Chapter 9 – Takeoff

The engines on the ship rotated to point down and roared to life. Lana held onto the captain seat as the ship began to vibrate. Within seconds the ship was airborne. Lana watched as the main screen changed to show the exterior of the ship. The tree line dropping to the bottom of the screen showing the rise in altitude. Once the ship was high enough in the air, Lana said, "Take the ship to the north of the clearing. There is a short wall of rocks and a huge mound of mud. Take us there."

The ship flew toward the mount. The camera display pointed down at the mound as they approached. Lana stood up to get a better look. From the air it seemed like a simple hill without grass or trees. But it held far more terrors within. The ship came to a stop over the mound. Lana said, "Land on the rocks."

The A.I. chimed and said, "Miss Lana, this ship is not designed for landing on top of such an uneven surface. Perhaps there is another..."

"Land on the rocks! We don't have time to find another landing spot!" Lana shouted. Max did not respond. The ship moved into position and lowered itself down on the rocks. Lana held onto the captain's seat. It was going to be a bumpy landing. After a bit of shaking and a leftward tilting, the ship finally came to a rest on top of the rocks.

"Landing complete."

Lana stood up and pulled out her pistol. Then she said, "Turn the engines off to conserve fuel. If I am not back in 30 minutes destroy the ship. Overload the engines or dump the fuel and ignite it. I don't care just get it done. Got it Max?"

As Lana walked to the exit Max responded, "Miss Lana, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yes, or at least I think so. The creature can only mentally attack one of us at a time. If it isn't strangulating me then it is currently strangulating Jack. Which means he is still alive. If he is still alive then there is a chance."

"Miss Lana, I was referring to the destruction of the ship. Doing so will result in the violation of several health and planetary codes. We will be fined by the local authorities."

As she walked out the door of the bridge, Lana confirmed, "On a planet of monsters, we are the authorities, Max."

Lana when to the armory and grabbed some extra ammo for the pistol. As she was leaving Lana noticed some weapon attachments on the wall. A laser pointer, scope, and flashlight for a longer rifle like weapon. Lana ripped the flashlight attachment off the wall and turned it on and off. It was a mini flashlight and probably not the best tool for the job, but it worked. Lana put the mini flashlight in her pocket and left the armory.

Lana returned to her O2 mask and entered the airlock. She cycled the door and inspected the rocks below. The way the ship had landed, it was a nasty jump down to the ground. Luckily the designers of this ship planned for this. Lana found a retractable rope ladder that could be extended from under the floorboards. Lana pulled the ladder out and climbed down to the ground. The ship blocked the rain for now. Over toward the mound Lana pulled out her pistol and searched for tracks. There were several sets of footprints but only one that Lana thought was fresh enough to be Jack's. Of course, they lead down into the cave.

Lana walked over to the hole and shined her flashlight down into the darkness. Even the flashlight could not completely illuminate the tunnel. Against her better judgement, she walked into the mouth of the cave. The mound was high enough that rainwater did not drain into it. After a few feet the ground was dry, and the collection of footprints disappeared. Lana shouted, "Jack?" She waited a few seconds then she said again, "Say something if you can hear me?" Lana peered into the black void of darkness. Lana waited for a response. Nothing came. No sounds of a creature, no footsteps, just the sounds she was making. It was eerie to say the least.

Lana thought to herself. This would scare the shit out of the regular me. It is still very scary but the regular me would be more scared. Lana didn't stop, she continued to walk toward. Lana looked at the walls of the tunnel. More personal items mixed into the ground. A pair of pants here, a pair of sunglasses there. The remains of people that could not be consumed. As she walked deeper into the cave Lana turned around to see the exit. It was getting further and further away with each step. Lana thought for a second that this was her decent into madness. But she shook off those thoughts. She was here for one thing. Jack.

The tunnel split into several different directions. Lana shined the tiny flashlight down the off-shooting tunnels just to check for anything of interest. Except for the odd collection of personal objects, they were empty. Lana continued down the main tunnel. Or at least she thought it was the main tunnel. Around another bends she could see nothing but darkness ahead of her. At this point her flashlight was the only thing she could see. Still, she edged forward with the strength of her flashlight guiding her.

