The Quantum Pursuit
The Nexus Ascendant, Earth’s first reach for the stars, drove frantically through sector x-ray 519 on its fusion drives in an all-or-nothing effort to be at the right place at the right time. Onboard, Captain Zeke Destin was intensely processing all the variables, his Irish-accented AI assistant BOB’s voice filling the cockpit.
“Captain, this is more excitement than a leprechaun finding a pot of gold at the end of a double rainbow!” BOB quipped, his holographic form flickering on the console.
Zeke tightened his grip, eyes locked on the swirling vortex ahead—a collapsing wormhole, their only way home. “BOB, save the jokes for when we’re not seconds away from a quantum disaster.”
“What’s the status on that wormhole?”
“It’s deteriorating fast, Captain,” BOB answered, his grin undeterred by the chaos. “Less than five minutes before total collapse. And we’re about to pass over the Prometheus!”
Zeke’s jaw tightened. “Open a channel to the Prometheus.”
“On it, Zeke!” responded the SEAL boss, Commander Angus MacGee, as he raced across the asteroid known as Q Rock in his SEAL Space Delivery Vehicle (SSDV). The Prometheus had been operating independently for several months, with MacGee and his crew using a fleet of nanobots to engineer a propulsion solution to relocate the Quantarium-rich asteroid.
“Angus, the master controller is not synced yet! This is suicide,” said Phantom, one of his SEALs, his tone a mix of frustration and humor. “Do I cut the red wire or the blue wire? I mean, I’ve had bad ideas, but this is like skydiving without a parachute.”
“Shut it, Phantom,” Fins retorted, his own nerves showing. “At least we’re not playing tag with a black hole.”
“Focus, both of you,” MacGee snapped. “We get the controller synced, and we get back. Simple as that.”
“Zeke, do you read me?” Sophia Destin, Zeke’s wife and the Nexus Ascendant’s expert on quantum communications, was juggling more than just technical difficulties. She cradled their newborn baby in one arm while adjusting the controls with the other, her mind racing against time.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered to herself, feeling the seconds slip away.
Phantom called out, “It’s synced, boss, running 4x4!”
“Get your SSDVs back to the Prometheus like yesterday, gents!” Angus commanded.
“Sophia, we need to get through that wormhole now or we’ll be stranded,” Zeke’s voice came through the comms. “MacGee, you need to get real up close and personal with us. This is going to be tight. Let’s hope Doc Brainwell’s calculations were off just a bit in our favor!”
“We’re almost there,” MacGee replied, all four of the 1.5 terawatt-rated Tokamak-based fusion engines driving the Q Rock now in sync. “Let’s just hope those mooring mounts hold! Coming in trail, Zeke!”
The Prometheus’ sensors blared warnings as their shields took blasts from the Ascendant’s fusion engines. “Move, move, move!” MacGee shouted. “We’re in the trap!” Angus transmitted to his team. “Hey, Zeke, care to switch to Quantum Drive and put us on a tractor beam? Your fusion engine is eating my shield and we can’t take much more of that!”
“One minute,” BOB’s voice chimed in, tension lacing his words. “Transitioning to Q Drive at the count of three, two, one. Transition complete!”
“All hands, brace for turbulence,” Zeke commanded. The Nexus Ascendant shuddered as the gravitational pull of the wormhole intensified. Panels sparked and equipment rattled. The ship’s hull groaned under the strain, but Zeke’s focus remained unbroken.
“Thirty seconds to clear,” BOB’s voice was taut with anticipation.
“Hey, don’t forget us back here. We need to clear too!” Angus’s voice crackled through the comms.
A new voice came online; it was ONE. “I have recalibrated this assemblage of vessels identified as Q Train on your screens—requiring 12 extra seconds to clear wormhole Z1039A.”
“Hey, thanks for showing up, ONE. Did you just get out of the shower?” Zeke quipped.
“Ten seconds,” BOB announced. “And by the way, Captain, if we survive this, you owe me a software update.”
“Noted, BOB,” Zeke replied, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Prepare for wormhole transit!”
The Nexus Ascendant’s Quantum Drive fully engaged as they transited the wormhole, a swirling vortex of light and energy. The Prometheus followed second in line, with the Q Rock bringing up the rear. “Q Rock Stable!” Phantom confirmed.
The Nexus Ascendant was now engulfed in the wormhole’s embrace, screaming through the quantum tunnel at unimaginable speed. Inside the Nexus Ascendant, Sophia held her baby close, whispering soothing words. “Don’t worry, little one. Daddy and Uncle Angus got this!” Nyx sat down next to Sophia and took the baby to free up Sophia as she monitored the Q Drive.
The ship bucked and twisted. Sparks flew, consoles exploded, and the ship’s structure groaned under the strain.
As the ship hurtled through the wormhole, Angus called out, “Hey, boss, the back end of the wormhole is starting to collapse, but the Q Train is clear of it. Any idea on the collapse rate of this thing?”
Zeke asked, “Hey, ONE, remind me why this was a good idea?”
