A group of astronauts were just about to embark on a routine space mission when a massive, unexpected surge of energy tore open a rift in time and space. The next thing they knew, they were transported to a strange, alternate dimension that was unlike anything they had ever seen before. The atmosphere was thick with an otherworldly sense of dread. They had no idea how to find their way back home.
Carol opens her eyes slowly. She noticed she still had her space suit on. Confusion settles in as she realizes she is lying on the ground and not sitting in the spaceship cockpit. Her eyes look up at the ceiling of what she believes is a cave. She pushes herself up from the ground and notices the bodies of the other three astronauts lying on the ground, one after the other. Her heart begins to race wondering what had happened.
Each astronaut wakes up and picks themselves up from the ground with the same confused look, just like Carol.
They found themselves in a vast, endless tunnel filled with vivid colors and complex patterns that seemed to stretch on forever. "Where's the ship?" one of the astronauts, Jason asked in desperation. Jason was the captain in command. Carol was second to him. They immediately lock eyes. The other, Petrov responds by shaking his head with a disturbed look. The tunnel was filled with a swirling, psychedelic light show that made it appear like they were walking through a kaleidoscope.
At first, they didn't know what to make of the strange environment. The group decides to huddle together and try to come up with a plan. “First of all, is everyone alright?” Jason spoke first. Everyone nodded but it was obvious their attention wasn’t fully on Jason. They were too distracted by the strange unrecognizable environment they were in.
They needed to find a way out of the tunnel and get back home. They kept asking themselves where was home? And most importantly, where was the spaceship?
Petrov looked around, trying to get a handle on their new environment. The psychedelic tunnel was like nothing he had ever seen before. "We need to find a way out," he said, his voice determined. "And if we can't, then we need to figure out how to survive in this strange world."
The astronauts looked at each other, trying to make sense of what was going on. They didn't know where they were or how they had gotten there, but they knew they had to find their spaceship. They each look at their air supply. Jason nods, agreeing with Petrov. He clears his throat before speaking. “What we need to do in a situation like this is to remain calm, okay?” Jason points at one of the astronauts named Maranda. “Maranda…. can you please run a scan?”
Maranda snaps out of her trance, nods, and follows Jason’s instructions. Maranda gulps as she presses a few buttons on a watch that’s on her wrist. Petrov and Carol watch her closely. “Th-the scan is throwing off very confusing readings. But I can tell you this. Wherever we are, this place does not have breathable air. So, we will depend on the limited air supply we have in these suits.” Jason looks away from her and stares at the ground meditating on the situation. He bites his lips and nods again.
Jason also reaches for the watch he has on his wrist and presses a few buttons. “Okay, we have at least a few days worth of air. That’s, that’s good.”
They all decide to walk deep into the tunnel, hoping to find a way out. But after an hour of walking, the tunnel seemed to go on forever, with no end in sight. The more they walked, the more disoriented they became. They began to feel a sense of desperation creeping in, knowing that time was running out.
“Where are we?” Carol whispers to Petrov. As they continued to explore, they quickly realized that everything in the tunnel looked the same. From the multi-color ceiling to the rocky floors, to the colors and strange patterns on the cave walls. They had no idea where they were or how to return to their spaceship.
As they continue wandering through the strange tunnel, they slowly begin to accept the reality that they might never find their way out. The tunnel seemed to exist outside the confines of space and time, leaving them with no sense of direction or purpose. Jason whispers to himself as he places the palm of his right hand on the cave wall, “This makes no sense. What is going on?”
"Wait! What's the last thing you remember?" Maranda directed the question to Jason. But Jason was so frustrated he had no interest in responding. Everyone took a moment to meditate on the situation.
The walking came to a grinding halt after two hours of no end in sight. Carol spoke first. "A flash of intense light, from the cockpit. That’s, that’s what I saw. A blinding light that came out of nowhere. All I knew was that it was hard to see. Then... Then we were on the ground asleep and each one of us woke up in this tunnel together. That’s it." Everyone else looked at each other after Carol spoke. She focuses her sight on the ceiling of the cave. The strange colors slowly begin to eat away at her mind. The first moment she saw the colors, she was warm and happy. Now, she was uneasy and frightened.
