Crunch, crunch, crunch…. His boots crushed into the snow, vocalizing through the otherwise desolate world. Only howling winds and violent snowstorms were around to keep him company. His space suit blended in like a white rabbit in the snow, his sluggish movements resembling those of a zombie. Every exhale filled his helmet with a blinding fog, but he didn’t seem to care. He had no direction, no destination. Still, he pressed on, devoid of all hope and sanity. His legs shook with every step as his oxygen tanks were on their last few breaths. His eyelids fluttered as his eyes began to roll back into his head. Then, his legs gave out, and he collapsed face-first into the snow. Opening his eyes, he gazed ahead at the white world, realizing this is where he would rot away, where he would lie for eternity. A single tear streamed down his face.

…

Centaur awoke in a panic, a single tear staining his left cheek. A red hue filled his teary eyes accompanied by a deafening alarm. He wiped his cheek and rubbed his eyes, squinting in the process. Gradually, his vision transitioned into focus. Shock washed over him as he surveyed the scene before him. The reactor was destroyed, its remnants scattered throughout the room. Three of the four platforms leading out had collapsed, and exposed wires hung low from the ceiling. Centaur’s eyes darted around the room, spotting Big Dipper lying a few feet in front of him, unconscious. Struggling through the pain, Centaur managed to pick himself up, gripping his chest as he got onto his feet. He limped over to Big Dipper and put his ear to his heart. Ba-dum…ba-dum…. His pulse was weak, but steady. He was alive.

Centaur pulled Big Dipper's arm around his shoulder and, mustering his strength, lifted both of them to their feet. The room shook violently as a loud bang eclipsed the roaring alarms. Gripping the railing tightly, Centaur steadied himself, holding Big Dipper with his other hand. With every shake if the ship, pieces of metal and other objects rained down from the ceiling. Centaur gritted his teeth and began his shuffle across the only remaining platform, leaning on the railing for support. His boots slammed onto the metal floor, resonating through the ruins of the ship’s central deck. His determined eyes pierced through the shaggy hair that draped over his face as he pressed on toward the exit. The room shook once again, swaying the platform back and forth. Centaur planted his feet, stabilizing himself. Then, a ripping noise reverberated from behind. The platform’s supports began tearing out of their sockets, bolts and screws flying out like bullets. The bridge grew increasingly unstable every passing second.

“NO!” Centaur yelled out in anger, “NOT AGAIN!” The bridge began collapsing behind him like dominos into the bottomless pit bellow. Centaur propped Big Dipper over his shoulders and readied himself to run. Biting his cheek, he sprung into action, his grunts like that of a horse in gallop. Veins bulged on his forehead and arms as he attempted an olympic maneuver. The collapsing platform trailed closely behind him, the door only a few feet away now. Centaur closed his eyes, letting instinct guide him, and without warning, let out a barbaric roar as he lunged for the door. The platform fell away beneath him as he catapulted into the air. As they landed, the two bodies rolled about on the floor as the bridge fell endlessly into the abyss. Centaur looked back at the wreckage of the central deck, a mix of triumph and fear filling his heart.

…

The control room had transformed into a torture chamber. Fires raged from broken tubes laced on the walls, loose cables shot clusters of sparks into the air like fireworks, pipes were flooding the room with water, and a red siren colored the space a terrifying hue. The command board had lost all its color, random buttons flicking on and off, glitching here and there. However, the status of the room was the least of the crew’s worries.

Sirius scrambled around the room with a fire extinguisher, putting out fires as they came, but he was outmatched.

“Hey Matty, you take over the fire extinguisher!” Sirius shouted at a fearful Matty who was currently getting sprayed in the face repeatedly in an attempt to patch up the broken pipes.

“Uhhh a little busy here!” Matty said while filling holes with a matter gun only for another three set of leaks to sprout out from the other end of the pipe. Sirius coughed his way to the command board, staring down at the broken tech. He punched buttons, to no effect. The ship was in critical condition. The pop up display screamed “SYSTEM FAILURE” as the ships hull rumbled to that sentiment. A blue and orange flame obstructed the view out from the control room as the ship came tumbling down through an unidentified planet’s atmosphere.

An artificial voice lit up the coms. “Attention, passengers and crew. We are experiencing an emergency situation and will be initiating crash landing protocols. Please remain calm and secure any loose objects. Prepare for impact and follow the crew's instructions for evacuation procedures. Our primary concern is your safety.” Sirius dived for the yolk, pulling it back with all his strength. It didn’t budge.

