by H. G Ahedi
Emmeline stepped closer to them and noticed images inside the bubbles. She turned to Delta to show her, but she still did not move. Emmeline focused on one bubble. In it, she could see an asteroid field. It was enormous. She wondered what it meant. She turned to the next and could see an Earth-like planet. Then a third bubble floated in front of her. Carcasses lay on the ground, and a black dragon-like creature flew above an immense structure. It looked like a historic castle. She gasped. Suddenly, the bubble filled with blackness. She peered in. A pair of red eyes appeared and glared at her. She felt as if those eyes saw through her and knew exactly what she was doing. She gasped and stumbled backward.
The next thing she knew, she was on the ground. She quickly got to her feet and found Delta, who looked confused.
“Did you see that?” Emmeline asked shakily.
“Yes. The flash. It was too bright.”
“No.” Emmeline shook her head. “The bubbles.”
Delta eyed her. “Bubbles. What bubbles?”
Emmeline’s mind struggled to comprehend what had happened, but they had limited time. She had no choice but to focus on the problem at hand. She walked toward the stone box. The glow had disappeared. She got on her knees and peered inside the oval structure. She saw a hole in the ground where the piece had stood. She reached for her flashlight and illuminated the interior. A smile of satisfaction spread across her face as she saw the golden piece. It was about five centimeters long and curved. She slowly reached down, thinking of the risks she had taken, the things she’d had to go through to get here, and congratulated herself on a well-deserved victory. Even though she may not have found the entire mythical device, she still had a way of explaining all this. The piece, to her amazement, was cool and lightweight, and there were no markings on it.
Delta came over to have a look. “It’s beautiful.”
Freedom
Jacob had never thought he would be glad to see this anomaly, but he was. He was fascinated and curious. The eyes of every crew member on the bridge were glued to the viewscreen. The moment of awe seemed to last forever. When they had detected the portal, they’d never thought it would be so enchanting.
For a second, they all forgot what they had come here for. It was the admiral who broke the silence. “Any sign of Astra?”
The pilot, Eugene, suddenly realized his duties. “Yes, sir. Astra is on the planet on the other side of the portal.”
“Are there any other planetoids?” Argon asked.
Jacob controlled himself. He knew why Argon was here; it would come to nothing. Punishment was due for those who broke the law, and these girls were no different. No one would be left unpunished, not on his watch.
“None,” Eugene replied after a moment.
“Open a channel,” Jacob said.
Argon turned to him, and their eyes met. Jacob could feel his hatred. In fact, he could feel even his crew’s disapproval of his actions. But he was a man of his word, and he represented the Imperial Command. The law had to be followed. “Freedom to Astra, do you read me?” he said.
Everyone waited. There was no response.
“Emmeline and Delta, this is Admiral Donavan. Do you read me?”
Still silence.
“Is their ship intact?” asked Jacob.
“Yes, sir,” Eugene told him.
“Are they receiving our hails?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can I try?” asked Argon.
Jacob’s face turned stony. “Go ahead.”
Argon tried a couple of times, but still, there was no reply.
“Sir,” said the communications officer. “Titan is hailing us.”
Jacob scowled.
“To be specific, Dr. Kent is hailing us.”
Jacob rolled his eyes and accepted the call. “Yes, Dr. Kent?”
The viewscreen split in two. On one side, they could see the doorway. On the other side, Dr. Kent’s face appeared. “Have you sent the probe yet?” he asked.
“You know I’m the admiral, right?” Jacob retorted.
Everyone on the bridge tried to hide their amusement.
“Yes. I am aware of that. Admiral, have you sent the probe yet?”
“No. I’m trying to contact Astra.”
“Well, while you’re waiting, why don’t you send it?” Dr. Kent suggested impatiently.
“Admiral,” said Anastasia with a warm smile. “Could you please send the probe? It would help us figure out our next move.”
“Sure,” Jacob replied. He nodded toward the tactical officer, Lieutenant Tessa Clark.
