Chapter 8 – Escape

The energy weapon easily pierced the shell of the power cell with a handful of sparks and blue flames. A half a second later it exploded in the brightest flash of light Lana had ever seen. The explosion ignited the other two power cells causing another two explosions equally as powerful. All three power cells created a shockwave that laid all the grass on its side and rocked the Maxwell ship like a toy in bathwater. Gena was vaporized instantly. Lana was thrown back three meters and her mask was ripped off her face.

The shockwave was so powerful that it stopped the rain for a few seconds. Lana crawled to her feet and grabbed her mask. She put it back on and stood up to look at the Maxwell ship. It was on fire and smoking horribly. Her first thought was of Gena, her second thought was of Jack. He was inside when the explosion happened. Lana ran over to the airlock and pressed the button, but the door did not open. Without power cells nothing on the ship would function. Lana climbed up to the little window on the airlock to see inside. She could see Jack on the inside waving at her. He was in the airlock, but the ship no longer had power. He was trapped.

Lana shouted, "How do you open the door without power? Use the thing! The emergency thing that you used last time!" Lana could tell she was losing her mental capacity. Use the emergency thing? How would Jack know what she was talking about. There was a bursting sound. Lana stepped away from the door as an energy blast melted through the outer door. The fresh oxygen from inside the ship now poured through the hole. Jack was trying to shoot out the mechanism holding the door closed. A few more shots later and Jack slide the door open with ease.

Jack stepped outside and saw the smoke coming from the side of the ship. Then he asked, "What the hell happened?"

With her strongest voice, Lana explained what happened. She explained that she tried to talk her out of it. Ultimately, Gena made the call to end her own suffering. Jack shot Lana a sorrowful look. She was holding back her own tears. He was equally as emotional. He put a hand on Lana shoulder and said, "You tried."

Jack and Lana watched as the flaming power cells eventually burned themselves out. Without oxygen the fires could only sustain themselves for a few minutes. Jack stepped closer and surveyed the damage. The Maxwell was toast. Burn marked stretched from the control panel all the way to the top of the ship. This was beyond repair. The area around the blast site was nothing but a crater without a sign of Gena or even blades of grass. Over time the rain would turn the crater into a puddle. This would be the only evidence of Gena on this entire planet.

Jack shook his head and turned away from the crater. Lana attempted to comfort him by saying, "I am sorry, Jack."

"Maybe the old me could have handled this better. I don't think I am the same person I used to be. I can't deal with this anymore, Lana." Jack said as he rubbed his head. He would have rubbed his face, but his mask was in the way. Then he said, "We have lost… everyone. What are we going to do now?"

Lana could tell he was at the end of his rope. She turned around viewing their limited options. The two shuttles were damaged, the research station had a hole in it, and now the Maxwell was fried. Lana pointed to the dark green ship and said playfully, "We haven't destroyed that one yet."

Jack forced a smile and started walking toward the ship. As he walked under the wing he said, "This is a Venere Classic. It has the look of the old war ships, but it is fitted with all the newer updates. Like the… uhh." Jack started to wobble a bit.

Lana stopped to steady him. This wasn't the first time she had seen someone lose focus midsentence. She knew this was the effect of the creature. Lana said, "You're okay. Focus. The feeling will pass. It's testing you to see how weak you are."

"Why? Why does it need to weaken us before it tries to kill us?"

Lana put his arm over her shoulder and replied, "I wish I knew." They walked together toward the Venere Classic's airlock.

Luck was on their side for this moment. Someone had left a power cell in the ship. So, everything was still functional. Once inside Lana let go of Jack's arm to adjust the ship's oxygen control panel. The reserve tanks had more than enough air to fill the ship. It was better than nothing at this point. They walked together to the room labeled "Chow Hall". This was military lingo for kitchen or dining hall.

Lana sat Jack down at a table and asked, "Feeling better?"

Jack nodded and said, "Yeah, I think so." Jack seemed a bit off his usual self. Then he said, "Funny, I think this is the only ship we haven't stolen clothes from. I would say the owner had a military fixation."

The room was decorated with medals and awards from battles won and purple hearts obtained. Lana left Jack's side and investigated one of them. She read it out loud, "The Silver Star Medal awarded to Sergeant First Class Miller for conspicuous gallantry in combat action against armed hostile enemy forces on July 12, 2198, while serving in the Galactic Defense Force." Lana shot Jack an impressed face and said, "This guy was pretty good."

