Field Trip

“Alright, Seniors!" Mrs. Green's voice was unusually cheerful over the ship's intercom. “We're just equalizing hull pressure to match this atmosphere. We'll have norm-”

“Normal gravity restored!” The ship's computer interrupted the Intergalactic Studies teacher, bringing a chuckle from some of the students. As usual, Chip chuckled a little too long, earning a sidelong glance from Mrs. Green and a round of laughter from the rest of the class. Chip stared at the floor and meekly mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Never mind, Chip,” Mrs. Green continued, sighing at the momentary interruption. “You can all release your safety harnesses and move to the viewing panel. Please, try to keep it halfway orderly and remember, we'll be making short jumps at sub-light speeds, but just barely. Watch your footing and be prepared for sudden starts and stops.”

Alicia Green was glad to be conducting the last off-campus tour of the year. Not only did it mean these kids were in their final week of school, this little planet was her favorite. Of the hundreds of planets in dozens of galaxies explored since the breakthrough in light drive technology, this was one of only three found to be inhabited by an intelligent species.

The dominant creatures, dubbed “Alphas” by the Council, were quaint and comical, and in her twelve years of teaching, they had never failed to entertain her students. The annual curriculum required visits to many strange and beautiful worlds, from the sparkling crystal clouds of Una to the iridescent, multicolored snows of Renway 5. Nevertheless, the Alphas were the star attraction of the explored universe and Alicia enjoyed them every bit as much as her students.

The group had gathered at the viewing port that circled the rim of the disk-shaped hull. Each student stood, face pressed against the transparent aluminum, except one. Predictably, Eddie was pressed against Rose.

Alicia cleared her throat and raised her voice only slightly. “Edward, I will be happy to stuff you in a pod and launch you into orbit until we finish the tour.” This brought snickers from the students, and with a cocky grin, the class stud found himself a spot at the viewing panel. Rose giggled. Chip giggled. Alicia rolled her eyes. Between the antics of the “cool kids” and the social awkwardness of her brightest pupil, it had been a challenging year.

“Alright, now, let's have a look around.” Mrs. Green's amplified voice came clearly over the microspeakers above the viewing panel. “Captain, please move us to the first stop.” The surface of the planet far below blurred, then rushed up to meet them. The inertial dampeners hummed and the ship came to an abrupt mid-air stop. The captain skillfully tilted the disk just enough to allow the students a clear view of the city below.

Circling around the maze of buildings, the ship maintained its distance while the high school class gawked. They were on the daylight side of the planet and the bustling activity of the Alphas below was clearly visible. Ground vehicles clogged the pathways between the structures. As their tour ship passed overhead, several vehicles swerved off the path and others collided. Alphas spilled out of the contraptions and stared, transfixed or ran in a blind panic. One shed its clothing and knelt on a walkway, alternately raising its hands toward the visitors and bowing low in some sort of fervent homage.

Aboard the tour ship, eighteen incredulous but amused students silently took in the chaos. These pink-skinned, pudgy little bipeds had been under observation for decades, and the Council was still waiting for the species to mature. Judging from the circus of pandemonium she and her students were watching, they had a good, long way to go.

The captain's voice over the intercom brought the group back to its senses. “Excuse me, Mrs. Green, but we're about to have company.”

“Very well, Captain. Please jump to altitude so no one gets hurt, then let them catch up.”

The ship leveled, shot into the sky and slowed to a nerve-wracking crawl. Inside, the induced gravity and dampening fields kept the passengers on their feet and only moderately off balance. The students craned their long necks at the viewing port in search of their pursuers. After a short wait, a pair of small, wedge-shaped craft cautiously took up positions flanking their ship. Gray and green limbs flailed and bodies collided as the students jockeyed for the best viewing positions.

“Woah!” Chip exclaimed, “Are those archaic turbofan engines?”

