Above A Whisper (Whispers of A Planet Book 2)

by Sean Clark

  “They’re going to want you to go down there without a doubt. Can you handle it?” Agrippa pushes Cecil to attention.

  “We’ll deal with that when it happens. Let’s get out of here for starters.” Cecil says, brushing his hands across the jumpsuits, hung nicely in a line.

  ◆◆◆

  “This is a suit only zone for right now.” A crewmember stops the two outside the doors to the hangar. “They’re pulling supplies off the ship.”

  Nodding, the two walk to the side of the door where to the big window looks across the hangar floor. A forklift slowly retreats back into the big open doorway, carrying a neatly wrapped crate on top of a carbon fiber pallet. Several men waive neon beacons, guiding the vehicles in. Another is on the way out, forks empty and ready for another load.

  Cecil spots Nikomedes in his bright suit talking to another person in the bay, making gestures at the crates. The man scribbles onto a tablet with an oversized stylus.

  “How big is your crew?” Agrippa asks.

  “Six. Well… five.” Cecil counts. Agrippa turns to him as he responds.

  “What do you mean?”

  “One crew member didn’t survive the cryo sleep.” Cecil says, solemnly.

  “Isn’t that something that should be tested before a crew member gets sent on a mission like this? Their compatibility with cryo sleep and the nanomachine system and such?”

  “This was originally supposed to be an unmanned vessel.” Cecil notes, peering out to the ship on the landing pad. “We only had a few weeks to select members and get the ship prepared. That’s one of the reasons why Atreo had to come. Linus was also one of them, who had been working at mission control at the time. He was a communications guy, with some knowledge of aeronautics systems. Unfortunately, he had a bad smoking habit that nobody seemed to acknowledge.”

  “It affected how is body absorbed the oxygen carried by the nanomachines then. What an awful way to go. Did you have to go through cryo again, Cecil?” Agrippa asks, a hint of concern in his voice.

  “I did. It was as painful as always. It isn’t something I would wish on anybody. I hate that we have to go through it.” Cecil sneered, before allowing himself to become calm again.

  “You look better now though.” Agrippa begins to mention, still looking out at the hangar. “You wear glasses now too?”

  “Yeah.” Cecil runs his finger along the side of the frames. “After I got the cornea transplant, they couldn’t entirely fix my sight back to one hundred percent, but with this prescription, the world looks normal again.”

  “Truthfully… after you got up from your injury, it hurt to look at you.” Agrippa sighs. “Your eyes were dead, and your face seemed permanently emotionless. It was like looking at a zombie. Now… you almost seem like a new person. I didn’t really know you before the accident, but I feel like you’re now the person you were then.”

  The orange warning lights flash inside of the hangar, along with siren playing loudly, echoing though the big chamber. Outside, the first set of doors had begun to close. In short succession, the second inner set of doors follow. As they finally meet, the flashing lights die out to nothing, and the siren stops.

  “Sometimes I wonder what type of person I was then.” Cecil ponders out loud. “I felt invincible, and impenetrable. I don’t think it was the injury that changed that about me, though. I think it was the news that my mother had passed.”

  “Because, even despite the injury, you thought you could heal up and be back at work again?” Agrippa guesses.

  “Exactly. However, nothing would bring her back. I was ignoring my own well-being in favor of others.” Cecil sighs

  “You’re doing that again, you know.” Agrippa elbows Cecil.

  “Old habits die hard.” Cecil adds in, watching the commotion die down inside of the hangar.

  Chapter 31

  Familiar bunks line the room, but the space is devoid of the usual life. Galen had come aboard, joining the others shortly after they had regrouped, finally able to rest in the crew quarters.

  “So… Atreo just wants to hang around out there all alone?” Cyrus mentions, unpacking the modest bag onto the empty lower bunk. “You would think after months waiting for us to wake up, he would want some company.”

  “He barely said much even after we came out of cryo sleep.” Nikomedes adds. “Did he tell you anything, Galen?”

  “When it was just the two of us… he urged me to head out as soon as we were cleared to enter. I think he just likes his solitude.” Galen shifts nervously.

  “That’s not a crime.” Cecil shakes his head. The others turn towards him, dissatisfaction in their eyes. “It’s something you get used to. Believe me, I know.” Cecil backtracks, the others seeming to accept the answer.

  Cecil shoves the half-empty bag under the bunk, stretching out on the rough blanket of the bed. The squeaking of springs fills the room as the others settle in themselves. Shifting his feet back and forth against the cold fabric, Cecil’s bed rocks slightly on the uneven legs. No matter how long he focuses at the underside of the bunk above him, thoughts roll around in his head, keeping his fatigue at arm’s reach.

