Chapter 5

"So now comes the fun part..." Jun begins

"Uh oh, what fun part," Sara interjects cautiously

Tom face-palms and sighs, "Here we go again..."

"We turn off the gravity, float this mini reactor, set it to overload...." Jun continues

"Wait... WHAT?!?!" Sara interjects

Jun, ignoring Sara, continues calmly, "Then we patch a hole in the arboretum wall to get to the outside...."

"Hold the fucking phone... that's not patching a hole... that's blowing the thing up!" Sara protests incredulously

Jun rolls her eyes, "Semantics."

Tom sighs in exasperation, "Oh my God...."

Sara face-palms, repeatedly. muttering incoherent curses

Jun continues nonchalantly, "And jump aboard the conveniently rescuing ships at the last possible second. The whole process should take 3 minutes... 5 tops"

Tom shakes his head and face-palms... repeatedly muttering, "Unfuckingbelievable...."

Sara rubs her temples and sighs, "Jun, that plan is pure insanity."

Jun, unfazed, shrugs, "Eh, you asked for a solution... Here it is."

"And how are we supposed to breathe? You know... once you blow a hole in the fucking station," Sara interrogates

Jun rolls her eyes, "I literally built an AI into the ships. They'll lock onto our biometrics, send an atmospheric bubble over us, and whisk us away to safety.... at least in theory right??"

Tom, running a hand through his hair, mutters, "Holy fuck Jun... are you insane? This is going to get us killed."

Jun, rolling her eyes, shrugs, "It's like a 30% chance of getting vaporized... so we'll be fine, probably."

"30%!!!!!! Of fucking dying Jun... That's the entire fucking station," Sara retorts incredulously

Jun, matter of factly shrugs, "Hey, we stay here, we definitely die anyway. This way we at least have a fighting chance."

In the semi-gloom of their makeshift haven, Jun's smirk broke the tension as she floated among her friends. "Alright, team! Time's a-ticking. Who's ready for a little unsanctioned space engineering?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief and excitement, the thrill of the situation evident in her voice.

Sara threw her hands up in exasperation, yet a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but fine! Let's do your insane plan. What's the worst that can happen, right? We're already stuck in a death trap." Her tone was sarcastic, but there was an undeniable edge of excitement to it.

Tom shook his head in disbelief, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "I must've hit my head harder than I thought because I'm actually agreeing to this madness. But hey, if we're going out, might as well be in a blaze of glory... or, you know, a reactor overload."

With a clap of her hands, Jun's excitement was palpable. "Great! Think of it as the ultimate theme park ride—completely free, with slightly higher stakes and no safety regulations!" She propelled herself toward the reactor, her determination cutting through the fear.

Sara, grabbing a piece of debris to use as a makeshift tool, couldn't help but tease Jun. "If we somehow survive this, I'm making you wear an 'I nearly got us all killed' badge for the rest of your life."

Jun's laughter filled the room. "Only if it's shiny and glows in the dark! I have a reputation to maintain, after all." Her eyes gleamed with humor, the levity a momentary escape from their peril.

Tom, floating closer to the reactor, raised an eyebrow. "How do we even start this thing to overload? Is there a big red button that says 'do not press' or something?"

"Oh, you just twist this, pull that, and maybe say a quick prayer to the space gods," Jun replied with nonchalant ease, gesturing toward the reactor with a dramatic flourish. "It's all very technical and completely above board."

Sara's reply was deadpan. "Fantastic. My life's in the hands of a space voodoo mechanic. No offense, Jun, but I'm starting to think the afterlife might be quieter."

As Jun floated towards the reactor, her confidence was unwavering. "And... we are now officially on a countdown to potential doom. Or glory. Definitely one of those." Her hands moved with precision, each adjustment a step closer to their uncertain fate.

Tom grimaced as the lack of gravity made his stomach churn. "I knew I should've taken that extra motion sickness pill... If I throw up in zero-g, I'm blaming both of you."

Sara, trying to lighten the mood, joked, "Everyone remember where we parked! I'm not floating around lost in space because someone forgot the way back."

Jun's laughter echoed as she activated the reactor. "Alright, reactor's prepped for a spectacular meltdown. I always wanted to go out with a bang, but this is pretty literal."

Tom rubbed his temples, a sense of surrealness washing over him. "Holy shit, Jun... This is... I don't even have words for how insane this is."

But Sara, despite her frustration, found herself nodding along. "Jun, that plan is pure, unadulterated insanity. But considering our options, I'm disturbingly on board."

Unfazed, Jun grinned at her friends. "Eh, you asked for a solution... Here it is. Who's ready for a little spacewalk with a side of dramatic escape?" Her infectious courage seemed to bolster them, a beacon of defiant hope in the face of overwhelming odds.