Through the Wormhole

Chapter XVII: Senior Mop and Junior Bucket (Part Jurassic)

Boom!

Dan's back smacked against his headrest. He swore he lost his head in his helmet when he felt PPMC lift off. He rode an aerotrim, so why was this significantly harder? Perhaps it was because it was the real thing. Eventually, he found the guts to open his big, brown eyes.

PPMC ascended in a perfectly straight line toward the troposphere.

Two minutes after the blast off, Chenoa radioed Dan again. "Dan, do you read me? It's Chenoa. Over."

"I read you, Professor." His stomach certainly didn't. Dan felt like he was about to hurl. How did his dad manage to do this twenty-seven times?

"Perfect!" Chenoa said. "Now, this is the last time I can communicate with you. Once you reach space, we'll be disconnected. However, your dad and I will watch you until you reach the black hole. Speaking of which, would you like to say goodbye to your dad officially?"

"No thank you!" Dan piped out. "I'm sure he's jumping with joy now that he's gotten rid of me."

"But, Dan..." Chenoa attempted to voice.

"Goodbye!" Dan shut her off once he and PPMC reached the mesosphere. He didn't regret it at all. His dad was the one who lied to him.

It turned darker by the second, and Dan admitted he was a little excited. What did deep space look like in person? Was there a way to convince PPMC to put him in hypersleep through the wormhole? Dan could try sweet-talking her. Yeah, he would do that. Pfft, programmed with his mom's personality. PPMC, the dumb starship who didn't know what a one-night stand was, would fall for his Oh, I'm not feeling well trick.

Before long, they reached the exosphere.

Dan had never seen so many stars. They went on and on, never seeming to end. He almost forgot that Earth was a planet floating in outer space. Extraordinary! And once, a long time ago, dinosaurs shared the same turf as humans.

"Welcome to space, Dan the Man!" PPMC soon announced. "We just left Earth and are ready for our first light speed jump."

Light speed. It looked like everything in Ultra Star Wars was real.

PPMC chuckled. "Are you ready for the torch, Idiot?"

That didn't offend him as much, but Dan still ordered, "Just do it, PPMC, so that we can be in and out."

"As you wish." PPMC's hands approached a black switch next to her time machine. She gripped it and added, "In five, four, three, two, one... geologic time scale, here we come!" PPMC pushed the switch, and Dan's body lurched forward. They traveled at the speed of light and left 3023 behind.

***

Was deep space supposed to be that beautiful?

Dan's jaw dropped seeing the stars, galaxies, and nebulas. The assortments of colors convinced him that magic was real. He wanted to get a closer look. That nebula over there looked like a space cumulonimbus.

"PPMC, can you free me now?" Dan wiggled his hands and attempted to punch through the straps, but they held him down. "Please?" he begged.

She laughed. "You know, Dan, you're an idiot, but a good one."

That was something Dan's mom would say. There may have been a little of her in PPMC after all. He recalled that Becca said she would be with him in forms both big and small. Did an AI starship count?

PPMC pressed a button on Dan's seat. It freed his hands and feet.

He took the helmet off and almost fell getting out.