I awoke. My eyesight was blurry. All I saw was a bright light above me and nothing else. I blinked several times, trying to clear my vision. But it did no good. I realized it was no longer cold but nice and warm. Where was I? Was I still in the valley of snow? I tried to get up but it seemed I was strapped down.

"What is this?" I said aloud.

"It's just a precaution of the transporter." A couple of blurry figures loomed above my head.

"Precaution? Transporter? Where am I?" I felt suddenly very afraid.

"You are in the Transporting Room."

"Gabriel wouldn't happen to be around would he?" I knew I could get some decent answers out of him.

"No, he isn't. Shall I go get him?"

"Please!" I cried out, not feeling very calm anymore.

One of the figures left.

I finally noticed lots of sounds around me. They weren't loud, but there were a lot of them. Humming, buzzing, beeping, and clicking. I was getting a headache. I kept blinking, hoping I could get rid of the blurry tears.

"Hey," I directed to the other figure. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I am not certain I can answer it with truth, but you may."

"What is going on? Nobody is telling me anything! Why?"

"That would be two questions and an exclamation," the creature explained to me with a certain mechanical tone.

I sighed. "Please stop this nonsense. What are you guys doing to me? Can you answer me that at least?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"NO!" I shouted.

"You're in the transportation unit. With this, you will be transported to Dalshep. It's the quickest way to get to another system. Quite advanced, I think."

"You think…" I said mockingly. "Well then what was that place that was all snowy and . . ."

"Hello! Are you ready to go?" Gabriel was back.

"Can't you do something, Gabriel? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do!"

I heard Gabriel's voice full of anger. "What do you mean? You had everything you needed to know taught to you before you were sent here!"

"You mean dragged here!" I retorted. "I have no clue what is happening!"

I heard an explosion.

"Oh man. He did it again. He is never going to get anything done if he keeps blowing up."

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed.

They ignored me. "He had better hurry up. We haven't got the time for this."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Is the motor warmed up yet?"

"No. It still needs a few minutes."

They stopped talking. I closed my eyes. I thought about Faith. I wondered if she knew where I was. Probably not. I wondered if my master knew where I was. After all, I had left him there at the park. I'd bet everything I have that he was looking for me desperately.

"Maybe you should ask God if He'd do something about it."

"My master?" Could they read minds too? Where they going to tell him where I was?

"About what?"

"The motor."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I'll do that when this guy leaves."

I snorted in frustration. Like they really cared about me.

I heard a sizzling sound. It started small and got very loud.

"Finally!" said one of the figures.

"Sorry about that, fellows!" Gabriel had returned from his "not there" state.

"Gabriel, you know we don't have time for this."

"I didn't make me like this! Have you ever been able to control your anger?"

"Yes! And it's a good idea to. Maybe you should try it sometime. Now is the worst time to do it!"

"Do what?" I tried again.

"Never mind," said Gabriel. "We must get you going. It's a long way to Dalshep."

"Wait! Gabriel! Please!"

I heard the shuffling stop. "What is it?" Gabriel asked exasperated.

I took a deep breath. "Can you please tell me the whole procedure?"

The shuffling continued. "We have strapped you to the transporter. Within a few minutes you will be pulled through a black hole . . ."

"A black hole! Isn't that, like . . . ?" I searched for the right word.

"The black hole is a shipping device. It will shave several light years off the trip."

"But I thought when you go through one of those you, like . . ." I again searched for a suitable word.

Gabriel sighed. "I am sorry, sir. I don't have time to explain everything. It is what it is. When, or if, you get back, I can tell you everything."

"WHOA!!" I sat up, finally breaking a strap. "Hold it! I'm not going! I'm sorry, but a trip that endangers my life is NOT my idea of a good time!" I had finally blinked all of the clear stuff out of my eyes. I saw machines everywhere. Dials and flips were flashing and whirring. The dog people were scurrying around doing all sorts of things. Gabriel was standing right beside me ignoring them all.

He glared at me. "This is not about you! We are willing to sacrifice one for a whole planet! Wouldn't you?"

I thought about it. Sure, I would do that. But this was me we were talking about!

