Somewhere within the deepest reaches of the endless void called space, we reach places darker than black. Humanity has reached such places many times before for millennia. Today, millions of people can explore the furthest reaches of space, and this crew I travel with is one of those. There are eight leaders, each with our area of expertise. We call our ship The Hiram, a name given in honor of a mythical martyr from the days of King Solomon. Hirman’s assignment from the king being the builder of the temple, but in AHI’s (Astral Horizons Initiative) mind, the name is just a metaphor for one thing: knowledge. The knowledge the crew of The Hiram seeks when we make these journeys for AHI is for the unexplored regions of space. Since humanity learned to make significant jumps between stars, the next step would naturally be between galaxies. The jumps I refer to aren’t instantaneous, as one might assume, but at relatively high speeds that take a year to complete.

The Hiram’s crew is currently experiencing such a jump. We’ve been traveling for over six months, but over the past few days, I’ve noticed a slowdown in our speed. Typically, this means one thing: our ship uses its matter unit to detect an obstruction. These matter units generally prevent collisions, but my screen says otherwise.

I left my engine monitoring station on the bottom floor. I headed to the lift to the vessel’s bridge to inform Captain Gwen of our predicament. The lift sits on the outer portion of the ship and is clear, allowing us to see into space, but it wasn’t designed that way for sightseeing. The two lifts sit on opposite sides of the ship, each working vertically and horizontally. This allows those of us on the engineering and technical team to view trouble areas of the vessel.

When I reach the bridge, all three of its inhabitants look up at me in a way that tells me I’ve startled them. They hadn’t expected me, and I quickly realized that our cheerless leaders were oblivious to any issue. It’s a shame since they all seemed so likable when I met them at the port on Earth earlier this year. I haven’t been up here since a day after we left, and that was to inform them that our tech team had to reboot the system.

I folded my arms to indicate my displeasure at their lack of attention to anything going on in the ship. Still, I did unfold them before speaking up not to agitate anyone. ‘Didn’t anyone on the bridge get the alert from the engine’s monitor? The Hiram’s slowing down at a rapid pace?’

Commander Jill looked up at me with a goober look of a turtle, and what she said practically knocked me on my ass. ‘Did you run a virus scan on the system’s computer.’ You’d have to forgive Jill. Her son Rhett is the lead Tech and got her the job. Somehow, she passed the competency exam, but I will need to guess how. She’s an older lady who wears glasses and keeps her hair short. I’ll keep it at this and won’t accuse her of sleeping her way to the top. Nor will I suggest that she’s only a good memorizer. Let me correct myself. I can accuse all I want, but I’ll leave it in my mental compartment and refuse to say it out loud.

Lieutenant Victor approaches me defensively. ‘Why are you up here, Jamal? If there’s a problem, just IM us on Bliss. We’re busy up here.’ Silent ‘You better leave.’ I kept quiet, folding my arms in defiance. Victor is a whip-armed, tall, and skinny tweener whose tone sounds like someone grabbed him by the balls and squeezed them his whole life. There’s no way I’m taking any of this garbage from him. With his hands on his hips, he continues. ‘Do we need to call Officer Sunderland, or will you leave?’

I said, Victor, ‘We’re on course to make a stop between galaxies. Once we do that, our power could drain faster than projected during takeoff. We may not have the power to get home. My visit here is crucial to our survival.’

Victor looks over at Captain Gwen. ‘Captain, what do you say?’

Captain Gwen stood up and approached me. She didn’t stop until we were face to face. ‘Jamal, your superior just gave you an order. Now do it.’

I kept my arms folded and refused to budge. ‘With all due respect, Captain, our crew’s lives may be in danger. The Hiram’s leader should heed my warning. I’ve worked on this for years and have been on many missions. I’ve never seen anything like this during any jumps I’ve ever been through. I’m concerned that we’ll stop. Maybe as soon as tomorrow.’

Captain Gwen backs up just a bit and sighs. ‘I’m sorry, Jamal, but what Lieutenant Victor says stays. We’re about to have our 2 pm leader meeting with AHI officials, and you can’t be here.’

