Black Hole

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. I'm trying to hold on to some hope, but I might have proven this statement true. I couldn't tell you how long I have been here. I don't age, hunger, or thirst. It has felt like years, but I could be wrong. There is no way to tell time here. I am surrounded by blackness. I do get to feel an occasional space rock float by. Sometimes I pretend they are people and have conversations. Other times I like to hold on to the rocky tops and pretend it's my bed, but I also do not need to sleep. I try to keep my sanity through my limited imagination.

I constantly replay the day that I ended up here. I was a part of the Space Exploration Academy. To become an official Space Explorer, I had to pass one final test. I was at the top of my class and felt very confident. Who would have known how wrong I was? My class was separated into groups of ten. I didn't know the others in my group very well. I have always put my studies above socializing. I truly believed that my intelligence alone could help us through.

We stepped onto the spacecraft that morning. I didn't even give my family a proper goodbye. My wife had breakfast ready for me, and I grabbed a piece of toast and gave her and the children a wave. I wish I could change that. I didn't do it to be mean. I was just ready to get it over with and start my actual career. I miss them deeply. Everything started off going well on the spacecraft. We were right on time and on the path to Neptune. All we had to do was adequately set up a camera satellite on the planet. It can be difficult with the high winds, extreme temperatures, and diamond rains, but we are given the tools to execute the task properly.

As we approached the planet, everything looked normal. We readied our equipment and descended on the planet with our satellite in hand. We began working through a heavy diamond storm, but our equipment was doing its job keeping us safe. Unfortunately, I was so engaged in my task I didn't notice the diamond storm had torn my tether. Technically this should have been close to impossible, so maybe this is my fate.

My team watched in horror as I drifted quickly away. There could have been a chance for them to save me if it wasn't for this stupid blackhole. It sucked me in before I even saw it coming. In just a split second, everything went dark and lifeless. I thought this would be my eternity. Death was not an option, and escaping would be impossible until today. I'm overfilled with joy that this blackhole chose to spit me out.

Space seems dark, but it is nothing compared to that black hole. The light from the sun and stars burns my eyes, and they begin to water. Through the pain and teary blurriness, I still recognize that this is Earth right before me. "Thank you, thank you!" I think to myself. The Earth's gravity begins to pull me. The realization that I might not make it through the impact hits me. Honesty, death sounds better than the nothingness I had come from. Let's enjoy the trip down, at least. I smile to myself, remembering all the memories I have made on this planet. I was born here, and here I shall also die.

The trees and buildings start to come into my vision as my space suit is on catching fire. I hit the ground before I could even brace myself. This is how I die, I thought. When I open my eyes, I see blue. The blue sky I remember. My helmet is cracked, and I take a deep breath. The air is cool and dry. I can't believe it, but I'm alive. I sit myself up and take my suit off. It is heavily damaged and still on fire. That suit helped me survive not just this impact but through the black hole. That is one heck of a suit. It's bittersweet, leaving it in the hole from our fall to burn, but it feels good to be free. I move my limbs around, remembering how it felt to have my whole range of movement. It feels good to have the sun and wind on my skin.

I look around, trying to see if I can at least guess where I am at. It's an empty field, but I can hear commotion nearby. It sounds like people and vehicles. Maybe it's a city. I make my way towards the noises. I laugh to myself. I'm just so excited to see other people. I can't wait to hold my wife and children. I hope not too much time has passed. I pull back some shrubs and see a bustling city. Tall skyscrapers litter the sky, and vehicles zoom by down the roadways, but what? My eyes were not ready for the horror of the creatures walking down the street.

They walked on two legs with only two arms like me, but their skins ranged in color from white to black. They had small rounded heads with hair of varying lengths coming from the top. Their eyes are so small and their noses so large. They have fabrics covering their bodies and feet. My mouth hangs open in shock. I try to retreat to the field without being noticed, but I hear a scream. Multiple of these creatures are pointing at me, standing and screaming. I run, trying to make my way out of this city, away from these creatures. Instead, I hear these ear-piercing sirens and flashing red lights. A group surrounds me, throws me to the ground, and ties my hands behind my back.

They sit me down on a cold metal chair, shining a bright light on me. Some of the creatures inspect me with strange tools. One takes some of my blood, while another begins yelling in my face. "Where are you from? Why are you here?" He spits as he speaks. I haven't used my voice to talk in so long besides screaming for help. We communicate through brain waves and send our thoughts to each other. "Bl..black..hole." I manage to squeak out from my dry throat. They all stop and look at each other and leave the room. After a few minutes of silence, a man walks in. He speaks in a much calmer voice.

"I'm Dr. Brown, and I want to help you, but we need more information. Are you a threat to life here on Earth?" "No, I want to go home." my voice was more assertive this time. "Where is your home?" he questions back. Well, this is where it isn't straightforward to explain. My home is Earth, but these creatures were not here. Maybe this is the future? "I am from Earth, but it was not like this when I left. What year is this?" I feared his answer, but it was worst than I thought. "This is the year 2057." I stare at him, not understanding what this even mean. What do those numbers even mean? He must have noticed my distress. "What year was it for you?" he questioned. "When I left Earth, the year was QtvL." he stared at me. "I don't think this is a case of time traveling, but more of different dimensions. You will need to tell us everything you know about this black hole. If you help us, maybe we can help you." he leaves the room.

Days of interrogation have passed. They do nothing but question day and night. They haven't physically hurt me, but this feels like torture. They ask about the black hole, my family, and my dimensions technology.

Today is the day we are heading into space so that I can show them the exact location of the black hole. They want to study it for whatever reason. It's bittersweet going back. I hated being surrounded in that darkness, hoping to die, but being locked up by these creatures has not been much better. I have no idea what they plan on doing with me here with them. As we pass Neptune, I begin to feel anxiety. What if it's no longer there, and they think I was lying? But there she is—the glowing gas orbit around her black opening. The ship stops as we stare out the large spaceship window at her.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stop this decision." Dr. Brown yells at me as I'm drug out of the room. They begin forcing me into a suit. "No! Why?" I shout as I fight back. Within seconds the seven men have me completely suited up despite my protest. They hook strange instruments and cameras on me. "We need you to go back in. You've made it through before, and I'm sure you can do it again. We have devices to help track your location and record everything you see and do. If we can, we will bring you back here. If not, then there is a possibility that you will be spit out the way you came in. It's a win for you, and this research could help humankind." some man tells me. He salutes me, "Godspeed, my friend." then I am pushed out the door.

He has a point. I feel my body sucked into the black hole. I want to be sad, but this time I have hope. Then, everything goes dark, and I float with nothingness. Maybe he will be right if I can hold on to my sanity one more time. Maybe, I can be spit out where and when I was first sucked in. I could find a satellite, and they would send someone to save me, and I could go home to my family. I would drop out of the academy and never enter space again. I hope these tracking devices and cameras stop working. He said it was for humankind. I hope they never come to find me our my dimension. Whatever may happen to me, I know I never want to see another human again.