Project Earth I: Origin

by Lidier Fernandez

  I look at her sad face and tell her, “I’m very sorry to hear that. Where mother? Do you know his location?”

  “We lost his coordinates, but he was heading to a red planet in the solar system; his last transmission was not far from there.”

  “Mars, that’s what we call that planet. It is so close from Earth too.”

  “Is that right son?”

  “Yes, they are very close. What kind of mission was he going to do on Mars?”

  “He went to survey the surface of that planet. It appears to have some minerals which we could use here at the Base.”

  “Okay, but we know he is still alive, because he hasn’t reported back to Base for a new body, right?”

  “Yes son.” She takes another sip of coffee. I am already done with half of my cup. She goes on, “Unless he was entrapped as a being, too.” Her eyes grow very sad.

  “That means, they would have caught his body and sort of ‘encapsulated’ him as a being. They can also put you in a trance and make you confused. That’s what they did to me. Bastards!”

  “I know they can do all kinds of things, but we keep high hopes and hope for the best son.”

  I move closer to her and hold my hand against her cheek. Her skin is soft, and she feels amazing. It is as if they don’t age.

  “My old lady. She brings back so many memories to me.” I look straight into her eyes and tell her, “I know Dad is still alive!”

  She sighs and takes one more sip from her cup and says, “I am glad you can feel it too, Markus. I already felt a tremendous loss when we lost you. I don’t want more losses.” She embraces me and starts to cry, a few tears roll down her cheeks.

  “They do cry and they do shed tears… I remember now. Never saw her cry before, though.”

  Chief shows up at the door, he wants to move on with our tour. “Let me continue the tour with Chief and I will see you again in a little while mother.” I dry her cheeks and give her a kiss on her forehead.

  “See you,” she says, still holding the cup in her small and fragile hands.

  Chief takes me around the Base. Another two hours go by, visiting various divisions, departments and sections. It is so amazing to see everybody doing something. We think we are busy back on Earth. Humans should see these guys at work—so busy, yet calm and not stressed at all. And others are just playing games, or having a good time. No motorcycles, though.

  We walk into a room full of kids. “It’s the new training room. Here we exercise our abilities and skills. Do you remember doing that Lee?” Chief inquires.

  “I sure do! I can use some training now, too.”

  “We can come back later, if you want.”

  I look at my Earth watch and only eight hours have gone by since we left my home. Time seems to have slowed down. “It is great, that means I will be able to do more things while I am here,” I think to myself.

  “I am glad you are on vacation Chief. And thanks so much for bringing me here and showing me the Base! I really appreciate it.”

  “No worries. I knew you would.”

  “What’s that building over there? It looks new to me.”

  “Yes, very new. That’s the Technology Center; Division 100. We build our new ships there. Let’s take a look inside.”

  We step inside the building, go through a couple of doors, and right in front of us, a whole array of ships are being built.

  “This is amazing Chief. Look at all these beautiful ships.”

  “Yes, look at that one coming out of the assembly line. Let’s check her out.”

  We walk over to the ship and I have no words to describe what I see. “I am speechless.”

  “Believe me, I am also impressed Lee. We designed this ship not long ago. She is our latest model,” he comments. “She can travel twice as fast as BZ-2, the one we came in. She is also fully equipped with all kinds of radar and some extra weapons. This girl needs to be tested before sending anyone on missions.”

  “I am getting ideas, Chief.”

  “I am getting your ideas Lee. You are thinking too loud. You want to go to Mars huh? You want to go and look for your father.”

  “You got it! If it took us over six hours to get here, it would take us about two to get to Mars on board this new ship. How about we meet here in a couple of hours and we go for a test ride? I want to make sure this ship is properly tested, for others, you know?” We both laugh.

  “One of the things that hasn’t changed a bit in you, is that you were always adventurous and daring.”

  “Things are coming back to me too fast. I am starting to feel more powerful, adventurous and courageous. I can’t help it.”

  “I understand Lee. I can perceive how you feel. Why don’t you go back to the training room, retrain yourself for a while and then visit your mother before we go. We will meet up here in two hours. Meanwhile, I will review the manual for this ship and get permission to go out. Remember I am still on vacation, so I still have to get permission.”

  “Sounds like a plan Chief. I will see you in a couple of hours.”

  I return to the training room. There are a few students and a trainer. I walk in and notice everyone is doing something different.

  “I remember now, most of the training is done in pairs. You have a partner and you take turns practicing whatever you want to improve.”

  I sit down and the Coach comes over to me. He pulls out a checklist and asks me what I want to train on. I am fully aware of the fact that I don’t have a lot of time so I just choose a couple of items. Number one: communication and, two: moving my body and objects in space without physical contact. There are many exercises for every subject on that checklist. I just pick a few. Your progress depends on how good you do the first few steps, then you can proceed to more advanced levels, the list is almost endless.

  I am very clumsy at the beginning, as I am too excited and get too many things in my head. But that’s one of the things this training helps you with. I have to learn to live the moment.

  “I have got to be here, in the present, not thinking about what happened an hour or a day ago, or what may happen in an hour or a day from now, but here and now!”

