“Not always, honey.”
“But often enough.” She stood up. “This is really getting on my nerves. I am going to my room now and then will start my shift.”
“Don’t forget to put on some clothes.”
Jiaying, who was still in her pajamas, turned around briefly and opened her mouth, but closed it without saying anything. She turned away, marched out and pushed the cabin door with her right hand so that it slammed shut loudly. Martin nodded. This was not the first time they’d had a fight about petty issues. It was just like during the first voyage. Gradually, they all were starting to experience space-based cabin fever, and the mission had not even reached the halfway mark. Back then, he had not yet enjoyed a special relationship with Jiaying. They all used to retreat into their private domains in order to not get on each other’s nerves. Crammed into a tin can for almost a whole year—any social system would have a difficult time trying to survive that.
Amy was really trying hard, though. She attempted to have conversations with everyone. Where did she find all the energy? Like no other crew member, she must be missing what she left behind on Earth—or did that very fact give her extra strength?
Martin sometimes secretly hoped a small meteorite would hit ILSE—preferably somewhere in the cargo spaces, nothing catastrophic, but requiring an EVA, a spacewalk. Right now he would be glad for any kind of excitement. He well remembered how the trouble with the fusion drives during their first journey helped the crew come together. Marchenko and Francesca saved the ship with a daring action, and afterward, they became a couple.
How were they getting along now? At least Marchenko was not able to leave any underwear lying around these days. If they achieved the goal of the expedition and brought his body back—which Martin still could not quite believe—how long would it take during the return trip before the two of them got on each other’s nerves? Luckily, this was just a passing phase, at least it was with Jiaying and himself. After the return and the escape from this tin can, their relationship had become normal again. If his girlfriend had not suffered a miscarriage, the two of them would have been completely happy. Martin sometimes thought of the baby girl they had been anticipating for a number of weeks. Jiaying did not like to talk about this painful topic, and he respected her feelings. If the child had been born, at least one of them would not be here now.
Martin shook his head. It was useless to ponder such alternate outcomes. Those were in another world, another universe he could not contact. Between him and it stood causality, and he should better focus on the here and now.
August 15, 2049, ILSE
“A game night—isn’t that something for kids?” asked Martin, yawning. He had done the night shift and slept most of today, and therefore missed the common lunch, so Jiaying explained Amy’s latest idea to him. The commander wanted everyone to keep interacting with one another, and if this didn’t occur on its own, a game was supposed to help.
“And what game are we playing?” he asked.
“She calls it Alien. Supposedly it is also known as Werewolf, but I’ve never heard of it by either name.”
“Sounds like fun.” Martin yawned again. “Maybe. So we are doing this after dinner? Then I am going to disappear into the shower first.” He left Jiaying in the cabin. On the way out he bent down and picked up a pair of underpants that had inexplicably escaped his footlocker.
“The game is more fun if we have more participants,” Amy explained. Martin found her enthusiasm infectious.
“I also invited Watson and Marchenko. They will share the fog display. It is important that you can see their faces, because the game often requires you to communicate without words.”
The commander activated the display, which was based on a kind of steam cloud. Martin immediately recognized Marchenko. To the right of him he saw an old man with a hat.
“I chose my great role model as my avatar,” Watson explained, “the Dr. Watson created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
The image seemed to come from an old movie. The AI probably borrowed it from one. But on the display it looked very vivid.
“Great idea, Doc,” Francesca said. She used Watson’s first name, but for Martin it still felt strange to consider him a person.
“I called the game Alien because I find this more fitting on board ILSE,” Amy said. “In this scenario, two dangerous aliens are hiding among the human crew of a spaceship, and they can take on the shape of humans. Their goal is to eliminate the crew members while the humans are asleep. On the other hand, the astronauts want to toss the two aliens out of the airlock.”
“We could also play this by using Russian secret agents,” Francesca said, while looking straight at Valentina. “That would make it much more realistic.”
The Russian woman ignored the provocation. Martin hoped Amy’s attempt to get everyone interacting with each other would not backfire. With some people it might be better if they did not communicate.
“Francesca, please.” Amy gave her a stern look and the Italian lowered her eyes.
“You are randomly assigned roles through a card,” Amy explained, showing a thin stack of cards. “You must not show your card to anyone, because that would lead to disqualification, but you are free to talk about it. Since no one knows whether you are telling the truth or not, that can be a clever tactic.”
“And how do we get to kill someone? Can I strangle the person?”
“No, Francesca. When it is night in the game, all players have to close their eyes—except for the aliens. At that time they use eye contact and gestures to decide whom they want to kill. During the day, meaning in the next round, the complete crew—including the undiscovered aliens—decide who is suspected of being an alien and will be thrown out of the airlock. During the vote, the commander, who will be selected before the game starts, has two votes.”
“Could the commander actually be an alien?” asked Martin.
“Yes, and we still need a simulation leader. This is going to be the person who is eliminated first and then returns to the game as a monitor. Then there is a special role, the prophetess. You will find that role on one of the cards. During the night, the prophetess can suspect someone of being an alien, and the simulation leader tells her whether her choice was correct or not.”