Gwen isn’t a horrible leader, and I must admire her fiery demeanor, which contrasts with her occasional diplomacy skills. She’s a five-foot cute as a button curly blonde who isn’t afraid to knock the wind out of someone who pisses her off, even if it’s a man twice her size like me. As for their distracted ways, we have automation to blame. The lax attitudes people display are typical, at least within the power structures. Only the underlings like me do what we’re expected to do.

‘We’ve seen the radar screens, you know,’ Gwen said. ‘There are no obstructions shown on it. Not one.’

My jaw practically hit the floor from being taken aback by what she’d just said. ‘But The Hiram’s Auto-pilot data logs have expressly noted a planet-sized obstruction that slowed us down as a precaution, again according to the logs. I’d trust the Auto-Pilot’s data logs over the radar any day.’

Gwen nudged me back. ‘Is that so? We’re in charge, and right now, we all say you’re coming up here, which is totally out of line. We discussed this a while ago and decided there is no problem, so get going before there’s trouble.’

I frowned. ‘But we could be in serious trouble. There’s no turning back if we stop.’

Gwen said, ‘I don’t think you get what I’m saying. As such, I’m at this moment putting you under a forty-eight-hour confinement.’

I turned around, prompting the others to shout at me, warning me it was too late, that there’d be no escape on this medium-sized ship, but I ignored them and continued. Right after I pressed the button to summon the lift, I was prepared to wait but was surprised when the door started opening. I got another surprise when the door opened, and Officer Holly Sunderland was already waiting for me. Her golden locks were familiar to me, but I had never been this close to her and felt a surge of cold blood run through me upon seeing her here. Her badge reminded me of her authority to arrest me, but the dark gray leather suit was tight enough to highlight her arms, legs, and stomach. It wasn’t something I had thought of before, but now that I had a personal encounter, I knew why the fellas on staff nicknamed her the “Buff Barbie.”

Before I could do or say anything, she had my arm twisted behind my back. Any release negotiations would have to wait for later.

I spent the rest of the day inside the ship’s jail, like a minimalist version of my quarters minus the small kitchenette or comfy bed. Instead, I have a hard metallic bed and silver walls to stare at, with only a toilet and sink for company. Captain Gwen spoke to me around dinnertime while I ate the freeze-dried version of spam and peas, with tasteless mashed potatoes and bread that smelled like feet. She formally sentenced me to forty-eight hours in lockup. I admit it’s given me some time to reflect, not on my mistake of going up to warn The Hiram’s leader of a potentially catastrophic incident but on going on this trip with such nincompoops in the first place. I’d be willing to go to bat for Gwen. Still, I suspect Jill and Victor have her brainwashed into following their stupidity, so they might have fooled an otherwise strong-willed young woman. I admit I knew AHI’s protocol and procedures and that my insistence might get me in trouble. Still, I’d do it in person if I’ve had to warn a ship’s Captain of impending doom. I bet no one up there has taken a minute away from their Bliss chats and video conferences to think that sending an email and hoping for the best isn’t the most responsible thing for an interstellar spaceship’s Head Engineer to do in such situations. This may be my first time in trouble, but I attribute that again to incompetent leadership and a unique situation. I laid my head on the AHI jail foam pillow around nine PM, much earlier than I usually go to bed, hoping to sleep this off and hopefully wake up somewhere else. My night’s rest should feel like a form of well-needed time travel. I hope the ship won’t be stopped when I wake up. Maybe Holly and Gwen would let me out and ask for my help, but I’d have to break the news that it’s too late.

I was jolted awake by the blaring speaker inside my cell. A figure stood before me, and it took a moment to recognize that it was Rhet Foster. I stood up in excitement to greet him, but I quickly noticed his expression, and his face was filled with worry. I wondered if it was morning and if he was visiting or here to vouch for my release, but something was wrong. His expression hadn’t given that away, but the clock on the wall behind him showed three am. I wanted to ask him if we’d stopped, but I already knew we had.

Before I could say anything, I noticed Holly standing beside him. She pressed a few buttons on the side panel, and the forcefield disappeared. ‘This is an emergency. You’re needed in the engine department immediately,’ she said.