“Indeed they are, Chip. Good catch! And if you'll look closely, you'll see that they're using afterburners to keep up.” Alicia extended her six-fingered hand in the direction of the plume extending aft of the craft on their left. “They're burning fuel much too quickly to stay with the chase for long. Let's dive, Captain.”

“Hey, we're over water!” Christy Gray was the first to realize that the ship had passed beyond the land mass below and was now slowing to a near-hover over a vast, blue ocean. Before anyone could respond, the ship abruptly dropped and, angling its edge toward the churning surface, slipped neatly into the sanctuary of the planet's marine life.

The ship's interior was plunged into darkness momentarily as they dove deeper. Internal lighting automatically came on, followed shortly after by the illumination of their surroundings as the captain activated the exterior floodlights. The entire student body gasped as one. Eddie recovered his studly demeanor quickly and faked a cough, followed by an involuntary, “Cooooool!”

They were immersed in a blue-green fantasy world, surrounded by the sea creatures they'd learned about but whose strangeness and beauty they could only now truly appreciate. The oceans of their own world supported life forms, of course, but none as colorful and unique as what they were now seeing.

The ship continued its dive, delving into the darkest depths of the alien waters. As the ocean floor came into view, the captain steered toward the base of a tall plateau. A series of massive caves gradually appeared. As their great, black eyes adjusted to the dimness, the students could make out the outlines of ships similar to theirs, deep in the dark recesses. Lights flickered a momentary welcome.

“It's the Watcher fleet!” Chip was literally running in circles. “I turned in my application last week!”

“And we all wish you luck, right class?” Alicia's query was met with sincerely enthusiastic responses. Chip was a weirdo, but the class knew his chances were good, and it would be an honor for one of their classmates to make the Observation Team. Besides, he was a nice little geek.

The captain's voice broke in again, “Sorry, Ma'am, but we're running a little late. I'm going to have to make the jump to clear atmosphere from here.”

Realizing they had overstayed their allotted time, Alicia was grateful for the reminder and assumed her authoritative voice. “Alright, all you young adults, we're in for another treat. The ship is going to jump directly to light speed and we'll be losing full gravity mid-jump. Get back to your assigned seats and fasten your harnesses!”

The ship's computer warned them repeatedly to prepare for an emergency jump as they hurried to comply. The vibration of the warp bubble generator warming up was intensified by the pressure of their depth. Alicia quickly checked each student's harness, then hurried to her own seat and buckled in. Her hearts were pounding, threatening to break free from her chest.

“Ready, Captain!”

The ship's computer responded, “Light speed in five, four, three, two, one, jumping.”

The momentary disorientation was a heady experience for the inexperienced travelers. As they exited the planet's atmosphere only a few seconds later, the unusual vibrations subsided. The gentle pressure of their harnesses confirmed that gravity had been reduced to standard flight level.

Alicia breathed a sigh of relief, and just as she began to believe the trip home would be peaceful, a short scream rang out from one of the female students. This was followed by an, “Eeeeeew!” from somewhere and in Eddie's voice, “What the...?”

Something warm and wet brushed the back of her neck, and as she reached up to find it was also sticky, the acrid smell hit her nostrils. Turning slowly, she saw her students swatting at the air as beads of orange, viscous fluid descended in a slow-motion rain. One of those beads had come into contact with Eddie's forehead and as he wiped it away, it became a mass of smaller beads that would soon find another victim. Other students were wearing the liquid in various places and the central table was sporting it in an array of shapes and sizes.

From somewhere on the other side of the central bedlam, Chip cried out, “I'm so sorry, guys! I had a big breakfast and juice and, well, I don't handle gravity transitions well.”

Amid the groans, shouts and assorted bits of colorful language, Alicia silently counted to ten and reminded herself how much she loved her job.

***

This one is a submission to the Sky's the Limit Challenge, which prompts writers to "Write a story that takes place entirely in flight." You can find it here:

I hope you enjoy the read! If so, please leave a "heart" and a comment. Tips are also graciously accepted.