Page 5

Chapter 2 - Out of Control

   Jasen stared at the screen for a long time. Passengers around him were doing the same. Some started to cry while others started to panic. "This just can't be happening," came a voice from Jasen's left. A woman to his right was asking, "This is just a joke right?" Jasen reached forward and clicked on the inter-cabin com. Around the whole circle of the spacecraft lights came on at every station where two people sat. Jennifer and Jasen shared the one in front of them. Finally an older voice spoke up with some comforting tones.
   "Hey folks, don't worry. I'm sure we will get out of this."
   "Do you know how to get us out of this?" asked an anxious older voice from the other side of the pod.
    "Well," said the first one, "I'm no space jockey, but I'm sure it will be all right. These machines have a perfect flying record. And I'm sure that even though Control doesn't know exactly what happened to us, they do know we are off course and that something's wrong. Hey, is there anyone here that knows anything about controlling one of these things once the computer has given up?"
    Jasen sat quietly listening for the response that he was sure would come. But no one said a word. He started to pray. He knew that by now some of the people on the sides of the tumbling ship would be starting to feel very disoriented. If there was anyone that would have been able to help, they might be slipping into gravity confusion by now. Still no one answered.
    Jennifer started to get more wide eyed. "What's the matter with you people? Someone do something!"
    Jasen turned as best he could toward the scared, tough-acting kid next to him. "Please, Jennifer, don't help start a panic," he cautioned.
    "I am already in a panic, vacuum brain!" she retorted.
    "Listen," he explained, "if we don't keep our heads, we might all die. Are you going to help or just be a quitter?"
        Jennifer Solar Tagen glared back at Jasen Ketch for a full 30 seconds. Finally, her expression started to soften and she tried to force a small smile. "I'm sorry," she spit out. "I just didn't want to come on this trip in the first place. Now it looks like I'm going to die. I'm scared I am going to be dead right."
    Jasen reached forward and flipped off the com link that might pick up their little conversation. "I'm scared, too, but I guess I'm not really scared to die. Are you?"
   "Sometimes I've wanted to die, but now that I might, I'm don't want to!" Jennifer admitted.
    Jasen said. "I'm more afraid of how my parents are going to feel when they hear what's going on."
    "Mine don't care," blurted out Jennifer. "They don't care or they never would have..." Her voice trailed off.

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