Gliese 581

by Christine D. Shuck

  “We need to make a decision on which of the three possible landing points will be Sagan Base.” He began, “I know they each have their particular merits and concerns. Go too near a river and we risk flooding, too near the mountains and there will be the challenges of higher elevations and temperature fluctuations.”

  “The truth be told, we aren’t able to know everything there is to know about Zarmina’s World,” Martin Phoenix, Calypso’s First Officer pointed out. “There are plenty of questions that a probe, no matter how complex it was, simply cannot answer.”

  Settling a new world was rife with challenges and danger. The future of the human race, especially the ones here on this ship, depended on making the right choices.

  “Well the reports I’ve read indicate that we will have one hell of a volcanic eruption on the western edge,” Kevin Edmonds added. “The last thing we want to do is settle the plateau. Unless you like breathing choking ash and ducking as volcanic rocks the size of autocars fall from above.”

  Fenton turned to him, “So you’re sure?”

  “As sure as I can be of these things. I’m a seismologist, not a volcanologist, but all the signs point to an eruption within the next eighteen months, and we’ve seen the debris field from previous eruptions, the plateau is definitely within range.”

  “I think that brings us down to two options then. Any objections to removing the plateau from the potential list of sites?” Fenton turned to each of the Committee members in turn, and everyone stayed silent.

  “Very good then. For the record, we now have the Mediterre coastal option or the as yet unnamed plains. I would like a full list of pros and cons from both before we narrow it down. Edmonds? I’ll need a seismological workup for both locations please.”

  The meeting wrapped up and it was on to the next one, a final consensus of who would need to remain in Cryo until past planetfall and who needed to be revived.

  Things were definitely revving up now that they were within weeks of their destination. In a few days a score of twelve more crew members would be revived, putting their numbers at over fifty-four crew active on deck, the largest number they had seen since departing Earth over five years ago.

  Right before lunch was the Systems Status meeting.

  “Nothing much to report Captain,” James Aldridge, the acting head of Environmental Systems reported. “The ‘Ponics Deck was a doozy, but it’s been quiet for months. There was that weird Environmental Systems glitch a month before which we caught before disaster struck. Other than that, there are no major concerns, everything is looking good.”

  The end goal was in sight after all, and none of them wanted a delay in their arrival. After five years of monotony, they were all itching to leave Calypso behind and start their new lives on the surface.

  Fenton joined his First Officer, Martin Phoenix, for lunch in the Mess Hall. There were two recent Cryo revivals sitting at one table. They hadn’t been out of Cryo for a full day yet and were lurching about, limbs and brain still not connected fully. He recognized both of the women and was thankful that they already knew the news from Earth. Over the past few months, as sleepers were pulled out of Cryo for one reason or another, usually a change in shift personnel, the terrible details of the ESH plague were relayed to them. It was often crippling news. There was no one on board who wasn’t affected in some manner or another. No one who hadn’t lost a friend, a family member, or even their entire community to the virus.

  Still, it was like reliving the pain all over again each time someone new was pulled out of Cryo.

  Ellie Satler had described it well, “It is like having your heart broken all over again. You would think it would get easier, but it doesn’t.”

  As Captain, he couldn’t avoid those grieving souls any more than Carter could. It made him wish for planetfall even more, so the last of those in Cryo could be revived and they could all move on from these recirculating cycles of shock and mourning.

  Fenton paused in his ready room after lunch to review the latest environmental reports on the southern continent. Deposits showed it rich in ore, which would be where they would set up the autonomous mining operations and provide the colony with much-needed iron ore for steel and other building materials. He noted that there was a disagreement between two of the authors, one questioned whether the deposits were as extensive in the south and pointed to an eastern deposit that was possibly closer to the surface and larger. It was, however, positioned near another active volcano with significant seismic activity.

  He stopped to rub his eyes. Fenton hadn’t been sleeping well since Joanna returned to Cryo. If Joanna had been awake right now, she would have told him he worked too hard. It would be six more weeks until she would be revived. Her role was essential to planetfall and like most of the others, she would not be revived until they had achieved their final orbit. He sighed, counting the days until she could be back in his bed and in his arms.

