The Last Minutes of the Zephyr...and Me

Shuddering.

Jarring.

I wake to the muffled concussions.

Why aren't there red lights flashing? Why isn't the alarm blaring?

I sit up and realize where I am. I'm still on the bridge. It all starts to come back.

Another muffled thud shakes the entire ship. This is not good. I really need my suit.

I had silenced the alarms after the first missile had hit. The klaxon of bells and shrill whines disabled me from thinking clearly.

Another shuddering wave ripples through the ship as I stand.

I sprint down the main shaft.

Thoom! The gravity goes out and I sail up and forward through the hatch I had aimed to hop through. I curl and slam my back into the top of the hatch, spinning wildly downward and forward.

My hands slap the gridded metal flooring of the passageway as I try to catch hold of it. I spin up and back from my efforts.

I lift my arms back and reach above and behind my head to protect it and see if I can gain purchase on something else.

Another ripple sends shockwaves flowing through the hull.

I grab hold of the top of the next hatchway and jerk down hard, propelling myself down the corridor.

One, two, three hatches to the right. I swing out my arm and grab hold of the lever for the open hatchway, swinging around and through.

Metal squeals around me as another shock envelops the ship.

There. On the left. I punch out the safety glass and slam my right palm onto the release button.

My suit bursts forth from its container as it expands into the null-G. I deftly slip my feet into the booties and quickly maneuver my arms into the sleeves.

Boom!

I zip the suit front quickly and snatch my helmet from its resting place.

Boom! Boom!

Two this time? DAMN! I have got to get to the gunnery!

I jam the helmet down over my head and slap the tabs into place with my gloved hands.

TSSSssssss. Oxygen and pressure flow into my suit as I turn and kick off gently from the wall toward the next hatch.

Tak Tak Tak. BOOM! Hybrid gunfire sprays can be heard as the next concussion rocks the vessel.

I grab the walls and thrust myself through the next hatchway flying straight for the lower half of the ship. Hands out I slap the sides of each passing hatchway to gain more momentum.

THooooom! The walls around me erupt in shattering, splintering metal and flame.

As I sail through the air the ship splits around me. I can hear the squeal of tearing metal and then it fades to silence as I watch.

The ship brakes apart and the pieces seem to float outward and away from me.

I watch. Dazed. Floating away. My ragged breathing the only sound.

Metal fragments sparkle like snowflakes as they catch the light, spiraling out into the universe.

Ship equipment spills out into the vacuum, each on its own path into oblivion.

I hear the soft sigh of air escaping my suit and then feel a searing pain in my calf.

I can only stare as I slowly tumble out into the universe.

The blackness seems to become more black.

The vacuum of space seems to have reached me at last.

The cold.

Black.

Nothing.