On the ground nearby was a familiar object. It was a O2 mask and oxygen tank. She picked it up and turned it over. It was covered with this black tar like substance, but it was the same model that she was wearing. This could have belonged to anyone from POLO crew. But which one?

"Welcome."

The voice was back. Lana dropped the mask and pointed her pistol down the tunnel. She had walked into the dragon's lair willingly. The dragon was now watching her. After a few seconds she responded, "You didn't think I was leaving without saying goodbye, did you?" The voice did not respond. Lana continued to walk forward, "Speak to me. Creature, monster, entity… Whatever you call yourself. Let's talk. I know your weakness. If you are in my head, then you know I know your weakness. You can only target one of us at a time. The more you are in my head the less you are in his. Where is he?"

The voice still did not respond.

Lana picked of the pace. She was now deep underground. The light from the exit was completely gone now. Lana didn't care. She continued deeper and deeper. The black tar like substance started to cover every surface. It seemed to move as she walked. Like a mirage on the horizon. Was it luring her in? Or was it afraid of her?

There was another O2 mask but this one was stuck on the wall. Same model. This could have been Paula's mask. Or the captain. Suddenly Lana heard another voice, not the voice of the creature. It was a man's voice. He was breathing hard and in pain. "No, get out of my head." The voice was very close. Lana could hear the voice echoing off the walls.

Lana shouted, "Jack?!" The echo of her own voice was almost deafening. She stepped forward and around another bend in the tunnel.

Then a second voice spoke, "Lana, I am over here. Help me."

She stopped and turned around. Had she passed him? Or was this a trick? Lana shouted again, "Jack, speak to me! Tell me where you are." Once again, Lana voice bounced off the walls as the echo floated away.

The first voice responded, "I hear you Lana, I am here. Please, help me."

The second voice said nothing, it was still breathing hard, but Lana could tell it was Jack's voice. More importantly the first voice that came from behind her did not carry an echo. Lana thought about it and said, "Jack, I hear you. Speak to me. I will follow your voice."

The echo less voice responded again, "Thank you Lana. This way. I am right here." Lana knew this voice was a deception. It was the creature trying to keep her away from Jack. She turned around and traveled in the opposite direction of the echoless voice.

Jack's voice spoke again, "Let go of me." This voice had an echo on it. Lana ran toward this voice. As she turned the next corner, she saw something that almost brought a tear to her eye. Jack on his hands and knees crawling towards her. He was clearly in pain.

"Jack! You're alive!" Lana ran over and grabbed his arm. He could not move. Lana stood up and checked him over. His legs were half covered in the black tar. It was slowly climbing up his pants. Lana wasted no time she pulled out her pistol and fired at the black sludge. The blast caused the sludge to release Jack and let out the strangest squealing noise. It was a sound Lana had never heard before and never wanted to hear again. The ground began to shake as the pieces of the black tar slowly crawled away into the cracks of the tunnel. Lana fell to the ground and held onto Jack until the tremors dissipated.

In the brief moment she had fired the energy blast, Lana saw the tunnel around her was no longer a tunnel. In her haste to help Jack she had not noticed that the cave layout had completely changed. Lana grabbed the flashlight and waved it around to see the massive open cavern system. The sludge and darkness had blended together to be one big mass sea of black. Lana waved the flashlight around to see there was nothing but darkness for as far as the eye could see. Was it darkness or sludge? Lana stood up and pulled Jack to his feet. They both stared back at the massive creature, but for the first time the realized this was not a creature at all. It was something no one had ever seen before. A monster so gigantic that it could not be view up close. It was like standing on a boat in the ocean and not being able to see yourself. Because you were nothing compared to its massive size. It was absolutely horrifying.

In the next moment, Lana helped Jack climb to his feet and said, "We gotta go." Jack did not disagree. As they moved away from the ledge the black sludge seemed to react to them. As they ran away the sludge followed behind them.

