A Way Out

A Way Out

Breaking News:

A previously unknown planet has been identified within the heart of the Milky Way. Initial scans confirm the presence of life, with an estimated population of nearly ten billion intelligent beings, identified as humans.

Following a preliminary investigation into the planet’s history, scientific authorities and the planetary government have jointly issued an immediate ban on all travel to the planet. Effective immediately, any attempt to reach this planet will be considered a criminal offense, punishable by lifelong imprisonment.

Before the matter was officially closed, scientists and researchers assigned the planet a name.

They called it Earth.

“What!” Nyla exclaimed, kicking her feet off the edge of the old building. “That’s so stupid!”

“Don’t start,” Eros said plainly, sitting beside her.

“We should be able to explore!” she argued. “This planet’s crappy anyway.”

“They put up a ban for a reason,” Eros said, looking out at the mechanical city, purple lights reflecting off his glasses. “Probably to keep us safe.”

“I’d rather have fun than be safe,” Nyla huffed, crossing her arms.

“This might sound weird to you, but some people actually prefer living to taking stupid risks.”

Nyla didn’t respond. She turned her gaze to the sky, where billions of stars burned silently. She took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly before looking back at Eros.

“I’m going,” she whispered.

“What are you on about?”

“I’m going to Earth.”

“Yeah, right,” Eros chuckled. “How will you get there? On an imaginary ship?”

“No. A real one.”

“What?”

“My dad used to build ships for the army, remember?” Nyla said. “He taught me a thing or two, and luckily for me, he had a huge underground workshop.”

She smirked.

Eros’s face dropped.

“You’re not being serious,” he said sternly.

“I’m afraid I am.” She winked before pushing herself up. Nyla headed toward an old, rusted door leading off the rooftop.

Eros groaned behind her.

“Nyla, wait!”

He rushed after her, their footsteps echoing as they descended flights of creaky stairs.

“You can’t just leave the planet!” Eros exclaimed.

“Yeah? And why not?” she shot back, keeping her gaze straight.

“It’s illegal!”

“So?”

“You could die!”

“I’d rather die trying to get out of here than rot on this bum planet.”

Eros swung himself in front of her, forcing her to stop.

“You can’t say anything to change my mind,” Nyla said firmly. “So are you with me, or are you going to keep trying to stop me?”

He looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes.

“Where’s the workshop?” he groaned.

Nyla beamed, grabbing his hand and bolting down the stairs. They ran out of the building and through busy streets packed with people rushing home for the night, not stopping until they reached the far edge of the city.

They stopped at an old cellar door, out of place in a narrow, cramped alley. Eros raised an eyebrow as Nyla crouched, opened it, and crawled inside. He followed, closing the door behind them as they descended into darkness.

They climbed down a ladder into a small, dimly lit room.

“There’s no way in hell this room can fit a rocket,” Eros said, glancing around.

“Are you sure about that?” Nyla smirked.

She crossed the room, flipped a switch, and bright lights flickered on. The space expanded into a massive chamber filled with tools and tables cluttered with calculations. At the center stood a gigantic ship, nearly complete.

Nyla walked over and tapped its hull. “What’d you think?”

Eros stared.

“I think it won’t get us that far,” he said slowly, “let alone carry both of us.”

“Just give me a couple days,” she smiled. “I’ll have this baby up and running with a few adjustments.”

“Where’d this thing even come from?”

“My dad built it,” Nyla said quietly. “Originally for the army’s space division. Before he passed.”

She looked down at her shoes, one hand still resting on the ship. Silence echoed through the chamber.

“Sorry,” Eros muttered.

“He wanted to get off this planet as much as I did,” Nyla said. “We had nowhere to go. Now we do.”

“Okay,” Eros said. “So how fast can this thing go, and how long can it fly?”

“When I’m done with it,” she smirked, “one thousand miles per hour for over ten years. It’ll take about three days to reach Earth, though.”

She paused. “In the meantime, I need you to do something.”

“What’s that?”

“I need you to research Earth. Gather everything you can.”

“All that information’s locked up.”

“I know…” Nyla smiled sheepishly.

Eros’s eyes widened. “No. No. Absolutely not.”

“Please,” Nyla begged. “It’s the most important part!”

“I am not breaking into a research building!”

“Then the other option is going in blind against these ‘Umans.’”

“Humans,” Eros corrected. “They’re called humans.”

“Whatever. Now you see why we need information,” Nyla groaned. “It’ll be easy! Doesn’t your aunt work there?”

“Yeah,” he said, crossing his arms. “The aunt I haven’t spoken to in years. The meanest lady on the planet. Ever wonder why I left home?”

“Think of it as a final goodbye before we leave,” Nyla grinned.

Eros groaned. “Fine. But you owe me one.”

“Hey, I’m getting us out of here, aren’t I?” Nyla laughed, throwing her arms up.

Eros shook his head, laughing as he left.

Nyla turned back to the ship. “Let’s do this, old girl,” she murmured.

Over the next three days, Nyla repaired and upgraded the ship while Eros returned with scattered pieces of information. On the final day, Eros burst into the workshop with a small bag and papers clutched in his hands.

“Are you sure we want to do this?” he asked. “Last chance to say no.”

A loud bang echoed from above.

“What was that?” Nyla asked sharply.

Eros sprinted to the ladder and looked up. Figures dressed in black were climbing down, weapons drawn.

“Crap! We’ve been ratted out!” He ran to the ship. “Please tell me it’s ready.”

Nyla nodded toward the ramp leading to the cockpit. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

The guards flooded the room, weapons raised.

“Don’t move!”

“Sorry,” Nyla smiled, stuffing the last few items into a bag. “Just one second.”

She turned and sprinted up the ramp, sealing it shut behind her. Eros was already in the cockpit, frantically powering up the ship as gunfire echoed outside.

“How are we supposed to fly out? We’re underground!” he shouted.

“Not for long,” Nyla said.

The ceiling of the workshop split open as the ship rose, bursting into the night sky. Nyla steered them over the city, past the clouds, and out into open space.

“Oh my god,” Eros breathed. “You actually did it.”

“We did it,” Nyla smiled.

Eros stared out at the endless stars. “So… Earth?”

Nyla grinned.

“To a new beginning.”