  Then I start to concentrate better and begin to regain my communication abilities. It becomes more and more fun.

  I move to the next subject and interestingly enough, it also has to do with communication. In order to command something to move you have to establish good communication with that which you are trying to move. After that, it is all about intention and self-confidence.

  “All the things Jon and Leo have been telling me make so much more sense now. I am so glad Chief brought me here. He knew what I could get out of this trip, and I am getting more than what he may have envisioned.”

  After nearly two hours of good training, I go back to see my mother one more time. A very short visit, for I have changed my plans.

  “Hello son! Your coffee is still doing funny stuff with my body.”

  “Sorry my lady. I did not mean to…”

  “It’s not bad. I am just kidding.” She smiles.

  She tells me a little bit more about my father and the rest of my family. I have two brothers, Xaxo and Meeno, who are on missions most of the time, and a sister, Mura-ena, who is at Station Five, not far from the Base. I will make plans to visit them another time.

  “So you have to go?” She asks, having perceived my thought.

  “Yes mother. Chief and I decided to go test one of the new ships. I am very excited.” I did not want to tell her about my plan about trying to go rescue my father, did not want to give her more things to worry about.

  She looks straight into my eyes and with a sweet voice she says, “Well, have fun testing that new ship. Hope you bring your father back, too.” She smiles.

  “I think too loudly, don’t I mother?”

  “I still know you well enough, Markus.” She approaches me, and with a warm embrace and with a kiss, she conveys her blessing.

&
nbsp; I am their only hope, and she knows that I am determined not only to find him, but to do anything to get him back. She did not say that, not with words.

  I leave her office and go to meet up with Chief.

  Chapter 34

  The Mission to Mars

  I walk into the Engineering Building and head towards Chief who is standing in front of the ship’s entrance. “Are you ready Chief?”

  “I am ready, big boy! I got permission to go out and test this girl.”

  “Cool! What’s her name?”

  “Haven’t thought of one. What do you think?”

  “I like Maggy! What do you think?”

  “Maggy it is. I also read the manual. It is much easier than flying any of the earlier ships. You will be amazed to see how simple it is.”

  “Simplicity is one of your specialties Chief. I like you guys more and more.”

  We proceed to walk inside the ship. “This ship is more automated so you can literally just tell her what to do.” He turns to the panels and starts to talk to the ship, “Your name is Maggy! This is your Commander, Chief. You also have Lee on board, and he will be second in command.”

  “I can’t believe Chief just appointed me second in command, what an honor,” I think to myself.

  “Welcome on board Commander, and welcome on board, Lee.”

  “Thanks Maggy. You are a state of the art ship.” I say to her.

  “We are going to get ready here,” says Chief while pushing a lever and maneuvering the ship to the exit gate. He pushes another button and the gates start to open. The ship exits the building and glides onto a platform out in the open. He points to the big screen in the front and says, “I entered the location where your father last transmitted from—near Mars. We will be there in about two hours. The best thing to do, as we approach Mars, is to see if we can perceive your father, his space, his thoughts, anything. Radar can’t perceive that kind of communication or energy, but we can.”

  “Got it Chief.” We take a seat. I am still amazed by this state of the art piece of equipment that just came out of the assembly line. Amazing technology. Something man can only dream off.

  He turns to me, making sure I am already strapped in and tells me, “Let’s get the hell out of here Lee.” He pulls a lever in front of him, which makes Maggy thrust forward at what I consider medium speed.

  We leave the Base. I could hardly tell when the thing blasted off into the deep expanse of space. And there it goes speeding into the ‘time warp’ effect, as I call it; the ship just seems to disappear in space. How fast are we going? I have no clue, can’t compare this with any Earth speed.

  I start to wonder about my father and so I comment, “I wonder what kind of beings could have captured him Chief.”

  “There aren’t many types of spaceships or stations in this sector of the Universe. Not that many which make trouble, at least.”

  “Borasee come to my mind,” I voice.

  “Those and the so called Boggies. But you wouldn’t know about Boggies. They showed up after you went missing. They stole some of our technology from the Base.

  “Hard to get rid of them huh?” I voice.

  “It hasn’t been easy. They are very good warriors. They capture people, put them in a hypnotic trance, and then suck up as much knowledge as they can.”

  “What do they do with the body after that?”

  “Whatever they want to do with it. They are very mean and vicious.”

  “I think those were the ones that got me Chief.” I suddenly get a bunch of pictures rushing to my head. “I sort of recall what they did to me, now that you are telling me. They put me in an oven-like chamber, and cooked my body after getting whatever they could get out of me. I was so confused, I escaped to the closest planet with life on it—Earth.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “What guarantees that we are not going to be caught Chief?”

  “Nothing! I thought you had a plan.” He looks at me surprised, though he’s aware that I don’t even know what I am up against. There could be anything waiting for us, or maybe they had deserted the location and were simply gone. We are going to find out—that’s for sure.

  “My plan is to find my father and get him out of… wherever he is.”

  He smiles and says, “A bit general, but I guess that’s a plan. We will be approaching Mars very soon.”

