A Dream in Flames

Chapter 3

The cheers had barely settled when the first warning alarm blared through the control room.

Jetpack's triumphant smile faded as the massive screen in front of him flashed red. The room, once alive with celebration, turned eerily tense. Scientists and engineers, who had moments ago been clapping, now rushed back to their stations, their fingers flying over keyboards.

" Warning Engine Instability detected "

Jetpack's heart slammed against his ribs. His grip tightened on the armrests of his chair.

"What's happening?" he demanded, his voice sharp.

Static crackled over the speakers before the lead astronaut's voice broke through, frantic, breathless.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Naija-One! We have a serious problem!"

Jetpack shot to his feet. "Talk to me! What's going on?"

A scientist paled as he scanned the data pouring in. "Sir, one of the thrusters has malfunctioned. The ship is losing stability."

Jetpack's pulse pounded in his ears. "Can they correct it manually?"

The lead scientist shook his head. "Not at this speed. They're approaching the upper atmosphere, and, " He stopped abruptly, his face draining of color.

"What?" Jetpack snapped.

The scientist swallowed hard. "Sir… the spaceship's trajectory has changed. It's veering off course."

The room turned to the main screen, where the flight path was displayed. Instead of a smooth ascent, the ship was now tilting at an unnatural angle, being pulled towards something unexpected.

"Alpha, Sierra, Tango, Romeo, Oscar!" The astronaut's voice cracked through the speakers, his panic barely contained. "We've lost primary thruster control! We're being pulled by an unknown force!"

Jetpack's hands curled into fists. "An unknown force? What the hell does that mean?!"

A sudden realization hit the team like a thunderbolt. A scientist gasped. "Sir, there's an anomaly in their flight path!"

Jetpack's stomach twisted. "Explain!"

The scientist tapped furiously at his console. "It's… it's some kind of massive gravitational field. But that shouldn't be possible! There's nothing in this region that could"

Another scientist cut in, his voice breaking. "Sir… it's a black hole."

A deadly silence fell over the room.

Jetpack felt the air leave his lungs. "No. That can't be right. There's no black hole near Earth's orbit!"

"We thought there wasn't," the scientist said shakily. "But somehow, it's there. And Naija-One is being dragged into it."

Jetpack's blood ran cold.

"We're losing control!" the astronaut's voice turned desperate. "We need immediate assistance!"

Jetpack turned to the lead scientist. "Can we override the system? Fire the emergency thrusters? Anything?"

The scientist's hands trembled over the controls. "Sir, the override commands aren't responding. The gravitational pull is too strong."

Onscreen, the spaceship spiraled violently. The astronauts were no longer just reporting, they were screaming.

The screen flickered as the ship was dragged further toward the black hole's event horizon. The last words that came through the speakers sent ice through Jetpack's veins.

"We're not going to make it! Tell our families we".

Static.

Then the screen went dark.

A deathly silence filled the room. No one spoke. No one moved.

Jetpack stood frozen, staring at the blank screen, his entire world shattering in front of him.

His dream, his country's hope was gone.

The mission had ended in flames.

Jetpack still hadn't moved. His fingers trembled slightly as he gripped the edge of the control panel. His breathing was shallow. A lump rose in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it down.

"Check again," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "There has to be something wrong with the system. We need to reestablish contact."

The lead scientist hesitated, then quickly ran a diagnostics check. The room was eerily silent except for the soft clicking of keys.

"Sir…" The scientist's voice was weak. "There's nothing. The ship is gone."

The words sent a fresh wave of cold through Jetpack's veins. His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms. "No," he whispered. He refused to believe it. "Try again."

The scientist obeyed without question, inputting emergency signals, running every possible command to establish a link. But the result was the same.

Static.

Jetpack's chest tightened. He turned to the communications officer. "What about emergency beacons? Did they activate before" He cut himself off, unable to finish the sentence.

The officer's hands shook as she checked her readings. Her face crumpled. "No signal, sir. The ship must have been swallowed completely."

Swallowed. Gone. Just like that.

A muscle in Jetpack's jaw twitched as he struggled to contain the storm raging inside him. His entire life had been dedicated to this moment, to proving that Nigeria could reach the stars, that their dreams were not just fantasies. And now, It had all crumbled before his eyes.

A soft sniffle broke the silence. One of the junior engineers wiped at his face, failing to hide his tears. Another scientist, an older woman with gray hair, let out a shaky breath and slumped back in her chair, her expression one of utter devastation.

The room was filled with some of the brightest minds in the country, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, yet not a single one of them had a solution. They had been prepared for engine failures, malfunctions, unexpected turbulence. But this? This was beyond their worst-case scenarios.

Jetpack inhaled sharply, straightening his shoulders. He couldn't afford to break. Not now.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "We don't stop. We don't assume they're gone. We look for a way."

The lead scientist hesitated. "Sir, I understand, but"

"Do it!" Jetpack barked. "Search for anything! I don't care if it takes all day, all week, we don't stop until we know for sure!"

The command room stirred slightly. People hesitated, exchanging glances, but slowly, they returned to their screens, their hands moving again.

Jetpack exhaled. He knew the chances were slim. But he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.

Because if there was even the smallest chance that his team was still out there, he would find them.