  “We have to meet with the ‘Ponics Deck supervisor, Nagel Lowry at 1300 Cap,”

  Martin interrupted Fenton’s thoughts of Joanna.

  “Just a quick meeting to review all the fail-safe procedures they have implemented and discuss the potential failure ratios. By the way, Zach Jenkins is still concerned about exactly how the failure in ‘Ponics occurred and has been tracing through the computer code to determine its origin.”

  “Is he still crying sabotage?” Fenton asked, somewhat bemused.

  Martin shook his head, “No, he’s backed off from saying that, but he still seems pretty suspicious of the whole thing. Lowry says it isn’t anything to worry about, but I’ve been checking in with Zach on a regular basis, just in case.” He smiled then, “And Laney Deeds has been assisting him lately. It seems that those two are growing close.”

  Since the news of Earth, Captain Aaronson had asked Martin to add an additional report to his list, that of tracking relationships and even possibly steering work relationships towards personal relationships. When his First Officer had looked surprised, Aaronson had explained, “My job is to the mission, and the mission parameters have changed. We get to play matchmaker now.”

  An odd stance for the Captain to take, but one that Martin appeared to enjoy as time went on.

  Fenton nodded approvingly, and then added a note to meet with the iron ore project coordinators. Moments later Nagel Lowry arrived to give his weekly report on the status of the ‘Ponics Deck and Fenton beckoned Nagel Lowry and Martin to sit down. Already there was a queue forming outside of his Ready Room, the afternoon rush had begun.

  Moments later, as Lowry droned on about some kind of atmospheric regulator design that would increase crop yields, Zach Jenkins and Laney Deeds barged in, tense and excited.

  “We have proof of sabotage on the ‘Ponics Deck, sir.” Zach said, as Laney nudged him.

  Nagel Lowry looked furious, “You can’t just...”

  Fenton interceded, “Proof of sabotage, Jenkins? Well, I’m sure Lowry here will want to know all about it. Let’s see what you have found.”

  And just as the two began to explain the code they had found, a ship-wide alarm sounded, NARAs voice issuing over all speakers:

  WARNING CRYOGENICS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

  SYSTEM FAILURE - CODE RED

  SYSTEM RESET ON ALL CRYO PODS IN FIFTEEN MINUTES

  Fenton froze, trying to understand the ramifications. System reset? If the Cryo pods reset with an individual still inside, the occupant would die from lack of oxygen.

  With forty-four crew members awake, that leaves two hundred and six in Cryo. Two hundred and six of their fellow crewmembers who could die during a system reset.

  “Maintain an open link on the Command Deck and shut that down,” Fenton barked at the crew members that had appeared at his door, “Jenkins, Perdue, you are with me. We need to get to the Cryo Deck and see what the hell is going on. Everyone, we need to stop that system reset!”

  WARNING CRYOGENICS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

  SYSTEM FAILURE - CODE RED
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  SYSTEM RESET ON ALL CRYO PODS IN THIRTEEN MINUTES

  The minutes became a blur of desperation, frustration and terror. Martin had radioed through Fenton’s comm informing him that they had been locked out of Cryo via the Command Deck interface, the bridge’s computer access to the individual Cryo pods blocked. NARA’s access to the Cryo Deck had been disabled, and Fenton was staring at the blast doors locking them out physically.

  As the moments had ticked by, the overhead speakers calmly issuing a countdown that would result in the deaths of most of their crew, Fenton’s thoughts had strayed from the bigger picture to the image of Joanna’s face. Had he really spent his entire life without her? And could he now bear the thought of losing her and living the rest of his life regretting not having met her sooner?

  WARNING CRYOGENICS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

  SYSTEM FAILURE - CODE RED

  SYSTEM RESET ON ALL CRYO PODS IN ELEVEN MINUTES

  Her son, Alex, recently revived and part of the Landing Committee, had arrived with scores of others. There was a deep fear in his eyes, and Fenton, caught in a quiet moment between issuing orders, beckoned him over.

