[The crash? Again? Did you start hallucinating? Look, since I'm programmed to be friendly, I'll let this slide. But if you accuse me of something I didn't do again, good luck surviving on your own], the AI retorted with mounting frustration, while Alexander found himself caught in a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief as the enigmatic events continued to unfold.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"Wow, chill out. Why are you so angry?" Alexander retorted, his voice tinged with both confusion and disbelief. He mumbled to himself, "Since when did AI have feelings?"
Alexander's apprehension continued to grow as he questioned the AI, "That's not the problem here. Do you genuinely not remember what happened after the crash?" His expression was one of deep concern, mirroring the unease that churned within him.
"[Again, what are you talking about? Are you implying something happened inside the black hole? Unfortunately, I don't have any information. The moment the black hole appeared, I lost control of the rocket]," Alex explained, doing his best to provide clarity.
The man's confusion mounted as he pressed for answers, "We've already discussed that, so why are you bringing it up again? And why do you keep showing me the same thing on the screen [at an unknown location]?"
"[It seems the black hole really has messed with your brain. I haven't told you that before, and it's only been one minute since I displayed [at an unknown location]," Alex responded, attempting to clear the confusion.
Just as Alexander was about to voice his frustration, a sudden alert from the AI interrupted him, "[Warning, warning, 15 minutes before the meteors collide with the spaceship.]"
Frustration gave way to dread as Alexander exclaimed, "F**k, meteors again?! Two times in a row. Why does my luck have to be this terrible? Wait, is this déjà vu? It's the exact same location where the meteors appeared last time. It's impossible!" His voice wavered with the uncanny realization that something profoundly strange and unsettling was unfolding.
The man fell into contemplative silence, his thoughts swirling like a tempest as he attempted to decipher the bizarre circumstances that had unfolded around him. 'Waking up in an unknown place, encountering meteors, being obliterated by a colossal meteor with an unknown material, dying—or perhaps not, as I'm inexplicably alive again—and reliving the same ordeal once more. I can't possibly be dreaming; it all felt far too real,' he mused to himself.
"F**K, this is time travel!" the man suddenly burst out, his exclamation punctuating his realization.
"[ಠಿ_ಠ(doubt) Are you out of your mind?]" Alex inquired with skepticism, expressing disbelief at the seemingly outlandish conclusion the man had drawn.
"Yup, I'm totally fine," the man replied, resolute in his belief.
"[It doesn't appear to me that way. Time travel? ( ´▽` )(laugh) There is no such thing as time travel. In fact, although we are in 2650, it is only possible to witness time travel in science fiction movies.]" Alex declared, his digital voice laced with a hint of amusement.
Undeterred, the man pressed on, "You don't believe me?"
"[(-_-) (confused) Of course not. Are you serious?]" Alex responded with a strong dose of skepticism.
"Just entertain the possibility," the man implored, attempting to convince the AI. "Isn't there a theory that black holes can be used for time travel?"
[It's true, there are theories, but most experts consider time travel impossible for good reasons. If you're genuinely a time traveler, then prove it,] Alex challenged skeptically.
"I believe our power has dwindled to less than 5% due to the influence of the black hole. Wasn't that your intention when I asked you to evade the meteors earlier?" the man inquired.
[Interesting theory,] Alex acknowledged. [But even if it's true, do you have a solution for avoiding the meteors?]
There was a moment of silence, and then the man replied, "No, I don't have a solution at the moment."
[( ̄▽ ̄)(laugh) Are you telling me that you've traveled back in time without any plan or solution?] Alex probed, seemingly amused by the situation.
The man defended himself, saying, "Look, it's not like I chose to travel back in time. I believe I was sent back."
[Alright, I'll humor you. Can you refresh my memory about this 'crash' you're referring to?] Alex inquired, open to considering the man's extraordinary claims.
"Before that, let's start recharging the rocket's energy," the man redirected the conversation, steering it away from their prior discourse.
[Understood,] Alex acknowledged, initiating the energy recharging process. [Now, about the crash. Can you tell me what happened?]
"We attempted to use the ship's weapons to fend off the incoming meteors. Initially, it seemed like our plan was working, but a mere 50 seconds before the rocket reached full charge, an unknown, formidable material manifested and thwarted our efforts. That's when I... died," the man recounted with a heavy heart, his voice bearing the weight of the past tragedy.