"You will never leave this place."

The voice reached into Lana mind and froze her in place. It was trying to strangulate her mind. The black tar quickly recovered moved in to devour them both. Jack shouted at her, "Lana come on." She could not move her brain was overwhelmed. Jack grabbed her around the waist and picked her up. But he was too slow. As the tar began crawling up his legs Jack groan in pain and dropped her. The sludge started to crawl up Lana too.

Lana used everything she had to move. All she could do was pull the trigger. The pistol fired another blast into the black sludge. The ground began to shake as the pieces of dirt and black tar flew into the air. Lana felt the mental strangulation fade away. She gained control of herself again. Before the creature could attack again Lana took aim and fired three shots into the massive creature. Each shot buried itself deep into the black sludge. The entire planet began to shake as the squealing noise got louder and louder. It was deafening.

Lana shook off the remaining sludge on her legs and grabbed Jack's arm. They were not going to miss this opportunity. They ran as quickly as they could up the tunnel. Lana used the flashlight to light the way. Back up the winding tunnels back to the surface. Which way was the exit? Lana turned left and right trying to remember the way. It was a hopeless attempt but one that they would complete or die.

Together they passed the second O2 mask buried in the wall. Lana knew they were headed the right way. The rumbling from the creature had stopped. It had recovered from the damage she had done. It was no doubt going to come after them again. As they climbed the tunnel toward the surface Jack glanced backwards. He said, "I can't see anything… and I am okay with that."

Lana didn't want to imagine the creature following them. In her mind she could see the creeping tendrils climbing up the tunnel after them. She had enough nightmares to worry about without adding to them.

They passed the second O2 mask. Lana and Jack were both exhausted at this point. The tunnel was long and uphill. Lana slowed to a walk and turned her flashlight back to tunnel. She could see nothing but darkness. But the sound. She could hear it coming. The same sound it had made before. It was getting louder, and the wind rushed past her. Whatever it was… it was coming. As Jack and her caught their breath Lana checked the ammo on the pistol. She only had one shot left. It would have to be enough.

At this point Lana shined the flashlight on the O2 mask. It was the only white object in the sea of dirt and darkness. It was about 10 meters away. She stopped walking and waited. She took several deep breaths to steady her aim. Jack stopped too. He said, "What are you doing? We shouldn't stop here."

Just then the tendrils reached up out of the darkness. They were fast. Climbing the walls of the cave faster than anyone could run. An inhuman screeching followed them as they moved. This was the nightmare stuff Lana was talking about. Once the tendril had reached the O2 mask Lana fired her shot. The blast chopped one of the tendrils in half and exploded the O2 tank. A brief fireball erupted in the tunnel. The oxygen released from the tank burned in bright orange flames. In this moment, both Jack and Lana could see the damage caused to the creature. It burned in the open flames as it attempted to extinguish itself. It seemed to be an oil-based lifeform. Lana realized she had just found its weakness. As the creature violently flailed about in the tunnel, Jack grabbed Lana shoulder and said, "We really need to go now."

She did not argue. Lana followed Jack up the tunnel. The light from the exit was up ahead. As they approached the exit of the tunnel, Lana dropped the flashlight and rejoiced in the feeling of the rain on her skin.

Reaching the boulders, Jack turned around and gave Lana and hug. Lana did not resist. They were both filthy and covered in the black oil residue, but they didn't care. In their moment of happiness Jack said in disbelief, "You came for me."

Lana released the hug and said, "Yeah, well, I promised Gena I wasn't going to let the creature take anyone else. I wasn't going to go back on my promise."

Jack probably would have responded but his attention was turned to the cave. For a second, he was silent then he said, "Listen."

Lana's eye quickly returned to the cave entrance as she heard the noise. It was still coming for them. Without wasting a breath, she ran over to the ladder and climbed up to the ship. Jack was right behind her. He wasn't going to stick around and watch. Lana waited until Jack and her were both in the airlock to cycle the doors. Once inside Lana ran to the bridge and screamed, "Max, get us out of here! Go!"