“Alpha, give me manual controls to the ship!” Sirius command.

“Request denied. Please prepare for emergency landing,” the AI voice responded. “Please remain calm and secure any-“

“Override emergency landing and give me manual control!” Sirius demanded, urgency in his voice.

“Request denied. Please prepare for emergency landing.”

“God dammit!” Sirius yelled slamming his hands on the command board, loose keys and buttons jumping off. Sweat dripped down his face as he tried to catch his breath, scrunching his eyes closed in frustration. Matty, still battling water leaks, managed to catch a glimpse of Sirius struggling with the unresponsive controls.

“Sirius, what’s going on?” Matty shouted over the chaos, his voice barely audible amidst the alarms and crashing sounds.

Sirius opened his eyes and wiped the sweat from his brow. “The controls are unresponsive, we are heading straight for the ground.”

Matty’s face paled. “What do you mean we’re heading straight for the ground?!”

“I mean we are going to crash! Get strapped in.”

“What about the others? We can’t just leave them out there-“

Sirius cut in, “I’ll worry about the others, you just sit tight. I’ll be right back” Sirius opened the control room door as smoke flooded out. He made his way to the central deck, coughing up a storm and his eyes tearing up. Lying at the foot of the abyss was Big Dipper and a struggling Centaur attempting to lift him up. Sirius ran to his aid, putting Big Dipper’s left arm over his shoulder as Centaur grabbed his right.

“Hey cap, sorry about the mess,” Centaur choked through coughs.

“Ignore that right now, the ships going down. We need to get ready.”

Centaur nodded, and on a count of three, they lifted Big Dipper up and slowly dragged him back to the control room.

Matty looked back to see the three slugging in. Sirius and Centaur dropped an unconscious Big Dipper into his seat and clicked on his seatbelt. The other two then clicked into theirs.

The ships AI spoke once more, “Activating emergency landing thrusters, brace for impact.” The ship shot through the sky like a meteor, friction from the air ripping what was left of the ship apart. Four separate boosters shot out white-blue flames in retaliation. The ship’s descent slowed, but not nearly enough. The ground grew closer as the crew hurled to their fate.

“Hold on!” Sirius screamed as the rest of the crew closed their eyes. With a thunderous crash, the ship touched down on the planet, its impact reverberating through the rugged terrain. Metal screeched and groaned onto the dessert surface as a cloak of dust erupted around the ship skidding along the ground. Slowly, the ship reached a complete stop, rocking back and forth before reaching equilibrium.

…

The control room was in pieces. The walls were charred, cables dangled loosely from what was left of the ceiling, and the emergency lights flickered sporadically. A distorted rendition of the emergency landing protocol was read by the ship’s AI before dying out into a peaceful yet dreadful silence.

Sirius crawled out from under the collapsed ceiling, his face and clothes covered in grey and white dust. He forced himself onto his feet, his legs shaking and his mind still disoriented. His eyes darted around, not fully making sense of his surroundings. Sirius blinked several times, attempting to clear his vision and gather his bearings. As the dust settled, he gradually recognized the remnants of the once-commanding control room. The control panels were shattered, wires exposed and tangled like a chaotic web. It was a stark contrast to the sleek and functional environment they had known. The destruction was extensive, and the gravity of their situation weighed heavily on him.

His mind raced as he recalled the crash landing, the chaotic descent through time. The disorientation of being thrust onto a planet of unknown origin coupled with the wreckage of their ship left him with a gnawing sense of uncertainty. Gathering his wits, Sirius took a deep breath, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. “Pull yourself together, Sirius," he muttered to himself.

He navigated the debris, carefully stepping over fragments of metal and avoiding exposed wires. Through the haze of destruction, Sirius spotted a flicker of movement. He hurried toward it, his heart pounding in his chest. It was Matty, struggling to rise from the wreckage.

"Matty!" Sirius called out, relief washing over him. He rushed to his friend's side, extending a hand to help him up.

Matty looked up, his face smudged with dirt and his clothes torn. He managed a weak smile through his words. "Sirius... we made it,” he said faintly. Matty’s eyes met Sirius's, a mix of pain and determination etched on his face. He grasped Sirius's hand and pulled himself up, wincing as he shifted his weight. The two stumbled onto their feet, struggling to maintain balance.

