I dangled, weightlessly. My heart suspended in the darkness that engulfed reality. Minutes blurred and I remained in that lost state with only my thoughts. Not a fun place to be. Vector and Maester Purcell's death flashed vividly. Agony of the heart overwhelmed me as I clutched my chest. As I remained, time ceased to exist. Why hadn't I reached Terra? Or was I motionless? Stuck here forever in this torment?

I gulped.

This was the void. The place my soul would remain if I died in Terra or remained unbound like Vector—

A numbness iced my heart. Was Vector lost here?

"Vector! Vector! Vector!" I know how asinine it was. His soul couldn't possibly respond. Yet I continued to shout his name.

Tears streaked down my cheek, fading away into oblivion.

Odd... Shouldn't it be falling up?

That thought broke my melancholic lull. I was moving. I was not lost to this void, yet. I glanced up, into the eternal darkness. How far was I? Regardless, I was moving forward.

***

Dull light broke through above. It mesmerized me as it approached. Was it the end? Did I finally make it? I wiped my face, but the tears were long gone.

My heart remained suspend as the light slowed- no- I slowed to it. It never crossed my mind, but if I really did fall that high, death was guaranteed. Was it Gaia that protected me?

A warmth surrounded me as if in response. My descent slowed as if I waded through oil rather than falling.

Slow and steady I approached. Rhythmic with my heartbeat.

The light broke into three separate sources, circles, forming a triangle, with another larger circular light around that. Was it the other portal?

By the time I reached it, I remained suspended for a moment. My feet rested on nothing but Gaia's good grace.

Remind me not to be on Gaia's bad side. I snickered and thought about the woes of returning beyond a Terran year.

As I calmed, I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the metal above. It's radiated a coolness against me and a low steady drum vibrated against it. That thin piece of steel. It was all that waited between me and the Terrans. This was where my true adventure begins.