Jack was not as excited. He said, "Yeah, he died here. That guy that won an award that few people could obtain… he died here on this planet. In this very same situation that we are in." Jack turned to look at the room and sighed at the futility of it all. Then he said, "I am sorry Lana, but I don't have any answers. All I have is questions. How are we going to stop the creature from digging into our heads? It will come for us like it did everyone else. Even Sergeant Miller. How long do you think we are really going to last here?"

A chill shot down Lana's spine. Jack was clearly losing hope, but Lana wasn't ready to give up yet. "I will put a combination lock on the door. We will be safe in here."

"Yes, because that really worked last time. The captain was the only one with the password, and he was the one taken. The creature can read out minds, so he knew how to counter act our plan. How do you defeat something that knows your thoughts?"

Lana paced back and forth for a moment then the said, "It has a weakness. It must have a weakness. Why else would it have to mental break us down? You know? We can brainstorm and figure it out." While she was talking the red light on the wall turned to green.

Jack pointed at the light and took his mask off. Then he said, "The light indicates O2 safety. Take it in while we have the chance."

Lana violently ripped her mask off and said, "Don't give up on me now. You make it sound like we already dead."

"Let me ask you something. Do you remember where we were going before, we landed here? This planet was not our destination. Where were we going before all this happened?"

Lana thought about it for a minute. It was gone. Like it had been pulled from her brain without her even noticing. She didn't want to admit that she had lost something so important. Lana cocked her head to the side and responded, "It doesn't matter."

Jack nodded and said, "Don't feel bad. I can't remember either. I can't remember the name of the ship that got us here... If we have forgotten something so important, what else have we forgotten? Everything feels like a distant memory. Forgotten memories… How am I supposed to fly us out of here in this state?"

"I will find you a flight manual and give you a refresher course." Lana said as she took a knee in front of Jack as he sat there wallowing in self-pity. Then she said, "We are not dead yet. I promised Gena I wouldn't let anyone else die to that thing. I am keeping that promise. Now you can get your shit together and help me find a solution or you can sit here and wish you could remember the things you have already forgotten. What is it going to be?"

Jack agreed for a few seconds then he said sarcastically, "Yeah, your right. Let's look over our options. We have two broken shuttles, we have no engineers to repair them, the research station is ruined, and every other ship around here is completely drained of fuel and electrical power cells. Lana, I am ready for you to drop a solution on me."

Lana sat down at the chair across from him. She didn't have a solution. Space travel wasn't her field of expertise. Then again, the memories of her financing days weren't very strong in her mind either. Jack must have felt the same way. They were both losing their memories. They sat there in silence for a bit.

They sat there for 30 minutes having conversation about things that they could and couldn't remember. Lana talked about things from Earth that she liked. Jack talked about some of the experiences from space travel that he could remember. It was good for their moral. Finally, Jack said, "Thank you for this."

"Thanks for what?"

Jack pulled the energy pistol from the back of his pants and said, "For making my last memories good ones."

With the speed of light itself, Lana stood up from the chair and ripped the pistol out of his hand, "What are you doing? You think I am going to let you shoot yourself?! What is wrong with you! This isn't the answer!"

Jack threw his hands up and said, "Relax, it's empty. I used the last charges on the airlock. I wasn't implying on suicide."

Lana examined the pistol. It was empty. She felt a little foolish, but then she suddenly said, "Guns." Lana turned and ran out into the hallway. There must be an armory somewhere in this ship. Lana looked back at Jack and said, "I hate guns. Do you remember that? I said that when the trip first started. But now guns are going to save us."

Lana found the equipment room. In the corner was a small safe that was open. Inside all the weapons were gone. Disappointment flooded over her for a second. Then down at the bottom of the safe was an ammo crate. Lana pulled it out and found several charge packs. Bingo! Lana reloaded the pistol to full. Jack entered to room and watched her. Lana stood up and hand him the ammo crate full of charges and said, "Here you go. Fuel."

Jack shot her a crazy look. Then he said, "Lana… You can't use weapon charges for ship fuel. They are two completely different things."

Lana was moderately frustrated that her plan did work then she said, "Okay, well clearly I am stupid. I need you to explain it to me. How can all the ships be out of fuel and power cells at the same time?"