A couple of minutes passed, and Tessa announced, “The probe is ready, sir.”
“Fire away.”
A small flash of light left Freedom and approached the portal. The crew watched as it disappeared into the circular abyss.
“Okay. The probe is transmitting. Telemetry coming through,” Eugene announced.
“Transmit it to Titan,” Jacob ordered. Everyone was quiet for a moment. “Hail Astra again.”
“No reply, sir.”
Jacob did not like to be ignored. Who did these girls think they were?
Anastasia appeared on the screen.
“Yes, Commander?” said Jacob.
“We’ve never seen anything like this before,” she said. “As the probe passed through the portal, there was a disturbance on the planet’s surface. Dr. Kent informed me that he detected seismic activity in the southern hemisphere of the planet.”
“So, if an object passes through the portal, it affects the entire planet. Why?” asked Jacob.
“We don’t know. What we know is that this portal opens into another galaxy. We’ll need time to figure out which one,” Anastasia replied.
Half an hour passed without incident.
Suddenly, an alarm went off on Titan’s bridge. “What happened?” Anastasia asked.
Adrian’s voice rang out.
Anastasia turned her attention back to Freedom. “Admiral, the probe has stopped transmitting.”
Jacob turned to the tactical station.
“The commander is right. The probe has not only stopped transmitting. It’s vanished,” reported Tessa.
“What?” Jacob asked. “How can that be?”
“The probe was designed to go through the portal and orbit the planet. But as soon as it entered the southern hemisphere, it vanished. I can’t detect it any longer,” Tessa said. “Admiral, I suggest caution. There might be an alien ship, or an entity hidden from our sensors.”
“Hmm.”
“Sir, if there is an alien ship out there, we might be seen as an unwelcome guest, maybe hostile. We shouldn’t make an enemy of them,” Tessa added.
“I agree,” said Anastasia. “The Orias are enough.”
Jacob scoffed.
They waited again. Jacob walked up and down on the bridge. He glared at the portal again. It remained open and stable. “Has the probe appeared?”
“Negative.”
“Interesting. It appears that something really doesn’t want us to know more about this region of space,” Dr. Kent remarked.
“This is a waste of time,” Jacob said. “I think mine is the only plan we’re left with. We should go and get them.”
“No!” Dr. Kent protested before anyone else could. “We don’t know how that will affect the planet or Astra.”
“I’ve had enough of this.”
“Sir, I think—” Anastasia began.
Jacob cut her off. “Silence! We’re here to get them out. That is what I’m going to do! Now take us in!”
Argon took a step forward. The admiral gave him a warning look.
The Rogue Planet
Somehow, the trek back to Astra seemed faster. They had been jogging for the last couple of kilometers. Emmeline’s clothes were drenched with sweat, and she was breathless. But they had little time. Astra was so close. They’d be heading home soon. Emmeline reached for the rock over her head and climbed after Delta. Suddenly, the mountain trembled.
Emmeline grabbed the rock tightly. Cracks began to form in the mountain.
“Emmeline move!” shouted Delta.
Emmeline looked to her right. She could see rocks crumbling and rolling to the ground. The flat terrain was disappearing fast. She grabbed the next rock and climbed hurriedly. Delta helped her. Both women stood on the edge of the mountain. The sky became dark, and thunder clapped. The mountains made loud groaning noises. In a matter of minutes, the entire terrain changed. The ground beneath them shook. They lost their balance and fell. When Emmeline looked up, she saw a huge cloud of dust in the distance. The tip of a mountain fell off and tumbled downward.
“Emmeline, run!” Delta shouted.
Freedom
Freedom’s crew members were stunned. They felt as if they had been miraculously transported to another universe. The enchanting white light captivated them. The ship shook, and alarms blared, but neither discouraged them from looking at the vast set of galaxies. Even the admiral was in awe.
“Sir, we have a problem,” reported Tessa. “As soon as we entered the gateway, the seismic activity on the planet doubled. It’s now mostly in the south pole, but I’m afraid if we go through the gate, it might destroy the entire planet.”