“Where are the others?” Matty said scanning the room lit only by the sparks of split wire and the on-and-off glow of the emergency lights. A few feet away, a pile of rubble shook as a hand emerged from the wreckage.

“You won’t take me alive!” a voice called out from underneath. Then emerged a disgruntled Centaur, his flight suit ripped from the waist up, sheltering a now, but barely, conscious Big Dipper. His eyes were wide and bloodshot as he looked around, recognizing the severity of the situation. “Holy smokes,” he said in awe.

Sirius and Matty shuffled over, lifting the debris off of their fellow crew members. Big Dipper lifted himself onto his knees, coughing out clouds of dust and phlegm. He recognized the state of the ship and was stunned. He then looked up at his crew, wiping his mouth.

“What the hell…” Big Dipper said, still recollecting himself from his unconscious state. He tried to get himself onto his feet, but his legs gave out. Centaur caught him before he fell.

“Woah woah woah, slow your roll buddy,” he said, perching him onto a fallen piece of the ceiling to sit. Big Dipper nodded his head in gratitude.

“Thanks for saving me out there,” Big Dipper said looking up at Centaur.

“Don’t thank me, thank my sick workout routine,” Centaur said pumping his arms. The crew shared a moment of relieved laughter, their camaraderie providing a much-needed respite from the dire circumstances they found themselves in.

As the laughter subsided, Sirius regained his composure and addressed the group. "We're alive, but we can't afford to stay here. Does anyone have any idea where we are?"

A silence filled the room as the rest of the crew exchanged uncertain glances. The crash landing had not only destroyed their ship but displaced it.

"We need to gather some info,” Big Dipper suggested. “Find out where the hell we landed first before anything.”

The crew nodded in agreement, realizing the importance of reconnaissance.

“Alright, let’s get the hell out of here,” Matty said to the others.

…

Carefully, they made way through the dark labyrinthine corridors, maneuvering through the debris, stepping over sharp edges and navigating the unstable terrain. Eventually, they made it to the main hatch, a giant 12 foot door that would extended down to the ground as a ramp. On each side of the door were two manual override levers to open the hatch in case of technical failure.

“Centaur, you go grab the lever on the other side,” Sirius said. The two positioned their hands on each respective lever and pulled with all their might. It resisted at first, but eventually gave way to a series of mechanisms that cracked the hatch open, lowering the door into a ramp and revealing a world very different than what they were used to.

The group was blasted with a scent of dessert terrain and an unrelenting heat. The landscape stretched before them, barren and desolate, with no immediate signs of life. The crew descended the ramp, their feet sinking into the fine, powdery soil beneath them. The heat was intense, almost oppressive, causing sweat to trickle down their foreheads. They shielded their eyes from the blazing sun, taking in the vast expanse before them. This planet was unrecognizable, not sharing any of the common traits of a modern star system. There were no advanced cities, technology, and seemingly no carbon life presence.

“Looks a little like home,” Matty said quietly, absorbing the sun into his skin.

“Not our home,” Sirius said.

"Indeed," Centaur chimed in, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape. "This place is alien to us in more ways than one, no pun intended,” he said smiling at Matty.

Sirius looked around, his gaze sweeping across the barren horizon. "This isn't right," he muttered, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and concern. "There should be cities, towns, or at least some evidence of human presence.”

Matty shielded his eyes from the scorching sun and scanned the landscape. "Could this be a post-apocalyptic world?" he wondered aloud. "Maybe we've arrived after some catastrophic event.”

Sirius furrowed his brow, his analytical mind racing to find answers."It's possible," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "But we can't jump to conclusions. We need a plan.” Sirius took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Centaur, stay here with Matty," Sirius instructed. "Salvage what you can from the ship. We need supplies and any tech that might have survived the crash. I'll take Big Dipper with me to explore the surrounding area and look for any clues about our location.”

Matty nodded. "Be careful out there you two,” he said, hints of fear in his words.

Sirius nodded back. ”We'll stay vigilant," he assured them. “We have no immediate ways of communicating, so if anything goes South, you find a way to let us know.”

“Yooooou got it captain!” Centaur said saluting.

With their roles now assigned, Sirius and Big Dipper set off, their footsteps leaving faint imprints on the dessert soil. The scorching sun descended into a late afternoon position, puncturing the radiant blue sky with beautiful blends of warm colors and silhouetting the duo as they trudged along foreign land.