I thanked her, and Rhet and I headed down the corridor into the lift. ‘When did it happen?’ I asked.

He sighed. ‘Three hours ago. My team ran a diagnostic on the system’s core monitor, but it showed no obstruction in the way. We don’t know what’s causing it.’

I said, ‘What about the engines? Are they functional?’

‘Of course they are. Why wouldn’t they be?’

His answer puzzled me, and I realized my assumption about what was going on had been flawed. ‘We are stopped, right?’

He shook his head. ‘Something is pulling us towards it like a magnet. One hell of a magnet, I should say.’

‘So, we’re still moving, how fast?’

‘Full speed. Whatever is causing it isn’t showing up on any radar.’

‘Might be a black hole. Has the science team looked into it yet?’

He nodded. ‘I had them shoot a tracer throughout the entire void between the galaxies. This isn’t a black hole.’

‘Well, that’s a relief.’

The lift door opened after we arrived at the engine department. Rhett left the lift first but turned to me to say something. ‘I wouldn’t rest easily just yet. Whatever is pulling us has no light. Our radar does show a planet-sized blank spot some incalculable distance away. It might be similar to a black hole, and if we’re sucked inside.’

I put my hand out. ‘Say no more. Let me decide if we can change courses before we get all doomy and gloomy.’

He shook his head and sighed as he entered the engineering office. ‘Suit yourself. That’s the way I see it. If you expect the worst, then you won’t be disappointed.’

‘But only expect something once the engineering wizard works magic.’

He said nothing as I joined him inside the office. I got right to my station and turned on my unit. A transparent screen came up, allowing me to poke around and check on things. My blood ran cold when the engine told me the course couldn’t be overridden. My team and I collaborated over a hearty, protein-heavy breakfast of sausage and eggs, working for several hours into the morning but could find no solution. We all gave up late in the morning and slumped in our chairs in defeat. Something, however, changed around noon, and it was both a relief and a curse to everyone onboard once we confirmed it. The ship had stopped. Our relief, however slight it may have been, was short-lived when the lights and air unit shut off. The floodlights turned on shortly after that when the backup generator came online. All the computer equipment had been on UPS units, so we would not be without them.

About ten minutes passed before I got a call from Gwen on the Bliss system, and she appeared on my screen. ‘Do you see that?’

I honestly hadn’t looked out of any windows, but when I stood up and did so, I saw nothing but blackness. ‘There’s nothing there. Why?’

‘The science team just briefed us three. The science team says they sent out a signal. Jamal, we’re in front of a planet.’

I squinted in bewilderment. ‘But we’re still inside the void. I’ve looked outside, and there’s no light at all here. If there’s a planet, there has to be a star, right?’

She shook her head. ‘We were told that this one’s a rogue planet. We tried shining lights to see it, but they only bounced back. This planet is absorbing light.’

‘But it’s not a black hole. I’ll take their word for it, but we haven’t seen anything but endless darkness since leaving the Milky Way. Their instruments detected matter, maybe rock. Our systems tell us that the engine was doing little, if any, of the work to haul us during our trip. We must’ve been pulled to this planet by some mysterious force. But only a star has that kind of power. That’s based on how far we were from the dark planet. I can’t explain it any further.’

Victor rested a fist on his chin. ‘Maybe some of us should teleport and explore the planet’s surface.’

I shook my head. ‘The science team should get some readouts first. We need to know the atmosphere content and surface type.’

Gwen sighed. ‘We know all this, Jamal. Let us discuss it, and we’ll call you back later.’

The screen went blank, and they were gone.

I waited in the dark for a good hour before Gwen returned to his screen.

She started speaking, sounding wired. ‘We had the science team shine our ship’s spotlight on this supposed planet; you won’t believe this, Jamal. The light bounced right back to us. The science team told us that light is impossible to enter this rock and atmosphere, but get this. This thing absorbs all energy.’

I nodded, understanding the situation being presented to me. ‘SO that’s why the ship lost power. The auxiliary unit is protected by titanium steel and special shielding similar to the kind used for blocking radio frequencies. This material has a vast spectrum, though. So what’s the verdict on going down.’

