All was dark, still and quiet.

Flash was surrounded by a crowd of friends, service personnel, and officials. Reporters were held at bay while cameras flashed and film cameras rolled. Suddenly the exuberant tone of the meeting changed to frenzy as a warning alarm sounded.

Flash found himself being pushed, and was unable to differentiate the cacophony of voices, sirens and machine sounds. The entire scene turned to a blur where seconds seemed to last for minutes. A blinding light and intense heat seemed to push him upward.

All sound and movement dissipated as suddenly as they had begun. The silence that engulfed him stood in stark contrast to the pandemonium.

All was dark, still and quiet. It was such a peaceful feeling that Flash did not immediately question or fear the sudden change. The feeling was one of floating, or falling, but with complete sensory deprivation. There was no hint of wind or air.

MEANWHILE

Ash Lander was having a similar experience. Taking stock of his situation, he was puzzled to observe that he was wearing a helmet and space suit. As he peered off to the distance he could make out stars, and realized that he was in space. He knew, too, that he was being pulled in a particular direction.

After some time had passed, Ash Lander could see that he was being sucked toward a huge ship. It seemed to him that he was in some sort of a tracking beam, and could do nothing but watch as he was pulled toward it.

A portal on the ship opened and Ash was drawn inside. The doors closed behind him, and he found himself in a dark place. He could not make out any details, but could hear the door mechanism closing and air entering through unseen vents.

MEANWHILE

Back in Florida, a suspect was taken into custody for destroying Flash Meridian’s ship, the Trans-Neptunian Interloper. The suspect, dressed in a Nomicon uniform, apparently planted a large amount of explosives on or under the spacecraft and detonated it. He was apprehended later while calmly admiring the wreckage. The suspect, Dock Galaxy, was best known for his work on Mars with Ash Lander and Krate Azimuth. Galaxy had been a long time employee of Nomicon with an exemplary service record. His attack on the ship stunned the world.

Flash Meridian was dead. Or so it seemed. That feeling of being pulled, or sucked out of one dimension and into another was happening again.
Relieved to find himself still in his ship, he realized that he was waking from a dream. So often, he couldn’t be sure if he was dreaming or awake. The dream felt so real, yet here he was aboard the intact TNI. He could not maintain consciousness.