it's taking to get in contact with command. "Yea, I'll pull them up and the front screen," Ethan replies, messing up his already messy short dark brown hair. The coordinates show up as a series of numbers on the screen just above the control panel and I enter them in, "alright, strap in and kiss the milky way good-bye," I smirk. As soon as the other two are strapped in I take a deep breath, trying not to think of everything that could possibly go wrong, and hit the warp button. 
   We're pulled into a bright tunnel of light as my vision distorts, the panel in front of me seeming to stretch itself towards the small pin prick of darkness at the other end of the tunnel. Not even a single minute goes by before every thing snaps back to normal and I squeeze my eyes shut, holding back a strong wave of nausea. "Lea?" Lilly asks softly, "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy," I say before she can ask. "You don't look 'fine'," Ethan chimes in, "maybe you should lay down for a bit, have you eaten today?" I shake my head, instantly regretting the movement as I hold my head in my hands. I hear someone get up and get a food packet, "you know you're supposed to eat at least thirty minutes before doing a jump," Lilly says and pushes some of the hair that I can't get to go back into my ponytail out of my face, and kneels down, "Ethan, get a bag," She says before tearing open the food packet and handing it to me. I take it and nod, "t-thanks," I say as I take a bite. Ethan comes back, "here, just in case you can't hold it down," He says, handing over a black plastic bag. Finishing up the food. 
   I lean back and check the control panel in confusion, "Ethan.... What coordinates does your navigation monitor have us at?" He looks at my in confusion before checking the monitor, "t-this can't be right," He stutters out. "Wait, what can't?" Lilly asks, "we exited the wormhole early," I say, "we're about three hundred AU away from where we need to be," I explain. "How far is that?" She asks, "well, our solar system is about a hundred and twenty two AU, so it'll probably take us months to get there," Ethan says. I stand up, only to sit back down quickly and grab the plastic bag, losing most of what I just ate. "You need to take it slow and just go lay down, we'll be fine on autopilot for a day or so," Lilly says, helping me up and leading me to my bunk. I sigh as she helps me take off my suit, the white tank top and shorts leaving me feeling slightly exposed as I climb into my bed and close the curtain. I curl into a ball, my knees to my chest as I grip onto the claw shaped red stone hanging around my neck on a thick leather strap. "One day... " I say under my breath, starting to drift off, "... I'll see you again."

CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 4