Dishonest Mistake

           It was November 18, 2030, and NASA was preparing a deep space launch toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

           The team of six astronauts were on a research mission to seek other inhabitable planets which could sustain the basic needs of human life. If successful, NASA would begin plans to build larger vessels to carry the future of human existence.

           The ship, named “Phoenix,” was the most highly advanced piece of machinery that anyone on Earth had every seen. NASA’s “Helical 3” engine was the third attempt at reaching lightspeed, and up to this point, it was unclear if the engine would be successful once it reached zero gravity.

           Captain Richard Travis was the commander of the mission. He had twelve successful outer space missions under his belt, and he felt confidant of their success.

           His second in command, was Lieutenant Grace Kessinger, a ten-year veteran. She was known as the toughest woman in the space program.

           The remaining crew were each specially trained to conduct collective tasks toward a successful mission.

           The first five years of the mission went routinely well. Several hydroponic gardens supplied the crew with fresh vegetables, and moisture within the ship was converted into water to drink, bathe with, and water the gardens.

           The crew had a daily routine of exercise, mental balance, and sleep which kept them fit and sane during the long journey.

           During one of the captain’s meditation sessions, he was pulled back from his state of higher consciousness by the sound of the ship’s alarm.

           As the captain entered the bridge, the helmsman was trying his best to maneuver around several thousand pieces of debris floating through the Scutum-Crux Arm.

           A large metallic object was on a collision course with Phoenix, and Captain Travis ordered for evasion maneuvers. The helmsman quickly lifted the portside of the ship to allow the object to pass, but they were too late. The metal ripped through the keel, causing an immediate decompression in the lower decks.

           Lieutenant Kessinger ordered for the lower decks to be sealed off to prevent further decompression. A second massive boulder hurtled toward the ship, striking one of the rear thrusters. Phoenix began to spin uncontrollably through the debris.

           The inside of the bridge sounded like an amplified hailstorm as the ship’s exoskeleton was pummeled repeatedly. The crew held on tightly as the ship spun across the vastness of space.

           Suddenly, there was silence. All noise around and within the ship had disappeared, and the ship slowly stabilized. It took several minutes for the crew to regain their composure. The first to speak was Lieutenant Kessinger.

           “Damage report?” she called out.

           “Indicators show damage on all decks. Thrusters are barely functional. We may be able to maneuver slowly, but there is no way we can reach lightspeed again, mam.”

           Communications with NASA had been lost, so they decided to send out a distress beacon on the slight chance that it may be picked up.

           Weeks had passed, and the damage to the ship’s engine was beyond repair with the materials they had aboard, though they were able to patch up all the holes throughout the ship’s exterior.

           One of the moisture converters had been lost along with an entire hydroponics lab, which meant that the crew needed to ration food and water until another solution could be decided upon.

           The navigator, Ensign Ploughman, attempted to chart their trajectory after the debris collision, but was unable to. Instead, he determined how much time had passed from the moment they entered Crux Arm to the moment when they were free of debris, based on the velocity they were traveling at the time, then calculated their current velocity. They were lost.

           As they continued their course forward, three more months had passed and things aboard the ship had worsened. A short in the circuitry of the hydroponics lab, had caused the remaining vegetables to burn up, and water rations were running low as well. At this rate, the crew would not survive more than another month in space.

           As if by some miracle, a broken signal was picked up over the ship’s communications console.

           “Ship…distress…on…way…hold…” was all that was heard.

           Sighs of relief followed by cheers filled the bridge. They were going to be rescued. After nearly six years in space, they felt hope once again.

           Several hours had passed as the crew waited anxiously aboard Phoenix for the rescue team to arrive. They wondered how long it would be before NASA could reach them.

           The captain tried his best to keep the morale of the crew up by playing music and encouraging physical activity, but depression began to set in. When all seemed hopeless, a voice shouted clearly over the communicator.

           “Crew of the Phoenix, I am Captain Winchester of The Foresight. How many crew members do you have aboard? Do you require medical assistance?” the disembodied voice asked.

           “This is Captain Richard Travis of Phoenix. We have six crew members aboard, and none need medical assistance, though our rations have been depleted and could use some food and water if possible.”

           “That won’t be a problem, Captain. We are preparing to dock with your ship. Stand by.”

           The two ships were magnetically locked together, and a seal was formed around the access hatch. The crew of Phoenix stood at the ready for the hatch to open. They had no idea who these people were affiliated with, so they had to be ready to fight.

           As the hatch opened, three men in silver space suits entered the ship. The man in front was the first to remove his helmet. He reached out his hand and introduced himself as Captain Winchester. Captain Travis took his hand and began to shake it.