Jack sat the ammo crate down and said, "Well, it's not too complicated. Let's see if I can explain it here. The ships need electrical power for the doors, lights, oxygen systems, and so on. When the power cells drain down to 10% or so the generators kick on to recharge the cells. The generators require solid fuel to run so after the generator kicks on and off enough times the ship run out of fuel and eventually run out of electrical power too. That made sense, didn't it?"

Lana nodded and said, "So we need solid fuel to take off."

Jack shook his head, "No actually, the ship can run completely off of electrical power, but it drains really fast. Like mining drones. You can take off with electrical power or solid fuel. It all depends on what you have more of."

Lana understood then she said, "Okay, so if we have enough electrical power, we can get off the ground, but can we get into space?"

Jack shook his head, "Yes, but that would require a lot of power cells. Like 6 or 7 of them at least. Most ships don't have that many. Even the Maxwell only had 3." Jack held his face with both hands. He sat down on the floor with his head between his knees. He was in pain.

Lana put a hand on his back and said, "It's the creature. You're okay, just breathe."

Jack muttered, "Why is it only attacking me?"

Lana stood up and realized the creature's plan. She said, "Because you are our only hope to get out of here." Lana stepped out of the armory and into the hallway. She had a plan. Lana when to the bridge and turned on all the switches on the pilot seat. Everything slowly turned on lighting up the control panel. Lana said, "Computer, how much solid fuel does the ship have?"

No one responded. Lana realized this ship did not have an A.I. system in it. The A.I. system. The A.I. system! Lana had a genius idea. She turned and ran back to the armory. Jack was still there on the floor. She shouted, "Stay here, I have a plan!"

Jack replied, "The weapon charges plan? Or something better than that?"

Lana did not respond. She grabbed her O2 mask and ran to the airlock. She cycled the doors and found herself back in the rain. Without wasting a second, she ran to the Maxwell and climbed inside. The door was still open and there was the slightest haze of smoke inside the ship, but she didn't care about that. She ran to the bridge and started pulling off all the control panels. One by one she disassembled the nice wood panel to reveal the computers and wires underneath. She examined each one. Electrical Stabilizers, ALQ Controller, AMS support system, then she stopped when she found the one labeled A.I. Interface. Lana flipped the switches and pulled the electrical unit from the ship. It was heavy but she managed it.

Lana wrapped the interface in a blanket and carried it back to the Venere Ship. Once back inside, Lana took the unit to the bridge and sat it down in the captain's seat. Her arm was going to be sore from carrying this thing. She stretched her arm and looked at all the panels. Where could she put this? Just like before Lana pulled all the panels off of every surface. Then she had to make the monumental task of choosing a system to remove. The HVE Maneuvering System? That seems pretty important. The AMS support system? Lana couldn't remember what it did. She pulled the handle and removed the AMS support system from the control panel. She grabbed the A.I. Interface and shoved it into the empty slot.

Lana stood up and thought to herself, there was no way this was going to work. She watched the pilot seat control panel and waited for something to happen. Sure enough, a green light turned on. A prompt popped up that said, new device detected. Would you like to install new hardware? Lana pressed the YES button with excitement. The system loaded for a few minutes then a familiar voice said, "Hello, I am [UN-NAMED] … welcome on board the [UN-IDENTIFIED VESSEL] … Is there anything I can assist you with today?"

Lana responded, "Yes, Max. It's me Lana. Do you remember me?"

The A.I. paused for a second then said, "I don't remember anything, Miss Lana. My job is to assist passengers with the functionality of the ship. As far as names and identification of passengers is concerned, I can speak and recite names as required. What can I help you with today?"

Lana did not waste any time. She shouted, "Can you get us off this planet?"

"Checking configurations files for Venere Classic model 101." Max was silent for several seconds then said, "Negative, Miss Lana. I have the ability to turn on and off any system onboard the ship, however it is recommended that a human with a license rating of C or higher pilot the ship. Artificial Intelligence can be used in such a situation, but only in extreme emergencies."

Lana lost her cool for a moment as she said, "An extreme emergency?! Did you think I plugged you in for the conversation? Max, we have lost four crew members and we won't last on this planet much longer. This is as extreme as it gets. Now, can you fly or not?"

Max entered the data and responded, "Yes, I can. However, this ship is certainly not in flight-ready condition. I am showing at least three inspections that are overdue. You will have to get the inspections complete before the vessel can enter interstellar travel."