  “Mom is in there.”

  It was a question and statement. Alex was a great kid. Joanna had given birth to Alex when she was just eighteen. His dad had stayed in the picture until after the young man’s 12th birthday, before disappearing into Europe and never resurfacing. Joanna had raised the boy alone after that and done a fine job of it. Fenton had been pleasantly surprised by Alex’s mature attitude and quiet confidence. At the moment, his stepson looked anything but confident, but he was staying calm, and that was important.

  “We’re gonna get in there, Alex. I’m doing everything I can to get your mom out of there.”

  The young man nodded and stepped back. The corridor was too crowded.

  Fenton turned to the gathering crowd, “Those with experience in using plasma torches, stay. I need Medical Bay prepped and a team here stat. And if you are neither of those things than get the hell out of this hallway. NOW!” he barked. The crew members scattered.

  WARNING CRYOGENICS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

  SYSTEM FAILURE - CODE RED

  SYSTEM RESET ON ALL CRYO PODS IN EIGHT MINUTES

  The men cutting with plasma torches were coughing, the skin on their faces turning red from the intense heat. They didn’t falter.

  “Get Environmental to double the air flow through here!” Fenton bellowed, coughing, his eyes watering from the fumes.

  The order had been relayed and the increased air flow helped a little. The crew continued to cut into the door.

  “Get some breathing masks in here, everyone else, fall back to the next hallway,” Fenton ordered, still coughing.

  Zach Jenkins pulled at his arm, “We can access Cryo through the vents, sir! It will be a tight fit, but I think I can make it.”

  Captain Aaronson nodded immediately, looked around and focused on Wes Perdue, “Take Perdue with you. Go!”

  WARNING CRYOGENICS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

  SYSTEM FAILURE - CODE RED

  SYSTEM RESET ON ALL CRYO PODS IN TWO MINUTES

  The hole grew, molten metal dripping onto the floor, and they were able to catch glimpses of people moving within. Had Jenkins and Perdue been successful? A large piece clunked, opening a hole large enough and several of the crew members, along with Fenton, surged forward, quickly jumping through the large red-hot opening and into the Cryo Deck.

  “Get to the pods and initiate emergency revival on all...”

  It was too late.

  WARNING CRYOGENICS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

  SYSTEM FAILURE - CODE RED

  SYSTEM RESET ON ALL CRYO PODS IN ZERO MINUTES

  The system reset clock had reached zero and the entire Cryo Deck was plunged into darkness. This elicited several screams of panic from those of the revived who were relatively cognizant of their surroundings. The only light shown through the molten-edged hole in the door from the hallway beyond, casting the Cryo Deck into a nightmare of shadows and movement.

  As crewmembers surged into the darkness, the Cryo Deck lights blinked back on, revealing a chaotic scene.

  There were Cryo revivals in every state of recovery, some ambulatory, some not. Near the main control panels for the Cryo Deck was Nathan Zradce, unconscious and barely breathing. Down one length of Cryo pods lay Daniel Medry, also unconscious, and bleeding heavily.

  “Breathe, damn it, breathe!” Wes Perdue had a young woman half out of a pod, on the brink of tears as he struggled to perform CPR.

  Zach Jenkins had found a wrench and was using it to smash his way through a closed Cryo pod, desperate to reach the person inside now that the pods had powered down.

  At least five Cryo pods had not finished with their revival sequence when the system reset itself.

  Blood was spattered at intervals, long gory streaks of it. Two bodies were dark lumps lying on the floor in the farthest room.

  “We need a medic here!” shouted one of the crew members and Dr. Schrader stepped through the smoking doors, two assistants behind her carrying gurneys.

  Somewhere in this mass of people was his wife, Joanna. His eyes cut over the black-clad figures, all Cryo revivals, and focused his gaze on the last Cryo pods near the end of the line.

  Zach Jenkins continued to smash against one of them, sobbing now, desperately trying to reach the partially revived occupant inside. Jenkins had to know it was useless, they all did. A shutdown in the middle of a revival sequence caused irreparable harm to the subject.

