"Shields failing," crooned the computer's mechanical voice. "Engines failing. Preparing for crash landing."

My sleek fingers sped over the controls, desperately trying to find a button that would instantly repair my ship's damage. But it was hopeless. My Space Flight class had told me little information on what to do when hit by an asteroid: fly to the nearest planet, crash and then send out a distress signal to the Mother Ship. If you didn't do this, you'd end up being isolated in space, which is an awfully desolate, but dangerous place to be stranded.

But what if I don't survive the crash, I thought horrified as a I drifted towards a big blue planet. What if the creatures on this planet are carnivorous monsters. And I get eaten before my signal is received?! Suddenly the risk of floating into a black hole or slowly freezing to death seemed more appealing. However, my fate was soon sealed as soon as I had entered this planet's atmosphere.

"Preparing for crash landing," the computer repeated. "On planet..." There was a short pause where it searched it's database for information, irritatingly unaware that I was too busy clinging onto to my seat and screaming in terror to care. "Earth."

My ship wobbled dangerously in the air as it hit some condensed water vapour. I clenched down hard on the arm rests either side of me, trying to keep what I digested not long ago inside my stomach.

The ground grew rapidly closer - an unusual mixture of emeralds and browns that looked uninvitingly solid.

"Crash landing is 5...4...3...2," the computer counted down. If it was not my only way of contacting the Mother Ship, I would have not been disheartened if it was destroyed in the crash. "One."

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