Lorens holds a hand against the glass pane and leans in to admire the view. Wide blue skies stretch for miles all around, lined with wispy cirrus clouds floating at the edge of the troposphere high above. Down below, forests of deep green are walled by majestic red mountain peaks and ridges, beautiful as they are imposing.
Behind him, there is a commotion, but he can't quite make out what the people are saying. Lorens looks back at the mountains, and spots four smoke trails, growing in his direction. Suddenly, the thud of a shockwave hits him, followed by a deep rumble coming from somewhere underfoot. Klaxons blare, and people run to the doors in panic. Lorens starts to feel lighter on his feet.
A small black dot could be seen outside swerving side to side as it slowly makes its way to the ship. A bright flash pierces the backdrop, and one final explosion rocks the ship. Lorens' heart races as the floor he's standing on gives way and lists to the side, accelerating to earth faster than his body can keep up. His feet completely lift off the surface, and he starts to float within the space of the bridge.
Fearing for his life, Lorens looks around the room and tries to find something to root himself to. He finds another man trying to do the same. The man turns to Lorens. Wearing an expression of total shock, fear and confusion, he cries out, asking a question that rings louder in Lorens' ears than anything else he's ever heard:
"WHY?!"
Lorens opens his eyes wide and inhales sharply. He reaches out for his phone and lifts it off the nightstand, only to have it slip out of his hands and land on the floor below. He finds his hands dripping with sweat. Realizing how hot it is, he throws off the sheets and sits upright on the mattress to calm himself.
Still a little shaken, he gets up out of bed, picks up his phone, throws on his uniform and goes to the mess hall.
Poll