Miserable.
That's how everyone felt at the moment.
You just keep lying there, looking at your buddies, listening to the deafening roar of the engines, feeling the shuttle shake and shudder as it fights to break out of the Earth's atmosphere. You get up to three g's for about two and a half minutes at the end and you feel like you weigh three times your body weight.
"Oh god.. I hate takeoffs." You breathe out, groaning as your head spins, unaware of anything that's happening around you.
Covered in sweat from the nervousness and change in pressure, Jake manages to speak up.
"I... I almost passed out."
He slurs, as he leans his head back with heavy breaths.
"Not bad.. you managed to stay awake on your first mission, for once in your life."
Namjoon mutters, loud enough for everyone to hear. If not for his extreme fatigue at the moment, Namjoon would've had a face full of space food but managed to escape this time.
The shuttle was now out of the struggle against Earth's gravity, onto its predestined path, giving everyone fifteen minutes to recoup.
[ A/N's Note: Here's a little fact file! ]
When a shuttle exits the atmosphere, it doesn't heat up! Many people are often mistaken or confused with this.
The spacecraft heats up only on re-entry to Earth.
Why is that so?
Upon re-entry, it is descending into the atmosphere starting not at zero velocity but at its orbital velocity, and as it falls towards the earth it is picking up speed as the radius of its orbit decreases. By the time it runs into air dense enough to cause heating it is moving at tremendous speed and it gets very, very hot.
I apologize for the science lesson 😂 but I thought this would be informative for everyone :)
[ End of fact file ]
"I feel nauseous." Mia lets out, bringing her gloved hand to her stomach.
"Don't you dare." Namjoon says, eyes boring through her.
"Mia, we all do. You've been trained for this!" You reprimand her as she closes her eyes, nodding her head.
The shuttle abruptly jerks, as Namjoon looks to a screen on the control panel.
"The separations are done."
He says, flicking a few switches and buttons.
"As of now, we're set on course for the ISS (International Space Station). We'll arrive in six hours."
Jake unbuckles his seatbelt, as does everyone else before he looks at you with a smug face.
You raise an eyebrow as he reaches forward, pressing two buttons.
Immediately, the weight everyone feels is lifted off them as they rise up from their seats, floating in mid air.
Mia giggles.
"It's been so long!" She exclaims, stretching her arms out as Namjoon struggles to keep his glasses on his face.
"Poor Joonie. You should've wore lenses!" You say, tying a string around the ends of his glasses and placing it around his neck with your feet floating up behind you.
"Y'all can continue whatever it is you should be doing, I'm hungry and my stomach waits for no man." Jake says, pushing himself to the food compartment to be bombarded by three other bodies flying towards him.
*Six hours later*
With a grunt, you close the hatch to the Space Station after making sure everyone was in. You exhale, relieved that everyone had made the exchange between the two spacecrafts safely.
You had heard about astronauts being hit from oncoming asteroid belts and being pulled away from the station, lost to space for eternity. You didn't want that happening on your watch.
(That's a view of the ISS from a departing 'Soyuz TMA-20' spacecraft)
You had your eyes on Namjoon the entire time even though you noticed two extra fire extinguishers placed in the emergency department.
There's no such thing as being too safe when you have the God of Destruction in your proximity..
Everyone was panting, as they entered the Korean spacecraft attached to the ISS, ready for departure.
[In case you're confused, the group of individuals have exited the Earth with one spacecraft that was assigned to reach the ISS. Once done, there's another spacecraft of a different design, manufactured by the Korean Space Institute attached to the ISS, destined to reach the associated planet.]
"This shit is tiring."
Jake blurts out, and everyone chuckles, entering the additional spacecraft. Once everyone had taken their seats and procedures were followed, you sigh.
"Let's rest for a minute, please."
Mia says, her heavy breaths heard through the speakers in everyone's headsets. Everyone nods as you remove your helmet, a layer of glistening sweat coating your skin as you moan in relief.
Noticing your actions, the students do the same and close their eyes, leaning back into the seats. Your eyes travel to the little window, your heart swelling with warmth at the sight - the gentle curve of the Earth with her atmosphere that deepens through an ombre of blues until it reaches a perfect starlit black.
Your heart belonged to this Earth. You loved her so. She was beauty; she was wonder; she was heaven by divine design. But her ethereality was defiled by the organisms she produced.
Drawing your gaze away from the sight, Namjoon flips a few switches and presses buttons before looking at the rest of you.
"We'll separate from the ISS in about 30 seconds, and the thrusters will activate for 10 minutes to give us a jump-start. After that, we're on our own regarding navigation."