The ships engines began spooling up. They rotated to point down and roared to life. Lana fell to the ground as the ship began to vibrate. Jack was right behind her holding onto the door frame. Within seconds the ship was airborne. Lana watched as the main screen showed the ship level out and slowly increase in altitude. But unlike before when the ship climbed up to the top of the tree line this time the engines just roared and roared. They weren't gaining altitude. Then Max said, "Miss Lana, it would seem we have encountered a problem. There is an unknown substance outside of the ship. It has attached itself to the landing gear and is preventing us from gaining altitude. Would you like to me to land the ship so we can remove it?" The main screen camera switched to a view of the back exterior of the ship. The tendrils were attached to the back of the ship and spreading.

"No, keep the ship steady I will take care of it. As soon as we are clear you take us to space. Got it?" Lana said as she stood up and ran to the airlock. Jack was right behind her. The tendrils started pulling the ship downward again, Jack lost his balance and nearly fell down. Lana reloaded her pistol. Lana pressed the button to cycle the airlock.

Jack got to the airlock a second too late. The inner door shut putting a barrier between them. Jack got to the airlock door and shouted. Lana could not hear him. Jack pressed the button on his headset and shouted, "Stop! If you are in the airlock when the ship takes off, you will be thrown out!"

Lana did not heed his warning. She turned away from him and waited for the outer door to open. She was tired of this creature. The outer door opened revealing black sludge tendril creeping over the exit. Lana fired a shot at the tendril blasting it apart. She grabbed the pipes above her head and leaned outside the door. Looking down she could see there were at least 6 or 7 tendrils coming out of the cave holding tight to the back starboard landing gear. She took aim and fired a shot. The first shot cut several tendrils in half. The planet surface started to shake. It didn't have an effect on the ship as it was in the air. Lana fired again but this shot missed. Another tendril climbed up and reached for Lana herself. With careful aim Lana shot it out of the air. Then she refocused on the tendrils holding the ship. Then the voice came again.

"No one leaves this place."

Lana took a breath steadied her aim and said, "Goodbye." She fired and cut another huge hole in the tendrils holding the ship. Only a few tendrils were left. They were not strong enough to hold the ship from taking off. One by one the ship slipped from their grasp until none remained. Immediately the ship rocketed into the air. Lana dropped her pistol and fell to the floor. She held on for dear life. Within seconds the ship was 1,000s of meters in the air. Lana held her O2 mask to her face with one hand and tried to cycle the airlock with her other hand. The G forces were too strong. She couldn't lift her arm high enough to hit the button. Lana realized this might have been a bad idea. She was going to space on the outside of the ship.

Without warning the inner airlock door opened causing the entire ship to depressurize. Jack had used the emergency system to bypass the lock and open the door. He was having a problem with the extreme G forces too. He wedged himself in the door and grabbed Lana's arm. Together pulled her away from the outer door as she climbed over the top of him. Once inside Jack hit the emergency shut button causing both in the inner and outer airlock doors to close at the same time. This clearly wasn't his intention. Jack was still in the inner door as it closed. He moved his leg out of the way, but he didn't have enough time for his arm. Lana could hear a loud crack as the door closed on Jack's shoulder. He screamed.

Sensing that there was something jammed in the doorway the inner airlock door open releasing Jack. But it was too late. He had passed out from the pain. Now that they were further into the upper atmosphere the G forces were reduced. Lana was able to pull him away from the door so the interior door could close and re-pressurized itself. Lana quickly checked him over. Jack was out cold. Completely unresponsive.

Despite being difficult, Lana climbed to her feet and walked over to the hibernation room. Inside the medical tool was still on the floor. She picked it up and returned to Jack. She made sure to turn the dial to painkiller, then shot him in the neck. He would be alright for now.

The vibration from the ship slowly died down. The gravity was also becoming lighter and lighter. Lana left Jack on the floor and walked back to the bridge. As she did, Lana found herself floating to the ceiling with each step. Gravity was almost completely gone. Lana held onto the doorframe and said, "Max, turn on the artificial gravity. Does this ship have artificial gravity?"

