Mankind
Episode Two
“Time to wake up!” A voice yells out. Well, maybe it doesn’t yell but it definitely feels like that. Rylee’s head pounds, sleep sickness is real. She’s never traveled this long through hyperspace before so she’s never experienced the sleeping pods for more than a day or two but she knows she doesn’t want to again.
She tosses her legs over the side of the pod and presses her hand against her thumping skull, she blinks away the blurriness in her eyes, then stands.
“Take it slowly.” Yara says as she rushes to Rylee’s side, saving her from a fall. “Your body is adjusting. Take this.” She hands her a glass of green goopy liquid.
“W-What’s that?” She asks, grabbing the drink and tossing it back.
“It’s milk.”
“It’s green.” Rylee heaves as she takes the last sip.
Yara shrugs. “It’ll help.”
“Oh c’mon, what babies!” Sho smirks and watches as the group vomit and stumble around.
“Sho…” Yara turns to him with a look of anger then shoos him away.
After a long and scalding shower, Rylee retires to the library. Her favorite part of the ship. It has a long window on one sid looking out at the universe, they’re still currently in hyperspace and the views are mesmerizing. She sits in a cozy leather chair, watching the twinkling lights pass them by. Two more days until they reach Crest, then the wormhole. Who knows what it will be like traveling through that? She’s thought about it for a long time, what if just rips the ship to shreds? It can’t be much different than jumping, could it? Questions with little to no answers.
“Hey,” Sho calls out. “Are you joining us for dinner? We’re having stir fry made by yours truly.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Rylee leaps up from the chair.
The group dynamic is great and everyone seems to be getting along and settling in. She feels at home when she looks around the room at the talking and laughing faces. They stuff themselves with a full meal then dessert and the table still hasn’t quieted down after.
“Okay, I have a question.” Marta, the co-pilot says with a softness in her voice. “Crest isn’t that far so why hasn’t anyone jumped to the wormhole yet?” The group nods in agreement, good question.
“It’s outside Federal Space and people I guess don’t care that much. No one really has a reason. I mean, Crest isn’t a very exciting planet.” Rylee sighs. “I’m also trying to figure out why a wormhole is there in the first place.”
“Maybe it leads to a different star system.” Yara chimes in.
Sho wracks his brain, “Could be a gateway to a different universe.” He shrugs. “Just thinking out loud.”
“Whatever it is,” Rylee says, looking around the room. “We’re finding out in a couple days.”
After dinner is all said and done, Sho finds himself sitting in the hologram room. His choice is the beach. He removes his shoes and socks, pressing his feet against the floor. It mimics the sensation of powdery sand between his toes and as far as the eye can see is a blanket of blue with small waves lapping the shoreline. Wind blows softly, his hair moving with it. He can hardly tell the area around him is nothing but moving images.
He slowly lowers to the floor, his back laying in the soft sand and his eyes looking up at a cloudless sky. How he longs for Earth, for home. He looks over to see Rylee joining next to him. She doesn’t speak for a few minutes until high tide comes in. The two yelp and move back farther, investigating their clothes. Dry, but it definitely felt like the water had soaked them.
“I’m glad you came.” She says softly.
He looks at her, almost offended. Like he would ever turn down anything for his closest friend. He gives her a friendly smile and a nod. “Of course.”
Time begins to countdown, the dinners get shorter and the restlessness increases. Forty-five minutes until they exit hyperspace, until they see Crest for the first time. Rylee can hardly stand it. She’s already on the bridge, strapped into her chair.
The door slides open with a woosh and in walks the co-pilot; Marta. She smirks, seeing Rylee ready to go.
“You’re early.” She says, taking her seat and strapping in.
“I like to prepare.”
Marta clicks a button overhead and a robotic voice rings throughout the ship, signaling all crew to the bridge. Not much longer now. Rylee’s mind races with each minute that passes by. The room fills up and now it’s starting to feel realer than ever. Sho gives her a reassuring tap on the shoulder before settling in himself.
“Alright everyone.” He flips some switches then grabs the controls. “It’s going to feel a bit like whiplash when we come out of the jump. So just be prepared.”
Rylee takes a deep breath and before she knows it, the countdown from five begins. Her heart races, her breathing increases. She closes her eyes just as they drop from hyperspace. Her body lurches forward, like hitting a wall going top speed. There’s a collective sound of mild agony throughout the crew. When Rylee opens her eyes again, there’s Crest. An incredible sight as clouds and gas swirl across its skyscape.
“Rylee.” Sho calls out. “We’ve made it!” The crew cheer and clap but their trip isn’t over yet. In the distance is the wormhole, distorting all light around it. It almost looks like a water droplet.
The ship eases ever so closer to the rippling refractions in space. There’s not a word to be said, all is quiet. It’s like a collective breath holding amongst the crew. Sho and his co-pilot flip buttons, press keys, and in the blink of an eye, they coast into the wormhole, leaving Crest and all they know behind.
The ship shakes, and the sounds of creaking metal echoes throughout the bridge. It’s completely dark and the vortex has seemingly taken the controls from Sho. They’re coasting, but to where?
Rylee turns her attention to the computer in front of her. She scans the darkness but nothing returns to her screen. No information whatsoever. They’re at the mercy of this strange thing, all they can do now is sit back and try to enjoy the ride.
Somewhere else, a strange new planet, two people stroll through the courtyard of a castle. A woman, long gray hair with a crown adorned to her head, and a flowing purple dress that catches the breeze with elegance. Next to her is…
“Eric.” She says softly as the sky begins to grow dark and lightning cracks across the clouds. “She’s here, just like you said.” She turns to him with a smile. “Your daughter came for you.” Suddenly, the Crestelia breaks through, into a new world.