“Are you sure? We’re halfway through the portal,” said Jacob. “Once we get to our people, we’ll want to observe this phenomenon.”
Tessa took a few minutes to complete the scan. “Sir, I believe I am right. The closer we move to the planet; it appears to affect the planet. We don’t have the equipment nor the right crew to monitor such a phenomenon. Titan does.”
Jacob shrugged his shoulders and looked disappointed. He was right; he was always right. “Fine. Fine. Back off! We’ll wait for them, then!”
“Reversing engines,” announced Eugene.
“Any signs of the probe?” Argon inquired.
“It hasn’t reappeared,” Eugene replied.
“Any other life signs?” inquired the admiral.
“I detect two life signs on the planet, human. No other life signs detected.” Tessa reported.
Freedom shook and shuddered, and the engines roared. Freedom swung inside the portal. The engines screamed as all power was drained from them.
“Eugene?” Jacob asked.
“Sir, the engines aren’t responding.”
“What?” shouted Argon, coming to stand next to him.
“Full power! Reverse now!” ordered Jacob.
Freedom trembled as the engines pushed backward.
“Sir, the earthquakes have engulfed the southern pole,” Tessa said urgently.
“Pilot!”
“Sir, I’m giving it all she’s got. This is it. We can’t do anything more!”
Freedom shuddered more violently. Jacob gripped his chair.
“Admiral, the structural integrity of the ship is collapsing. Shields are down to fifty percent. There are hull fractures on Decks 2 and 3. If we don’t stop, Freedom will collapse inside the portal. We have to go through. We have no choice!” said Tessa.
Argon turned to the admiral, then spun on his heel without a word. His face red, he raged out of the bridge. Damn him, Jacob thought ruefully.
The Rogue Planet
Emmeline never knew she could run so fast. Like a ghost, the dust cloud emerging from the collapsing mountains was following them. Thunder clapped overhead, and the ground vibrated under her feet. Emmeline looked behind her as she ran up the small hill. The dust cloud wasn’t far away. She couldn’t see anything beyond it. They were nearly there. As soon as she reached the top of the hill, she was delighted to see Astra still intact.
Delta paused for a moment, breathing hard, and turned. “Come on!”
Emmeline had to stop for a moment. She felt like her legs were tearing apart. “Go! Go! I’ll catch—”
At that moment, there was loud, resonating noise, and the mountain below trembled. Emmeline lost her balance and fell forward. She immediately got to her feet and was about to run, but then she stopped. She felt as if a large animal was moving beneath her. She looked up. Delta stood near Astra, facing her.
Thunder echoed, and a crack appeared in front of Emmeline and began to widen.
“Delta!” Emmeline screamed.
Realizing what was happening, Delta ran toward her. The mountain broke, and its first victim was Astra. The ship tilted, then groaned as it fell into the abyss. The cracks in the mountain appeared faster and wider. Delta looked at Emmeline.
“No!” Emmeline cried, and she threw herself ahead, trying to grab Delta’s outstretched hand. Her fingers touched Delta’s, and she tried to grab her wrist, but it slipped from her grip. Emmeline fell on the rock’s edge. Delta screamed, waving her hands helplessly as she disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Justice is arbitrary
Freedom
“Sir, I’ve sent a distress signal,” said Tessa as Freedom appeared on the other side of the portal.
“Astra. It’s gone! It’s gone!” shouted Eugene.
“Are you sure?” Jacob asked.
“It was on sensors just a minute ago. I’ve lost it!”
“Look for life signs! Tell me they’re alive!” Jacob sat on the edge of his seat.
“Sir, there’s an unauthorized launch of one of our shuttles,” said Tessa.
Jacob rolled his eyes. “Let me guess.”
“It’s Argon.”
Jacob bowed his head. The small white craft flew at high speed toward the planet.
“Sir, should I ask him to return?” Tessa asked.
