4

Chapter four

Making amends

The hatch opens up in front of my eyes as I manoeuvre the little pod towards the hatch and out into space, looking out to the vast expanse of space it makes you realise just how small you really are.

Max has me flying the tiny pod up to the top of the station, where he shows me how to use the robot arms, it's a little tricky at first, but I soon get the hang of it. I bring the arms out from the side of the pod ready to cut a piece of training cable, one snip to cut it and the special hands to rewire before I bring the arms back to the side closing the little hatch up. Easy, I think to myself with a smile.

Max pats my shoulder as he says,

"I've got to admit it you're very good at this, Megan, I think I owe you an apology."

“Thanks, Maxie,”

I say with a grin as he laughs behind me before he says,

“You're nowhere near the pampered Princess I first thought you were. Can we call a truce? I’m really sorry, Megan." He says with a genuine smile.

“Yeah, that would be really good, apology,'' accepted Max.” 

Max smiles as he says, “come on; let's take this pod back inside.”  I reply

“Okay, Boss.”

I manoeuvre the little pod back inside the hatch of the station, Sasha comes running over to me.

“ I can't believe you took the pod outside;"

She says as she jumps up and down.

Brandon turns towards me as he says

“You did really well for your first go, Megan, hopefully, Sasha will be ready to take it out next time.”

We all head into the canteen for lunch. It's hectic inside, and I can feel a few heated stares thrown our way, Brandon holds their stares as he says.

“Just ignore them, they'll soon get used to women on the program.”

We eat the rest of our lunch in relative silence. I've managed to get Max on our side just another three hundred or so to go… easy.

I turn to Max as I say

“So what's on the agenda for this afternoon?”

He replies

“ Your first flight; our team will be taking elite four out”

Forgetting where I am, I shout out

“Fuck yeah, this is my dream come true, time to explore the universe.”

After lunch, we were all seated in the spaceship, waiting to take off. The countdown happens, and the hatch opens up for us as we fly towards the unknown. I look out the window in awe of the beautiful universe. This is our first time out, and we don't get anything to do but appreciate the view, and boy what a view it is.

We're around an hour into our ride when the captain speaks; he needs someone to take the repair pod out as there's a warning on the control panel. Max volunteers as it looks like its nothing major, just a quick reconnection.

He turns to look at me as he stands up.

“Wanna come with me, Megan?”

He asks “oh yes please” I reply.

So that's how I find myself seated in the front of the little pod once again, Max lets me manoeuvre it towards the roof of the spaceship, I engage the robot arms and quickly reconnect the panel that has come loose. 

“Well done partner,”

Max says, I smile, pleased that we've overcome our differences.

“Thanks,”

I say as I look up and see a large shadow above us.

“Max?”, “yes” he replies,

I point up as I say, “what's that?”

“Fuck, we need to get out of here now, ”

He replies his voice in a panic.

“What is it?”

I ask Max as he takes charge of the pod, quickly extracting the arms and heading back towards the ship's hatch.

“ It's another ship, and it's too big to be one of ours.” 

I look up as the shadow begins to get bigger and bigger the closer it gets to us, it's then that I realise just how big the other spaceship is.

Max shouts out “fuck”

I can feel the panic in his voice and it's starting to scare me

“What's happening Max”

The little pod begins to pull away from our ship as Max shouts, “

It's drawing us in, the magnetic force is pulling us in.”

Our little pod is violently ripped away from the side of elite four and were soon whirling round in circles towards the massive ship above us.      

Max calls out, his voice panicked,

“Brace yourself, Megan, we're going to hit it.”

The world spins upside down as were thrown around in the tiny pod; I watch with my heart in my mouth as I am pulling at crazy speed towards the other ship. Fuck, I'm going to die on my first day.

We hit the other ship hard, my head bounces off the control panel, and there's a burning pain in my leg as something rips into my flesh. The last thing I remember is my helmet dropping down as the little pod loses the air.

                                                        .........

I can hear voices, deep male voices that I don't recognise my head is throbbing, and my leg feels as though it is on fire. I mumble as I try to open my eyes.   “Owww”

“It's okay little female, just hang on we're going to get you out of here.” A beautiful voice speaks softly.

I open my eyes wondering if I'm dreaming, or maybe I've died, and an angels come for me, leaning over me is the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life, hes massive a wall of pure muscle with pale white skin, pointed ears and piercing blue eyes, he's looking down at me with a fearful expression as she says, “your legs trapped we need to cut you out okay?”, “yeah” I manage to mumble, “is Max okay” he smiles down at me making my heart jump, “let's just worry about you for now, okay beautiful.” he says.

I turn my head as I hear another voice, realising there's another man just as handsome. He shouts out,” we need to cut her out brother I'll go and get some tools”  he disappears leaving me alone with the first man who is now tying something around my legs.” ow” I cry out as he pulls it tight. “I'm sorry little female,” he says with a grim expression. 

The second man returns, and they both get to work cutting me out of the wreckage, the pain is unbearable, the last thing I remember is his gentle voice trying to soothe me before the darkness takes me once again.