A second later, the gravity kicked on and Lana fell. She let out a little grunt as she hit the ground. Then Max responded, "Yes, it does. Miss Lana, you will be happy to hear that the ship is T minus 12 seconds from being in orbital holding pattern around the planet."

Lana stood up and said, "Good job. Thanks for not killing us." Lana walked over to the pilot control panel. They had 2% fuel left. Just as expected. Lana pointed to the overhead screen and said, "Do a scan for nearby ships. There will be one in orbit."

After a few seconds Max said, "Scanning." A few seconds later Max said, "Ship signature found. Designation POLO. Would you like to contact them?"

"Yes, I mean NO! Approach the POLO and dock with it."

"You would like me to set an approach vector?"

"Yes, very much so. When we run out of fuel switch to power cells to get us there."

Max performed some calculation then said, "I am sorry to say that the POLO is also traveling much faster than we are. We will do not have enough resources to intercept them."

"Shit." Lana wasn't ready for this problem. She was hoping the two ships would be closer. She said, "How are we going to fix this?"

Max waited a few seconds then replied, "Miss Lana, are you asking me to brainstorm for you? My job is to assist passengers with the functionality of the ship…

Lana cut him off, "Yes, I know. Thank you, Max. I will be right back." Lana left the bridge and returned to Jack. She knelt down next to him. He was still passed out in the hallway. She ripped his shirt to look over his shoulder. His arm and shoulder were already starting to swell up. She was no doctor, but she could tell his arm was broken. He had possible internal bleeding. Out of nowhere the ship thruster turned off causing Lana to fall on top of him.

Jack woke up as she landed on him. He said, "Oh, oh hi. Good morning."

Lana got back on her knees and said, "Sorry, are you okay?"

"Oh yes, any morning I wake up with a pretty girl in my arms is a good morning."

Lana smiled at him and said, "That's the painkillers talking. Jack, you broke your shoulder. We need to get the POLO, but we don't have enough power to get there. I need your help. You know more about this space stuff than I could even know."

Jack arched his back and groaned in pain. He was not feeling too good. Then he said, "Oh, I see how it is. I thought maybe you were giving me a hug because I saved you from suffocation a few minutes ago. I didn't realize that you were trying to wake me up just to put me back to work."

Lana could tell he was being playful, she responded, "Sorry."

Lana helped him to his feet. Jack asked, "How long do we have to be away from the planet before we get out memories back?"

"You mean IF we get our memories back. Jack, I have no idea. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't know. It could be a while… maybe…"

Jack held his broken arm with his free hand and walked toward the bridge, "Easy for you to say. What did you lose? You lost your phobias. I lost the knowledge I needed for my job. What is a pilot without the flight experience? I am not going through the academy again. I might not even be able to fly the POLO when we get there."

"Don't say that. We are depending on you, Jack." Lana rubbed his back as he walked. She didn't know how to tell him the truth. She honestly didn't know. It was entirely possible that we are stuck like this. Family and friends forgotten. Memories lost. Skills somehow unlearned.

Jack entered the bridge and eyed at the main screen. He stepped over to the pilot seat and said, "I don't even know these controls. They are different from the POLO." Jack then turned to the co-pilot controls expecting them to be different somehow. Then he said, "Max, where is the POLO right now?"

Max did another scan then replied, "The POLO is traveling in the northern hemisphere 1.06 degrees off our current trajectory traveling at 17 APS."

Jack tried to decipher the information on the screen and said, "Can you contact the ship? Access it remotely?"

Max attempts to access the POLO. After a few seconds he said, "Negative, the ship is coded with a password lock. If you enter the pass code I could remote pilot the POLO to our position."

Jack looked at Lana and said, "Did I set a password before we left?"

"You were flying. Remember? Paula was already down on the planet when we left." Lana scratched her head and said, "Or was it the captain?"

Lana and Jack thought about it for a bit. They simply could not remember. After a few minutes, Max chimed in and said, "Power cells are down to 60%."