[I see,] Alex responded, processing the information. [And now, considering that the previous plan failed, what do you suggest we do?]
"I believe that if I'm back in time again, I'll..." the man trailed off, his thoughts consumed by contemplation.
Alex interjected, [You know, the time travel theory you mentioned revolves around the presence of a black hole, and currently, there isn't one.]
"True, this is a unique opportunity. How much time do we have until the energy is fully recharged?" the man inquired, his eyes gleaming with unwavering determination.
[It will take 20 minutes for the energy to be fully recharged, and we have 18 minutes until we face the crash,] Alex provided.
The man's spirit remained unbroken as he declared, "There's still some hope. Prepare to deploy the weapons."
[Affirmative,] Alex replied, acknowledging the renewed sense of optimism in their approach.
[Take a seat and enjoy the show,] Alex said.
Eighteen minutes may have seemed like a brief span for most, but to Alexander, it stretched on like an eternity. His mind churned with an onslaught of questions, each one more haunting than the last. "Am I going to make it? Will this endeavor succeed? Am I destined to die again, and if so, will I be sent back in time or face true demise?" These unanswered questions weighed heavily on him, like an anchor dragging him deeper into the abyss of uncertainty.
As the seconds ticked away, Alexander's appearance underwent a dramatic transformation. His complexion grew pallid, drained of its usual vitality, and his hands trembled with nervous tension. His brow was furrowed, etched with the anxiety that gnawed at him, and his eyes betrayed the torment that churned within.
With each passing moment, he could feel the weight of their predicament bearing down on him. In a state of desperation and vulnerability, he turned to prayer, seeking solace and divine intervention in a situation that appeared to defy all reason and logic. The beads of sweat that gathered on his forehead bore witness to the anxiety that coursed through his very being, as he grappled with the unknown and faced the relentless march of time.
In the midst of his prayers and relentless contemplation, a sudden interruption from Alex, the AI, penetrated Alexander's thoughts, yanking him back into the stark reality they faced.
"[I have good news and bad news. The good news is that now I believe that you've traveled back in time. I don't know how it happened or how it's even possible, but the scenario you described has become a reality. And the bad news is that there are still only 30 seconds left before that meteor crushes us and transfers us to the afterlife,]" Alex conveyed.
The weight of this revelation hit Alexander like a sledgehammer, and his already nervous demeanor intensified. His face contorted with a mix of dread and resignation, and his gaze remained fixed on the screen, where the countdown mercilessly ticked away, leaving them with a mere half-minute to confront the impending cataclysm. It was a moment suspended in time, as they stood on the precipice of a dire fate, with hope dwindling and the inexorable passage of the meteor drawing nearer.
Despite the stark reality and the impending doom, a flicker of hope still burned within Alexander's heart. He couldn't help but cling to the notion that, against all odds, some miraculous intervention might save him from the cruel and inevitable fate that loomed overhead.
As the seconds dwindled and the meteor drew ever closer, a sense of despair washed over Alexander. Unable to withstand the relentless approach of this implacable force, he dropped to his knees within the confines of the spaceship. Tears welled in his eyes, shimmering with a blend of fear, resignation, and an anguished acceptance of the inescapable.
His gaze remained fixated on the meteor as it hurtled toward them, the distance between it and the spacecraft rapidly diminishing. There was a moment of eerie silence, a pause in the flow of time, before the colossal collision unfolded in a violent crescendo. The meteor struck the spaceship with cataclysmic force, bringing about a devastating end to Alexander's journey, and extinguishing the final vestiges of his hope in a blaze of cosmic turmoil.
"Aaah," Alexander's agonized cry pierced the air, his voice carrying the haunting echoes of the previous crash etched deep in his memory. His breathing was ragged and erratic, punctuated by sharp gasps for air as he struggled to cope with the searing pain that wracked his body.
"I'm alive?" the man exclaimed, disbelief and bewilderment coloring his words. His body contorted in anguish, the residual torment from the prior crash still fresh in his senses. However, this time, determination coursed through his veins, lending him the strength to endure the pain without succumbing to unconsciousness.
Pushing past the torment, he bellowed with an unwavering resolve, "Alex, start recharging the blasted rocket!" With those final words, he surrendered to the relentless suffering, slipping into unconsciousness with a grim determination that this time, they would not be caught off guard.