The world turned into chaos the day the split happened. A large concern arose from faulty domes, but most people identified them last minute as the planet began to crack down the axis. Those whose domes hadn’t worked either accepted it or fought for survival until the end. The atmosphere of the planet we had neglected and beaten began to get sucked into the vacuum of space, as if it wasn't ever there to begin with. Those who weren’t in a dome suffocated, froze, or faced the worst fate of all. The ones who were near where it had split open fell down, closer and closer to the core of this ‘pit stop’ planet.

  The terrain wasn’t the same anymore; the solar system's sun beat down on the outside world, scorching any animal that roamed around outside. The planet’s once lush environment is now crisp, but there isn't any time to dwell on lost lives. We must act as fast as we can to adapt to life here in the domes. Though for now, I guess all we can do is pray that things go our way.

  The sudden sound of footsteps approached. The man closed his journal on his lap with haste, the cover labeled “Sid’s Discoveries.” He sat on a bench close to the edge of the dome and turned his gaze upward at the approaching sound.

  The woman approached and cleared her throat before speaking, “Sid, why aren’t you in the lab helping them establish connections with the other domes? You’re always out here writing in your damn journal.”

  Sid sighed and shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to reply to her, as he couldn't explain why he wasn't helping. His thoughts began to race as he sat there after a few brief seconds had passed.

  She kicked him in the leg with little force, teasing him. “Sid… are you awake in there?” she asked as she bent over, looking him in the eye.

  Sid leaned back and away from her, giving her a look of uncertainty. "I want to journal; it's what I love to do, so I’ll keep doing it. Especially if our dome shatters like some of th...."

  She kicked him in the leg once more before he could finish. Now looking him in the eyes with a serious expression, she spoke with a stern tone. “Now, why on earth would you ever think that way? We should all be grateful to be in such a place. We're lucky to be alive.”

  Sid bit his lip for a moment, looking up at the dome's roof far above. "Who cares? I mean, this planet is a galactic 'pit stop,' isn't it? I mean, look at our past. Something always happens to the planets humanity lives on. We set up camp, suck the planet dry, and keep going on our never-ending voyage."

  Sid let out a heavy sigh as he stared at the ceiling, trying his hardest to wrap his head around how this was all possible and how he was unfortunate enough to be around for the end of this world.

  She shook her head at him, almost disappointed in his mindset. "Hey, well, at least you're lucky enough to be around a gal like me!" she said with a bright smile, trying to cheer him up or to make him smile.

  Though instead, he stared, looking up at the dome, not speaking or replying to her, deep in his own thoughts, contemplating many different things.

  She gave a slight frown before turning and walking away. “See you at the lab, Sid,” she said as she walked down the sidewalk, heading back toward the laboratory.

  Her frown deepened as she walked away. Her feet seemed to feel like they were lead, but she kept walking. She couldn’t help but let out a single tear; her life, as she knew it, was changing. But she kept trying her hardest to hold it together. Her slow pace allowed Sid to finally clear his mind. The sound of his footsteps drew closer as he ran to catch up. Then, unexpectedly, she felt this invisible weight get lifted off her.

  From behind her, as Sid approached, he called out to her, “Hey! Wait, I forgot my badge!”

  She turned her head to face Sid with a bright smile, her sole tear no longer rolling down her cheek. “It’s about time you came back to the lab,” she said in a playful tone as Sid finally caught up and stood beside her. Then, without another word, the two of them continued to head back to the lab together.

  They both neared the lab entrance. As she scanned her badge, the door began to open. The cold lab air kindly brushed by their faces as they walked inside. The door behind them closed gently as they walked down the hallway, stepping into a large room cluttered with papers and electronic equipment. People scattered around, grabbing papers, as indistinct conversations filled the air. Soon, they stepped into what seemed to be a meeting room.

  Standing before them were four others, all unique in their own ways. But the look they shared was the same—disapproval and anger. The room felt tense and unstable. Without a second’s notice, one of the men around the table spoke up. His hoarse voice barked at the two of them:

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "A new problem seems to have fallen upon us. The spacecraft that do remain up there in space seem to all have their heads... RIGHT UP THEIR ASSES!"

  A calmer, more well-spoken voice interjected:

  "As we all know, we haven’t had the best time these past two weeks since the split occurred. Communication with the spacecraft that remain up there… well, needless to say, hasn’t been the best. This lab was meant for scientific work. After all, it’s not a radio station. It’s hard to gauge how well-off the other domes are and what we can do from the ground to help contribute."