           After the introductions, the Phoenix crew were invited aboard The Hindsight, a shuttle used by The Foresight. The crew took a seat and strapped in as the shuttle disembarked from the hull of Phoenix. The crew watched as their ship faded off into the darkness of space. All they could do now, was pray the intentions of the Foresight crew was honorable.

           After a short, five-minute flight, Captain Winchester told the crew to look out the starboard side of the shuttle. They were taken aback by the massive size of the ship that waited ahead.

           The Foresight was roughly 5,000 feet in length. The shuttle entered an open port on the keel of the ship and came to a stop on a revolving platform which spun slowly to a stop moments after they landed.

           Captain Winchester escorted them first to the galley where they were given a chance to eat. Afterwards, they were assigned cabins where they could shower and change into clothes that the Foresight crew provided.

           Once they were refreshed, they were given a tour of the ship, ending with the bridge. The size of the bridge in The Foresight was nearly the size of the entire Phoenix from bow to stern.

           Ensign Ploughman stood near the navigation console and studied the star charts. They were completely foreign to him.

           Captain Travis thanked the crew of The Foresight for their hospitality and asked where it was they were on route to. Captain Winchester informed them that they were heading back home. Ensign Ploughman, speaking out of turn, asked abruptly, “Where is home, exactly?”

           Captain Winchester smiled and stated that they were headed to the planet of Excelsior and to his home state of Faxlehorn.

           The Phoenix crew looked at each other with confusion and concern until Lieutenant Kessinger spoke up.

           “Captain Winchester, with all due respect, we have never heard of your planet, nor do we recognize your constellations. Could you tell me which galaxy your planet is part of?”

           The captain informed them that Excelsior was part of the Dragonus system, and they had been flying through it for the last ten minutes.

           Captain Travis interceded and asked to speak with Captain Winchester in private. They resumed their conversation in his quarters. When they returned, Captain Travis had pulled his crew together to speak with them.

           “According to Captain Winchester, we first appeared on their radar around the time that we made it out of the debris storm. He informed me, that a wormhole has existed in the location for centuries, and he believes we had been thrown into it in our galaxy and transported into their galaxy.”

           The crew looked at each other with disbelief, then Lieutenant Ravery, the communications officer, asked Captain Travis how they should proceed having this new knowledge. Captain Travis told them to go with the flow, but not let their guard down completely.

           A bright, blue orb came into sight. It had two moons circling in the planet. From their perspective, it looked a lot like Earth.

           Lieutenant Porter, science officer on Phoenix, asked The Foresight’s science officer about the planet’s atmospheric conditions. He stated that it consisted of 71 percent nitrogen, 28 percent oxygen, and the remainder were gases unknown to that of Earth. In other words, it should provide breathable air.

           As they approached the outer atmosphere of planet Excelsior, they were asked to once again board the shuttle to take them down to the surface. Flames engulfed the shuttle as they passed through the atmosphere, then cleared as the skies around them began to turn bluer.

           Like Earth, the planet had an abundance of water and vegetation, though unlike Earth, the trees were a magenta color instead of green. They landed on what appeared to be a concrete-like surface surrounded by four large rings. Nothing else was around for miles except for nature, and Lieutenant Porter began to wonder if the residents here lived in the forest, but that would not explain their advanced space technology.

           As they exited the craft, Captain Winchester removed his helmet, and hesitantly, the Phoenix crew did the same, beginning with Captain Travis. They were led to the ring located at the bow of the shuttle. It had a combination of symbols written on it that was unlike any language they had ever seen before.

           Captain Winchester ordered his crew on ahead to prepare the council of the arrival of their guests. The two men turned and faced the ring, then walked through it and disappeared completely.

           The Phoenix crew looked at each other in amazement. Sensing their disbelief, Captain Winchester reached out and offered his hand to Lieutenant Kessinger. She accepted it and the two walked through the portal together. Captain Travis ordered his crew to follow, and he remained until everyone was safely through.

           When Captain Travis arrived on the other side, he was astounded that they were in a busy city that excelled in technological advancement. Vehicles hovered above the ground, and the residents seemed to glide across the ground as if their shoes had hovering capabilities as well.

           He spotted the crew a short distance away and walked over to join them. The Phoenix crew continued to stare around at this intriguing city that surrounded them. They walked for a few minutes before arriving at the door of a building. Captain Winchester rang the bell, and a voice came over the speaker asking who it was. The voice replied, “I’ll be right down.”

           Moments later, the front door opened, and a heavier set man hovered through wearing a suit that appeared to be metallic. He introduced himself as Bob Morganside, local entrepreneur, and town greeter.

           He asked the crew to follow him. As they walked, they witnessed an altercation between a man in his twenties, and an elderly woman. The man had pushed the woman to the ground and robbed her of her belongings.

