Chapter 2

The Gray Wall, the space gate, some say it was the most advanced technology humans had ever come up with. It took a collaboration with the greatest countries and a shit ton of money. But it paid off. Before that there were several explored planets that had been terraformed to allow humans to live on them in the huge annexes built. But travel took so long, therefore a 'magickal' space gate was created, to allow instant transportation of cadets to learn the art of space exploration and supplies to keep them alive.

That's where we were going.

"Alright cadets, you know how this works, you've done some training with how it feels. Who wants to go first?" Koi looks at us, the smile on his face fading when no one steps up. Beside me, Kaid shifts restlessly before stepping up to the platform, facing the iridescent grey portal that casted the faintest glow on our nervous faces. With wide eyes and half a mind to reach out and grab his sleeve, I watch him run a hand through his thick brown hair before he sighs.

"Well son, what are you waiting for?" An engineer beside him slaps him on the back. Kaid glances back at me before pushing through the gate. The wall ripples with the force and we watch the light above the wall go from a faint red to blue. He was through, hopefully in one piece. One by one, the more courageous cadets went through, the blue light let us let go of the breaths we were holding in. I step up to the platform and clench my fists, it should just feel like falling through oil, not long enough for you to suffocate. The rule was not to panic and move or risk being torn apart. My feet dont stop as I get closer, so with closed eyes and tensed muscles I go through. At first it was frigid, and I moved quickly. It felt as if I were streamlined and the wind ripped at my skin before a warm feeling cascaded over me and I was dumped on the other side of the wall. A high pitched whining tore through my skull before I heard cheering, an older man helped me to my feet and off to the side where a rather invasive check up took place. Soon the nausea cleared and I sat aside on a bench next to Kaid who was busy untying and tying his laces.

"You alright?" My voice comes out a little cracked.

His head snaps up and he looks at me anxiously. "I nearly panicked...I could've died."

I shake my head and elbow him, "you were not going to die, don't think like that. Dude, Kaid, were in fucking space now."

The normal grin lights up his face again, "by golly you're right!" We both turn to look out the huge skylight window above us and marvel at the nighttime sky of Xero, one of the habitable planets discovered by the old organization NASA. "Hell yeah," Kaid whispers.

A buzzer snaps both of our attentions back down and I spot two engineers running towards the wall, something is spit out and we all jump up.

"Jesus fuck-" A cadet pushes past me and kneels down at what remains of a human torso. Bile rises up in my throat looking down at the mess getting mopped up.

"No need to worry," a velvety voice draws our attention upwards to a balcony above the wall. A woman adorned in many medals and looking to be around her thirties, taps her long blood red nails on the railing. "It happens all the time. There are more cadets than needed anyways." She took a side stair down to our level, we all snap into formation in unison, still reeling from the body getting carried away as several other parts were spit out. "I am Commander Halfling, im sure you all have heard of me" Her piercing grey eyes rested on every one of the cadets before her before landing on the last in line, me. Something like curiosity crossed her face before the commander looked away. "If you would listen I will give you your assignments."

I watch as she steps over the pool of blood in her black stilettos. She must really see these sort of things all of the time if she could be this unaffected. The commander is given a tablet that she reads from with a frown. She looks up and sighs.

"Davis, Evan, Bell, Fitch," she reads off last names and pauses, "engineer."

The four step forward before a small redhead takes them away. The commander scratches her chin before reading on.

"Glass, Zangels, Hylan, Hiro," she looks up.

My breath catches when I hear my last name called. God forbid it be janitor or something.

"Nebulus 5 crew"