Slingshot

Astronaut John awakens from a hibernation cycle aboard the spacecraft Odyssey 1. As he regains consciousness, he starts to familiarize himself with the ship and his fellow crew members, including Captain Franks and Nash.

John grapples with the side effects of the hibernation drugs, struggling to remember key details including his girlfriend Zoe's last name. Nash reassures him that this is a common occurrence and that his memories will eventually return.

The crew conducts crucial checks on the ship's systems as they prepare to execute a perilous slingshot maneuver around Jupiter. This maneuver is essential to maintain their trajectory toward Titan, Saturn's moon.

Just as John begins to recall his girlfriend's last name, a ceiling panel falls and knocks him unconscious. Captain Franks and Nash investigate the incident, discovering unexplained damage to the ship’s hull.

Nash expresses paranoia about the ship's compromised integrity, fearing they may not survive the slingshot maneuver. He attempts to convince John to mutiny against Captain Franks to return to Earth.

John initially supports Nash's plan to awaken early and reprogram the ship, but he insists on having solid evidence of danger before proceeding. The tension among the crew escalates as they grapple with their circumstances.

Captain Franks reveals himself, having anticipated the mutiny, and successfully guides the crew through the slingshot maneuver, despite Nash's escalating fears. This intervention momentarily calms the situation.

John begins to experience hallucinations, including conversations with Zoe, as his mental state deteriorates further. The crew awakens to find Nash has suffered significant cognitive decline.

Nash alerts John to a critical reactor output issue, indicating sabotage within the ship. Captain Franks confronts Nash, accusing him of trying to undermine the mission, raising the stakes significantly among the crew.

In an alarming turn of events, Captain Franks attacks Nash, escalating the conflict on the ship. John's sedation leaves him powerless to intervene, marking a pivotal moment of chaos.

John, now increasingly mentally unstable, confronts the shocking revelation from Captain Franks that Zoe is not real. This revelation disrupts his grasp on reality as he questions his own mind.

After overpowering Captain Franks, John learns the harrowing truth from the ship's computer: he has been alone in space, and all he experienced was a product of his own imagination. This revelation shatters his psyche.

In a moment of clarity, John realizes he is trapped in a simulation beneath a facility in New Mexico. Zoe's voice urges him to escape, revealing the simulated stakes of his entire mission.

With Captain Franks trying to keep him focused on the nonexistent mission, John battles through the confusion. He ultimately chooses to plunge through the airlock in a bid for freedom, breaking away from his manufactured existence.

After exiting the airlock, John emerges into an underground chamber, stripped of the delusions he once held. However, as his troubling reality unravels, he is drawn into the abyss of his mind, leading to a tragic conclusion.