The year was 2139. Captain Rhea stood in the control room of the starship Orion Edge, staring at the glitching navigation screen.
“We’re off-course,” the AI muttered. “Again.”
Rhea sighed. “This mission is already hanging by a thread.”
Her co-pilot, Jin, ran in, pale. “The oxygen system’s acting up too.”
“Perfect,” Rhea muttered. “When it rains, it pours.”
“Should we abort?” Jin asked.
“No,” she said firmly. “We signed up for this, remember? We fix it or we die trying.”
“But HQ hasn’t answered our signals in hours.”
“Then we’ll play it by ear. Adapt. Survive.”
Rhea manually rerouted power and restarted the oxygen module. The ship hummed back to life.
Jin looked at her, amazed. “I thought we were toast.”
She smirked. “Not on my watch. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”
Idioms Used in the Story
1. Hanging by a thread
Meaning: In a very dangerous or risky situation, near failure or collapse.
Examples:
- Their relationship is hanging by a thread.
- The company was hanging by a thread after the scandal.
2. When it rains, it pours
Meaning: Problems often come all at once.
Examples:
- First I lost my job, then my car broke down — when it rains, it pours!
- It’s been one thing after another lately. When it rains, it pours.
3. Sign up for something
Meaning: To agree to do something, usually knowing the challenges.
Examples:
- I signed up for this job, so I won’t quit now.
- She knew it’d be tough when she signed up for the marathon.
4. Play it by ear
Meaning: To decide what to do based on the situation, without a fixed plan.
Examples:
- I don’t have a schedule. I’ll just play it by ear.
- Let’s play it by ear and see how the weather is.
5. Too far to turn back
Meaning: You’re so committed to something that quitting isn’t an option.
Examples:
- We’ve come too far to turn back now.
- She’s invested years into this — it’s too late to give up.
