Star Killer

Chapter 4

I have a ton of chapters to type ;;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I join the other three students in a cage like elevator and as soon as I'm completely in, the doors snap shut with a loud creaking grind. The loud noise causes the other boys to jump before playing it off with awkward chuckles or scoffs. I don't jump.

    Ajax makes small talk with his two fellow rich boys, Mark and Hamnell, as I stare at the closed door waiting for it to snap back open. In the mean time, I concentrate on my breathing. I force myself to keep it steady and strong. In, count to ten. Out, count to ten. In, count to ten. Out, count to ten. In, count to ten. Out, count to ten. In, count to three. Out. Wait that's wrong.

    Too focused on the concept of breathing itself, my breath catches in my throat and I let out a shuddering exhale. If the other boys have noticed, they give no sign of it.

    Before I can grab my thoughts and shove them back into concentration, our movement halts and everything falls into silence. Slowly, as if also anxious, the doors causiously creep open and we all blink to adjust our eyes to the expanse of darkness that lies mere inches away.

    The test has officially begun.

    I'm the first one to move as I step out onto the large concrete platform and exit the safety of the air bubble surrounding the lift. My suit and helmet immediantly buzz to life and pump filtered oxygen into my lungs while also stabalizing the internal pressure systems. Without the safety of these, my body would be crushed in seconds and my internal organs would all implode due to the high pressure gradient. My boots switch on soon after and the gravity magnatizers hold me firmly to the ground, only releasing their hold when I move my foot to take a step.

    My feet carry me without thinking towards the edge that is barely illuminated by the light given off from the metal box behind me. I pick up speed and soon I've arrived at the end where the stone gives way to open waters. My eyes wander upwards in the direction in which the sky should be, but even the smallest scraps of light are trapped somewhere high above here.

    One more step towards the darknesss and I'd go over. Would I sink or would I float? Only one way to find out.

    Breathe.

    The muscles in my legs tense before I'm launched forwards into the abyss.

    The words of the other boys crackle through the earpiece on the side of my head, but they are muffled and bled away due to my mind shutting out all but one thought. I'm weightless.

    My arms test out the limits of the water as they lazily stretch out and my feet kick every few seconds to keep myself in place. I hold my hands out in front of my face expecting to not be able to see them, only to be surprised to notice them as if they were being shined on by a dull light. I flex my fingers and watch as the glow follows them and seems to leak out from under the thin gloves that cover them.

    My mind snaps back to reality in under a second. There shouldn't be light here, mainly because I've just launched myself into a void of darkness where up and down seem like simple words that no longer apply. More importantly though, I can't see where I am. My hand fumbles to find the button on my wrist that controls the small headlight strapped to my helmet, but panic has already set in and my clumsy fingers can't distinguish between the suit's rough texture and a small button.

    My left foot kicks out to try to turn my in the direction I believe to be the platform, but instead of pushing aside water, it connects with a solid mass and I go still. No one knows whats in these waters or what the suns radiation may have done to the species everyone used to know. Tales of monsters and deformed shapes flash through my mind and I squeeze my eyes closed.