By

Carolyne Smythe

The compartment within the rocket’s main capsule that housed its inhabitants was rather narrow. Instead of seats, there were two beds, one in the front for the pilot, and a slightly larger one behind for the other passengers. Ben got in first so he can take his place in the pilot’s area. Once he got settled, the other four prepared to lie down. Two of the four could not help but argue over who was to be where though.

"Sis, I love you and all, but could you please get in the middle? I don’t feel like finding out what it feels like to be a sardine." Johnny asked.

Sue rolled her eyes, and replied tartly.

"Johnny, seriously, Reed designed it so that even though we will be right next to each other, we will not be uncomfortable at all!"

"In other words, you don’t want the middle either. Look, I would love to think you would like the middle because you could be next to your lover boy!"

Johnny gestured to Reed as he said that. During those couple of minutes of verbal contending, Reed and Mary very much shared the same thought.

Finally, the older one of the more intelligent pair broke the ice.

"As unpleasant as it is, one of you will have to get in the middle. And, I suggest you decide who takes that position right now because WE DON’T HAVE ALL NIGHT!"

Reed words were enough to make Johnny’s wishes of his sister getting in the middle and his being on the end come true. Not wasting any more time, Mary let out to Reed in such a way, she wanted Johnny to hear.

"After you Father."

Reed nodded as his was of saying.

"Thank you."

And proceeded to lie down next to Sue. Then, Mary placed herself at the end. Though it was not visible through the helmet, Johnny rolled his eyes, and said.

"Boy, talk about the REAL Goofy Gophers!"

"Johnny, you dare call me and Father goofy when you, a seventeen year old, watch Captain Video and obviously cartoons too? You’re one to talk."

"Mary..."

"Yes Father, I’ll shut up."

With those words said, everyone at long last quieted down so Ben could set the rocket’s controls for ignition and lift-off. It took five minutes of gauge reading, switch flipping, button pushing, and lever pulling. But slowly and steadily, a rumbling made itself audible below the rocket’s riders. And before the quintet knew it, they were traveling into the heavens, and towards the closest star that was their destination.

XI. The Heart of the Storm

Into the infinite regions of outer space the rocket soared. Under the pristine piloting of Ben, and Reed’s leadership, it seemed and felt like nothing could go wrong at that point.

"I tell you Ben, she is behaving like a baby! Everything is going perfect!" Reed uttered to Ben.

"Yeah, except them cosmic rays, nobody knows what THEY will DO!"

Shrugging off his friend’s comment as a result of a phobia that he felt was ridiculous, Reed said no more, and admired how well his Pocket Rocket was working. The ship’s passengers and their hearts were filled with mixed feelings of excitement, happiness, along with a lingering sense of fear. Excitement cancelled out the latter two in Reed as he shouted.

"WE DID IT! WE HAD TO BE THE FIRST!"

Ben was not as excited as his best friend was. He kept staring from his controls to the radar, and apprehensively said.

"I wouldn’t start celebrating yet Reed, we’re reaching the cosmic storm area, hang on!"

Reed replied.

"Now Ben, don’t you think you’re getting a little paranoid about cosmic rays? That could be the asteroid..."

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a peculiar, distinct noise.

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

"Sound like asteroids to me." Mary muttered.

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Ben’s eyes grew immense with alarm as he screamed.

"LISTEN! HEAR THAT? It...it’s the COSMIC RAYS! I...I warned you about THEM!"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Reed’s delight over what had been a glorious situation instantly turned into panic, as did the rocket’s other passengers.

"They’re penetrating the ship! The...the little shielding we have, it isn’t strong enough!"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Streaks of light pierced through the vehicle and its occupants.

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

"How strange, I can see them, but I don’t feel anything!" Sue blurted out in frightened wonder.

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

"Naturally, they’re only rays of light. You cannot feel them, but they affect you all the same!"

Reed said in a rather shaky voice.

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

That moment, the five friends begin to experience the symptoms of being exposed to cosmic radiation. And, one way or another, they were making each one aware of the other’s pain. Mary clinged to her stepfather as he gripped her left hand, both in horror. In agony, the young girl screeched.

"My head, how it aches! It...it...feels like a migraine! No, even WORST than a MIGRAINE!"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Sue continuously moaned, and Reed weakly proclaimed.

"Ben, you were right! We should have...waited! Should have gotten...heavier shielding!"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Reed was on the verge of passing out as was his stepdaughter at that point. Sue turned to see how Johnny was faring. He was the most shocking sight to behold that minute. Sue shrieked.

"JOHNNY! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU?"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

"I d...don’t know Sis! My body feels so HOT! It’s like it’s on FIRE! I’M...I’M BURNING UP!"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Suddenly, Ben crashed upon the control panel, groaning.

"Ohhhh, somebody else PLEASE take the controls! I can’t handle the ship anymore! My arms are too heavy! Too...heavy...can’t...move! I gotta lie down...can’t move!"

RAK! TAC! TAC! TAC! TAC!

Those who were conscious and heard Ben’s complaints yelled.

"BEN!!"

Before he passed out, Ben barely flung an arm onto the autopilot and reverse switches, and turned them on. Thanks to his rapid thinking, Ben had saved he and his friends when they were a slither away from dying and wandering in the midst of space. As steadily as it had ascended from Earth earlier, the rocket descended, but at a more negligible speed than the ascension’s.