Apocalypse: A New World

Chapter VII: Jumping To Death

Apollo Drakos

When that wall fell, Melissa screamed her loudest. It was so shrill, and I had to cover my ears. It showed a way into another room of the ship, the most famous one. The cockpit. Quite directly into it. No room before it at all.

And there was its pilot, madly pressing random buttons.

"STOP!" I cried, wheeling in, along with everyone else. I had scared everyone around.

Felix Vulcan turned around.

"How did you escape?" he said, looking at us.

"You're still worried about that?" cried Melissa. "Do you see what's happening?"

"Krazyworld has punished us!" said Vulcan. "Because of your escape! We should have NEV- AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

He was pushed into the buttons, and that sped the ship greatly. He had accidentally accelerated. Phoenix, Melissa and George, all fell down too. Luckily, I was already sitting on a chair. George was simply staring at the screen, even after falling down. Later, I understood that George was half panicking with fear and was just staring at one place, he didn't mean to look at the screen at all.

Right then, the lights went out, and I felt something whizz past my ear. I heard it fall on the floor. The roof was beginning to fall. I mean that quite literally.

So, I panicked and wheeled here and there. I lost everyone else pretty soon.

"Anyone there?" I cried.

The only responses were screams of people, among the chaos. Someone bumped into my arm.

Not long after, as my eyes got adjusted to the dark, I saw some caps lying on the floor. Could they be? I saw a few people putting it on.

I was right. They were spacesuits indeed. I put one on. It was right next to me.

The floor had been cracking. I then got myself airborne (my chair, you know, I don't really have to explain it).

"Where's Hilda?" I heard someone say. And then I heard a loud scream, which still haunts me at times.

"Mom?" I heard someone else say, followed by another scream. The ground cracked open. Then I remembered I had to find Ajax and the others.

"AJAX!" I cried, flying around. "MELISSA! PHOENIX!"

I flew around, but I heard no response. Suddenly, I saw Ajax trying to dodge the floor falling. Suddenly, the artificial gravity of the ship was disabled. I swooped down to Ajax, and picked him up.

I could see a little better now. The quasar was lighting up everything. I saw people falling into it, I heard panicked screams here and there, and I saw people trying to repel the black hole's gravity, but it was in vain. I knew, if I got too close, I'd be as helpless as them. But what was the point of resisting? We were light years away from any source of oxygen, food or water. I clutched on Ajax tightly. I didn't want to die alone.

"PHOENIX! MEL!" I cried. "GEORGE! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?"

Alas, I knew that that was of no use. But even then, I didn't lose hope, even though I knew there was no chance of surviving this.

I felt myself slightly floating away from my chair. I don't know why, but I felt like I wanted to die with my chair. Yes, everyone has strange desires, okay? Whether one likes to admit it or not. I am wise, listen to me.

"Hey, Ajax," I said. "Is there a seatbelt to this?"

"No, sir," he replied flatly.

Ugh. Machines are so straightforward sometimes; it hurts a lot. But I kept that to myself.