A shocky flashback

Mark touched, and grabbed it. It was very cold, piercingly cold, but when he wanted to instinctively let go of it, he couldn't. There was a small shock sent by it, that paralyzed his hand for a second, but also didn't do anything else.

He turned his head towards Kaliasi.

"You see? Nothing to worry ab-"

Another shock, this time massively stronger, interrupted his sentence and sent him somewhere very, very far.

***

He was looking at the vastness of space, admiring it. Respecting it. Wanting it already. It's pretty much every kids dream to become an astronaut, and even at his age, deep into adulthood, he never stopped dreaming about some things.

"-rk? Mark, stop getting distracted."

He heard a feminine whisper from the side. It was a voice of his crew member, Angie, a woman with three PhDs, and she wasn't even a lead researcher on that trip. She was also smoking hot, blonde, and had killer legs... All the qualities he loved in women.

Mark knew her for years, and even there he still had a crush on her. But also never enough courage to ask her out, never enough strength in his back to carry himself out of the friend zone.

"Listen to the debrief, I need you to stay sharp, you are very important to me."

She said, which made him turn his head.

"Really?"

"Yes. We all will rely on each other to survive up there, Mark. I need you and everyone else sharp, focused."

He nodded, disappointed a little. Angie was that one girl for him that - from lack of the better word - he was simping for. He absolutely adored every second of the attention she gave to him, and one of his life long dreams was being together with her. Angie was the one that asked him to join this mission, and Mark agreed without giving it any second of thinking.

Did he regret it?

Well...

"... and that's it for today, you may all go and have rest, light out at 2200 hours."

He heard the very end of the commanding officers speech. A quick salute later he was going back to his room, for a quick weigh in, and the sleep.

"Hey, Mark Veers, was it?"

Someone asked him on the way. It was Samantha Walker, one of the pilots. Short cut hair, round, happy face, and a small posture. Mark was at least a head taller than her. Overall, not his type.

"Yes. And you are Samantha-"

"Yeah, but I prefer Sammie. Sammie Walker." She responded and came closer to him.

"In fact, if you call me Samantha, I'll kick your ass, haha."

She laughed at that, and Mark joined in, out of courtesy.

"Anyways, I heard that you will be the main repair guy. I'm only the fourth pilot on the list, which means I'm probably not going to do much, but..."

She spoke. A lot. And Mark listened. Answered when needed. And formed a real connection with Sammie. True friends that didn't require anything from each other, except for company.

When the ship blew up, he saw her space suit getting sucked out into space as one of the first ones. And when he followed, he never saw her anymore. Sammie turned into a short, happy memory, as a girl who he never loved or had a crush on, but a girl who in just a few days time he got closed to than the one he was admiring for years.

***

He was on his knees, the shock was heavy, but he sustained it somehow. Survived, again.

"Come on, let's get you the fuck up."

Kaliasi said, and helped him stand on his feet.

"What happened?" He asked with the weapon firmly in his hand. There was something weird about it, like he felt that he didn't want to let go of it, no matter what.

"These weapons have internal security measures and basically fry anyone that isn't registered. You... Somehow survived."

He swallowed whatever got produced in his mouth, and was ready to go.

"That's good. At least I can defend myself."

"Defend both of us." Kaliasi corrected him. "These weapons are far more powerful than you think and I'm sorry, but I'm more of a lover than a fighter."

Mark smiled towards her.

"Sure. Just tell me where to go."

He looked forward, at the corridor splitting in multiple ways.