Jack sat down at the comms bench and said, "Thank you, Max. We don't really need you to remind us of our impending doom. We need to be reminded of the password. You would think it was something we would remember."

That reminded Lana of something. Her eyes widened as she said, "Something to remember. The captain! He set a password before we left! He said we will set it to something we need to remember. Because… because he might forget me. It's me! Enter the password is Lana! L.A.N.A."

Max paused to enter the password. A few seconds later he said, "Password accepted. Remotely piloting the POLO to our location."

As the POLO slowly made its way to their position Lana and Jack sat and waited. Jack held his broken arm and said, "You know, now that we have been off the surface of the planet for a bit, I feel like I am gaining some of my memories back."

"Me too." Lana proclaimed, "I never would have remembered that password down on the surface. Maybe we are fixed?"

"Maybe, I hope we get all of our memories back."

Lana thought about it for a second. Getting all of her memories back and being herself again. Lana said, "I don't want all of our memories back. Old me would never have survived down there on the surface. I would have curled up into a ball and cried. Old me wouldn't have been able to save you. I think I am a better person now."

Jack didn't have a response for that. He glanced at her filthy clothes. She was a far cry from the financial businesswoman that he picked up back on Earth. Then he said, "Hang on,answer me this. When entered the cave to come find me… were you scared?"

"Yeah."

"When you had to hang out the back of the ship and shoot all the disgusting tentacles, were you scared?"

"Yes, who wouldn't be?"

"I see. So, you didn't lose the fear. You were still afraid, but you did it anyways. You are saying that the monster took your phobias, I don't think you lost anything. Sounds like you gained the courage to do what you thought was impossible. Or maybe it was always there, you just didn't know about it."

Lana laughed at the absurdity of his logic. After a few seconds Jack laughed too. They laughter quickly ended when half of the lights flickered and turned off. Lana stood up and said, "Max, what's going on?"

"Sorry Miss Lana, the power cells are down to 30% capacity and falling. Considering we don't have any fuel to recharge them, I disabled some of the lights to conserve power."

Getting up from her seat, Lana went back to the control panel. The POLO was almost here. Lana said, "30% should be enough. Can you line us up and dock the ships together with 30% power?"

Max did the calculations then responded, "Negative, The Venere Classic and the POLO cannot dock together."

"What? Why not?"

Max pulled up a diagram of the two ships and showed them on the big screen. Then he said, "The Venere Classic is a new ship that is designed to look old. Hence the name "Classic." It has modern updates and computer support systems that are considered acceptable in the space travel industry. On the other hand, the POLO is a heavily modified Gambus Class Frigate. It's so old the schematics are listed in the archive files. The last model of its kind was launched 83 years ago. Long story short. The POLO has old style airlocks Version 5.15 that are incompatible with the Venere Classic. Therefore, the Venere Classic and the POLO cannot dock together."

Both jack and Lana inspected the diagram for a moment. They needed a solution and relatively fast. Then Jack said, "Easy fix. Get the ships in range of each other and connect the umbilical cable. We put on suits and take a short spacewalk. We will need better clothing. Without protection your skin will freeze. Even with oxygen you will die in a minute or so of hypothermia. Not to mention that I would be doing it with one arm."

Lana put her mask on and said, "Max, what is our power at and how long can we survive on this ship?"

"The power cells are at 26% and falling. The ship will lose life support capability in exactly 12 minutes and 52 seconds."

Lana picked up Jack's O2 mask and waved it at him. Then with a smile, she said, "Come on, you have 12 minutes to talk me out of it."

Jack and Lana put on all the extra cloth they could find and wrapped thermal tape around their exposed skin. Neck, hands, waist, and ankles. As they got to the airlock Jack handed Lana the magnetic cable holder. Then he said, "Put the strap around your wrist. You don't want to let go of this when we are out there."

Lana attached the device to her wrist and peered through the small window and the frost that was forming around the edges. Space is cold. Lana pushed the button to activate the radio on her mask and said, "Max, can you hear me?"

