It was one of the largest star-ships in the whole star cluster, longer than five football fields laid end to end. Two giant proton engines propelled it through the vast expanse of space. However, anyone familiar with spacecraft knew that the ship was nothing special. It was just an old freighter, a ship that hauled cargo between the planets of the cluster. With dozens of planets supporting life, the ship was always on the move.
At one of the portholes the face of a boy gazed out at the stars. He brushed his overgrown, brown hair to one side to get a better view.
“Drake,” a voice calling from behind woke him from his daydreaming.
Drake looked over his shoulder at the approaching preteen girl. Her thick black hair and a dark skin matched her leather jacket. Stitched on the front was an image of a star cluster, the logo of the cargo shipping company. Her father was a company manager which is why she and Drake were aboard the spacecraft. She, Drake, and a small crew were on their way to Turbora, one of the outer planets of the star system. There the cargo would be unloaded, and the goods sold to the people of the planet. Drake was just along for the ride. His parents paid for his passage aboard the ship so he could spend time with his relatives who lived on Turbora.
“Hi Junia,” Drake greeted his traveling companion.
The girl nudged Drake aside so she could see out through the porthole.
“Do you see that reddish looking object there?” Junia pointed with her finger against the window. “That’s the planet Dridish.”
“Yes, I see it,” Drake answered without expression.
“Do you know what that means?”
“It means we are halfway to Turbora. And it means I am stuck on this ship for another six weeks.”
Junia gave Drake another nudge, “Stop being such a downer. It’s not that bad,” she chuckled.
“It’s easy for to you to endure these long trips. You can stick your nose in a book for hours, but I’ve been going crazy for the last week, and we still have a long way to go. I wish I was on a modern battle cruiser. I would already be playing ball with my cousins, or swimming in Comet Lake.”
“You on a military ship?” Junia smirked. “Dream on.”
Even though he didn’t show it, Drake was thankful for Junia’s attempt to cheer him up. The trip would be unbearable without her.
“Come on, let’s go to the galley. I will whip up a couple of mint milkshakes,” Junia tugged at his arm.
“No, maybe next time,” Drake attempted a smile.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” she called back as she disappeared into a passageway.
As soon as Junia left, Drake went to his tiny cabin to sleep. With no cycle of day and night to keep time, he slept whenever he felt like it. He had been warned before the trip to keep a regular schedule, but he didn’t listen. Now his sour mood was reminding him he should have listened to the advice.
After waking from a restless nap, Drake decided he needed to get his body moving. He hoped it would relieve his restlessness. Instead of going to the exercise room for a workout, he decided to wander through the ship. He had been told to stay at the front of the craft where the living quarters, bridge, and command center were. Breaking the rules didn’t seem like a big deal, so he set off toward the rear of the vessel.
After checking both ways, to make sure no one was watching, he opened the door that led to the cargo hold. Once inside, Drake paused to take in the sight. The enormous compartment was packed full of shipping containers, each one the size of a small house. As he made his way toward the ship’s stern, he felt like he was walking down one of the narrow alleyways of his hometown. Eventually he reached the back of the cargo hold. He could tell he was near the engine room from the noise vibrating through the wall, or the bulkhead as the captain called it.
Drake searched for a way out of the cargo hold. It didn’t take long to find a door. He turned the latch and entered the compartment. There he found pipes of all sizes twisting and turning around each other. Weaving his way through the maze of a pipes he came to another door with bright red letters that read “Danger, authorized personal only.” Again, Drake looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching. He found it unlocked, but it took a forceful shove before the heavy door swung open.
A wave of heat rushed past his face, and the noise was deafening. There the massive proton engines screamed as they hurled the ship toward its destination. Warning signs were everywhere, and Drake wondered if he was putting himself in danger just by being inside the engine room. He had watched videos that explained how proton engines worked, but they used simple cartoon animations. As he wandered around, he found the real thing much more complicated.
Suddenly the entire room pulsed with a red light. Drake figured something was not right. He decided he better get out of there fast. He darted for the door that he came in from but found himself at a dead end. Panic set in as he scrambled to find a way out. His eye caught sight of the door to his left, but it was locked. He ran at full speed until he reached another exit. When he reached for the latch a powerful explosion lifted him off his feet and slammed him into a wall. As his limp body slumped to the deck, everything went black.
To be continued.