001 - Launch Week

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Song of the chapter: Dubstep Killed Rock n Roll - Ephixa (Dubstep)

(Monstercat's POV)

"Stop him!" The guards come charging, but fall as the floor lurches wildly.

Alright, so maybe blowing up the ship was a bad idea. And it wasn't really my fault ... but that's beside the point. They thought it was my fault, and that's all that matters. That's why they're coming after me.

I can feel the fire blasting all through the ship, jolting the floor as I run. I trip into the wall and keep running, with only one destination in mind: the escape pods. If I can just make it to the escape pods, I'll be able to make it out of this thing alive. Yeesh, I didn't know music could be hated so much. All I did was play a little dubstep and they acted like it was forbidden or something ... of course, it really is forbidden, but that's just a minor detail.

One of the guards runs around the corner, a blaster in one hand. "Stop right there!"

"In your dreams!" I shout. I skid around a different corner into the escape pod launch room. "Hello?" I call. No one answers. I quickly check the computer and it says that all of the pods except for one have already been ejected. I only have one chance to make it out. If I miss that chance ... I don't want to think about that.

I set the single pod to launch in three minutes and run out of the control room, smacking right into a pair of guards. They grab at me, but I give them a kick, duck out of the way, and keep running, my footsteps pounding on the shaking floor.

"All systems shut down," the computerized voice says, blasting over the intercom. "Self destruct in five minutes."

"Stop him!" the guards holler.

I'm faster than they are and we all know it. Escaping has become instinct.

The pod hanger is empty. I guess everyone left and gave up this last pod. Oh, well. Better for me, then. I open the pod and jump in, settling in as the pod's countdown enters into the minute warning. The hatch seals and I buckle myself in.

"Five ... four ... three ... two ... one ... zero. Commencing launch."

"Whoooo-hooooooo!!!!!" I scream in glee.

The force of the launch presses me into the back of my seat, making me unable to move. I scream again, in terror this time. What was I thinking?! This is going to kill me!

Get a hold of yourself, I order myself. Just take the controls and fly out. Everything's okay.

I grab the controls and take a deep breath. I can do this. I've flown ships before. Anybody can fly these little things. They're meant to be easy to control so anyone who needs it can use it without trouble.

Except this one doesn't respond correctly. I'm beginning to understand why no one had taken it before. I look behind me just as the main ship explodes, lighting on fire for just a moment as the oxygen from inside is released into space. The fire dies quickly and the ship simply blasts apart, pieces flying right at me.

I yank on the controls to dodge a piece of the ship, but the pod turns the wrong way, right into the flying wreckage's path. "Right, stupid pod!" I scream. "I said right!"

"I'm sorry," the pod says. "I did not understand your request. Please try again."

"GO RIGHT!"

The piece of the main ship slams into my pod and I'm shoved into the side, the opposite end crunching but not breaking. There's a planet just below me, beautiful blues and greens swirling across the surface. As I fall toward the strange planet, I can't seem to take my eyes away from it. It's captivating.

The pod hits the atmosphere and suddenly I'm falling faster and faster. Now I'm able to focus on my flying, and I pull up desperately, but it's no use. This stupid pod isn't going anywhere fast ... except down.

The dense forest approaches, flying toward me. I scream again as my pod hits the trees, cracking both the space craft and the tall pines. The impact causes me to black out, and when I wake up again a few seconds later, the pod is on fire. I yell in surprise and hit the 'eject' button, but it doesn't respond. "EJECT!" I scream in panic and frustration.

"I'm sorry," the pod says. "I did not understand your request. Please try again."

"I HATE YOU!"

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