There was a pause then Max responded, "Yes, Miss Lana. The ship will require some time to line up perfectly. I will que you when everything is ready."

Jack watched as the POLO came into sight for the first time in days. He blinked at Lana a few times and said, "If the captain were here, he would be chewing our asses off right now."

Lana did not respond. She was focused on the ship outside. They were too far away to make it. Then again Lana had never done this before. Her experience in weightless space were limited at best. Once the two ships were lined up Max said, "The ship is lined up with airlock 1 of the POLO. Umbilical cable is launched. This the best I can do for you, Miss Lana."

Lana once again looked out the window there was at least a four-meter gap between the ships. Before she could respond to Max, Jack said, "Max, turn off the Gravity Generator."

A second later, Lana could feel herself becoming weightless. She grabbed the airlock wall to hold herself in place. Jack attached his magnetic cable holder to the railing. This was going to keep them attached to the cable. Lana did the same. Then she smiled at Jack to give him a reassured look. It was a fake, but she was at least 50% this was the best course of action. Lana took a deep breath. Then she said, "Are we ready?"

Max responded, "Power cells are down to 9% total capacity. If you are going to board the POLO, I would recommend you do it soon."

"Enough said," Jack responded as he pressed the airlock cycle button. The next second, the outer airlock door opened. Lana felt the rush of cold hit her. The magnetic cable holder took off down the line dragging her with it. If Lana had not been attached to the device, she would have been left behind.

For two seconds, Lana got to view space like few people ever did. The beautiful raw empty silence of space rarely ever seen with the naked eye. After that, her O2 mask started to freeze over. The next second, they smashed headfirst into the airlock 1 of the POLO. Jack slammed into her at the same speed. Lana quickly reached up and slapped the button to close the exterior door. The pressurization process was fast but caused her ears to pop.

Once the inter door opened, Lana pulled off the thermal tape and her mask. Finally, she could see clearly again. Her arms were freezing. Despite being cold, Lana helped Jack sit up and took his mask off. Jack made a painful face and held his broken arm. Lana shot him a smile and said, "Good new. We lived."

"I set the crossing speed for 100%. Thinking that we should get across a quickly as possible. That impact though. Boy, that was painful." Jack stood up and looked out the window at the open space they just crossed. Then he glanced to Lana and said, "Use the radio, tell Max to disconnect the cable before the power runs out. I need to get some painkiller."

Jack left the airlock as Lana picked up her O2 mask. She pressed the button to activate the radio and said, "Max, we made it. Disconnect the cable, please." A second later a mechanical sound signaled the release of the two ships. Lana peering sadly out the window at the Venere Classic ship and said, "Thank you, Max."

"It was my pleasure, Miss Lana. The Venere Classic's systems will be shutting down soon. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Lana was sad for a second then she replied, "Yes, Max. Remember us. We will remember you."

Max paused for a moment then he said, "Names entered into long term storage. Have a safe trip, Miss Lana."

Lana watched as the ship drifted away. Within a minute or two the lights went out and Venere Classic disappeared into the cold darkness of space. He might have been an emotionless program, but he was a hero in her mind.

Lana left the airlock and found Jack in the hallway. He was sitting on the end of one of the hibernation chambers. He shot himself with medical gun and dropped it to the ground. Lana came over and knelt down in front of him. In any other situation, Jack would have had something funny to say. He was physically exhausted. They had been through so much just to make it back to where they started. Lana examined his broken arm and mud-covered cloths. He still had bits of black sludge in spots. Lana's clothes were no different. Lana stood up and said, "Don't quit on me now partner. We only have one step left."

Lana led Jack to the bridge and sat him down in the pilot seat. Jack fired up the controls and started the navigation computer to return to Earth. It would take a minute to complete the calculations. As the system did its work, Lana saw the empty captain's chair out of the corner of her eye. Then she looked to the comms station. All the empty seats made it feel like a ghost ship. It was a sad reminder of the friends lost along the way. A tear rolled down Lana's cheek.