"I don't have a choice, do I?" I asked Gabriel.

"We'd like to make you think you do. It's a lot easier that way." He sighed and moved a step closer, looking at me with deep sadness in his eyes. "This is a very complicated mess, you see. I wish we'd had more time to inform you of everything, but we haven't. You must feel terrible for this, but I really can't explain everything. When you arrive on Dalshep, perhaps I can be of some help to some of your questions."

I sighed. "Can you do one thing for me?"

"What is it?"

"Can you contact someone called Faith? She lives around where I live and I want to tell her something."

"I'll try my best," he said sincerely.

"Tell her that . . . to not be afraid. Tell her I'll come back for her. No matter what."

Gabriel smiled with a slight sadness in his eyes. "Please, sir. You will be all right. I have two pieces of advice for you, young hero."

"Whoa! Don't call me hero please! First of all I don't think I will ever be one. And if I do, it won't be for a while." What was WITH the words that just came from my mouth?

"First, follow your heart. It will tell you what is right."

"What's the second one?"

"Always think positive. It will get you home sooner."

"So you think I will return?"

"I am sure of it."

~

After a slight pause, his words ringing in my brain, he said, "Now, we must strap you down so that we know you will make it there safely."

"Wait!" I touched Gabriel's shoulder. He fell silent as I held him close.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't you know what a hug is?"

"I don't think I've ever heard of it," he said, sounding slightly embarrassed.

I closed my eyes. "You do it when you are sad or happy or feel scared."

"Do you feel happy?"

"I'm scared, Gabriel."

He pulled me away from the embrace and put his hand on my back. "Remember, think positive and follow your heart."

"It's not very reassuring, Gabriel. Do you not have anything else to say?"

He looked at me. "Sir, just remember that a whole world is counting on you."

I sighed. "Never mind." I laid back. "Strap me up, Sarge."

"Sarge? There is no one here by that name."

"You guys never get it, do you? It's a figure of speech!"

Gabriel looked at me in surprise. Another beagle came up to him and whispered, "I really don't get these peoples. They have such weird words and phrases."

"Is the motor booted up?" he asked, ignoring the comment.

"Yes. All we need to do is give him the equipment."

"Great. Give it to me."

Gabriel came up to me with a backpack. "In here is some stuff for you to use on Dalshep. You must be very careful, for this stuff is hard to replace once you are out of earth's orbit."

"I suppose it costs a lot," I said as I took the pack.

"Don't look through it now," he scolded me as I unzipped the pack. "Look through it when you get there." I zipped the pack back up.

"How long until I get there?"

"It will take approximately two months and three weeks."

"Hey! That other guy said an hour!!"

"An hour for the transportation sequence to the entrance of the black hole, yes, but it goes much farther than that. Have no worries, friend," he said, noticing my slight panic (perhaps more than slight). "You will be frozen the entire trip, making it seem spontaneous." Like I really wanted that. Two months would've been a good amount of time for me to think things through and perhaps get ready for whatever was in store for me.

Suddenly, a tingling sensation shot through my body. I shivered violently.

"Can you feel that, sir?"

I clutched the backpack. "Am I going into space?"

"Yes."

"Will I see any of it?"

"The freezing process won't start until you are a few hundred miles out. You will see amazing things."

Time was soon running out. Instead of wasting it on a protest, I said," See you, Gabriel. I'll miss you."

He smiled and stepped back.

A few beagles strapped the bands tightly over my body. I continued to shiver. My whole body was tingling. I slid slowly towards a white tube. As I entered it, white light covered me. I saw a plastic see-through wall close over me. Then I shot forward. The light was taken place by darkness. Then I saw the earth, falling away as I shot up and up. I saw forests and water and people. I was going so fast that soon all I saw was clouds. Then the air thinned and black was everywhere dotted with stars. The earth got smaller and smaller and soon was gone. It was beautiful. I saw planets drive by. It was amazing. My mouth hung open. I felt no fear, but awe and amazement for what God had created. I was so small and unimportant compared to everything else.

Coldness covered me. Was I already that far out? I didn't want to close my eyes yet. But they drooped and I fell asleep.