Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: END (06/09/22)
-
TITLE: Light | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dennis Gallemore
06/14/22 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
I closed my eyes and envisioned what the command center in the sprawling Ground Control complex in Houston must have looked like. Allen Toff, the multi-billionaire Texan who owned Lone Star Space would be there, sporting a Stetson hat and chewing on a cigar. A hundred other individuals, all leaning forward to the future of commercial space exploration, but suddenly frozen in place.
The radio crackled and Allen himself spoke from the speaker in the center of the Rogue One’s control console before me. “Jeff, I’m sorry about Tess. You couldn’t have done anything to save her.” His voice trailed off as I reopened my eyes and faced what was left of the future of the world’s first faster-than-light spacecraft, Rogue One.
Tess Overton and I had been with Lone Star’s FTL program since the beginning. An astrophysicist, Tess had been both brilliant and beautiful. She had also been, unbeknownst to Allen, et al., not only my co-pilot, but also my fiancé, soon to be wife. I’m an expert in aeronautical and space engineering, but it didn’t help me save Tess.
Our mission was simple and straightforward considering that, if it had succeeded, it would have changed the world forever. We boosted from Houston a week ago, entered a low-Earth orbit, and then arced away from Earth for an hour before engaging the FTL drive.
Everything looked good, green across the board, as the engine came online and Rogue One accelerated to one-thousandth of light speed in just under a minute. Within minutes, we were nearing the edge of the solar system, the farthest anyone from Earth had ever traveled.
Tess and I were elated, of course, but the exuberance didn’t last long. Sitting next to me, Tess stiffened. “Jeff, something’s wrong.”
I looked over at her. Her face was ashen. “What’s wrong, Tess?”
She leaned forward and waved a hand at the holographic display in front of her. “The power curve is off; we’re losing velocity and the energy consumption is actually increasing.”
I unbuckled and moved to stand beside her while studying the display. “That can’t be right. I don’t know what’s causing us to slow down, but whatever it is, the energy usage should drop, not rise.”
Tess nodded. “That is so not good.”
“Yeah, let’s try…”
Before I could finish, the cockpit lit up with a dazzling light display from electrical discharges all around us.
“The engine’s going offline!” Tess rose from her seat and twisted away from the cascading bolts of energy. Stumbling, she fell into my arms as bolt after bolt seared her body.
“Tess!” I pulled her back out of the cockpit and laid her down on the floor as the discharges continued above us. She wasn’t breathing. “Tess!”
I crawled to a nearby locker and retrieved the emergency defibrillator. After an hour of CPR, I collapsed on the floor, exhausted. Summoning every bit of willpower that I had left, I pulled myself back up and tried to resuscitate her again but I blacked out.
I came to sometime later, Tess’s lifeless body before me. The ship’s lights were out except for a few dim emergency lights. I lowered myself to her and gently kissed her lips before staggering back to the cockpit.
The holographic displays were out but the backup monitors told the story. The power was giving out completely. Backup power would only last a few hours. Tess was gone and I wouldn’t be far behind her.
Sobbing, I pulled up the communications console and contacted Earth. The failed mission was rapidly approaching the end, just as Tess had, just as I soon would. When the power failed, the infinite cold of space would soon penetrate the ship and I would not-so-slowly freeze to death.
I lay down beside my beloved and wrapped my arms around her. The cold of space reached into the ship as I lay beside Tess and surrounded us. I didn’t worry about our final destination; Tess and I had long since given our lives to Christ.
Light suddenly filled the ship, light that I could not only see, but feel as well. It was if Tess and I were wrapped in a blanket of love, warm and comforting, and then, as the end came, I knew that it was only the beginning.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
The ending seemed a bit hastily done to me, but I understand there is a word limit. The last sentence might read better if the MC knew the end was drawing near. Rather than “as the end came.” But what do I know.
Great job!