You're Not in Kansas Anymore

"Control, this is SunKite One, preparing transmit latest test results; over."

Major Mike Wolf stood by the comm panel and waited for the go-ahead.  The mission was fairly simple: Fly to Mars, make a loop, and come home.  A few weeks out, a few months back... no biggie.  Of course they had other things to be doing during that time, various studies and whatnot.  One of his favorites was an ongoing project, the study of how long-term exposure to zero gravity affects the growth of larger mammals.  The current subjects were his own dogs, two six-month-old wolf pups that he had volunteered for the trip.  There were other scientists on this trip too, four to be exact, and each of them had a subject or two of their own to be studying as well as various other projects.

"Roger that control, transmitting now."  He was in the forward section, where the command modules and massive solar sails were connected.  The crew was 42 days into their journey, and many things had already become routine, including Mike transmitting the daily lab results with his two hairy friends by his side.  The rest of the crew was in the aft section, where the living quarters and labs were.  Now all he had to do was to eat and sleep.  The end of the day was his favorite time of day; it was time he had to himself, alone up in the command section.

He was only halfway through his meal when a massive jolt shuddered though the vessel.  Sirens blared as the hull creaked and groaned.  The vessel began picking up speed, very quickly.  Mike made it to the internal comm and keyed the others.  "You all alright?"

His voice was replaced with static as another jolt rocked the craft.  Pushing himself up to the rear window, Mike looked back to where the rest of the craft should have been.  He could see the aft section… a few hundred meters away and getting farther away by the second.  He was accelerating faster and faster.  He pulled himself towards the forward viewing window, and nearly messed himself.  He was headed for a large blue rift… and there was nothing he could do to avoid it.

The craft exited the rift, badly damaged.  None of the sails were left intact, just pieces of the material and parts of their frames.  Major Wolf woke to find one of his wolves licking his face.  He pulled himself up to one of the consoles, trying to figure out where he was.  The readings didn't help.  He headed for the front window and his eyes nearly jumped out of his head with the sight that lay before him: a massive space station, bigger than he had ever even imagined.  Immediately he pushed himself off to the comm station and keyed up the radio on all frequencies.