Twin Earth

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for all this,” I whispered as Rachel leant over and double checked my seat belt for the millionth time.

“Apo seems convinced you know where everything is. These jets are not too dissimilar to the ones back on earth. My brother works in the Navy and he would be so excited right now if he could see this type of technology. I mean look at this…”

“Rachel, that wasn’t what I meant. You have a brother? I never knew that,” I mumbled.

Standing back Rachel stared at me, wiping her brow from a small bead of sweat that had appeared.

“I wish it was me going,” she whispered.

“Why on earth would you say that? This is surely a suicide mission,” I exclaimed. “This isn’t the time for feminine heroics.”

“You know, you never change Tom. I’m not saying this to be some kind of super woman. I’m saying this as a scientist. I am convinced that you will survive this. I don’t know how or where you will end up, maybe you will return to the creator home world, but what a truly incredible experience you will have. I have dreamt my whole life of doing something like this. It was why I followed you into the sphere.”

“I thought that was because you were worried about me and that Magnus was after my blood?” I snapped sarcastically.

Sighing, Rachel stopped herself from snapping back and instead looked as if she was about to cry. Holding her pride she looked away and rested her back against the tiny jet I was now huddled into. Annoyed with myself I debated saying something profound, but no words came to me. If this was the time to say what Rachel actually meant to me, I was blowing it for sure and I was allowing it to happen.

Turning to look back at me, Rachel coughed away whatever she was feeling and slowly began to close the door around me, but before she did so completely I grabbed her arm.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

Nodding, Rachel paused briefly and studied my face. I could feel myself burning and wished for a moment I had kept my mouth shut, but without replying she instead slowly finished closing the door to the jet.

The silence that engulfed me was noticeable. Suddenly all the hustle and bustle from the brightly lit hanger went dead and I simply stared as Rachel slowly walked back to where Apo was frantically explaining our mission to the people around him.

‘Why didn’t I say something to her,’ I thought, annoyed with myself and realising this could be the last time I see her, but convincing myself she probably didn’t like me very much if she was really honest with herself, let alone find me attractive, I blinked away the emotion and instead focused on the controls in front of me.

Rachel was right, these tiny jets were similar to those on earth, but with just a lot more fancy technology added in. Apo had reassured me that I would need to do nothing as he could program the whole journey on auto pilot, but I still felt the need to refresh my memory on how to fly something. This wasn’t a space craft, but then it was going to be once I passed altitude and went into that death hole. I couldn’t believe how long it felt since I’d flown a basic craft. I had become so use to jumping through weird rips in space and time and flying futuristic space crafts. I wasn’t ready in so many ways.

A sudden bang on the door made me jump and as I looked up I whacked my head on the back of the unusually hard seat.

“Ow,” I moaned as the door re-opened, rubbing my head. “What is it…” I started, but I was surprised to see it was Rachel again.

“Are you really not going to say anything?” Rachel shouted at me, leaning in and slightly spitting in my face.

“What do you mean?” I mumbled in confusion.

“After everything we have been through, you don’t feel the need to say anything to me at all?” she continued. “I know how much of a tough time you have had. I know how the guilt of killing that woman in space has haunted you, but can you not see…”

Interrupting her I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the cockpit. I wanted to kiss her, but as I looked at her closely now she was here I could feel myself regretting my sudden act as the self-doubt crept back in. I began to look away, but then I felt a hand forcibly grab my chin and then Rachel’s lips landed a slightly impatient kiss upon mine. Lingering in surprise I realised I was kissing her with my eyes open, then it was over.

“There,” Rachel announced pulling away with a hint of embarrassment on her face.

Unable to speak I stared at her with my mouth still open.

“Still nothing,” she declared rolling her eyes.

“No,” I crackled, clearing my throat. “I just… wasn’t expecting that,” I replied in surprise.

Softening Rachel touched my arm.

“Come back ok?” she whispered, closing the door to the jet once again and running off much quicker than she had the last time.

Nodding more to myself now than to her, I watched as she waved off Apo’s attention and ran out the door, to where I didn’t know. I could see Apo looking over at me and then to the empty door until he eventually went after her.

For a moment a sick feeling crept over me as I wondered if everyone I can come to care about here on Mochuvia would survive.

‘Where was Rachel going to end up? Would she even get back to Earth?’ I suddenly panicked.

If this mission did succeed it would mean the sphere would stop fracturing, securing the future of the Mochuvians but also locking them and their planet away from us forever, with possibly Rachel on it. A feeling of claustrophobia washed over me. I felt the need to go after her, but I knew I couldn’t. Everyone’s future was in my hands. This was it.

“Maybe that fucking Super Hiro mug would actually mean something for once,” I whispered with absolutely no confidence whatsoever.

Suddenly the hanger outside grew quiet and I could see Apo had returned to the control station by the door Rachel had just run through. There was no sign of Rachel though, but it was too late. The lights on the jet began to glow eerily orange and I could feel the engines beginning to rumble behind me as the dashboard of controls lit up. Flicking a few switches I had been told to flick I re-checked my seat belt once again and leaning back against the annoyingly hard chair I closed my eyes and waited, with one hand on the door next to me and the other on the small black box by my side.