Beyond the Galaxy: Chapter Six

The first chapter that's not in first person! (the prologue doesn't count)
Let me know what you think. :)

Chapter Six: Into Space…

The huge double doors that led into the space center opened, admitting a tall, thin teenager with black hair and serious green eyes. He steadied his surroundings carefully before following a green arrow around a corner and disappearing through a door that stated:

For The Chosen Only

He sat down on one of the seats provided, but in the back so he could see more and be able to prepare himself for anything and everything. He was the first of The Chosen to arrive.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again, this time for a girl with short, light brown hair. She glanced around the room, noticed its lone inhabitant, and made her way in his direction with a shy smile.

“Is it ok if I sit here?” She asked, motioning towards the empty seat beside him.

The teen nodded, and to be polite, introduced himself. “I’m Kyrin Lewis,” he said, offering her a hand to shake.

She shook it and replied, “I’m Laeli Edwards.”

During the short, awkward pause that followed the introductions, another girl and four boys came in. The girl quickly took the seat beside Laeli, and the four boys chose scattered seats around the room.

This time there was no chance for introductions before more of The Chosen arrived, and it wasn’t long before the whole room was filled; every seat taken.

The last of The Chosen to arrive was two boys who looked like brothers. The older one looked sullen, and sat in the farthest seat from the front desk. He remained glowering at the floor until it was time to leave.

The younger one, however, sat in the front and made friends with the teens on either side of him within five minutes of his arrival.

Conversation between new friends halted at the entrance of the president. As he came in, the teens stood out of respect. The president told them to sit back down with a warm smile and sat himself down behind the desk facing the room of teens.

“I assume that you all know why you’re here, so I won’t bother you with any unnecessary information. However, if you have any questions that weren’t answered in the test you took, now is the time to have them answered.”

He paused and a teen with dark blonde hair raised his hand. “How long will we be on the planet we’re sent too?” he asked.

“That’s an excellent question,” the president approved. “We don’t know for certain how long you will have to stay away, but the estimated time is twenty years. It may take longer for those of us back here to clean up after the devastation WWIII left us with. Quite a bit of time is going to be needed to change all the destruction into a place where humans can live in peace again. Any more questions?”

A girl with long, black hair raised her hand. “What can we take with us, if anything?”

“You don’t need to bring any clothes, food, or bedding of any kind with you. Your space ship will provide that until you land on your planet, and after that, the civilization system will provide for those needs. ISEC will allow you to bring either one medium sized object or two smaller objects if you think you need them. Any more questions?”

Kyrin raised his hand. “When are we leaving?” he asked.

“Tonight,” the president answered promptly. “Any more questions?”

No one else raised a hand. A few minutes of silence ticked by.

“All right then,” the president said. “I’ll turn it over to the space center captain.”

A man dressed in a gray uniform stepped forward and shook the president’s hand. After he had left, the space center captain took his place behind the desk and held up some cards with numbers on them.

“These cards are going to be handed out by my privates,” he said in a loud, booming voice. “Those of you who receive the same number will be in the same space craft. Listen carefully as your number is called and when it is, go and stand by the private who is holding your number in the air. He will then escort you to your selected space craft. Are these instructions clear?”

The Chosen teens answered him with one voice. “Yes, Sir!”

“Ok, then. Hand ‘em out!”

His eyes followed the privates’ progress as they gave each teen a number card. Once things seemed wrapped up, and each teen held a small, white piece of paper, the captain glanced down at his list of numbers.

The privates, now finished, arranged themselves into their various positions and saluted the captain. They were now ready.

“Has anyone not gotten a number card?” The captain asked.

No one answered him.

“Good. Let’s get started then. Number One!”

Thirteen teens from different parts of the room got up and followed the private holding the number one from the room.

“Number Two!”

Thirteen more teens exited after the private holding the number two.

“Number Three!”

More teens left.

“Number Four!”

“Number Five!”

“Number Six!”

“Number Seven!”

“Number Eight!”

“Number Nine!”

“Number Ten!”

On and on the captain shouted out numbers. Teens left the room after their private in groups of thirteen. The room got more and more empty.

The captain felt himself going hoarse as he continued shouting numbers.

“Number Ninety-Seven!”

“Number Ninety-Eight!”

“Number Ninety-Nine!”

“Number One Hundred!”

“Number One Hundred One!”

“Number One Hundred Two!”

“Number One Hundred Three!”

“Number One Hundred Four!”

The last thirteen teens left the room. The captain heaved a sigh and took a drink from his glass of water. His job was done.

҉

Kyrin found himself in group sixty-eight. He and the other twelve teens followed their private to a different room in the space center. There, the private left them in the care of another captain.

“You thirteen teens are going in the space ship Galaxy to the planet Tridiom,” he informed them. “Do you have the objects you want to bring?”

The teens nodded.

“Ok. We’ll be getting the ship completely ready, and then you’ll be on your way. Any questions?”

No one spoke up. Then Kyrin raised his hand. “How long before the ship is ready?” He asked.

“It won’t take us more than fifteen minutes or so. The bathrooms are right around this corner if you need them. I’ll be right back.”

And with that, the thirteen teens were left to themselves to think about what they had gotten themselves into.

҉

The space ship was huge. All thirteen teens gaped at it in obvious awe, much to the amusement of the ship’s crew. Some teens got up the nerve to ask questions about the ship, others simply drank in their surroundings in silence.

“Well, if that can’t protect us from whatever is out there in space, I don’t know what could,” one teen muttered to his companion.

One by one they filed through a door in the side of the machine and strapped themselves into the specially designed seats.

The captain of the ship spoke through the loudspeakers, his voice crackling every once-in-awhile. “Your trip into space will begin now. In about fifteen minutes we will be breaking through the earth’s atmosphere. It will get a little rough. There are paper bags in the backs of the seats in front of you. Thankfully, our ship has gravity inside it for a while. However, once we have gotten through the atmosphere, our trip will become much smoother. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Sir!” The Chosen replied.

With a deafening rumble, the space ship shot into the air.

Their trip into space had begun.