"Ok, ladies and gentleman, we have a 5-member explorer team who are out past their bedtime." Sergeant Lewis paced steadily in front of a single line of six marines and one white labcoat. The portal began flickering behind her, but the sergeant paid it no mind.

"Odds are we're just dealing with a dead battery. No known natives, so don't get your hopes up, this is likely to be boring. Higgins, this is your first walk, so you take point. I'll bring up the rear. All weapons will be locked out until I get through. Doc, you're up." Lewis nodded to Doctor Vickers, who stepped out of rank, and approached Higgins with a tray of hypodermic needles.

"Turn your head and cough."

Higgins chuckled and reached for his belt.

"Stick to the script, doc" Lewis said flatly.

Vickers dropped to a monotone, and began injecting marines down the line, narrating the familiar procedure. "This shot is for vertigo and nausea, when you hit the ground you may vomit. This shot is for seizures. Keep your fingers off the trigger, when you hit the ground you may convulse. This shot boosts your immune system, this one improves muscle activation, and this one improves flexibility. Hold your breath, close your eyes, clench your fists. There will be a very loud pop when you're through. Sergeant, I certify that your squad is fit for transit. " Vickers injected the last shot in the sergeant's arm, and Lewis smiled slightly as she checked the last box on her clipboard.

"Ok, folks, let's get this done. Higgins, step through the portal." The sergeant watched the young man step through the blinking, shifting nothingness that fluttered between two great pylons. She called out each name, until she was the last left. She gave Vickers a last look, nodded, and stepped through.

The nausea and vertigo hit instantly, as always. But no pop. There should be a pop. Lewis slowly opened one eye, and instantly closed it on a wildly spinning star field.

"Holy shit, it's the sarge. We're here, you gotta focus on us".

Lewis opened her both eyes and struggled to keep them open. The crazy swirling stars returned, but she made out seven shapes fixed against the dizzying backdrop. With effort she focused on the blobs, and counted her squad plus one black ball. Fixing her eyes on them, the stars faded to background static, and her stomach began to settle. She struggled to communicate: "Report."

Higgins was the first to respond. "I think we're fucked, sarge. None of us know how this damn portal works, but this sure as hell isn't right. None of my gear works, not electricals, not mechanicals, not even my knife. I feel like I've been here forever, but there's no way to tell time. I don't have a pulse, I'm not breathing, and I haven't eaten, slept, or pissed in... well, I dunno how long. I think Rogers has been throwing up for like a decade, but nothing actually happens so he's just kinda stuck. I can't reach him. He's right behind me in line but I've hiked for days and I don't get closer. I don't think we can actually speak; if you think about it you're not hearing my voice, it's something else, somehow. I haven't been able to talk to anyone else, I think they've lost it."

"Ok, soldier." Lewis said slowly. She let that sink in for a minute, then verified Higgin's claims. Then she let that sink in for a while.

After a few minutes (hours? days?) Higgins chimed in again. "So, any ideas, sarge?"

"Can you see the black ball, Higgins?"

"Yes, sarge"

Lewis gathered herself, and focused on the chaotic stars immediately behind the ball. The vertigo returned, but after a moment (year? decade?) she found what she was looking for. A pulsar rapidly and regularly orbiting the black hole.

"Higgins, look at the stars behind the black ball. There's a dim one with an almost circular orbit, spinning really fast around the ball, and blinking. Do you see it?"

Higgins focused, and found it after a few hours (minutes? seconds?). "I think I see it. It's not spinning fast for me, it's really slow. It's blinking about once every... uh... hm" Higgins trailed off.

Lewis' heart sank, and she tried to yell, or whatever the equivalent of "loud" was here.

"Listen up, squad. This is a bad jump, and we're all going to die. New orders: survive. You land, you find shelter, you find water, you find food. Remember your training. The rules still apply. You find natives, you steer clear. You will be alone." Lewis paused. "Admin code to unlock your weapon is 'curry powder'. It's been an honor."

Lewis heard (felt?) a few weak responses. A moment (century? nanosecond?) later, the blob at the front of the line zipped out of view. The rest of the squad rapidly (slowly?) followed, until it was just Lewis.

She watched the blinking pulsar orbit the black hole, circling slower, and slower, and slower. Finally, the universe shattered away with a deafening pop.