He says with a stern voice and everyone nods, clipping their belts on.
Jake nudges you and you turn to him, eyes widened a little.
"What?"
You whisper and he points out the window with a large smile on his face.
"I know, I saw it.."
You say, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?"
He says, mesmerized and you could see the awe and sparkle in his light brown orbs.
"She is.. but not as beautiful as she used to be."
"How so?"
He asks, snapping his head towards you. The eyes that once held admiration was now filled with confusion and curiosity.
You scoff, staring at him.
"Come on, Jake. You've probably learnt this in grade 6 as part of your environmental studies. Look there."
You say, pointing at the blotch of white towards the bottom of the large sphere.
"What about it?"
He says, staring at the peculiar continent.
"It used to be three times it's size. More than 5,000 gigatons of ice has melted in the last 16 years. That's enough to fill 400,000 Olympic sized swimming pools, Jake."
"I know, global warming and what not."
He mumbles, mood turning sour.
"And that isn't the only thing affecting her.. we have dozens of other ways that's making her suffer."
You say, and he nods.
The spacecraft jerks forward abruptly, indicating that it's seperated. Not long after, a bone breaking push sends the spacecraft lunging forward into the blanket of the universe, and you immediately take the controls in your hand.
Namjoon does the same from his side as the two of you watch the screen that displayed the shuttle's alignment. After setting it straight, you sigh in relief and Namjoon leans back, eyes still on the screen to make sure the shuttle doesn't drift off course.
Your eyes dart to the window to see the large blue orb slowly diminishing from it's enormous spherical shape to the size of an orange to a pea.
"It's ironic. We're nothing but dust in the fabric of the universe yet people have egos that elevate beyond the distance of stars."
Jake says loudly, and everyone looks at him. His eyes were still fixed outside the window. Mia chuckles.
"Of course, that's human nature. Not everyone's anyway. People think that they're invincible if they have billions in their bank accounts."
She says, shaking her head with a sigh.
You scoff, replying.
"People are busy living to give their children the most money possible. They don't realise it's futile if by then there is no viable planet to live upon"
Everyone nods, and follows their necessary protocols next, waiting till the mysterious planet comes into their view.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
The creature morphs, it's two legs splitting into four and it's smooth skin now sprouting electric purple fur as it sprints towards its destination.
Seeing fellow beings, it lets out a snarling growl and they step aside, the wall in front of it dissolving to reveal a white table surrounded by different creatures.
One had red skin and two legs with large silver claws growing out of its paws. Another was four-legged and had scaly features, an electric green fizzing through its body in little sparks as it stared at the intruder with its luminescent yellow eyes.
There were five others, and each one of them emmited an aura of power. But there were two beings that overpowered them all.
The purple furred creature that had barged in, lowered itself, gently bowing before standing up on its hind legs. It's purple fur shrunk, sinking into it's skin beneath. It's four legs began to twist together to form two legs and it diminished in size.
After its transformation, it was left with silky lilac skin and deep purple eyes. It glowed in waves over it's skin and the creature was a beautiful sight to behold.
The being placed in the center of the table stood up, all the others whimpering at the power it released from it with their heads bowed.
The being was already in his original form and had no need to transform.
The golden skinned entity shone in their presence and it opened its mouth to speak.
"Is your matter of such importance, that you decided to interrupt this meeting without a notice?"
It's deep voice resonated through the room, and the lilac creature gulps.
"I have information. It's about the humans."
It blurts out quickly, and the overpowering being sits back down.
"What is it?"
"They're coming."
And at that moment, all the creatures around the table look at each other, each portraying different noises and whispers to each other.
"How do you know about this?"
The golden being asks, worry evident in its voice.
"I have messengers on Earth. The humans have sent up a group of astronauts, their shuttle destined here."
The creature puts its head into its hands, its silver hair draping down its shoulders.
The being beside it had been quiet uptil now, and was observing everything that was happening.
Finally, it stands up. It's golden robes contrasted with its light peach skin that glowed around each curve and edge.
Its wings that had been tucked under its robe itched to be released, ready for war.
"We knew this was inevitable. Now, we have to face it head-on."
The older, golden being beside it snaps its head upto the peach creature.
"I will not let you be killed in war."
The peach being smirks, looking down at the other.
"It doesn't have to begin with war, father. I have things planned out already."
The other creatures nodded their heads in agreement with the young and enthusiastic being.
The red skinned creature bowed its head at the peach being.
"So, what does our master have planned for us?"
The being sits back down next to it's father, its silver ringed eyes looking at everyone across the table with it's hands folded.
"Step one : captivation."
A/N: Daaaaang, I'm good at this ain't I? 💤💤