Jacob faced her. “Do you think he will return?” He turned to the viewscreen. “The shuttle is faster. It can land on the surface and save any survivors. What about the portal?”
“It appears to be stable for now.”
“The earthquakes?”
“The planet is still on the verge of collapsing.”
Jacob frowned. “How long?”
“I can’t say,” Tessa replied.
Jacob looked at the planet and felt terrible. There was very little he could do now. “Open a channel to Argon.”
“Channel open, sir.”
“Argon, let us know if we can be of assistance.”
“Sure,” Argon replied coldly. Then he ended the transmission.
“Sir. I’m detecting only one life sign on the planet,” said Eugene. “Human in the northern hemisphere.”
“No one else?” Jacob asked.
Eugene turned. “No, sir.”
“Do you have the coordinates?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Send them to Argon.”
Silence fell for a moment.
“What’s causing the earthquakes?” Jacob asked.
“Unknown,” replied Tessa.
“This is all wrong and weird!” yelled the admiral.
“Sir, Argon has landed on the surface,” Eugene confirmed.
“Sir, I’m detecting something. Two hundred kilometers port side,” yelled Tessa.
“What?” asked Jacob. “Get ready to . . .”
“Sir, it’s the probe,” said Tessa excitedly. “I thought it was destroyed,”
“It survived,” Jacob replied. “Grab it quickly. I’d like to know where it went.”
“Sir,” said Eugene. “Argon reports that he has found Emmeline. She’s unconscious. He’s returning to the ship.”
“What about Delta?”
Eugene shook his head.
“Not even a body?”
“No, sir.”
Jacob bowed his head, but it wasn’t his fault. The girls should have listened to him. “Do we have enough power to go back?”
“We have enough.”
“Sir, we have the probe and shuttle,” said Tessa.
“Let’s go!” Jacob told Eugene. “Let Chris solve this mystery,” he muttered.
Freedom turned and flew back toward the portal. As soon as it entered, the planet blew to pieces. Freedom jolted. The engine roared. Alarms went off. “Sir,” Eugene called.
J
acob’s heart sank. “Oh no. Don’t tell me.”
“The portal is collapsing!”
“Increase speed!”
Freedom surged into the portal. “Sir,” Eugene said. “The portal will close in ten seconds, nine, eight . . .”
“Engines to maximum. Reroute power from anywhere you can!” Jacob ordered.
“Seven, six . . .”
The admiral opened a ship-wide channel. “Brace for impact!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the white light around Freedom began closing in. The ship trembled. The roar of the engines echoed throughout the bridge. Lights dimmed.
“Come on!” Jacob shouted, banging his fist. The stars ahead were disappearing. All he could see was a small opening, and it was closing in rapidly.
“Five, four. Sir, we won’t make it!” shouted Eugene.
“We have to make it! Punch your way through if you have to!”
The portal collapsed behind Freedom; the shock wave threw the ship out. The helm blew, launching Eugene off his seat. The ship spun out of control. Alarms screamed on the bridge.
“Engines are down. Engines are down!” shouted Tessa.
In front of Jacob’s eyes, the stars were spinning. “Take helm control,” he ordered her. “Stabilize the ship!”
Tessa jumped into action. Freedom thrusters came online, and soon, the ship came to a complete halt. Jacob got to his feet and checked on Eugene. His face was severely burned, and he was unconscious, but he was still alive. He looked at Tessa.
“The portal is gone, sir,” she reported.
Titan, Deck 10, Docking Bay
“You don’t need to be here,” Evan told Adrian.
The crew of Freedom disembarked. But unlike last time, when they’d emerged as victors today, their heads were low and their faces long.
“Something tells me I should be here,” replied Adrian. He waited. One by one, everyone left the ship. He folded his arms and bit his lip. It was true: he’d lost her. But he didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to see her. He wanted to feel her hair and listen to her voice at least one last time. For the last twenty-four hours, he’d kept wishing that Astra would show up on sensors, that somehow, she had survived. But his wish had not been granted.