Missing the Colony Shuttle at the Airlock

Missing the Colony Shuttle at the Airlock

I was late for my usual commute, but instead of the subway station near my apartment, the entrance led into this massive, sterile docking bay that looked like an airport terminal mixed with an imperial starcruiser. My high school guidance counselor was standing by the airlock checking boarding passes for a shuttle heading out to some distant colony fleet. I frantically dug through my backpack, but all I had were loose change, an expired student ID, and an old charger. The PA system kept announcing the final boarding call in an echoing, mechanical voice, and people in heavy grey jumpsuits were pushing past me into the tunnel. I looked out one of the panoramic concourse windows and just saw endless black space and the curve of Jupiter, but I was mostly just stressed about getting written up at work for missing the 8:15 launch.