Slowly, we began to rise off the deck, the sight of the massive space station shrinking below us.
"Steady... clearing the docking bay now,"
I called out, eyes fixed on the display as we passed through the hangar's forcefield and into open space.
"Clear of the Citadel,"
I confirmed, as the Citadel's perimeter faded in the rearview display.
"Alright, gents, maximum burn,"
I said, settling into my chair as I eased the throttle forward.
The ship lurched forward, and the thrusters kicked into full gear. The acceleration pressed us firmly into our seats as Invicta surged ahead, the station rapidly becoming a distant speck behind us.
Paul grinned, gripping his armrests.
"Now we're talking!"
"Engines hot. Burn at full,"
I added as the thrusters fired relentlessly, propelling us forward into the vastness of space.
"Feels like a f*cking roller coaster,"
Julian muttered, a strained smirk tugging at his lips.
After a few minutes, the display showed we had cleared the gravity well of the Citadel and its surrounding stations.
"Cutting thrusters. Letting her coast,"
I said, flicking off the burn.
With a hiss, the thrusters disengaged, leaving Invicta to drift smoothly through the cold expanse of space. The tension in the ship eased as we let the thrusters cool.
We all let out a collective breath, some of the boys shaking off the tension from the burn.
"Alright, schmuks"
I said with a grin.
"Phase one complete. Now we wait till we clear the solar system's gravity well before we can hit the hyperdrive."
Paul nodded, still gripping his armrests.
"That's a hell of a ship, Drac. She's got some serious kick."
"Yeah,"
I agreed, feeling the hum of the ship beneath us.
"She'll do just fine. Now we just need to make sure she doesn't blow up in hyperspace."
Julian chuckled, leaning back in his seat.
"That's the spirit."
For now, we let Invicta coast on inertia, leaving the Citadel far behind as we made our way deeper into the void.
...
One Month Later
Time had become a blur during the first month of the trip. I had kept the boys on a strict training regimen, pushing them through hell every day. They hated me for it, but the results were showing.
It was early in the morning when the ship's computer pinged.
"Attention, exiting the solar system's gravity well. Prepare for hyperdrive activation."
We were in the common showers when the announcement came. I glanced at the others, who were flexing and posing like a bunch of bodybuilders. Their muscle mass had increased, and the fat they had was long gone.
"Damn, Darius, looking like a f*cking tank,"
Julian said, slapping him on his muscular ass. Darius flexed his bicep, grinning like a madman.
"Tell me about it,"
Darius replied.
"Hell of a lot stronger than when we first woke up."
Airid flexed in front of the mirror.
"Yeah, but I bet I can still bench more than you."
I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, ladies, enough with the posing and g*y s*it. Dry off and get dressed. We've got a jump to make."
We grabbed towels, dried off quickly, and suited up in our one-piece space uniforms, black and utalitarian, designed for the rigors of space travel.
They fit snugly, the material tough enough to withstand the extreme conditions we'd face, but light enough to allow full mobility.
Once we were dressed, we made our way to the bridge. The command center was clean and utilitarian, with screens and controls lining every surface. We took our seats, strapping in for the jump.
I tapped a few commands on the holo-interface.
"All systems green. Hyperdrive is ready."
The boys nodded in acknowledgment, bracing themselves.
"Alright lets hope we don't blow up"
I muttered, staring out at the stars.
"Engaging hyperdrive in three, two... one."
The ship trembled as the hyperdrive hummed to life, building up power. Outside the window, the stars stretched and twisted, distorting into long, thin lines of light. A low-frequency hum reverberated through the ship, making the air itself seem to vibrate.
And then, suddenly, we were flung forward into hyperspace.
The sensation was unlike anything else. It felt as though space itself was bending, folding around us.
The ship no longer moved through the void, now, the void moved around the ship. It was like being pulled through a tunnel of swirling, vibrant colors purple, blue, and black swirling in a mesmerizing dance.
From the bridge, the view was both beautiful and unsettling. Beyond the windows, the universe seemed to blur and pulse, like the veins of a living organism, moving faster than anything should.
"G*ddamn,"
Paul whispered, leaning forward in his seat.
"I've read the stories on GI, but seeing hyperspace for real... it's something else."
"Yeah,"
Airid added, eyes wide.
"Feels like the ship's alive, doesn't it?"
I smirked, glancing at the swirling colors outside.
"Some believe the hyperlanes are like blood vessels of a body. Natural formations. Others say they were built by a super-advanced civilization for reasons no one can figure out. Maybe they were just bored and had way too much time on their hands"
Darius shook his head.
"Whatever they are, it's a wild ride."
Invicta hummed as we hurtled through the hyperplane connected between the solar system and Med Karash system, the smooth hum of the engine the only sound within the ship. The galaxy outside was nothing more than a blur of colors and energy.
As I leaned back in my chair, I allowed myself a moment of calm. We had about a month of hyperspace travel to go before dropping out of hyperspace, but for the first time in a long while, I felt like we were headed toward something that truly mattered.
"Alright,"
I said, breaking the silence.
"Enjoy the view while it lasts. We've got a long trip ahead."
The boys nodded in silent agreement, their eyes still locked on the swirling vortex of hyperspace.
...
About a month give or take a few days later.
Darius and Robert were hunched over a holographic console, the dim blue light of the projection casting shadows across their even more chiseled, muscular frames.
They were fully engrossed in an intense first-person shooter, fingers moving rapidly across the controls, eyes glued to the dynamic action unfolding in front of them.
The occasional grunt of concentration or triumphant shout punctuated the steady stream of electronic gunfire and explosions.
Both were wearing headphones with mics, completely lost in their game world as they battled against virtual enemies, occasionally jostling each other when the action heated up.
"Come on, scrooge, cover me!"
Darius yelled, his fingers a blur on the controls.
"I'm trying, dammit!"
Robert shouted back, leaning forward as if it would make his in-game character move faster.
The sound of a grenade blast erupted from the console, followed by a roar of approval from Darius.
"Boom! Got 'em! You see that headshot?"
Robert nodded, grinning as he pulled off a quick series of maneuvers.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get cocky. We still got one more..."
Before Robert could finish, the ship jolted violently as it exited hyperspace. The sudden deceleration flung both men out of their seats, sending them crashing into the alloy floor. Their headphones went flying, and the console blinked out as the emergency lights flickered on.
"F*ck!"
Darius groaned In pain, clutching his nose as he stumbled to his feet, blood trickling down his chin.
Robert winced, rubbing his bruised hand and glaring at the now-blank screen.
"Damn it, my high score!"
I strolled past them, shaking my head as I passed them, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth.
"That's what you get for not keeping one ear free, If you did you would've heard the announcement."