Planet 49

"4 minutes 27 seconds" breathed Jordan. They turned left and continued through the seemingly unending halls until they reached the big metal doors that enclosed the pods.

Jordan paused for only a second before pushing through the cold heavy doors, Alex was only a beat behind her. The pit in Jordan's stomach was huge now , gnawing at her with unsettling ferocity. "No turning back." she said, a bit nervously. Would she be able to pull this off? She wondered.

Jordan had never left the ship before. "4 minutes 6 seconds. Lets go." She said and rushed down the remainder of the hall to another set of heavy metal doors. She shoved her way into the pod nest. Inside, the room was huge, 20 different pods were attached to ship. 1 was missing, "Dr. Lectus took that one." Alex said and pointed to one of the small tunnels that had been closed off. "And we're taking this one," Jordan walked into the tunnel to pod 14.

"Come on!" she waved to Alex. Inside, the pod was filled with buttons, levers, and devices Jordan didn't even begin to understand. "Maybe we can-"

Jordan heard the doors burst open over in the pod nest. Her heart sank, she had forgotten to check her watch. But instead of the gruff shouts of guards, she heard laughter and rushed out to see who it was.

Three people, two boys and an extremely tall girl, were standing there. They looked shocked to see anyone else here. For a quick second they just silently stared at each other, puzzled. "What are you -" began the guy on the right "No time" said Jordan quickly. She grabbed the girl and one of the guys and dragged them into the pod. "You've seen to much, I'm sorry but you have to come with. Can't take any chances, " she said. Jordan noticed she was shaking as she went back for the second guy.

He reluctantly followed her back in "Sooo... you escaped from the insane asylum? And you want us to play space tea party? Is that it?" He said, raising one eyebrow.

"Shut up, please shut up and let me think." Jordan checked her watch 2 minutes 47 seconds. She walked to the front of the pod and looked out through the window into space.

Her head was spinning. "I read a book once on the mechanics of these pods" Alex offered slowly. "Maybe a year ago?" She sat in the only chair: right in the middle with a big control board in front of it, "Maybe if-" she pushed a few buttons and pulled a lever. The pods shivered and jolted. The abnormally tall girl rolled her eyes. "good job," she shot,

"You just-"

"Wait" said Jordan, "Do you hear that?" And sure enough the soft rumble of the pod signified a motor running somewhere on the strange vessel.

"40 seconds till departure" said an automatic voice. Jordan checked her watch "30 seconds till the guards get here" she began tapping her foot.

"wait a minute. Wait, you can't do this!" Said the brown haired guy, "This is so illegal. I demand to be let off"

"Can't, sorry but the tunnel has already been closed off." Jordan stammered.

All those bravery speeches from Dr. Lectus were not helping. They would surely be killed if this pod didn't leave now. She had taken captives, stole a vessel, broke into the pod nest, and on top of that the guards would throw on 'endangered the human race' just to make her life more interesting.

"25 seconds to liftoff." droned the voice. Jordan walked to the vault door that sealed them in. Alex buckled herself into the chair and kept fiddling with controls. The other three, Jordan thought, were in shock. They just stared wide-eyed at the floor or their hands. "10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8 seconds."

Sure enough, shouts emanated from the pod nest. Jordan heard heavy boots on metal. Then the door was being slammed. "Open this door!" Commanded someone from the other side "Keep quiet" Jordan whispered. " they don't know who's in here" she hoped they didn't anyway. The door violently shook.