  The man then cleared his throat as he finished speaking, frowning slightly. They all looked around at each other, searching for the right words, all filled with questions that couldn’t be answered. Yet, despite that, Sid took a long, calm, deep breath. He leaned over the table, pressing his hands to its surface.

  "Sam and I are trying everything we can to establish connections," Sid began. "We need this facility’s workers and research to get to immediate safety. We hold some of the most valuable scientific data on this planet. We cannot risk our dome failing and us dying. Yet, we face more than that as an issue."

  Sid paused for a moment, regaining his composure with another deep breath before continuing.

  "We cannot risk the research we have gathered vanishing. Yet, despite the challenges we face, I have hope. Once we establish communication, extraction will be our next hurdle."

  Sid said this as bravely as he could, knowing deep down that his mind couldn't shake the thought that it might all fail. His composure in his workspace was hard to maintain, yet he spoke so confidently that it compelled the others not to give up.

  Sam placed her hand on Sid’s shoulder, her touch carrying tender kindness.

  "We won’t let you all down," she said softly. "And I promise, if you're going to put your trust in anyone right now, then please trust us."

  The four men stood in front of the two, all looking at each other before they faced back to them; they each nodded. Now, with the men nodding, the room seemed to get a bit lighter and seemed slightly less tense for once during their brief conversation. So, with their brief and spontaneous meeting out of the way, Sid nodded before turning and exiting the room, Sam's footsteps soon following suit.

  Stepping back into the large room, Sid navigated his way through the wave of workers, Sam following closely behind. Carefully, Sid looked around, his eyes searching for his bright red folder. Of which carried very important information that he idiotically misplaced. Sam approached Sid, asking how she could assist him. Sid turned and explained to her what he was searching for. Right after explaining, Sam began helping in his search, after being informed of how much value it held. Soon the two realized that it was nowhere to be found. The tension of the situation escalated as the two began to ask nearby workers if they had seen it. But they ended up being blown off.

  Sid stepped out of the large room, his mind filled with panic as he walked down the hallway with haste. He then began to pick up the pace, jogging through the halls, maneuvering his way around each person. Sam looked out into the hall, watching as he jogged down it. Knowing she had to go back to what she needed to do, she sighed, closing the door to the hallway and heading back to work.

  Sid reached his office, where he immediately began to sift through his drawers. His mind racing with different ideas of where the folder could've been. Sid’s heart raced as he combed through the drawers, each moment stretching the panic that gnawed at him. Had he lost it? Then, by a stroke of luck, Sid opened his bottom drawer and there it was, his red folder. He took it out from the bottom drawer, tossing it onto his desk. Sid let out a sharp exhale as he sat down in his chair. He felt like this was finally the lucky break he had needed.

  Sid eased into a comfortable position, his eyes fixed on the folder. His fingers itched to open it, yet as he began to reach out, his door swung open, causing Sid to jolt back, his fingers sliding out from the opening of the folder. A man stood in his doorway, his hair a complete mess and sweat dripping from his face. Sid sat there watching the man catch his breath, his eyes dancing with confusion.

  The man’s face drained of all its color, his breaths short and rapid as he spoke to Sid.

  “Sir, we have received a message from the M5-T3 spacecraft. They have let us know that they are currently working on a plan to extract us to the ship.”

  Sid sat in his chair, his eyes lighting up after receiving such good news. Before Sid could speak, the man spoke up again.

  “Sir, they have requested an audience with you and the other higher-ups here. They have also requested a special audience with only you; I apologize for the interjection; that's the only information I have now.”

  Sid sat there with his eyes filled with excitement and happiness, but also with a sense of dread and worry over this "special audience."

  As he rose to his feet, he stared at the man, his mouth gaping open, unable to speak.

  Sid shook his head, regaining his composure as he spoke to the man.

  “Well then, take me to where I can speak with them.”

  The man nodded and waved for Sid to follow him. Sid followed behind the man, navigating through the packed halls as people shifted around; the whole building seemed so disorganized at the time. The building was packed with people, each one with their own job, and purpose. Yet, as the hum of activity filled the air, none of them seemed to realize how fortunate they were to be here. As there were others that would have much rather died than suffer the fate they were given.