"Forget the inspections! What part of emergency do you not understand?!"

Max once again entered her response into the system and replied, "Of course. Canceling all inspections." Max continued to adjust the requirements then said, "Unfortunately, even without the require inspections the ship is not flight-ready. Power cells are currently at 35%. Solid fuel containers are currently at 1%. We do not have enough fuel to reach the minimum orbital distance or as you say it, get off the planet."

"How much fuel do we need? Just give me a number, Max."

Max performed calculations and stated, "In the ship's current state we would need at least 12% solid fuel. This is not recommended, as once you reach orbit you will have no remaining fuel for additional maneuvers. That includes landing, docking, or re-entry into the planet."

"Turn off everything but oxygen to preserve power. I will be back with the fuel." With that said, Lana turned and left the bridge. Almost immediately the lights turned off. Lana was standing in the hallways in pitch darkness. Lana realized her mistake and said, "Max, you can leave the hallway light on too." The light turned back on, and Lana continued on her quest. All she needed 12% solid fuel. How hard could that be.

Lana started with the first shuttle Steve had shot up. Lana had no idea where the solid fuel was kept. She climbed inside and checked for anything that could help. She did not see anything labeled as fuel. Lana stopped and took a moment to think. She slapped herself in the head and said, "I haven't lost my mind just yet. Think. If I were designing these ships, where would I put the fuel?" She thought about the shuttle and the layout. She knew where the fusion generator was. She had seen it on the other shuttle. The fuel had to be connected to it somehow. Lana stepped outside and walked around the back of the ship. She stepped back and said, "It has to be on top."

Lana climbed the front of the shuttle. The windshield was slick with rainwater running down it. With a bit of effort, she soon found herself on top. The rain also made it hard to see but Lana saw the red and white markers along with the hazard sign. She pulled the lever and opened the hatch. Inside was a handle. With one strong pull she removed a long cylinder canaster that was only 20 centimeters wide but over a meter long. Lana grinned like an idiot when she read the label on the side of the canaster. "CX5 – Solid Fuel."

Climbing down the same way she got up, Lana grabbed the canaster and carefully walked to the Venere Classic. Entering the airlock, she waited for the doors to cycle then carried it to the armory. Jack was laying there against the wall. He looked terrible. His eyes were barely open. Lana was no medical expert, but Jack appeared to be only seconds away from death. Lana put the container of CX5 down and said, "Jack?"

Lana put on hand on his forehead. The creature was working him over. His brain was melting under the strain. Jack barely stirred, "Captain?" Jack immediately realized his mistake as he corrected himself, "Oh, Lana… where have you been?"

With a smile, Lana pointed at the CX5 container and said, "I have some fuel we can leave the planet soon. I just need you to hold on for a bit longer. Can you do that for me?"

Jack did not agree or disagree. He said, "Whatever… I want to leave this place. Lana, what can I do to help?"

His heavy breathing showed his poor state. Jack started to stand up, but Lana stopped him, "Just stay here. I have the fuel and a substitute pilot. We will be out of here in a few minutes. I have everything under control."

A few minutes was too much. Jack struggled to stand up. Once he was standing against the wall he said, "I can help. Really I am much more capable then… you think I can."

"I can see this. You are barely able to talk." Lana said as she took his arm and pulled him toward the door. They walked together until they reached the bridge. Lana assisted as she moved him over to the comms station. Or at least, what she thought was the comms station. Then sat him down and said, "Buckle yourself in. We will be flying in no time."

Jack sat down without a word. She didn't have much time. With the newfound motivation Lana shouted at the main screen, "Max! Max, I have a CX5 solid fuel canaster. How to I put it in the ship?"

"Oh course, one second Miss Lana while I check system files." Max was silent for several seconds then said, "I am sorry, but the Venere Classic model 101 does not take CX5 solid fuel as a primary source of fuel. CX5 fuel is standard fuel for smaller aircraft. This ship is classified as a Cruiser. It requires CX9 solid fuel grading or higher. All information on useable fuel types can be found on paged 405 to 419 of the user manual."

"So… what can we do with CX5?"

"CX5 is still very useful material. You can use it to fuel a smaller ship like a shuttle or drop ship."

"No, Max. I have a canaster of CX5 right now. Why can't we use it to fuel THIS ship?"

