Lost in Space: In the Shadow of Stars

Chapter 7

Somewhere in the distance, there was a strange hum, she heard it as if she were far away, but at the same time, she felt that it was right next to her head. When she woke up a little more, she found that along with the hum came pain. The pain came from the center of her head as if she had a shard in it that someone had left there. She probably grunted and made some kind of sound, but it was somehow muffled. After less than half a minute, she realized that the strange hum was cleaner and more clear. And along with that, her sight returned. Blurry at first and as if her eyelids were closed, but after a while, she could see better and better. And before her sight fully returned, she recognized that the strange hum was her sister calling her name. Although, her voice sounded strange as if it was veiled.

"Penny?" she asked still a little confused, looking at her sister, who was smiling at her with her helmet pressed on Judy's.

"Yes, you recognized me, the brain was not damaged. I was already afraid I'd lose my title," the red-haired girl replied, then Penny straightened up and looked at someone behind Judy. When she spoke, Judy immediately realized that she could only hear her voice through the helmet radio.

"What the hell?" She tried to get up, but someone's hand put her back in the chair.

"Judy sit still." Then her mother's face in the space suit appeared before her. Her forehead was bleeding, and she was tired, but she was visibly relieved when Judy woke up. She began to check something on Judy's hand before there was a low hissing sound that quickly disappeared in a second.

"I have increased the percentage of oxygen in your suit, it should help you wake up."

And truly, Judy immediately felt her body regain consciousness after a few breaths. The pain subsided fairly quickly, and her recognition skills were back as well.

"Yeah, that's better thanks. Last time I remember it was I who was the medic in our group. I mean, at least—" she didn't finish the sentence as she realized that her mother wasn't standing next to her. She, therefore, looked at Penny and frowned when she saw that even her body was also a few inches above the floor. Both of them floated next to her, their feet touching the floor here and there, but they both held on to the chair or table next to her.

"Are you floating? What did you eat?" Judy asked, poking Penny. She flew a few inches away from her before returning to her with a firm grip on the table and nudging her as well.

"Hey, someone's in a good mood here huh?"

"You better be careful Judy, we don't have an atmosphere so remember your weightlessness training," Maureen said patting her helmet. Then she moved into the corridor behind her. Judy watched as her body floated away around the corner and suddenly, she began to remember what had happened. Jupiter, sparks, smoke, fear, she remembered her father yelling at the console, she remembered something blown up down the hall and she remembered Don going...

"Oh my God, Don! He was there," Judy pointed down the hall and tried to get up, but Penny pinned her back to the chair as her sister repeated, He, he, he over and over, waving her hand towards the door where she'd last seen Don's face.

"Please calm down, okay? He is fine."

"But he, he flew away, I saw him—"

"Hey," Penny stopped her sister with a firm voice echoing through her helmet and when she saw that Judy was paying attention she continued, "as I said he is fine. Dad is with him, don't worry now, you most of all pull yourself together, it really shook with us when we jumped, I'm not surprised that you passed out. I woke up barely ten minutes ago."

"Jumped? So, it worked?"

Penny frowned wondering if her sister was joking or not. Fortunately, her sarcastic self was always better to use than to offend someone. And it didn't disappoint this time either.