The astronauts stood in a circle, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of their ship. The ceiling of the tunnel was different shades of color. There was no sign of their spaceship or any other spaceships for that matter. The only thing in sight was a large, colorful tunnel that stretched into the distance. It went on for what seemed like an eternity. “We…” Petrov sighs and continues, “We have no choice but to keep moving. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find a way out of this damn place. …whatever this place is.” He desperately tries to bring everyone’s morale up. However, it was only a matter of time before his morale broke.
As they began walking again, the bright fluorescent colors that surround them haunted them with each step they took. At first it was strange, captivating, and mesmerizing. But soon it became eerie, unsettling, and odd. Nothing to them made sense. The only thing they could do was continue walking in one direction and stare into the distance in the hopes of finding some answer to their dilemma. It was a daunting task, and their nerves were stretched to the breaking point. They all knew that they were in uncharted territory, and they were in grave danger.
Maranda had the habit of checking her watch every ten minutes. Jason noticed her actions. She kept looking at her watch to gauge how much air they had left. It was starting to become her mini obsession. The fear of dying of asphyxiation was too overwhelming for her.
Carol breaks the silence while they are walking. She presses a few buttons on her watch trying to read some information it was generating. "We must've been caught in some sort of cosmic storm or something." Her voice was shaking. Jason just shakes his head and presses on. He figures that her assumptions and theories aren’t making the situation any better.
Petrov nodded, looking around with a mixture of fear and awe. "We have to find something, anything that can help us," he said.
Jason had enough and turned around to face everyone. “All of you. Stop wasting your breath. We need to save as much of our air supply as possible. We move at a steady pace. Not too fast and not too slow. That way we don’t consume too much of it. That’s, that's the plan.” Maranda nods in agreement. From that moment on, it was obvious that Petrov and Carol did not like the captain’s tone. Every decision Jason would make would be heavily challenged by Petrov and Carol. It was clear that Maranda was on Jason’s side, while a secret alliance was formed by Petrov and Carol.
After hours of walking and arguing, Maranda has had enough. She notices the tense dynamic between the group and decides to try to mediate the situation. She gathers the astronauts in a semicircle and asks them to voice their concerns. Petrov and Carol speak up first, voicing their suspicions about Jason and how he may not have their best interests in mind. Maranda listens intently, making note of the issues that are being raised. She tells the group that it's important to have open communication, which will help build trust among members of the crew.
“You both are paranoid. Pathetic. How dare you? I’m doing my best! I’m in the same situation as all of you!” Jason turns his face away from them, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Jason composes himself and realizes that what he said was out of frustration. Jason takes the opportunity to address the concerns, reassuring the group that he has everyone's best interests in mind and that his decisions are based on their safety and survival. Maranda encourages Petrov and Carol to share their viewpoints. She encourages them to be honest and open with each other. She reminds them that they are all in this together and that working as a team will increase their chances of survival.
As the conversations progress, Maranda notices that the tensions start to ease, and the astronauts are starting to feel more comfortable with each other. She concludes the meeting by asking everyone to continue to communicate openly and to work together to find a way out of this strange environment.
As the group moves on, Petrov takes one last look at Carol. To her it was obvious that Petrov didn’t see things like Jason did. Their bond will soon deteriorate the more they press on into the endless tunnel. Paranoia will settle in as new problems will arise. The group began worrying about rest, water, and food. All Jason wanted to do was keep walking in hopes of finding the way out of the strange tunnel.
Petrov stopped walking for a moment while the rest kept the same pace. He forms a fist and whispers under his breath, “You’re killing us, Jason.” He stares directly at Jason in the distance. A cold look is on his face. His eyes are fixed on him and only him.
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and then Add to home screen.