Chapter 12• Hoping for the best
(Very slight warning for language this Chapter + somewhat intense imagery)
*Day 7 of Origenes Crisis*
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The day after my first suited Origenes simulation began with incessant, smothering rain.
Out of all the days I had spent there, that morning required the most energy I'd had to expend to get out of my bed.
Instead of eating NASA's breakfast, I ate what Ryder and the pups had packed me.
The familiar taste gave me what I needed to at least show up for the G-force centrifuge training.
A massive machine would soon be spinning me around a center point at high-speeds to simulate the G-forces of launch and re-entry.
I tried to put on the best face I could for whoever knocked on my door to escort me.
I held back from telling Sophie the truth; I wasn't ready at all.
Once I got to the building that housed the unholy contraption, I could only stare in awe.
I had seen it a million times before; Did studies out of genuine curiosity, but never with the intention of ever going inside of one.
NASA workers assured me, "We've got it decked out for you, you'll barely feel it."
Yeah, sure…
Once they put on my flight suit, I was led to the hatch.
The compartment that I'd be sitting in had been altered to snugly fit canine dimensions.
Three NASA workers took all of 15 minutes to strap me in. Of course, the ridiculously high speeds I would be reaching left no room whatsoever for error.
Still, I had about twenty different belts, straps, and umbilicals connecting me to the seat.
I dared not tell them that, despite going to the bathroom beforehand being explicitly charted on my itinerary, I had an itch.
Almost the same phenomena that occurs when you put on the helmet- your immediate thought is- 'Don't scratch your nose'- because it physically can't be done.
Once they were done, they closed the hatch.
My seat locked into its "Go" position.
The roof wasn't clear like the hatch on MacGyver's jet, so I immediately felt cramped and helpless.
I knew I wouldn't really be able to communicate once the centrifuge started spinning, or at least not well.
I did, however, have an emergency stop button. Since they were monitoring my biomedical data, they would be able to see if I started having an episode or attack of some kind.
A voice came over the intercom, "Alright, all system's set. You ready, Rocky?"
"Uh huh", I said, unsure.
There was an intense humming as the machine roared to life.
I felt the motion, but it was hard to tell which direction I was going around the center.
It wasn't long (just about 45 seconds) before it hit 1 G. The gauge above my head read as such: (1.1).
The sensation was peculiar, sudden dizziness followed by immediate return to normalcy.
I was moving at about 45 miles per hour- speeds even my recycling truck was certainly capable of.
That speed held for 3o seconds.
You're fine, you can do this, I thought to myself.
The voice once again asked if I was ready.
"Yes, I am", I said.
The hum returns.
"That's 2 G's", the voice said.
The motion quickly became smothering, but I'd remembered my very specific breathing techniques that I had asked MacGyver to teach me.
I remember him saying, "Everything that happens in there is a trick on behalf of your body. You get dizzy because your inner ear is telling you you're spinning while the visual world around you isn't. Just remember, it's all over once you hit 5 G's and hold it for 30 seconds- easy."
It's a lot less easy when your breathing begins to shake.
MacGyver's G-straining maneuver was my only hope, which meant I'd have to clench every muscle in my body to force the blood into my brain.
"Okay, there's three", said the voice, not even asking if I was ready that time.
Three G's felt like an elephant had stepped on my chest.
Sure, it likely wouldn't be that bad for a human- the 3 G's, not the elephant- but I'm a 6-year-old pup for crying out loud, I thought.
Still, I refused to hit the Stop button.
The speed stabilized, the meter now reading 4.0.
G-strain had been working up until that point, but I was beginning to sputter.
My entire body screamed out in severe pain.
My face drooped. My cheeks were being stretched to my neck.
I was pressed flat against the back of my seat.
I felt like I was going to pass out at any second.
"Okay, there's 5", said the voice.
I barely heard it. I felt my pulse going into overdrive in every vein in my body- all except in my head, where it needed to be.
Breathing was excruciating, two-second bursts of air was all I could manage.
How long can thirty seconds last?!
Suddenly, my entire world turned black and white, as if the color was wiped away by a massive sponge that dominated my vision.
The neon-red gauge turned grey as water streamed from my eyes to the back of my head.
Slowly, a dark circle started encroaching on my vision, closing in bit by bit as if I were falling down a well.
For one of the first times in my life, I felt as though I might die.
No….
The black ring started to close, moving past my peripheral vision.
It was then that something strange happened- much like the weird visions that I still saw during sensory deprivation.
However, unlike those vague "slideshow" memories that imprinted themselves on the darkness, this was one glaringly specific moment in my life.
It was my birthday, my Fourth one to be precise.
This was the first I had ever had with the other pups present; at the moment I couldn't remember why that was.
The light coming from the G gauge disappeared.
I remember them singing to me, Skye's smile, Ryder calling me a good pup, Chase's paw ruffling the fur on my head.
We were outside on the beach, and I wasn't even concerned about the water.
I couldn't remember the last time I breathed.
A classic soul song was playing on the radio that I really liked.
Just one more gasp- I can't give up, Damn it!
In the memory, Katie raised her camera to capture the moment.
I leaned over the cake, right as everyone concluded singing- A perfect blue sky, A perfect day.
I blew out the candle- A vivid blast of color erased the black circle overtaking my vision.
The color came back to my eyes. the machine decelerated; my breathing returned back to normal almost immediately.
"Well done, Rocky", says the voice.
I made it; I survived.
I laughed, and I couldn't erase the smile off of my face as the NASA workers popped open the hatch.
"Good Job! That was a ride, wasn't it?", said one.
I was weak, but I was confident.
"Like you wouldn't believe", I replied.
****End of Chapter 12****
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Author's Note: Sorry, I know this is a shorter chapter, but I promise the best is still on its way!
I'm really happy to see/hear that you all are enjoying the story thus far.
Feel free to leave you thoughts/ tell me what you want to see- I'm never too hooked on one idea to change some things around!
Until next time- Stay safe out there, wherever you are!
- H1storyMaj0r