"Oh no. No no no no no no no no no." Shouts Juan, curling up in a ball in the corner. "What?" shrugs Jojo innocently. "It's just a game!" "I have really bad memories with those things," protests Juan. They're fighting about one of those video game things that's really realistic. Those were cool until about 5 years ago, and none of us have really used them since. But they're the only entertainment on this thing, because it's about midnight right now and none of us really feel like adventuring far for more options. "I personally love these things," I add, trying to persuade Juan into just doing a rollercoaster. "You never did the really creepy ones with the dolls," he whimpers, edging even closer to the wall. It's true Juan was traumatized when he picked the wrong simulator and ended up with a really creepy doll thing. That is pretty traumatizing for an 8 year old. I, however, had fun with the rollercoaster one, so all's well that ends well! The only bad part is that the entire 3 years after that while they were still in style, Juan wouldn't as much as touch one. Made for some very interesting times when we all hung out together. It really is funny how he and Jojo go back and forth, her a daredevil and him a scaredy cat. Sometimes it makes me wonder... Nah. Ew! Nah... I shudder. Nope. Never gonna happen. "Come on!" Pushes Jojo, knowing that Juan can't say no forever. "Fine..." Juan says reluctantly, making way for his sleeping bag. "Oh, no, you don't!" Adam to the rescue! As much as I don't like Adam, he is there very rarely when I need it, and that, my friend, is useful. When he is useful. "AAAHHHHH!!!!" Screams Juan, even though he knows perfectly well that it's only a harmless amusement park ride and not one of those really scary horror movie type things that will give a person nightmares for weeks. Jojo does those ones. She acts like such a daredevil, and she is, but there are so many scaredy-cat things about her that only I know. She's my best friend, and I can and will tell her anything. Even things that I can't tell Tracy, or Rodney! Yeah, I have a lot of people that I place my trust in.

I look around at everyone, watching as they navigate their own little surreal worlds, when I hear something. SCREEECH! KA-THUNK. Okay. That was NOT my video game thing. I look around frantically. Is anyone else hearing this? What's happening? I rush over to the control board to try to figure out what's going on when I see the Automator malfunction message on the wallscreen in front of me. Just perfect. If this thing doesn't start working soon, this thing is going to crash! The only problem is, there is nowhere to crash in space. We're just going to go downward until the pressure in space becomes too much for the pod and we're going to explode! Now, normally I like explosions, but not when they involve me! Plus, I've been through way too much involving explosions lately. I almost start crying again at the thought of Tracy, but there's no time for that. I have to get this thing moving upward before the downward pressure becomes too much and we all get blasted into bits! I fiddle with the buttons on the control board. Please work, please work, I pray in my head, to no person in particular. Right when I'm almost going to resign myself to my fate, I notice a mini-keyboard that had been tucked almost into oblivion. I look up at the wallscreen. What was that again? Oh! I type in the coding for Automatic that I had learned so many years ago when I took that coding class in 4th grade. This has to work! I concentrate, and hope and hope that this will work. I can't be responsible for more people getting hurt. Please, please...

The Automator, by some miracle, begins to work again, but instead of just going up, it has a different idea. As it calculates and formulates in so many codes across the wallscreen, we begin to softly land on a planet that looks suspiciously familiar...

SO, HOPE YA PEOPLES ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN A WHILE, I PROMISE I'LL UPDATE MORE OFTEN FROM NOW ON!!! TO BE CONTINUED...

~meliletosmile4 😄