           “Did you see that?” Captain Travis asked as he began to chase after the suspect, but Bob grabbed his arm and stopped him. The captain protested, but Bob insisted that he not get involved.

           When Captain Travis asked why he should not, Bob told him that the man was within his rights. That kind of logic did not float well with the Phoenix crew. As they continued to walk, they witnessed four more lawless acts, including a cold-blooded murder in the middle of the street. Bob nonchalantly continued to hover and whistle a happy tune.

           They soon arrived at the City Hall where a town representative waited to speak with the strangers in his town. His name was Jessop Handly, a politician of sorts. He welcomed the crew and informed them that in Faxlehorn, there were no laws. People do as they wish and work on the honor system. If you do something that you feel was immoral, you say four prayers, and your sins will be forgiven.

           Captain Travis could not imagine a world where lawlessness was part of the daily routine. With a single glance, his crew knew what he was thinking. The captain asked Mr. Handly if there was any way the city could provide alternate transportation for his crew to return to their own galaxy, but Jessop insisted that it was impossible.

He did, however, tell them that as guests of the State, they would each be provided a place to stay. Captain Travis accepted those terms until they could figure out a way off the planet and back home.

           Jessop Handly asked a group of men to assist the Phoenix crew in locating places to stay. As they approached the first house, the group of men walked inside. Moments later, the were seen dragging the homeowners out and tossing them into the street. They pointed at Ensign Ploughman and said, “This one is yours.”

           Lieutenant Kessinger began to protest, but the captain stopped her. He then ordered the ensign to get settled in.

           The trend continued until they reached the final home. It was larger than the others and had a spectacular view of a nearby lake. The group of men went inside, and moments later, they returned dragging an elderly woman, the same woman they had seen accosted earlier that day. It turned out, she was the mother of Captain Winchester. Captain Travis insisted that she remain in the house because it was too much house for just him.

           Captain Winchester seemed unfazed by the fact his mother was being thrown out into the street, but Captain Travis tried to work out a deal. He suggested that she shares the responsibility of the house and in turn, can stay living there.

           “Mr. Handly replied, “Sure thing, my friend! If that’s what you want, that’s what you get!”

           Surprisingly, however, Captain Winchester’s mother decided to live on the streets instead. Nothing about this planet seemed to make any common sense.

           Later that evening, Captain Travis met with Lieutenant Kessinger at her new home. They had a long discussion regarding their options. They had a choice of making a new life on this unruly planet, or they could find a way to return to their galaxy.

           They met with the rest of the crew the next morning and devised a plan, though Lieutenant Porter decided to stay behind. He had nothing to return to on Earth and felt he could make something of himself on Excelsior. Regretfully, they parted ways, and the remaining five returned to the location of the ring from where they arrived.

           They hid behind some trees and waited patiently for someone to appear through the portal. After a grueling six hours, it finally happened. Three women and a man apparated before them. Once they walked away, the Phoenix crew quickly made their way through the ring and back to the launch pad where a shuttle awaited.

           Lieutenant Kessinger removed a small panel next to the hatch, by-passed two wires, and the hatch opened. They ran inside and took their positions with Captain Travis at the controls and Ensign Ploughman inputting a course based on the information he gathered aboard The Foresight.

           After a few minutes, and a couple minor mishaps, Captain Travis had the shuttle off the ground. They decided that it would be wise to stay below radar and enter the atmosphere from the opposite end of the planet instead of directly above their current location.

           As they finally broke through the atmosphere, Ensign Ploughman was ordered to navigate them back to the location of the wormhole as quickly as he possibly could.

           They were almost back at the entrance to the wormhole when a familiar voice came over the radio. It was Captain Winchester and he threatened to shoot them down if they did not return to the Foresight immediately.

           They continued on course and prayed the shuttle’s shields would hold long enough. The shuttle took on heavy fire, but they made it to the edge of the wormhole, and like a vacuum, they were sucked in and tossed around.

           Moments later, they were back in familiar territory, among the Scutum-Crux Arm. After they were able to navigate the shuttle through the debris, a faint voice came through on the radio.

           “Phoenix, this is NASA, do you read me?”

           Lieutenant Kessinger responded, explaining that they had to abandon ship and were now in a shuttle obtained during their travels. According to NASA, the ship had gone off radar more than seven years earlier, and they had been searching for them ever since.

           They were given coordinates for a rendezvous point, and met up with a new ship named, “Rebirth.”

           Much had changed since they left on their quest for an alternate planet. There had been a vast improvement of sustainable energy, and they found a way to reverse the destabilization of the ozone layer. Earth was once again safe to live in, except for the constant fight for power, but at least they had laws to keep it all in control.