“But then we just have to listen to the prophetess,” Francesca said.
“Anyone can claim to be the prophetess,” Amy said. “Plus, if you reveal yourself as the prophetess, you are an obvious target for the aliens.”
“That is mean. So as the prophetess I might know who is an evil alien, but I cannot mention it in public.”
“Yes, Jiaying, but you could drop hints to steer the group discussion in the right direction.”
“Just like the aliens would probably do.”
Amy nodded. “Does everyone understand the concept? Good. Then I am going to deal the cards. Marchenko and Watson, I am going to hold the cards in turn in front of the camera here,” Amy said, pointing upward, “and you have to promise not to look at each other’s card.”
“I understand,” Watson said. “I will ignore the content of Marchenko’s card. I will also forget that I know what you wrote by hand on each of the cards.”
“Thank you,” Amy answered. “That’s exactly what I want. You will attempt to infer the true nature of another player through the person’s conscious and unconscious communication.”
“Oh, this is incredibly thrilling for me,” Watson said.
“I will now distribute the cards.” Amy stood up, walked around the table, and gave a card to each player. Then, in turn, she held the ones for Watson and Marchenko up to the camera.
“Is everything clear?”
Everyone assented.
Martin looked around. He was a common astronaut, but who might be an alien?
“Now we have to vote for a commander,” Amy said. “Well?”
Martin and Valentina voted for Amy. Jiaying, Amy, and Marchenko selected Martin. Watson and Francesca vote
d for themselves.
“Then you have two votes with any ballot, Martin,” Amy said.
“Now night falls on the spaceship. All eyes are closing. The aliens awaken and recognize each other.” Despite the disturbing scenario, Amy’s voice sounded very soothing.
“Okay, now all of you can open your eyes again. Day has returned, and we have to suspect one crew member of being an alien.”
Martin looked around to see everyone smiling. It was a strange situation. He had no objective information about who might be an alien in human shape, but he would still suspect some of them more than others—like Valentina and Watson, the two new crew members. He knew anyone else might be just as likely, but his gut feeling told him otherwise. Just to be contrary, Martin decided on Francesca.
“I have no idea,” Jiaying said.
“That’s how everyone is feeling,” Amy said.
“Except for the aliens, of course,” said Francesca, who was staring intensively at her card. Was this enough of a proof? Would she look at her card this way if she was a normal astronaut?
Watson decided on Marchenko, who in turn chose Watson, while Francesca and Valentina accused each other. Amy picked Jiaying, while Jiaying went for Watson. Therefore Martin’s two votes against Francesca were decisive.
“I am sorry, Francesca, but we have to push you out of the airlock,” Amy said.
“You just wait, Valentina,” Francesca said, and turned around her card. She was an astronaut. They had made the wrong decision.
“Now you are the simulation leader, Francesca. At night you stay awake so you can recognize the aliens. Then, if the prophetess points at someone, you can tell her whether she is right by giving her a thumbs up or thumbs down.”
“Fine, Amy. Now the night begins. All will close their eyes—or deactivate their cameras,” she said.
Martin obeyed her and closed his eyes. Without seeing, he tried to judge from the air currents who was still active. Did Jiaying—who sat next to him—just move?
“The aliens now close their eyes and the prophetess awakens,” he heard Francesca say. He heard a sound from her direction. She was probably giving a sign indicating whether the prophetess guessed right.
“The sun rises. Everyone is awake again,” Francesca said. “Except for Marchenko. Poor Dimitri was found dead in his cabin this morning, dissolved by an alien’s acid,” she said, laughing. She seemed to be having fun now, at least when she was allowed to make up gruesome details.
Jiaying stretched as if she had just awakened. Martin thought she was exaggerating a bit. Did this speak against her?
“Amy is so calm, which does not fit her. I think she is an alien,” Watson said.
“Yes, you might be right,” Jiaying said. “I also suspect her.”
Were the two of them trying to draw attention away from themselves? Or was one of them a prophetess and knew something he didn’t?
“Valentina, what do you think?” asked Martin. If Valentina also picked Amy, it would look bad for her.
“I think Jiaying is an alien,” the Russian woman said.
This was also his first suspicion, so his two votes would decide. He spoke the name of his girlfriend quietly. “Jiaying.” He hoped she would not be mad at him.
But Jiaying was laughing, and she turned her card around. Alien was written on it. “That was fun,” she said.
This left Watson, Amy, Valentina, and himself. Among them must be one alien and one prophetess. And once again it turned night.
“The alien awakens and is looking for a victim,” Francesca announced.
“Good, and now the prophetess.” Martin felt a brief commotion, but did not know where it came from.
“Good morning, my dears. I hope you slept well. Unfortunately, Amy didn’t. We don’t know what happened exactly, but all we found in her cabin were bloodstains and a bitten off finger.”
“Thanks, Francesca,” Amy said with a laugh.
“Martin,” Watson said without any further comment.
That was the mistake that gave him away. Martin knew he himself was not an alien. Watson could not be the prophetess either, because then he would know after the night was over who put on a false front.