After several minutes the computer's calculations were done. They both took one last look at the horrible green planet before Jack turned the ship around to face Earth. With a few more button presses Jack activated the autopilot. Then he leaned his head back and said, "The ship is underway. The course is set. We will use sling shot method to pick up speed. Then we should be going fast enough to make it to Earth in 1,168 days. The computer says our trajectory has a margin of error is less than 0.001%... and that's it. It's over. Everything is over. My job is done. I am 100% done. Can I die now?"

Lana smiled for the first time in a while. Then she said, "Yes, you may. I give you permission."

"Permission? I didn't realize I needed your permission to die."

Lana laughed and wiped the tear from her cheek. Then she said, "If you are the pilot then I am the captain. And I think you have done an amazing job."

Jack smiled at her. "That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me in a long time. Thank you, Captain Lana. I hate to dampen the mood here, but despite all our efforts, it is entirely possible that when we get back to Earth, they won't believe us. That's usually what happens when the criminal returns and the captain doesn't. What will we do then?"

"Listen to you. You sound like me before we got here. We will be fine. Let's go." Lana helped Jack out of the pilot seat and lead him to the hallway. She sat him down in the hibernation chamber and said, "Will your arm be okay for the long ride home?"

Jack shook his head and said, "Maybe, probably, I don't know. They might have to rebreak it and set it when we get back. That will require surgery or worse, put me in a cast. Then I will have a bulky cast on my arm for months."

Lana pressed the button to start the self-diagnostic on his pod. She helped Jack lay down in the bed and said, "I can't wait to sign it." Jack smiled at that comment. It was comforting to know she would be with him when they returned to Earth. Lana felt the same about him. They were a team. A pair. A couple. Without hesitation, Lana moved in and gave Jack a kiss. He didn't resist. This was long overdue. His lips were soft as she felt the tickle of his breath on her skin. With his free hand Jack reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. The moment seemed to stretch for an eternity, even though it was only a few seconds. The moment finally ended when the machine chimed, "Self-diagnostic complete."

Lana pulled away from Jack with a smile. They exchanged looks for a moment then Lana reached up and closed the lid sealing Jack inside. She reached down to the control panel and activated the machine. She kissed the glass and said, "Goodnight, hero."

Jack replied, "Goodnight, you're my hero, remember?" It was muffled from the glass, but Lana understood him. Within seconds, Jack became calm and within a few more seconds he was fast asleep. Lana walked over to the pod next to his and did her own self-diagnostic. The old Lana would have been horrified to get in the hibernation chamber again. This time, she wasn't. Maybe after seeing the horrors of the planet, something as simple as taking a hibernation sleep was easy. While she waited for the machine to chime, Lana thought Jack was right. She gained the courage to survive.

The machine chimed, "Self-diagnostic complete."

Lana opened the lid and climbed inside. She pressed the operate button and closed the lid. Within seconds the machine started filling the pod with gas. Lana closed her eyes and said under her breath, "It's going to be okay." With a smile on her face, she fell fast asleep.

19 months later…

"Captain Miller? Captain Miller, are you awake?"

Captain Miller pressed the red button and opened his hibernation chamber. He cleared his throat and replied, "Yes, I am awake." He stretched his back and stood up. He looked at the computer display and asked, "Have we reached our destination?"

The computer voice replied, "Not quite, Sir. We are only two years out of Lumiix Station. We are current in the Gj1061 system. It has a red dwarf sun with four planets orbiting it. However, there are only three planets listed on our star charts. The four one appears to be an anomaly."

The captain rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and said, "Are you kidding me? You woke me up for this? Mark it down in the travel log and forget about it."

The computer beeped and responded, "New planet logged. However, there is something else you should know, captain. I am detecting a distress signal coming from the surface of this fourth planet. Someone could need our assistance."

The captain pressed the display button to increase the size of the image. There was a blue circle of light emanating for the planet. The captain scratched his beard and said, "Well shit, I guess that changes things." He turned left and right to see the rest of the crew in hibernation. Then he said, "Wake em up. We have work to do."