Narrow Escape

So is this the end? Anon dashed through the winding hallways of the starship, feeling it quake and shudder around him. All he could see were flickering lights and passing shadows; it seemed as though anything stable was being ripped from his grasp in an instant of time. He felt a chill, like something deep inside of him knew that this could be it--this could be his last run.

He was rushing towards the escape pods, with people all around him screaming. Together, they had been attempting to stand up against the almost insurmountable power of the Epsilon Consortium. It was a battle they weren't meant to win, and it seemed hopeless to them all. But even so, they had refused to give up and fight until their dying breath. And now that day had come; it was time for their last stand--time for them to run away before it was too late.

Anon had been staying in the machine room until the very last second, desperately attempting to fix and keep their spaceship running. His great friend and colleague had passed away by his side while others had abandoned much earlier. He knew there was a huge possibility that all of the escape pods were already gone or destroyed by this point.

As he inched closer and closer to the escape pod launch pads, he could hear footsteps of other people running behind him. His heart sank as he saw flames raging close to the last few pods. metal beams and panels had collapsed, creating a barricade in front of the launching pads making it difficult for anyone escaping. He started to panic, not believing what was happening before him. The sound of screeching metal only added to his fear as he looked around in desperation for a way out.

Anon's body ached with exhaution from the day's battle, but he mustered up the last of his strength and began to clear away the debri that was blocking the escape pods. As more and more of his crewmates began helping him, they eventually freed a few of them. He insisted that all of the youngest members get into a pod as soon as they could before it was too late. With every second that passed by, he knew they were running out of time.

The ship was in serious danger, with fire and explosions quickly approaching. With a sense of urgency, they worked tirelessly until everyone had been safely evacuated into the available escape pods. Anon gave a sigh of relief as he watched the last crew member board before turning his attention to his own escape plan. He spotted two pods remaining and without pause ran towards it, prepared to embark on his own journey away from certain destruction. Each step seemed to take an eternity but eventually he reached it and leapt inside.

These escape pods were not a sure thing when it came to survival. The Epsilonian battleships and fighters made it their mission to track them down and destroy them with unparalleled efficiency. There was also the very real danger they would be consumed by the debris of decimated vessels that peppered the lonely darkness of space.

Even if they managed to remain unscathed, there was the slight chance that they would never be found by anyone. The pods themselves were limited in their engine power and could not fly quickly enough to reach inhabited planets or friendly ships. Anon had heard stories of astronauts being stranded in escape pods for up to two years or more, dependant on the grace of fate and luck. It was simply a waiting game that these individuals had no control over; with only a vague idea when – and if – they would ever be rescued.

Luckily the escape pods were equipped with long lasting life support systems, and a cryogenic chamber which could place the passenger in an induced deep sleep. This would allow them to pass through time unconscious, without becoming aware of how much had passed. In theory they could remain in this state for over 10 years, before being woken up by a rescuer who had come to their aid.

As Anon jumped into his pod, he quickly removed his pants and jacket with a sense of urgency. He knew that the life support system could only be attached to the body if it was free from any form of clothing. There was also no room to move around in the pod, and removing his clothes after he had entered would have been almost impossible.

As the lid of his capsule was being lowered, he watched in horror as the space-ship disintegrated right in front of him. The whole metal structure buckled and folded, one of its walls crashing open to reveal the tremendous expanse beyond it. Everything that wasn't bolted down got sucked up into the airless vacuum: loose bits of metals, sparks and flames which lit up like a firework against the black night sky.