“Watson,” Valentina said.
“Watson,” Martin said.
“Just a moment, Martin, you are making a terrible mistake,” he replied.
“You already made that mistake when you accused me.”
“But I am not an alien.”
“Any alien would say that.”
“Are you sticking to your decision, Martin?” asked Francesca. He nodded.
“I am sorry, Doc. We also will push you out of the airlock into space.”
“AHHHH...” Watson played along by uttering a long cry. Martin was startled, but then he laughed like the others. Amy turned around Watson’s card. It said Prophetess, and Martin noticed the mistake he had made. Watson must have checked Amy’s status last night, but since she was killed afterward, he could not use that piece of knowledge. Now there was only Valentina and himself, and soon night would fall aboard the spaceship and the Valentina alien would get him.
“Do you want to solve this later among yourselves? I notice a certain tension between you,” Francesca said.
“Very funny,” Martin commented. During one of their conversations in the garden, Valentina had told him she was not interested in men. He no longer remembered how the topic had come up.
“Then I congratulate our alien Valentina in her victory,” Amy said. “Martin now stands no chance of escaping death.”
That evening they played several more rounds. Sometimes the astronauts won, sometimes the aliens. Watson turned out to be surprisingly clever and showed some acting talent. Perhaps he was imitating his role model, Dr. Watson. Afterward Martin considered the AI to be much more human. And even the tension between Francesca and Valentina greatly decreased the moment the two of them, playing an alien team, managed to bump off the entire crew in gruesome ways.
September 22, 2049, ILSE
There was sudden pain from a hand that clawed his shoulder. Martin was instantly awake but remained motionless. Jiaying sat up next to him in the bed, breathing heavily. She was trying to wake him.
“I am feeling really nauseous,” she whispered. Then she put her hand in front of her mouth. Martin jumped up. How could he help her? Jiaying pressed the other hand against her belly.
“Are you in pain?”
She nodded.
“Cramps?”
She nodded again. Could it be biliary colic? When his mother sometimes suffered from colic, she would complain about abdominal cramps and nausea. Jiaying got up, turned toward the door, tore it open, and ran to the WHC. He heard her vomit several times.
“Marchenko, can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“You are a doctor. Jiaying is feeling nauseous, she is vomiting and suffering from abdominal pain. Any idea what it might be?”
“That’s not very specific. I would have to palpate.”
“Can I do this according to your instructions?”
“We could try.”
Jiaying was back five minutes later.
“I am going to try to determine, with the help of Marchenko, if this is a gallbladder attack, what my mother calls ‘biliary colic.’”
“Okay,” Jiaying answered weakly. She lay down on the bed. Martin pulled her pajama top up so he could see her belly. Next to her belly button she had a large mole.
“Where does the pain originate?” asked Marchenko.
“Belly, more on top and right,” answered Jiaying.
“Good. You should still start palpating the other areas first,” Marchenko explained, “but carefully. If Jiaying reacts somewhere, or her abdomen tightens...”
Martin carefully pressed against her skin. “Does this hurt?”
“Not directly, no.”
His finger moved clockwise and approached the right upper area.
“Okay, Marchenko, go on.”
/> “Now you slowly keep pressing with your fingertips in the right upper quadrant below the ribs, moving upward and inward.”
Martin followed the directions. “Painful?” Jiaying shook her head. “No more than before.”
“Keep your fingers where they are, Martin. Jiaying, please take a deep breath.”
His girlfriend followed Marchenko’s order. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Nothing happened.
“Okay,” Marchenko said. “It’s probably not a gallbladder attack. In that case, we would have noticed ‘Murphy’s sign’—a stabbing pain during inhaling. Let us check the kidney... just a second, Martin.”
There was a pause. What happened? Where did Marchenko go?
There was a crackling sound in the loudspeaker. “I am sorry. I just heard Amy is also vomiting. That is probably not a coincidence. Martin, please do a quick check on Francesca and Valentina in their cabins to see whether they are also sick.”
“Do not leave me,” Jiaying said softly. “My belly... it hurts so much.”
Marchenko tried to reassure her. “He will be back in a moment. We will get this under control.”
Martin let go of her hand and ran to the next sector. The door of the WHC was open and Amy was there, vomiting loudly.
Valentina’s cabin door was closed. He knocked vigorously. “Valentina, everything okay with you?”
It took a few seconds before he heard a reaction. He pounded against the door again.
“Yes, what is going on?” the Russian woman asked, groggily.
“Any pains?”
“Me? What gives you that idea?”
“That’s okay, I’ll explain later.” Martin was already running back to his sector. He hoped Francesca was okay—but what was wrong with Jiaying and Amy?
“Francesca?” Her door was also locked from the inside. He knocked, but only heard groans. Damn.
“Watson, unlock the door. It is an emergency. Francesca is in danger.”
The little light next to the lock switched from red to green. Martin stormed into the cabin. Francesca lay on her bed, tossing and turning.
Ice Moon 4 Return to Enceladus Page 17