She tosses her legs over the side of the pod and presses her hand against her thumping skull, she blinks away the blurriness in her eyes, then stands.
“Take it slowly.” Yara says as she rushes to Rylee’s side, saving her from a fall. “Your body is adjusting. Take this.” She hands her a glass of green goopy liquid.
“W-What’s that?” She asks, grabbing the drink and tossing it back.
“It’s milk.”
“It’s green.” Rylee heaves as she takes the last sip.
Yara shrugs. “It’ll help.”
“Oh c’mon, what babies!” Sho smirks and watches as the group vomit and stumble around.
“Sho…” Yara turns to him with a look of anger then shoos him away.
After a long and scalding shower, Rylee retires to the library. Her favorite part of the ship. It has a long window on one sid looking out at the universe, they’re still currently in hyperspace and the views are mesmerizing. She sits in a cozy leather chair, watching the twinkling lights pass them by. Two more days until they reach Crest, then the wormhole. Who knows what it will be like traveling through that? She’s thought about it for a long time, what if just rips the ship to shreds? It can’t be much different than jumping, could it? Questions with little to no answers.
“Hey,” Sho calls out. “Are you joining us for dinner? We’re having stir fry made by yours truly.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Rylee leaps up from the chair.
The group dynamic is great and everyone seems to be getting along and settling in. She feels at home when she looks around the room at the talking and laughing faces. They stuff themselves with a full meal then dessert and the table still hasn’t quieted down after.
“Okay, I have a question.” Marta, the co-pilot says with a softness in her voice. “Crest isn’t that far so why hasn’t anyone jumped to the wormhole yet?” The group nods in agreement, good question.
“It’s outside Federal Space and people I guess don’t care that much. No one really has a reason. I mean, Crest isn’t a very exciting planet.” Rylee sighs. “I’m also trying to figure out why a wormhole is there in the first place.”
“Maybe it leads to a different star system.” Yara chimes in.
Sho wracks his brain, “Could be a gateway to a different universe.” He shrugs. “Just thinking out loud.”
“Whatever it is,” Rylee says, looking around the room. “We’re finding out in a couple days.”
After dinner is all said and done, Sho finds himself sitting in the hologram room. His choice is the beach. He removes his shoes and socks, pressing his feet against the floor. It mimics the sensation of powdery sand between his toes and as far as the eye can see is a blanket of blue with small waves lapping the shoreline. Wind blows softly, his hair moving with it. He can hardly tell the area around him is nothing but moving images.
He slowly lowers to the floor, his back laying in the soft sand and his eyes looking up at a cloudless sky. How he longs for Earth, for home. He looks over to see Rylee joining next to him. She doesn’t speak for a few minutes until high tide comes in. The two yelp and move back farther, investigating their clothes. Dry, but it definitely felt like the water had soaked them.
“I’m glad you came.” She says softly.
He looks at her, almost offended. Like he would ever turn down anything for his closest friend. He gives her a friendly smile and a nod. “Of course.”
Time begins to countdown, the dinners get shorter and the restlessness increases. Forty-five minutes until they exit hyperspace, until they see Crest for the first time. Rylee can hardly stand it. She’s already on the bridge, strapped into her chair.
The door slides open with a woosh and in walks the co-pilot; Marta. She smirks, seeing Rylee ready to go.
“You’re early.” She says, taking her seat and strapping in.
“I like to prepare.”
Marta clicks a button overhead and a robotic voice rings throughout the ship, signaling all crew to the bridge. Not much longer now. Rylee’s mind races with each minute that passes by. The room fills up and now it’s starting to feel realer than ever. Sho gives her a reassuring tap on the shoulder before settling in himself.
“Alright everyone.” He flips some switches then grabs the controls. “It’s going to feel a bit like whiplash when we come out of the jump. So just be prepared.”
Rylee takes a deep breath and before she knows it, the countdown from five begins. Her heart races, her breathing increases. She closes her eyes just as they drop from hyperspace. Her body lurches forward, like hitting a wall going top speed. There’s a collective sound of mild agony throughout the crew. When Rylee opens her eyes again, there’s Crest. An incredible sight as clouds and gas swirl across its skyscape.
“Rylee.” Sho calls out. “We’ve made it!” The crew cheer and clap but their trip isn’t over yet. In the distance is the wormhole, distorting all light around it. It almost looks like a water droplet.
The ship eases ever so closer to the rippling refractions in space. There’s not a word to be said, all is quiet. It’s like a collective breath holding amongst the crew. Sho and his co-pilot flip buttons, press keys, and in the blink of an eye, they coast into the wormhole, leaving Crest and all they know behind.
The ship shakes, and the sounds of creaking metal echoes throughout the bridge. It’s completely dark and the vortex has seemingly taken the controls from Sho. They’re coasting, but to where?
Rylee turns her attention to the computer in front of her. She scans the darkness but nothing returns to her screen. No information whatsoever. They’re at the mercy of this strange thing, all they can do now is sit back and try to enjoy the ride.
Somewhere else, a strange new planet, two people stroll through the courtyard of a castle. A woman, long gray hair with a crown adorned to her head, and a flowing purple dress that catches the breeze with elegance. Next to her is…
“Eric.” She says softly as the sky begins to grow dark and lightning cracks across the clouds. “She’s here, just like you said.” She turns to him with a smile. “Your daughter came for you.” Suddenly, the Crestelia breaks through, into a new world.