Let it breathe, let it breathe, let it breathe for the space cadets

The fall of the space academy

Cadets were screaming, civilians were screaming, and the professors were holding on to their cadets the best way they could as chairs were sent flying in different directions. Blue team one held on to each other, tightly. The gymnasium was tumbling down with heavy turbulence toward a planet. Loki reached his hand out for a Orion cadet. The Orion cadet reached out to a Tellarite who then reached out for a Kelpien who reached their hand out for a Romulan who reached their hand out for a Bajorian who reached their hand out for a Ferengi who held their hand out for a Klingon who held their hand out for a fellow cadet. It continued on through the gymnasium. Eventually, cadet by cadet and professor by professor and stranger to stranger held hands. The distinctive sensation of falling toward uncertainty was felt through out the room. The sound that they were crashing through the atmosphere was carried through the campus sending cargo boxes tumbling and personal belongings were crashing, rolling, and breaking into pieces in cabins. The main computer of the academy echoed throughout, "Crashing in to planet in one minute." The screaming gradually stopped replaced by a calm, easy going atmosphere. Children were tightly holding hands with parents, strangers, and cadets.

The flying campus tore through the light gray, rolling clouds that acted as a sea below the two moons. The campus came to a halt five feet above a small circular saucer spaceship then flew off carrying itself several hundred miles away. It went over several hills, a large mountain, barren trees, close by a large sea, and a small tent in front of a dying firepit that had a hunched over figure tending to it. The flames briefly went out returning in a moment but the figure's attention was drawn up. The campus rushed past a group of gigantic one eyed creatures resting alongside the edge of a gigantic cave. The planetoid came to a stop in the middle of a clearing then lowered down toward the surface. A large staircase came down from one of the large doors leading into the campus.

The camera returned back into the gymnasium where a very loud collective sigh of relief was heard. Everyone was still in the darkness. No one dared to move. No one dared to get up and move around. They had stiff limbs, bruised bodies, and hands holding on to the next person. Terrified out of their minds that Dragos was coming after them to finish what he had started. Everyone was very still where they were. Laura squeezed her brother's hand and he squeezed her hand in return. The cadets shared glances with each other while intertwined in a sea of chairs and people. Their hearts were beating loudly in their ears. The sounds of doors opening in the distance made a few of the civilians sweat. Door by door began to open loudly echoing through the campus. Loki dreaded the next moment. What could be his final moment in his short life as a space cadet. The doors to the gymnasium slid open. A torch with flames entered the room as sounds from children were muffled.

"Hello?" Gampu's voice echoed through the gymnasium. "I am Doctor Zachary Smith. I offer my services for the wounded I have spotted in the corridors," the flame from the torch went out and a girly scream came from Smith. "Can someone please turn on the lights?"

The darkness was replaced by the light, alarming red lighting in the gymnasium. The cadets and civilians helped each up to their feet as did the professors. The tension in the air evaporated replaced by confusion and joy. Loki vanished in the blink of a eye. He appeared at random parts of the gymnasium coming closer and closer to the well aged man. Each time Smith blinked, he was closer like a patient cat moving every time their master hide behind a wall then walked out to see the cat in the same position they had left them in.

"Commander!" Loki said, grabbing Smith into a hug.

The cadets in the vast gymnasium helped people alongside them up to their feet in a thunderous applause. The diplomas were discarded on the stage around carelessly. The secretary quickly picked them up with help from the chief engineers of the academy and the bundles of flowers were collected. The red hue of the room was replaced by the familiar gray lighting that made it easier to see. Smith was alarmed looking down toward the little boy who had his hand wrapped around his waist and his head pressed against the older man's stomach. Smiles grew on the blue team's faces as they navigated their way toward the two.

"Commander!" Chris said, earning a head turn from Smith. "How did you get out of Battle Control?"

"I. . ." Smith stared at them. "I . . . Battle Control?"

"Yes," Chris said. "You were defending the campus with it against Dragos."

"And Dragos is?" Smith asked, concerned.

"The emperor of the Dragonian empire," Chris said. "Remember?"

"Chris," Laura said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He looks really young."

The cadets eyes turned on toward Smith.

"He doesn't look all that much different," Chris said.

"You must be mistaken, dear," Smith said. "I have been stranded on this planet for a year with the party of the Jupiter 2." he then added regretfully. "I am a colonel, a doctor, and a stowaway. . . Currently a space castaway." Loki stepped back from Smith.

"You're no stowaway to us," Loki said. "You are family."

"Commander?" came Professor T'hej. "What do we do?"

Smith observed the unsure crowd in front of him.

"If I were your commander . . ." Smith began. "then I would ask that you have repairmen check for damage around the ship and make sufficient repairs, civilians remain in this place, finding out whether or not that your vessel is capable of flying again should the repairs be capable of being done, and if you can make enough defense transports to fight against this Emperor Dragos to replace the ones lost then it should be done. You need protection if you're going back out there with your own people. In the mean time, you will need doctors searching from top to bottom for the injured. And if you can't leave this planet, you will have to figure out how to feed this many people, how to best clothe them, how to house them, how to use water sparingly, how to survive . . . and most of all, you must make sure you can replace or repair parts of this vessel. And finding a more appropriate leader to lead this operation. Is that clear?"

There was a nod.

"Good," Smith said. "then you should go straight to work."

"Commander, we only have cadets," T'Hej said.

"You mean to tell me this is a academy?" Smith asked.

"It is," T'Hej said.

"A . . . Space Academy," Smith said. He looked down Loki, horrified. "With children," he looked back up toward the sea of people. "I believe you can figure out a way around this problem without anyone dying." He raised his eyebrows. "Can't you?"