  Humans, cryogenically suspended, their circulatory and respiratory systems slowed to a crawl, were not easily revived. The mix of Cryo drugs had to be just right, and even after the initial sequence had been completed by the Cryo pod, the effects of Cryo were difficult, and some suffered side effects for hours, even days afterward. But to have a pod shut down in the middle of the cycle - that was a death sentence.

  Oh God, where was she?

  Then he saw her, hair slicked back, her eyes unfocused, grasping the side of one of the Cryo pods, trying to keep her balance. He made his way past others, ignoring the shouts of his crew, his eyes on her alone.

  Forget the noble captain who put everyone before his own personal life, Fenton Aaronson wove his way through the mass of Cryo revivals, crew members, and bloody mess to lock his arms around his wife.

  “Jo, oh god, Jo. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” His words were muffled in her hair, the feel of her against him such an unimaginable relief.

  Those agonizing moments outside of the Cryo Deck, unable to get through and unsure of what had caused the anomaly, Fenton had felt as if the air had been removed from his lungs.

  He was too old to be in love like this, Fenton had reminded himself countless times. A confirmed bachelor of nearly fifty years, meeting Joanna in the last days before they left Earth, thrown together by circumstance, he had found that love, unlike this ship, didn’t have a warning system of any kind.

  He had locked eyes on Joanna, and felt something in him turn, like a key in a lock, and been instantly and hopelessly smitten. Never had a woman made him feel vulnerable, powerful, and giddy, never. But Joanna did. He held her in his arms, trying to find a way to breathe again, as other far more level-headed members of his crew tended to the newly revived and injured.

  Behind him, the edges of hole they had cut into the Cryo Deck smoked and glowed. It felt as if he had stepped through the door to hell. Joanna trembled in his arms, still suffering from the after-effects of Cryo. He could see her son, Alex, making his way through the mass of people, his eyes frantic.

  “Alex! Here!” he called to his stepson, beckoning the young man over.

  A group hovered around Zach Jenkins, one of the men pulling him away from the prone form on the floor. The woman was dead and Zach was shouting and sobbing, fighting with others trying to pull him back, desperate to continue CPR. But the shock of the system reset, coupled with the incomplete revival sequence had been too much. Captai
n Aaronson’s eyes took in the other four Cryo pods, all shattered, populated with lifeless bodies.

  Five dead. His mind worked, stared at the two bloodied men on the floor who were now being attended to by the medical staff.

  With his wife safe in his arms, he came back to himself, remembered his duties, his responsibilities to the ship and all of the occupants.

  “Stabilize those two men and make sure they are restrained, both of them, until we can sort this all out,” he said, his voice steady and loud, garnering attention and response from the crew.

  “Anyone with medical experience please report to Dr. Schrader and assist in assessing all revivals and escort them to either their individual coffins or the Mess Hall until their recovery is complete. There will be a ship-wide meeting tomorrow morning at 0800.”

  He held Joanna close, put his lips to her temple and breathed her in. God, he had almost lost her. Fenton reached out to Alex and pulled the young man into their embrace.

  Under Suspicion

  “Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today, and you make your tomorrow.” – L. Ron Hubbard

  Date: 01.31.2104

  Calypso Supply Ship

  Fragments of speech, movement, hands on his arms and head, checking him, assessing.

  A voice, “Stay with us.” Whispers, competent fingers holding his wrist.

  “He’s bleeding out, and I’m barely registering a pulse. We need him in Medical stat.”

  Daniel tried to speak, to ask about the Cryo pods, to ask if they had gotten everyone out in time. He managed a hoarse croak.

  The hand moved to his undamaged shoulder, gave it a brief squeeze.

  “Shh, hang in there Medry, you are going to be fine, buddy, just hang in there.”

  He slipped away again.

  Darkness in the Medical Bay, only runner lights, and Daniel ached all over. He couldn’t move his arms, his head throbbed and his mouth felt stuffed full of cotton. He could see an IV bag hanging from the bunk. A distance away, on the other side of the cabin, was another still form. Daniel couldn’t tell who it was, and he was in too much pain to care.