Garrett and I both dragged our feet walking up the steps into the simulator. Inside, the room was very small and claustrophobic. Tiny buttons lined the walls, and in the middle of the room sat two chairs. Large straps came from all angles around the seats to lock the passengers in. Many screens sat in front of the chairs, and I wondered what they were for. Sitting down in my seat and locking myself in, I began to realize why some people might panic.
“Okay, fully strapped in?” asked the instructor. We both nodded. “Great! Okay, here’s the deal. This is a simulation from the pilots’ position. This is not where you will be on the ship. You will be in a tight area like this one, just behind the pilots. We don’t need you to worry about any of these flips or switches. Don’t touch any of the buttons. All you’re here for is the experience of the g-forces and lift-off turbulence. The noise and feel of this takeoff will closely mimic the real thing, so don’t freak out.”
I could feel my hands begin to shake and perspire. I tilted my head back and exhaled in an attempt to calm myself, but my nerves were really getting to me. My stomach twisted into knots. Fighting the urge to fidget with my thumbs, I quickly wrapped them under one of the many straps around my body and held on tight. The outside world and sounds seemed to drown out the sound inside the simulator until I heard the door shut. I snapped back to full alert.
“Aella, chill out! It’s going to be fine, okay?” Garrett said, trying to be reassuring.
The countdown to takeoff began loudly over the intercom, “Ten, nine, eight...”
“What is that?” I screamed in panic.
“It’s the countdown, Aella, what the hell? Hold on, and calm down. Here we go.” He rested his head against the headrest and took a deep breath.
“I’m not—” Too late. My head slammed against the seat as the simulator made an awful roaring noise, and felt like it was going to beat me to death. The force pushing me against my seat only continued to push harder, forcing my eyes open and my head sideways. I began to cry silently. On a panicked exhale, I was unable to get out even an audible word, and suffocating on my own fear, I began to hyperventilate.
The simulator slowly came to a stop and the rumbling halted. Garrett looked at me and must have seen my frantic eyes and repetitive gasping. He quickly hit my chest with an open palm, somehow releasing the air in my lungs and allowing me to breathe. The new-found oxygen brought me out of my panic. Tears streamed down my face as I hung limply in the straps surrounding my body. I was exhausted.
“He’s going to make us do it again!” Garrett yelled at me.
I couldn’t even reply. I was drained.
“Okay,” the speaker overhead boomed with the instructor’s voice, “that didn’t go so hot. I’ll give you one minute before we start the countdown again, okay? Good luck,” he said without waiting for our response.
“Oh my God,” Garrett said in a hushed tone, leaning over to me. “We are going again. Try and calm yourself before it starts. It’ll help. Just remember, it’s not real right now. It will end. Okay?”
I sat back in my seat with my head against the backrest and attempted to catch my breath.
“Ten, nine, eight...” The countdown began.
“No, no, no!” the words escaped my mouth.
Boom. I was slammed back into my seat again. The g-forces felt as though they would rip me apart. Once again, I gasped for air. Finally getting one breath in, I yelled in agony. I just wanted it to stop. I was so scared.
Staggering to a pseudo stop, Garrett looked at me. “Okay, this isn’t working and I don’t want to keep doing this. You can do this.” His eyes were more intense now as he looked into mine, and grabbed my hand. “You’re here for a reason. Don’t let them down. You have to be up there with us, and this is the only thing in your way. Don’t let it get in your way. Please.” He clutched my hand harder now.
“I don’t think I can—”
“You can. You can. The countdown is going to start again, but I’m right here. Keep your head back and look at me. I’m not going anywhere, okay? Don’t take your eyes off of me,” he said.
Looking into his dark eyes, I realized Garrett was a creature of a different kind. Fear didn’t seem to touch him, and his bravery shook me for a second. At first I was taken off-guard, but then I felt myself start to feed from his energy.
“Ten, nine, eight—”
“You got this, Aella. Just look at me. Don’t—” He was interrupted as we blasted off again.
The simulator filled with noise and shook beyond control. My entire body trembled, not from the simulator, but rather from the fear I was experiencing. The entire time I watched his big brown eyes, they never looked away, not once. His hand held onto mine tightly and didn’t let go.
Then it was done. The rumbling came to a stop, the noise faded, and the force on our bodies lifted. Garrett still held my hand, and I continued looking into his eyes.
“Okay, much better you two! Next!” the instructor yelled over the intercom.
For a moment, Garrett and I continued to look into each other’s eyes and hold hands, until he snapped away. Quickly unfastening his straps, he climbed over me while I unlatched my own, and was out the door before I knew it.
“I thought you were going to have a heart attack!” Jane exclaimed.
“Me too.”
“It got kind of weird in there with Garrett, huh?” Smith asked.
I shrugged off the question
