passing year, they fantasized about fulfilling their destiny as torchbearers of mankind, colonizing some new planet, forging ahead in uncharted land and being the forerunners of the rebuilding of human civilization. As with any fantasy, the thoughts of the mind seek to conjoin the images it has constructed with reality. It becomes a safe escape into a world that holds no tangible risk or danger, a narcissistic movie that can be replayed over and over. For Josh, this fantasy suddenly became a reality and it filled him with unaccustomed trepidation.
The hallway that ran down the middle of the lockboxes, as they were called at the Academy, was long and sterile, a dark corridor lined with reinforced doors that led to rooms filled with broken dreams and empty hearts. Kids locked away for their own safety or the safety of others, students mostly, broken by the rigors of the Academy and lost in the bowels of the human psyche. Josh had been there and knew it all too well, and now he was going from a suicide watch to being responsible for saving the human race.
As they exited the facility an alarm sounded within the ship. Red flashing lights and three repetitive beeps, a signal for the type of distress the ship was experiencing.
Harman turned to Marshall. “Mutiny? Now?”
Marshall tapped the telecom in his ear. “Lieutenant Meyer, what is the status of the alarm, over?”
Background noise distorted Lt. Meyer’s voice as he reported back, gunfire, shouting, “Issa and his men have taken over the depot and are heading for the shuttles, we only got a couple of the students. We might not make it Marshall, you need to get there before they do!”
Harman readied his rifle and said with burrowing eyes, “I’ve been waiting to get my shot at those fuckin’ traitors. Can we still get to Tanya in time?”
“We have to. The shuttle doesn’t leave without her. We can head through med bay and cut them off,” Marshall said. He looked at Josh, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
They ran down the empty corridors. Even those people who were still relatively healthy remained behind closed doors, unwilling to expo se themselves to the desolation of life on the ship. There was no happiness on the UNC Westbound any longer, no joy to life as the inhabitants of the ship became infirm with the disease. The great hope of taking the last refugees of Earth somewhere to settle a new home had been extinguished by the vagaries of the strange and incurable virus.
They crossed through sick bay, a veritable graveyard of the dead and dying. The few nurses tending to them were sick themselves, but they kept at it the best they could. As they ran, Marshall tried to contact Lieutenant Meyer again.
“Lieutenant, where are they now?”
The distinct sound of exploding ion gas could be heard over the telecom as rifles discharged between the security forces and Issa’s rebels. “We’re falling back to the plaza! I’ve lost half my goddamn detachment and the students ... they killed them Marshall!”
“Say again? Your students were killed?”
“They’re overtaking our positions Marshall, you need to move your ass or they’ll get there before you do!”
“Lead the way Harman!” Marshall ordered as they pushed forward through the flashing red hallways.
“Wait!” Josh stopped. His mother. She was close and it would only take a minute.
The Academy actively suppressed many natural emotions. There was one Josh always tried to hold onto, “I-” Josh turned and ran the other way, running against the lifetime of training they tried to instill in him.
“Shit!” Marshall said, sprinting back after him.
“Marshall!” Harman yelled.
“Help me get him, come on!”
“What about the girl? We need the girl! Fuck!” Harman followed after them. Josh was quick. He knew the ship and was faster on his feet than
The hallway that ran down the middle of the lockboxes, as they were called at the Academy, was long and sterile, a dark corridor lined with reinforced doors that led to rooms filled with broken dreams and empty hearts. Kids locked away for their own safety or the safety of others, students mostly, broken by the rigors of the Academy and lost in the bowels of the human psyche. Josh had been there and knew it all too well, and now he was going from a suicide watch to being responsible for saving the human race.
As they exited the facility an alarm sounded within the ship. Red flashing lights and three repetitive beeps, a signal for the type of distress the ship was experiencing.
Harman turned to Marshall. “Mutiny? Now?”
Marshall tapped the telecom in his ear. “Lieutenant Meyer, what is the status of the alarm, over?”
Background noise distorted Lt. Meyer’s voice as he reported back, gunfire, shouting, “Issa and his men have taken over the depot and are heading for the shuttles, we only got a couple of the students. We might not make it Marshall, you need to get there before they do!”
Harman readied his rifle and said with burrowing eyes, “I’ve been waiting to get my shot at those fuckin’ traitors. Can we still get to Tanya in time?”
“We have to. The shuttle doesn’t leave without her. We can head through med bay and cut them off,” Marshall said. He looked at Josh, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
They ran down the empty corridors. Even those people who were still relatively healthy remained behind closed doors, unwilling to expo se themselves to the desolation of life on the ship. There was no happiness on the UNC Westbound any longer, no joy to life as the inhabitants of the ship became infirm with the disease. The great hope of taking the last refugees of Earth somewhere to settle a new home had been extinguished by the vagaries of the strange and incurable virus.
They crossed through sick bay, a veritable graveyard of the dead and dying. The few nurses tending to them were sick themselves, but they kept at it the best they could. As they ran, Marshall tried to contact Lieutenant Meyer again.
“Lieutenant, where are they now?”
The distinct sound of exploding ion gas could be heard over the telecom as rifles discharged between the security forces and Issa’s rebels. “We’re falling back to the plaza! I’ve lost half my goddamn detachment and the students ... they killed them Marshall!”
“Say again? Your students were killed?”
“They’re overtaking our positions Marshall, you need to move your ass or they’ll get there before you do!”
“Lead the way Harman!” Marshall ordered as they pushed forward through the flashing red hallways.
“Wait!” Josh stopped. His mother. She was close and it would only take a minute.
The Academy actively suppressed many natural emotions. There was one Josh always tried to hold onto, “I-” Josh turned and ran the other way, running against the lifetime of training they tried to instill in him.
“Shit!” Marshall said, sprinting back after him.
“Marshall!” Harman yelled.
“Help me get him, come on!”
“What about the girl? We need the girl! Fuck!” Harman followed after them. Josh was quick. He knew the ship and was faster on his feet than
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