  As he shifts to slide out of bed, Cyrus rolls over to face him. Their eyes meet, and Cecil feels obliged to respond. “I can’t sleep.” The bed creaks as he rises. “I’m going for a walk.”

  Cyrus nods tiredly, turning back to his other side. Cecil tiptoes out the cracked door in his socks, entering the hallway. It is dimly lit like he remembers, orange hazy lights dotting the ceiling. The hallways in this area are tight, and the air circulates poorly.

  The hallways are devoid of life, a feeling that puts Cecil at peace. The passageways seem labyrinthian, and unfamiliar. Each intersection and row of panels on the wall seem almost identical. Cecil continues walking, taking short slow strides.

  A familiar feeling comes over him. On one of the walls is pasted a big decal; a red cross cut out of vinyl, peeling at the corners. Rounding the corner, the orange sign glows, embellished with big white letters that read ‘Medical Bay’. A wave of uneasiness comes over him.

  Standing in front of the door, Cecil hesitates to push the button to enter, hand hovering over the sensor. Curiosity gets the better of him, and out of reflex, his hand smashes into the panel with a slight give. The door opens to a familiar, troubling sound. Bright white light pours out into the hallway from inside, blinding him as he takes a few steps in.

  A gasp sounds from inside, followed by a set of loud footsteps coming his way. “Cecil!” someone shouts his name as something collides with him, grabbing around his torso. As he eyes adjust to the light, he looks down at a mess of deep brown hair buried into his chest. A warm sensation washes over him.

  “Maria?” Cecil utters as the young woman pulls away, attempting to subtly wipe her eyes. She steps back, looking up at Cecil, seeming to avoid direct eye contact.

  “I’m sorry.” The nurse squeaks.

  “No, it’s just…” Cecil stutters. Her maroon skin shines in the light, and her eyes appear slightly puffy. Draped down her back is a loose pony tail of shiny hair.

  “I heard the rumors… that you had come back.” Maria sniffles. “I hadn’t heard anything since you left… I felt awful because I hadn’t been able to confirm if you were well or not. For months, I wondered how you might be doing, but after a while I couldn’t continue to stress myself out over it. I had to push it to the back of my mind. It’s… not professional. When I heard the news, all of those memories suddenly just came flooding back to me. I’m sorry.” She shrinks back, turning around to fumble with her pony tail now pulled across her shoulder.

  “Well… I’m just fine now.” Cecil twiddles his thumbs. “You were the one who was always there for me. You found the tumor inside of my head. You… saved my life.”

  Maria stares down at her feet. “But now you’re back here… risking it all again for this planet. I hate this place, really. I don’t understand why you want to be here.”

&nb
sp; “Agrippa already scolded me, telling me the same thing. I don’t need it from you too.” Cecil joked.

  “I wouldn't expect any less from him. I am glad to see that you’re better; looking better top. You have glasses as well…” Maria quickly peeks over her shoulder, turning around to approach him. Cecil feels his face become warm, like his scars had felt after the accident. Her body heat seems to radiate as she approached.

  Standing on her tiptoes, the girl reaches up by Cecil’s face. Her dainty fingers move up to his temples, grabbing the arms of his glasses and slowly slipping them off. Cecil’s vision goes blurry, but he can see her eyes fixating on his, a small smile on her face.

  Seconds pass, their eyes locked. The heat in Cecil’s cheeks burns. The sound of the doors opening suddenly makes Cecil jump.

  “Ah!” Cecil hears Galen exclaim. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting…”

  Maria quickly shoves the Glasses back at Cecil, into his grasp. Slipping them on quickly, he turns around to face Galen standing in the still open door, looking around aimlessly. In his hands, he holds a pair of woven nylon straps attached a big bag. “These just got unpacked from the load. I was told to bring them here and get acquainted with the medical bay.” Galen explains, presenting the bag out in front of him.

  “Well, I spend a long time here myself.” Cecil jokes. “I don’t know as much as I should though. Maria is the resident nurse on call here.”

  Maria steps out from behind Cecil, straightening her skirt. “I was just saying hello.” Cecil continues explaining. “You two do what you need to do.” Cecil nods to Maria before quickly walking to the door, squeezing past the big bag that Galen had sat down.

  Chapter 32

  “While you all were resting, the rest of the shipment was unloaded and unpacked.” Atreo discloses, his face being displayed on the screen mounted behind the commander’s chair.

