Jem Fan Fiction ❯ Musical: Rocket Star to the Moon ❯ Low on air! ( Chapter 10 )

CHAPTER TEN

 

With time exceedingly tight for our oxygen, we had pretty much no choice but to just abandon all the heavy equipment rather than disassemble it and store it onboard. That was waste time.

 

All we had time for now was to head out to the tank and gather up all the oxygen would, from it, into the emergency-cylinders. “It sure is a pity we have to leave here so soon.” said Kimber.

 

Rio picked up the cylinders she passed to him. “You heard what Mykan said. We have no choice, or we may not make it back.” Then he gazed up at the Earth, “Besides… The Moon is nice to visit, but there's no place like home.”

 

Once all the tanks were loaded, we all strapped in and powered up the engines. I took over the driving since Steve was tied up with Otto down below. “Standby everyone…” I said as the shaking started.

 

“Here we go again…!” Jerrica muttered.

 

The others all held on as tight as they could. “Five seconds!” I replied. “Four… Three… Two… One!” I flicked the switch, “BLASTOFF…!”

 

POW! The rockets fired and Rocket-Star began to liftoff The Moon, even though the gravity was low and the thrusters didn't have to be so hard, it still was rough on us. “Ooh… I just hate blastoffs!” cried Aja.

 

“That makes two of us!” groaned Shana.

 

Finally, everyone blacked-out, yet again!

 

…

 

Jerrica opened up her heavy eyes, sometime later. “Ooh… my head.” she cried. Then she sat upright, “Huh? Where'd everybody go?”

 

Everyone had gathered up on the command-deck, except for the technicians who were told to watch over the prisoners. “Hey!” Jerrica called, “Why didn't anyone wake me up?”

 

“Mykan said it was better if we let you sleep, Jerrica.” said Raya. “It uses less oxygen.”

 

“Do you think we can we reach Earth on time Mykan?” Kimber asked.

 

I honestly didn't know the answer, “If we wake up on Earth I'll let you know.” was all I could say. The girls almost felt like singing, but I also urged them not to as it would consume too much oxygen.

 

Suddenly, the hatch to the lower-deck opened. “All right… nobody move!” growled Otto as he pointed his gun at us all. We all backed away from the controls, and Steve came up behind Otto. “Steve? Are you still in on this…?” I asked.

 

Steve felt too ashamed to speak.

 

“What happened to the technicians…?” asked Rio.

 

Otto explained how he tricked those, “Bumbling idiots…” into retying the ropes around him. “But that is not the point…” he replied. “Now, as you all know there isn't enough oxygen for us all to make it back to Earth. You spared my life, but sadly I cannot return the favor.”

 

He cocked his pistol. We all gasped hard, but Steve stood up, “Otto, no! You said no one would get hurt.”

 

“Shut up you whimpering idiot. They must die!”

 

Steve wasn't about to let this carry on anymore. “No! I won't let you!” he growled as he tried to hold Otto off. “Let go of me you fool!”

 

Then suddenly-- BANG!

 

Kimber screamed!

 

Otto was lying flat on the floor, Jerrica felt his body. “He's gone.”

 

Steve was in shock, “I… I didn't mean to do it. The gun fell into my hand and-- and--”

 

“It's alright Steve.” I said, “He's gone. You're one of us again.”

 

Steve smiled, but suddenly, Kimber sounded a little funny. Her breathing was sounding strange, “What's… happening?” she asked. “I feel… dizzy. Can't… catch my… breath.”

 

She almost fell over too, right into Rio's arms. “Oh dear.”

 

I explained to Kimber that she was feeling the effects of a lack of oxygen. “Try not to get so jumpy.”

 

Shana took Kimber, “Come on, girl. You should go downstairs and relax. I think we all should. It will help conserve the oxygen we have left.”

 

…

 

Even with Otto dead, and our naps. It wasn't working. There was still far too many of us, and after a while there was only another four hours or so until we reached Earth, but already everyone was starting to feel faint, and it was only going to get worse.

 

Steve knew this was all his fault, and he decided that there was only one way out of this. So he got up and headed for the hold. “Here now… where d'ya think your going at to, Zodiac?” one of the technicians asked.

 

“Oh, uh… I'm going down to… open the last cylinder of oxygen.” Steve lied. His fib worked, and he was permitted to go along.

 

…

 

A while later, Earth began to warn us. “Rocket-Star! Come in Rocket-Star. You've been driven off course!”

 

The noise from the radio woke me up. “Uh-oh!” I dashed up to the command deck, and quickly corrected our course. After which I wondered where Steve was. “He's not in his bed…” said Aja.

 

“He's not anywhere.” added Jerrica.

 

One of the technicians explained where he had gone. Kimber and I decided to investigate. “Oh, I hope he's still not working for Eric.” Kimber hoped.

 

She and I found something more disturbing. “Look…” I said as I pointed by the airlock-door as severed wires. Kimber was outraged, “I should've known he hadn't really changed… I'm gonna--” she topped when she realized there was a note on the floor.

 

I picked it up, “Hey… this is Steve's handwriting.” I said.

 

By the time you read this I will have left the rocket.

 

I hope you have enough oxygen to reach Earth.

 

“Steve”

 

Kimber and I felt devastated. I inspected the wires. “Steve cut the wires… so that the motors wouldn't stop when he opened the door.”

 

Kimber hit her back against the wall and scooted down slowly. Tears rolled down her cheek, “He… Jumped into space to save our lives.” She said in a half sob.

 

We both sat there feeling very sick to our stomachs, and very sore in our hearts. Steve was a true man of honor, and he just proved it for what he did.