Request from Sam Fisher 007, sorry I took so long to write it!
Independence down.
A.J's POV:
Both Independence and Freedom sped forward, having just come out of the turbo boost around the moon.
They trailed after the asteroid, A.J not really listening to the captains as they spoke to Truman and the other communicators in Houston.
All he could see was the back of the asteroid, making its way towards earth, something he'd never though he'd witness.
He stated in this trance until suddenly his shuttle rocketed off course and he heard the captain frantically shout "We're hit!"
Everything became a blur, all his senses were assaulted, all he could hear, see, smell, even taste was danger and fear.
"Mayday, mayday we are going down! Freedom do you hear me? We are going down!"
How was this happening! This could be happening - he needed to get back to Grace, he needed to show Harry he was good enough for her, hell, he needed to live!
They shot past Freedom, twisting and turning, hitting everything in sight.
"Everybody, go to your life supports! Lock yourselves in the cargo bay!"
A.J didn't need telling twice, his survival instinct kicked in, lifting his helmet, but it drifted out of reach.
Oh shit.
Hurriedly unbuckling his seat, he dived for the helmet. He heard Oscar shout "I can't get it on!" but there was nothing he could do, he hadn't even put his own on yet!
Grabbing his helmet, he clipped it firmly in place, and was about to return to help Oscar, but Lev bustled him towards the rails leading to the cargo bay.
A.J felt sick with fear, and heard the screams of the captains as they were flung out of the shuttle.
Tears ran down his face as sparks flew, but he trained his sights on the doors to the cargo bay, and he dragged himself after Lev.
Bear followed him, and they shut the door with difficulty once they realised no one else was coming.
All they could do now was wait, as they felt their shuttle quickly descending towards the asteroid.
A.J willed himself to stay strong but all he wanted was to see his family again, Grace, Harry. He was too young to die!
Finally, they made impact, and he couldn't hold on any longer.
He blacked out, the faces of those he loved flashing across his vision.
Harry's POV:
He didn't understand. Not at first.
Both shuttles had safely got through the deadly turbo boost, and all they'd needed to do was avoid the debris trailing after the asteroid.
A spark of light and a massive bulk soaring past his shuttle alerted him to something seriously wrong.
That was too big for a rock.
Freedom hit a piece of debris, but it looked like damage was minimal.
He wondered what was happening with Independence when he saw pieces of technical equipment hit the glass.
"Sharpe, what the hell is that, is that the Independence?!"
He got his answer as a body raced past.
A dreaded thought immediately sprang in Harry's mind; Was that A.J?
"Houston, Independence is a dead stick. It's gone down." Sharpe's transmission hit him in the gut.
No. It cannot - will not - be true!
For a while, Freedom had its own problems, overshooting the landing field, but once they touched down, and Harry made sure all his friends were okay, he sat there, silent.
Rock asked "Where's the other shuttle? What happened to the other shuttle?"
Sharpe kept it short and simple. "The Independence is off the grid."
"Off the grid?! What are you, a freaking cyborg? What does that mean?"
The other crew member, Tom, crouched next to Rock, "Hey, you saw it yourself, right? They're gone."
Max spoke up, voice rising "Gone?!"
Harry decided it was time to intervene, voice on the verge of breaking "Let's just ask God to take care of our friends. May they rest in peace."
With tears streaking down his face, he unbuckled himself out of his seat and busied himself with the equipment, while the others slowly began to function again.
They had a job to do.
But all Harry could think about was A.J.
The man was only young, compared to the rest of them, he didn't deserve to die this way.
He'd deserved to marry the woman he loved, to live a happy life with kids (Harry's grandchildren?!). But all that had been taken from him, and now taken from Grace too.
Harry dreaded returning home without his son.
Please review :) I have one more chapter for this, and then that's it.