Max started to explain the problem with the different fuel types, but Lana couldn't hear it. Her head became muddled. Everything became fuzzy. Her mind was under attack.

"Stop this. Give yourself to me."

The voice was back. The lightheaded feeling returned. Lana started to lose her balance. As she fell to the ground something unexpected happened. Jack stood up and caught her. With one arm Jack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her over to the chair. Lana sat down as Jack took a knee next to her in the chair. He said, "What happened to you? Lana are you okay?"

This was confirmation of what Lana had thought. She took a few deep breaths and said, "I knew it. This thing… this entity. It can only attack one of us at a time. That is why Paula was affected so quickly."

Jack was a bit confused, but he his mind was clear. He was in better shape than he was a few minutes ago. He said, "I think you are right. Too bad we figured it out so late. Anyways, you take a load off. I will take over where you left off." Jack turned to the main screen and said, "Max, what was she doing before she fell ill?"

"Hello Mr. Jack. It is nice to see you again. Miss Lana was attempting to fuel the ship for takeoff. I had just informed her that the Venere Classic model 101 does not take CX5 solid fuel as a primary source of fuel."

"Why not? Fuel is fuel, right?"

"Not entirely, CX5 fuel is standard fuel for smaller aircraft. This ship requires CX9 solid fuel grading or higher. Attempting to use CX5 will damage the engines and cause un-necessary wear and tear on the engines. In the long term it will mean higher repair costs and more down time between flights."

"Forget long term and repair costs, Max! Can we use CX5 to get into space or not?"

Max paused for a moment and responded, "Oh, in that case, yes. CX5 will do."

Lana started to stand up. She was not giving up the fight. She put a hand on Jack and said, "I have the fuel in the armory." She was in no condition to go get it. Jack helped her to her feet and walked with her back to the armory. On the way, Lana tripped and fell down in the hallway, Jack fell too but at least he braced his fall with his free hand. Lana could feel the entity creeping into her mind.

"I can end your suffering. Stop torturing yourself."

Lana held her head and said to Jack, "Get the fuel. Get the fuel, please."

Without a second thought, Jack stood up and ran to the armory. He picked up the canaster and ran to the exit. He put on his mask and climbed in the airlock. Before he pressed the button to close the doors, he said, "Don't worry Lana, we will be out of here before you know it."

With that the door closed. Jack left the airlock and Lana was alone on the floor of the hallway trapped in agony. The pain was unbearable. It was like someone standing on your head. Any second now Jack would return. Any second now this suffering would be over. Lana slipped into a state of limbo. She could not tell if she was awake or dreaming.

"Come to me. I will help you."

Lana didn't listen. She climbed up to her hands and knees and saw something helpful. A nearby door was labeled "Hibernation Room". Lana crawled toward the room. It was going to be the key to her salvation. The door automatically opened as she approached.

"Fighting will only bring more pain."

Lana yelled at the voice in her head, "Fuck you! You stole everything from us. But the only thing you have taken from me is my insecurities. You made me stronger. So, thanks. I guess. I have more fight in me than you can imagine." She continued to crawl. Near the end of the first hibernation chamber, she found the built-in medical gun. She pulled the tool out of the holder and put it to her neck.

"Your struggle is pointless. I can end you pain."

Lana pulled the trigger injecting herself in the neck with the painkiller. It hurt, but it was worth it. Lana dropped the gun and said, "I can end my own pain." She dropped to the ground and waited for the painkiller to set in. Within a few seconds the pain started to subside. Another few more seconds and Lana was fast asleep.

Strange floor. What is this place? Lana awoke on the floor of the medical room. What happened? The pain in her head was gone. The entity was no longer mentally strangulating her. Her neck was sore. Lana looked around to regain her bearings. She was still in the medical room with the hibernation chambers. The medical tool was on the ground nearby. She picked it up and checked the dial on the side. The dial was set to SEDATIVE. Oh no, Lana thought. While she had attempted to inject herself with painkiller. Instead, she had put herself to sleep with sedatives. How long had she been out?

Lana stood up and stepped out into the hallway. The lights were on, and the ship was quiet. Too quiet. Lana walked to the bridge. Everything was exactly as she left it. Lana stepped toward the control panel and to check the fuel and power cell levels. Fuel was at 14% and power cells were at 95%. How was this possible? Technically the ship could take off right now. She said, "Max, what is going on?"