‘The three of us played rock, paper, scissors, and it looks like Victor and Jill are going down there with you and Rhett. He’s downstairs getting the ship’s auxiliary online for full service, though luxuries will be kept off.’

‘Goes without saying, right? I’ll report to the teleport station when the lights turn on, Captain.’

Captain Gwen crossed her arms and shook her head. ‘Report down there now. That’s an order.’

I saluted her. ‘Yes, Captain.’

I was sure to walk down there like an older man. The only light throughout the corridors was from the side beneath the floors. However, as soon as I hit the first window, the lights stopped working, and I had to feel my way around like a blind man. That didn’t matter because I wasn’t in a hurry to suit up and go down where no light could enter. But the research was our purpose; it’s why AHI hired and sponsored these trips. To grow man’s knowledge and wisdom. That was their tagline, inspired by their biblical idol, King Solomon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for researching the unknown, but at the same time, what good would it do if we all die in the process? It suddenly dawned on me that they didn’t care about that. This ship has a black box; each of our spacesuits will have small boxes connecting to it, and the main box will phone home one way or another. As our British Captain puts it, what happens to us is of no consequence.

I suited up and headed for the teleport station, being the first. Jill was the next. We were both sure to exchange dirty looks as a greeting. Victor followed right after her, and I had to resist the sudden urge to flip him the bird. Jay and Alexia from the science team came in a few minutes later. I gave each of them a small wave. Jay’s a bigger guy, middle-aged, rough-looking, and Alexia is the opposite. Both were graduate students from MIT, and this is their internship. The last person to enter the teleport station was Rhett. He stuck his hand out as he passed me, and we shook hands. He did greet everyone else, and so did I, but the handshake reminded me that we were together. Since he was a tech and me an engineer, we had a unique comradeship that we didn’t share with Hiram’s other members.

Meanwhile, a specific layer of separation existed between all the others going down with us to the surface of this lightless planet, a near-black hole. Rhett and I had become good friends during our trip; all the while, the other teams said little more to me than a quick hello, if anything at all. And neither Jill nor Victor shouldn’t be in positions of power. Both had obtained their respective positions because of familial relationships within AHI. I never wished to make a deal of it, but now our lives are in their incompetent hands. On the Hiram, we each play a part in ensuring the safety of our fellow travelers.

Gwen came down to send us off shortly after, pacing around the station and waiting for us to assume positions. We all stood east in a circle, and she finally made her send-off speech. ‘Okay, Hiram team, now’s the time. The planet below us has no star, making this the first of its kind. Alexia has scanned the surface; we know it’s made of granite with dry soil. Its temperature is, well, I can’t remember, but it’s freezing. We have enough air to last two days but should only be down there for a few hours. We’re going to put what Rhetts calls a power offset unit. We should be able to use the device to offset the planet from whatever it’s doing to our power. Samples will also be taken, and you will attempt to take pictures. Pro tip: make sure the flash is turned on. Jill will be in charge. Whatever she says, no matter how ludicrous it is, goes. I want you to respect her as if I were with you, even if she is a goober. And if you don’t. Well, we’ll have to force you into early retirement, too. Isn’t that right, Jill?’

Everyone turned their attention to Jill, seemingly blindsided by what our Captain had said. Still, when we noticed Jill’s eyes closed and steady breathing, we quickly realized why Gwen had said what she had done. Exploring unique planets without stars is boring to her.

Jill woke up only after Gwen shouted at her. Rhett and I looked at each other and snickered, which drew Gwen’s disapproval. Then, we were all ordered to enter our pods and prepare for teleportation.

Everything went black, but I could feel the coldness of this planet through my suit. I radioed to the others, and each gave their location. We were within a kilometer of each other but reported seeing the same thing, which was nothing. We could, however, communicate, which was a blessing in and of itself. I felt my way forward; the silky rock mountain was to the left of me, and I could feel the dust beneath me on the other side of it. I stuck to the side of the rocky mountain while others reported that the mountain was to their right, in front of them. This meant a mountain had separated the group.