Running out of oxygen

Date: 7/8/2020

I had a dream that was actually very nerve-wracking. I remember a surprising amount considering how late I’m writing this. The dream started with myself, my immediate family, and my grandparents all finding one another in the lobby area of a huge spaceship thing. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all white, a silvery metal (maybe titanium or something?). It was modern-looking and smooth, with little corners of darker silver or squares in the ceiling that were vents or covers over wiring or something. There were a ton of halls and rooms in the spaceship. From the beginning (a huge lobby area) there were halls that led to huge joint bed areas (filled with basic bunk beds lining the walls, looking like someone copy and pasted the room throughout the hall). There was another hallway that led to a school area, to kitchens, to bathrooms, et cetera. In the dream— or maybe just before I fell asleep— I remember thinking about whether or not people could survive in space, if they had plants and water and soil, and a good enough environment to allow for a natural water cycle and the continued growth of said plants (I was imagining all those examples of the tiniest ecosystems in the world, like that dude who had a big glass jar which had developed its own cycling plants and water cycle inside). I was kind of thinking that it’d work but I didn’t know enough to be sure. After that, my family put our suitcases on one of the bunk beds (one suitcase per bed, so we took up 7 beds, and my cat— who I smuggled in using my suitcase— took up an eighth bed). However, soon after a ton of crowds started rushing onto the ship. It was hectic, I stuck with my family to make sure I was together but we kind of got separated. Then, finally, when the halls and lobby were packed so tight nobody could even move, the ship took off. It was smooth, or maybe just I didn’t feel it cause I had meat-padding on all sides to hold me in place. Later we dispersed and I ended up in a schoolroom. It was very empty-like, same white and plain theme; it had maybe five or so round white tables, surrounded by a few white stools. At the front was an electronic blackboard which looked like it was just a drawing app enlarged onto a screen. The teacher used it as you’d use a regular blackboard, only using an electric pen. Nobody was really listening. We were all too excited/anxious because of what was happening. At the table I was sitting at we’re a few other kids, all of whom I recognized from my school IRL. One of them, Merrick, was teasing me like usual, mostly because I think I was one of the only people there he knew. I was rolling my eyes and trying to ignore him, like usual. But eventually it got to the point where I was like, seriously, stop, I’m trying to pay attention. He didn’t stop, so I got up and left the room. The ship was oddly empty, everyone was somewhere and doing something, occupying themselves. I went around the ship to look for my brother, but I couldn’t find him. I started to get panicked. I went to the bedroom area with the bunk beds, and his bunk had been marked as taken by his suitcase; but he was nowhere to be seen. I look all around but can’t find him anywhere— so I ask the rest of my family. None of them can find him, either. We all remember seeing him right before the ship took off, but he got separated from my mom and sister in the crowd. They thought he was with us, I thought he was with them, and meanwhile nobody actually knew where he was. I guessed before everyone else that he wasn’t on the ship. The rest went around looking in closets and in “Employee Only” rooms, but I focused myself on working towards the control room. I knew we had to go back, but that wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded, because we had taken off from earth for a reason. Though people were nervous, they were the elite few who managed to make it to this ship in time; there’s no way they’d all agree to willingly go back. So, I sneak into the control room and manage to turn the ship around. By the time anyone has noticed what’s happening we’ve already re-entered the atmosphere, meaning we couldn’t turn around. Everyone started shouting and panicking again, but I find my family and position ourselves near the entrance/exit of the ship, in the lobby. My family stood firm and secured spots for us while I ran out to find my brother. Sure enough, he (along with everyone else who had tried— and failed— to flee onto the ship) was waiting outside. I quickly grabbed him and, with our family, retreated to the bunks. Chaos ensued back at the lobby. Now given a second chance, people who had thought they were going to die on earth with everything else fought for a promise of safety aboard the ship. People pushed and pulled one another out, and actual fights broke out— some serious, some hysterical, some plain sad. The captain was working on starting up the ship again, which required firing up the thrusters and all, and the door inches closed. As it did people fought even more desperately to get on. Finally it took off again, and I had my entire family with me. However, then another problem arises— as we re-enter space we realize that there are too many people on board. We start running out of oxygen.