Chapter-6

5 hours left until the ship reaches the Veridian Galaxy....

[Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to make our last jump, so please brace yourselves.] Mike announced.

Aiden gazed out from his room's window and noticed that the ship was approaching another star.

To achieve the required velocity for crossing a warp hole, the spaceship would utilize the gravitational pull of these stars.

The concept of slingshotting was not difficult to grasp. Imagine a man standing inside a circle, holding a stone tied to a rope. As he starts rotating the stone using the rope, it gains energy but remains bound by the rope. However, when the man lets go of the rope, the stone propels far away in one direction.

In a similar manner, the gravitational field of the star acts as the rope, and once we attain the needed velocity, we activate our engines to escape its gravitational pull, gaining a significant boost without expending excessive fuel.

However, the warp holes we create are highly unstable and useful only when we pass through them at incredible speed.

That's why we perform slingshots around dwarf stars, accelerating to the correct speed to ensure that the warp portal remains open long enough for us to pass through.

Space jumps have their own limitations; a single slingshot can't take you on a long-distance journey. Depending on the ship's capabilities, you can travel around 150-200 light-years in one jump.

The spaceship now approached a red dwarf, a common sight in the Milky Way Galaxy, often unnoticed when solitary.

Grrrr

"The spaceship is now within the star's gravitational field..." Aiden commented as he felt the pull of the planet on his body.

The spaceship began orbiting the star, circumnavigating it repeatedly until it gained the necessary velocity for the final jump.

4 hours and 30 minutes later...

[Ladies and gentlemen, we will now proceed to the last jump. If you wish to witness the warp portal opening process, you can gather in the main hall. Thank you.] Mike's announcement echoed throughout the ship.

"Oh, I'd love to see that." Aiden exclaimed, rising from his bed and exiting his room.

"You haven't witnessed a warp portal opening before, have you?" Zara inquired, joining Aiden to observe the process.

"No, today will be my first time. I'm looking forward to it," Aiden replied, walking towards the main hall with Zara.

Only the two of them came to the main hall, as the other crew members had already witnessed such events numerous times.

Both Zara and Aiden stood before a massive glass panel, offering a clear view of the star's crust. Atomic reactions were visible on the surface of the red dwarf, making for a captivating sight.

"Beautiful," Zara breathed.

'Indeed, it is,' Aiden thought as he gazed out through the glass.

Grrrr

The ship's engines activated as it departed from the star's gravitational field, setting course for the vast darkness ahead.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

The blasters underneath the ship charged up.

These blasters emitted a beam of pure Luminite at the speed of light, creating a temporary tear in space, folding it into a shortcut for the ship to traverse.

Booooom

A multi-colored beam erupted from the blasters, forming a large portal in front of the spaceship.

The portal resembled a vast black sphere through which the other side of space was visible.

The spaceship accelerated, and in a flash, it entered the warp portal.

Inside the portal, nothing worked as usual, and the crew had to relinquish control, trusting that they would arrive at their destination.

The passage through the warp portal was an exhilarating experience.

The surroundings appeared awe-inspiring, as if the stars were zooming backward at the speed of light.

Suddenly, a brilliant light emerged from the other side.

Boom

As the spaceship exited the warp portal, a resounding boom reverberated through space, and they found themselves at the far end of the galaxy.

The stars shone brightly, and the space remained as tranquil as ever, but something felt different.

[Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our destination, the Veridian Galaxy. If you look to your left, you can see the first solar system of the Veridian Galaxy.]

Aiden and Zara turned their gazes to the left and beheld a massive solar system with two suns and five planets orbiting around them.

"It's breathtaking," Zara marveled.

"Indeed it is," Aiden agreed.

All five planets in this galaxy supported life, and Aiden's team was tasked with exploring each one.

[We will depart for Planet X-7456 in approximately 5 minutes. Prepare yourselves.] Mike announced with a touch of futuristic coolness.