The Galactic Race

Chapter 8: Preparing

Tick tick tick

More noises, means that I'm not dead.

I wasn't dead, but where was I? I was in a clear tube like object. I was on a soft bed with a nice white blanket over me. I sat up, and the upper portion of the clear tube opened. I looked around and the entire area was bright with plain white walls, white tiles, and the lights made it had to see.

I got up from the bed and made my way around the room. I felt the walls for any sort of mechanical door, but I found none. I closed my eyes, in agony, and leaned against the wall. It was cold on my bare arm, but I didn't care. Oh, how I wish Laurie was here.

I then realized that I felt very different. I looked down and I saw my clothes were very different. Instead of there being a white, bloodstained, T-shirt there was a space like sweater over a pink shirt saying Overwhelming.

How fitting.

I also didn't have my black shorts on. Instead, they were white and a bit longer. Okay, I get why I'm in different clothes, but who the heck dressed me?! Like, personal privacy people!

I then heard a part of the wall open, and when I looked up I saw the Cyborg. Okay, so I'm still at the Observatory.

"You're finally up," he said, "Thank the Universe."

"Is that suppose to be a bad pun for my powers or something?" I asked.

He chuckled and smiled.

"Maybe. But in all seriousness, we're still trying to get the scientists that were frozen unfrozen."

"Oh yeah! Any luck finding some sort of antidote?"

"Well, yeah but that's the reason why I came to check on you. N-not to say we don't check on you, in general!"

I smiled at his stuttering, and it made him blush. I never thought a Cyborg could blush so much.

"A-anyways, so the thing that we need to unfreeze them is in space. Which is why we need you."

I nodded and walked up to him, and I swear I'm pretty sure he blushed more.

"Let's go then," I said, "The sooner the better, I guess."

"Y-yeah," he replied, and I followed him to the dome looking room from the simulation.

The place was spic and span from the last time. The tables were replaced, and so were the chairs, the telescopes were shiny and new, and the hologram computers were updated. I looked around the room and the first person, or robot, I saw was Laurie.

"Laurie?" I said, "What's this about the antidote and me going to space?"

Laurie's upper half spun in a 180 and the lower half followed a bit later. She quickly hovered over to me and put her mechanical arm around me.

"I thought. You drained. All of. Your life. Away with. That pirate," she said, "I thought. You had. Died."

I hugged her small structure. She was warm, unlike the other robots which were icy cold at my touch. She was probably up for a while. Most robots became warm or overheated from being on for too long.

"How long were you on for?" I asked, pulling back, "You seem warmer than before."

Laurie sighed.

"I admit. It. I was. On for. Five hours. Straight."

My eyes widened, just as Doc came in the room. She was rambling mumbles, while looking through research files.

"So.... if the antidote comes from one teaspoon of star dust from a nebula, then that means that the weight would be..... 50 pounds? Or would that be too less?"

"Doc," I interrupted her train of thought.

She looked up and set her files down to hug me as well. To my surprise, she started crying. I never thought that a woman like Doc would cry.

"Thank God, you're okay," she sighed, wiping her tears from her face, "I'm guessing you're wondering about the antidote, huh?"

"Yes. Besides, I need to get my powers into use someday."

She nodded and I followed her. She looked through her pile of unorganized papers and pulled out a paper with drawings of vials, weird looking structures, and equations throughout it. She scanned her eyes over it and showed the paper to me.

"This is the antidote," she said, "We have everything but the star dust. I was planning on sending you with Laurie, but I need someone here."

"So I'm going alone."

"Not. Necessarily," Laurie replied, "This boy. Jason. Wanted to. Come with. You. Seeing how. He knows. A bit. About the. Cosmos."

I looked at the Cyborg, Jason, and rolled my eyes. I guess that someone he knew was Universal, so he knew more than most because of that friend. I guess it wouldn't be too bad. Hopefully.

"So, how exactly am I suppose to go through the Universe?" I asked, "Do I need to be launched in something?"

"We're going to put you in a small, two passenger, space shuttle, yes, and as soon as you're out of Orchanal's gravitational pull, we'll tell you to get out," Doc explained, "As soon as you get the hang of going through the zero gravity, then we'll let you of the cord."

I nodded and the Cybo- Jason and I exchange glances. He seemed less human than Laurie did. His eyes were always the same feeling. Emotionless and cold. Unlike Laurie's, which were always full of life. Even though she was a robot. Jason's face was clear with no flaws, and he moved the same way every time, and Laurie was pretty clumsy.

I realized I've been staring at him, so I shook my head and looked towards Laurie.

I then realized that she was working on the shuttle. It was made of what looked like a mixture of iron, steel, and titanium. Her arm moved at extremely fast paces, as it went back and forth with the wires. She used a blowtorch to melt the metals together and make a tough structure. For her small size, she was really strong.

"The shuttle. Is almost. Done," she said, "Oh and. Xen?"

I looked at her.

"Be sure. To use. Those powers. That you used. In the. Simulation. They Might. Help you. In the. Long run."

I smiled and nodded. Even though she was a robot, again, it was like she was a human. Somehow.

"I'll be sure to, Laurie," I replied, "Just as long as I won't need to be in any black holes."

She gave a human-like laugh, and her upper half shook side to side.

"I'm sure. That'll. Never. Happen. Besides. You are. Going in. A nebula. On the. Outside. At least."

"Thankfully," I said, remembering what happened.

I felt a little nudge on my arm, and I looked towards Jason.

"Don't worry about it," he said, "At least you can slow down time."

We both chuckled, as Laurie was preparing the shuttle