The computer chimed and Max replied, "Hello, Miss Lana. The ship is in an idle mode. There is nothing to report."

"No, Max. What is going on with the fuel? How do we have so much power?"

Another chime and Max replied, "Oh course, after you left someone loaded your CX5 solid fuel into the ship's fuel loader. That brought the ship to 7% fuel. Then 9 minutes and 42 seconds later someone loaded new power cells and another 6% CX5 fuel into the ship's fuel loader."

Realizing what had happened, Lana said, "Jack must have taken the solid fuel and power cells from the other shuttle." Lana glanced around the room and asked, "Where is he now?"

"Jack returned to the bridge and then asked about you. I recorded the conversation. Would you like to hear it?"

"No, wait. Jack was looking for me?"

"Yes, Mr. Jack said that he left you in the hallway and you were gone when he came back. I confirmed that you had not checked in with me in that time. Mr. Jack said he was going back outside looking for you. Mr. Jack has not been back since."

Lana couldn't believe what she was hearing. She shouted at Max, "I was in the medical room! Why didn't you tell him?"

Another chime and Max replied, "I am sorry Miss Lana, my functionality is for automated solutions to system problems or errors and best in class assistance with everyday ship maintenance. Sadly, that does not include passenger tracking or health and welfare. On top of that, this ship is not equipped with optical sensor like the Maxwell SC24. For all I know, you have been missing for the last 45 minutes. That was the information I shared with Mr. Jack."

Without saying another word, Lana ran to the exit and put her mask on. She quickly cycled the airlock and stepped outside. The rain had stopped for a moment. Lana had to find him. Jack had to be around here. Jack was not gone. There is no way that Jack fueled the ship and fell victim to that monster. Stepping outside Lana yelled for Jack. But no one responded. After a few tries, Lana pressed the button on the mask and said, "Jack, this is Lana come in." Once again there was nothing. Lana became desperate. She ran around all the ships looking for him. There was no trace of him. She ran to the shuttles. He was not there.

Finally, as a last resort Lana ran to the tree line by the northern side. She was out of breath and exhausted. On the ground was Lana's old O2 tank. This was where she came out after her encounter with the creature. Lana looked into the forest expecting to see Jack just out of sight. She couldn't see him. Lana shouted for him again. Her voice fell on deaf ears. There was a new set of footprints in the mud along with something new on the ground. Lana recognized it immediately. It was Jack's pistol. He had dropped it.

Lana walked over to the pistol and fell to her knees. She couldn't hold back the tears no longer. Lana picked up the pistol and cried. He was gone. This was the only thing left of him. In a last-ditch effort, she pressed the button on her mask to activate the radio. Lana shouted, "Jack, please come in. Please!" Lana cried into the mic for a few seconds then she said, "Don't leave me. Not you too." Lana released the mic button and waited for a response. None came. The only response she got was from nature. As she sat there waiting the rain started falling again. Lana sat in the rain and cried. What else could she do? Her last moments of hope slowly faded away. She was completely alone.

Without hope Lana turned to rage. She threw the pistol into the forest and shouted every word of profanity she could think of. She had no reason to hold back anymore. She screamed and threw rock into the forest. Eventually she wore herself out. How did it come to this?

Lana waited for a few more minutes then got up and walked back to the ship. Now that she was complete alone everything seemed so alien. Even the ship seemed like a foreign place. This wasn't their ship to begin with. It was Venere Classic. Everything Lana looked at made her angry. Once inside she threw her O2 mask on the ground. She entered the bridge without saying a word and sat down at the captain's chair. She glanced at the overhead display as it read 14% fuel. Everything was ready to go. All she had to do was say the word.

"Max."

"Yes, Miss Lana, how can I help you?"

"How much fuel do we need to get into space?"

"In the ship's current state, we would require 12% solid fuel. This would leave us with 2% left remaining. This is not recommended, as once you reach orbit you will have no remaining fuel for additional maneuvers. That includes landing, docking, or re-entry into the planet."

As Max talked Lana tears started to well up in her eyes again. She had everything she needed to leave the planet… but now she didn't want to go. Not alone. Once Max was done talking Lana dried her eyes and waited. Then after a few seconds she opened her mouth to speak. All she had to say was Takeoff. But she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Lana waited and thought about the situation. The planet, the creature, the crew, Jack, herself, and everything else. Lana sat in silence for several minutes then she said, "Max, takeoff."