He stayed up late looking at the stars, granted that was all he could look at.
The idea of a beautiful scenery can quickly turn stale if that's the only scenery. Never changing, or rather changing so far away that it'll be your next twelve generations that would be able to even slightly notice it.
He turned to a more variable scenery, looking at how his partner Reeda Wolfe was panicking in the little space shuttle.
She paced up and down, thinking and shaking her head against plans that would help us in our current predicament. I found her angst amusing but took care not to laugh as she nearly jocked a shoe at me during my last fit of giggles.
She walked back and forth two more times before I decided to intervene.
"I feel you need to calm down."
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!!" She responded immediately.
"We're lost. So far away from home that it is insane, and it is all your fault!"
I was hurt by that statement but I let it slide down my back. She was stressed, confused and scared, I almost felt sorry for her. A newbie astronaut who doesn't know my nickname.
System command always does this, putting newbies as my partners when I'd very much prefer flying alone.
The newbies themselves always jump at the offer, a chance to fly with Arthur Jet, renown space explorer.
Discoverer of 23 planets... Little do they know that those planets were discovered by me being lost on them.
Reeda was simply another victim, Irish, blond and a body shape that makes the padded astronaut suit look almost as alluring as a sleeveless dinner gown.
She shook her head again and against my better judgement I laughed.
"Is something funny?" Her voice, laced with anger and pain made the amusement die in my throat as I shook my head.
"I can't even begin to understand how you can even laugh in this situation. You do know that we are lost right?" She turned to me.
I looked around and replied. "Indeed, we are quite lost."
"So why aren't you doing anything?" She asked painstakingly.
"Why're you just lounging on the floor, looking at me trying to think of a way out of the situation you put us in instead of getting us out of it yourself. You are the great Arthur Jet, are you not?"
"As you grow older in life, you'll learn to fear the authenticity of names that have the title of 'Great' before them." I said sitting up.
"I'm Arthur Boyle, the astronaut who has discovered 23 planets, also the same astronaut who has been lost and found 23 times.
How're you?" I asked for a handshake.
The silence that followed as the new piece of information kicked in was pristine.
I watched as her face went through quite a number of changes as she processed what she had just heard. From confusing to amusement to disbelief then doubt then realization, shock and fear.
"H-h-how is that even possible?" She asked, slumping to the ground by the wall of the chamber.
"I'd say it's a mixture of skill, resourcefulness and a big barrel worth 45 liters worth of luck.,"
She didn't laugh at the joke, nor show any sort of emotion at all.
"The summary is, I've been in this situation long enough to know that the best thing to do is to keep calm and wait, manage your oxygen and try your best not to panic. In other words it's to do everything you're not doing."
"Just chill and relax." With that I laid down again, turned my back to her and slowly re-calmed my breathing. I didn't hear anything from her but I could feel her stare.
Could feel the contempt behind it, the disappointment in it as she looked at her idol crouched on the ground and telling her that the best thing and the only thing he has done is nothing.
I endured it though, survival is first before my redemption. I had already swore that the next time I got lost was my last. Once I get back, I'll simply leave, if they allow it or they don't.
A few hours passed, maybe a few days and it was getting harder to breathe.
I had slept twice and woken up, went to eat from the pressurized food packs and now sat down thinking if they'd actually come looking.
I haven't seen Reeda for a while now, probably she's in another room in the shuttle, I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to share a pod with me either.
Another set of hours had passed and I knew this was it.
I was on the floor straining from the air, I checked the clock and realized that I've been lost for 4 days and the oxygen tanks had just finished.
This is the worst way to go yet the most common.
They weren't coming for me, even if they were, they weren't coming fast enough.
My luck had run out and this exploration was the last. I guess, the only consolation is the fact that I was the only one in this shuttle.
I remembered the young girl that mission control was about to send with me, losing her in the cafeteria before launch off is probably the best decision I've made.
I should have made a recording. I looked at the recorder on top of the dashboard and made up my mind. Taking my last gasp of breath from the floor, I stood up.
Muscles screaming, bones creaking, vision blurry yet resolve strengthened.
I walked to the controls on the dashboard by feeling my way across the walls and found the recorder.
"This is Arthur Jet, the famed astronaut and explorer and to Reeda on earth, whenever you may find this, I'm sorry. I got lost again."
There was nothing more to say, everything was dark, I didn't even when I had stopped talking, everywhere was cold so maybe the heating had stopped with the failing oxygen, or wait, I've heard about this feeling..
Oh.. this is de.....
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