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{ breathe }
unedited
1.0k words
— — — — —
One year had passed.
Both missed the company of the other and hoped that they were safe, wherever they were.
Yet, one was situated on a tiny beach on yet another alien planet.
The other was stuck in space on a deserted Resolute with a robot chasing after her.
Both are only 13 years old kids but still have a lot of danger to face, their only hope is their other best friend. Robot.
-----
The crew of Jupiter 2 had just finished their Christmas dinner, celebrating with one another and cherishing the moment.
John joined Maureen in the control room, where she sat and looked through the window.
"Hey."
"Hey."
John gave his wife a kiss as they smiled at one another and listen to their kids and Don's laughter. It was a special moment for all.
John sighed blissfully. "That was a good day."
"Yeah, it was." There was a pause before Maureen straightened her back. "I've been thinking, the lightning. We could recharge the batteries then jumpstart the Jupiter. We could get off this planet.
"But to get to the storms we'd have to fly."
"No, we don't have to fly." Maureen handed John her tablet as he scoffed when he saw what was on it.
"This is crazy."
"People have been using this technology for thousands of years."
"Why are you bringing this up now?"
"The winds are changing, and I think we have a window. And if we miss it, it-it's going to be another year.
"This is about that thing in the garage."
"That thing in the garage, brough us halfway across the universe. It's the only way we're gonna get to Alpha Centauri."
"I thought you'd given up on it."
"You don't have to understand a tool to use it. The robot's engine is inert, it's asleep. And the last time it worked, we were in space. We just need to recreate those conditions."
"And what if you still can't figure it out?"
Maureen took the tablet back and licked her lips. "Well there are four other planets in this system. I mean maybe one of them is better."
"I'm not risking the lives of our kids because things may be better. Things can always be better, but sometimes you have to appreciate what you've got."
Maureen stood up to look at John face to face. "Our kids will never meet anyone new here. No friends to confide in, or to challenge them or to understand them.
They'll never fall in love here. They'll never have families of their own.
Will will never get to see (y/n) again, and you saw how those first few months without her affected him. W-We don't even know if she's alive.
Babe, they'll never have what we have. We have to leave. We have to try."
John thought about it for a second, eyes softening as Maureen caressed his face but he hard already made his mind. "I'm sorry. It's too dangerous. We'll revisit this in a year."
John gave one last kiss to his wife before walking away and joining the rest of his family, leaving Maureen to sigh sadly with the failure.
It was night time, everyone was sleeping in their room peaceful, unaware of what was about to occur.
A siren blared, alerting everyone that there was a crack in their crop field tent. John made his way over, thinking that it was a small hole, instead it was a giant rip.
Knowing the damage it would cause, he immediately unzipped the plastic dooring, running his way over to attempt to close the rip. But with the methane flooding the air and making it harder for him the breathe, he didn't put much of a fight.
Don came to John's recuse as he lifted the man up and put him back within the safer walls. John was screaming in pain as his hands were burnt from the methane.
"Dad!"
"Are you okay?!"
"John!"
John was able to get the medical treatment he needed from Judy but when the family walked to see the crops, all they saw was nothing. The crops had died from the methane, ending their food supply.
"Once the patch gave away the atmosphere just forced its way in. Sharp as a knife." Don sighed, this was gonna take a lot of effort to fix.
"How are we gonna fix this." Will asked his mother.
"It'll be difficult."
"We're leaving." John said out of the blue. Everyone turned to him.
"We are?"
"We can do that?"
John looked at Maureen. "Tell them your plan."
Maureen smiled and nodded. She showed the family the plan as they all got to work the next morning.
It was final.
They were getting off that planet or they were gonna die trying.
-----
On the other side of who knows where, lies the deserted Resolute.
The stranger robot—known as scarecrow—was roaming around the halls, searching for the two lone survivors that hadn't evacuated.
The thumps of the robot had decreased the further it walked through the hallway, letting the two girls breathe.
The little girl with brown hair peeked from the hall to see that it was clear, giving the older one a thumbs up. The girl nodded as the two made their way into the wire systems, one of the few places that Scarecrow couldn't reach.
The older girl reached to the small desk and began working on her unfinished project; scattered stolen blueprints on the walls for reference. Because of how much time they spent on the Resolute, she had multiple small but powerful electronics.
"Do you think it's every going to find us?" The little girl asked.
The older girl paused her actions and patted her head before returning back to the lights. "Of course not Sam, we just have to be sneaky and silent, like we've been for the year."
The younger girl—Sam—nodded and tucked herself to sleep before turning to face the other girl. "Do you think you could tell me another story?"
The lights finally turned on as the girl placed it on the table, "Sure. Do you have any stories in mind?"
"Oh, can you finish your story about the planet!"
Chuckling the girl situated herself into a comfortable position. "Alright, well you remember what happened when we went into the cave, these giant bat started flying down..."