  “Boy, that was fast.” Chief tells Maggy to slow down to about one-eighth the speed we had been traveling, and all of a sudden I see it—the Red Planet, right in front of me.

  “I am sure the ship would let us know if she detects anything, such as life, a Base, weapons, anything…right Chief?”

  “Yes, she will alert us of any activity registering on the radar.”

  “Can we be detected?”

  “Not easily. That reminds me…” He turns around and commands Maggy to activate non-detection mode.

  “There seems to be something on the radar. It is coming from that big crater over there. There is a green dot. What does it mean?” I ask.

  “I am detecting some type of a life form. Not identifiable yet,” Maggy says.

  Chief sets the controls to manual and gently navigates towards the surface. He points to the screen and says, “orange dots, too—equipment of some sort.”

  “What about those red ones that just showed up, Chief?”

  “Those mean trouble—weapons! There are also some black ones, which indicate they have various radars. It is definitely a Base of some sort.”

  “Look Chief. Those guys are armed to the teeth. Many more red dots are now showing up on the screen. Is there a way the ship can detect any of our people?”

  “No! Like I said before, that’s our job. I think we are safe. We are very close and have not been detected… yet.”

  “Sorry, I can’t perceive anything. Either my perception is not good or my father is not there,” I pause as I suddenly start to feel something, “Wait…I am getting something Chief…Lab 1.”

  “These are definitely the Boggies. They call their modules Labs, which are basically buildings. Lab 1 is the place where they keep prisoners…after they have messed with them.” He looks at me a bit discouraged.

  “So, they already messed with my father.” I start to get furious, wondering what kind of stuff they may have done to him. I look at Chief and voice angrily, “They will pay for that.”

  He nods and says, “In due time Lee. But don’t let anger take over your integrity right now.” I nod back.

  “Okay, let’s move on. Let’s find Lab 1. By the way, Chief, can Maggy take commands from me as well?”

  “Sure! Just a moment.” He turns to the front of the ship and directs his attention to the panels saying, “Maggy, accept commands given by Lee, from now on.”

  Maggy begins to make some beeping noises and then utters, “Voice frequency recognition active. Ready to take commands, Lee.”

  “Thanks Maggy.” I acknowledge her and begin to give her instructions, “Approach Lab 1 in stealth mode and let us know when we reach a distance of one hundred feet.”

  “Approaching target…now at one hundred feet from target Lee.”

  “Please report amount of guards and weapons, whatever you can detect.”

  “Ten guards located in Lab 1. Carrying ten weapons, type Z-21 Buzzers with lasers.”

  “What kind of weapons do we have, Chief? And… do we have any space suits?”

  “We have three weapons, long-range-laser types. Three space suits with helmets—oxygen incorporated. Radios installed inside the helmets. The suits will also protect against radiation, if there is any.”

  I grab two of the space suits and start to suit up. The second suit will be for my father, in case he needs it. “You don’t have to come Chief, but please help me from here. Orient me and warn me of any possible danger approaching. Can you follow my location?”

  “Yes! Every move you make. Your suit is also like a big antenna. It receives and transmits data to
the ship’s computer. We will get even more details of the place as you get inside the building. There are also two video cameras installed in the helmet, one in the front and one in the rear. We can see what those video cameras capture. They provide us with a good vision to help you cover both your front and your back. You have a small screen inside the helmet enabling you to see what’s behind you, too. Most likely you will perceive movements and things around you before those cameras do, but they make it safer. And…just a reminder, Lee, you used to be one of our best warriors.”

  “Thanks Chief. I will keep that in mind.”

  “Also, remember the gravity of Mars is only 38% the gravity of Earth. You have to sort of propel yourself in space. I know there is more gravity inside the buildings and they even have oxygen inside.”

  “Understood Chief. Glad this thing fits me,” I voice as I finish zipping up my gear and start to get my head inside the helmet. “How do I look?”

  “You look great!” He gives me the thumbs up and throws me one of the weapons.

  “Maggy, please let me out.”

  Chapter 35

  The Rescue

  I exit the ship and begin to float in space, a very interesting sensation; my body feels so light. I had always dreamed of this ability—to be able to fly. “I would be a hero, if I was on Earth, just like Superman… maybe not as fast, but at least I can fly!”

  The space suit is amazing. It is self-adjusting, self-fitting, or something of the sort. It doesn’t feel uncomfortable at all. I apply some of my recently re-gained ability to move in space. It makes it easy since there is almost no gravity. With strong intention I thrust my body into space.

  “Lab 1 entrance is in front of you Lee. About fifty feet,” says Chief on the radio.

  “Got it! I will go around and see if I can find another entrance. Don’t want to head for the front door.”

  I perceive another one of my father’s “weary” messages: “Lab 1, seventh floor…Markus.”

  “I am coming father. Stay strong. I am coming.”

  “Chief, can you tell me how to get to the seventh floor of Lab 1?”

  “Let me see…It looks like you are on the surface, which is floor number ten. You will have to go down through nine and eight to make it to the seventh floor.”