  “We can still manage here even though we are down some men, Franc.” Cassius leans over, head resting on his arm. Cecil and the others observe from his sides.

  Atreo clears his voice in response. “I see that. I’ll leave your men to you, then. For thee four though… the real work starts now. Nikomedes, I need you to get in contact with the hydroponics sector and the lab. They’ve been doing their work to find out which crops are showing signs of absorbing the bacteria the most. They have been working on trying to eradicate it, but they’re severely behind. Give them a hand in whichever way you feel necessary. Push them in the right direction.” Nikomedes nods his head in response.

  “Cyrus, stay here with Cassius. You’re going to run backup for Nikomedes and help organize some of the findings that they’ve collected through the lab.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see if I can write a script to sort them out.” The youngest of the group licks his lips, thinking.

  “Whatever works.” Atreo replies indifferently. “Cecil, Galen. I need you two to deal with the quarantine for now. I know this is the most unpleasant of the jobs here, but I also know you two are the best we have right now. I might not be able to stay in contact with you if and when you head down to Secundus, but I wish you the best of luck.”

  “Yes sir.” Galen responds confidently. Cecil feels himself sweating underneath his jumpsuit.

  “And Cassius.” Atreo continued. “Don’t interfere with their instructions. They’re my men, not yours.”

  “Roger that, Mr. Director.” Cassius sneers, shutting off the feed. He turns around to face them. “Well, you heard him. Get to it, and quit hanging around my station control.”

  Cyrus jumps to the side, sliding into an empty seat sloppily. Mashing the space bar on the closest keyboard, the screen before him lights up with a log-in screen.

  “Nik.” Cecil starts explaining as the others walk out, the door closing behind them. “All of these men here are capable. Just give them some leadership and get them going in the same direction. I guaranteed you will see results quickly.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” Nikomedes wags his finger. “You guys headed to the medical bay?”

  “Yeah.” Galen confirms, waving the old man off. Cecil nods in opposite direction, down towards the Medical Bay. Galen takes point, seeming to have already memorized the layout of the station. He glanced back quickly at Cecil. “That Maria girl is a looker, ey?”

  “Huh? Oh Yeah.” Cecil responds.

  “There’s nothing between you two? Or are you just shy?” Galen smirks back at him.

  “There’s more than you know.” Cecil bites his lip, thinking. “Up here, we’re like family, even if we don’t know each other on a first name basis.”

  “That doesn't answer my question.”

  “Maria… was also my mother’s name. She passed away while I was last here. It was during my extended stay in the medical ward. When I woke up after my accident, I attempted to dictate a letter through the nurse… Maria, even though she eventually learned what happened. She kept it away from me, probably to spare me until a time when I was less vulnerable.” Cecil explains calmly.

  “Forgive me.” Galen responds hesitantly.

  “She was the nurse that tended to me there. I was… unwell, in more ways than one.” Cecil reminisces. “She always made sure I was comfortable. She eventually found that I had a brain tumor developing on my frontal love. She saved my life. It’s nothing more than that.”

  “I get it.” Galen hangs his head a bit, not saying anything more. As they approach the medical ward door, Galen enters without hesitation. A male nurse is inside. He looks up at them, giving a slight smirk.

  “You must be those guys from the ship that just arrived. Welcome.” The nurse greets them. Cecil can see him peer behind Galen at him. “Ah, Mr. Ruiz. I heard you had come back. It’s wonderful to see you in good health. What brings you here today?”

  “We’re here to see the body you found.” Galen announces.

  Cecil turns him in surprise. Galen shifts his view to the nurse who seems equally dumbfounded, then back at Cecil. “I apologize for this sudden request, the director just informed me himself. This is just for protocol. It’s been my understanding that the proper steps were not taken to officially report the body… which is not completely your fault.” Galen explains intensely. “There’s no precedent for reporting a death of someone who was not part of your crew after all.”

  “I can’t stand that thing.” The nurse shudders, shaking his head. “Imagine hearing that a body had been found, but supposedly all crew had been accounted for. Then command passes out orders to section heads to do a double check, then a triple check. Still, everyone is alive and well. How do you explain that, on a planet like this no less? We had to take it and do an autopsy… if you want to call it that. What we got was an ancient suit covered in mud, with no more than a skeleton inside.”

  “Qaseem Saïd.” Cecil utters.

  “Yeah… that was the name on the dog tags we found on it. What’s so important about that name?”

  “He was part of the first expedition here to Mars. He didn’t make it home, though.” Cecil elaborates

  “I have his dental records prepared.” Galen says, pulling out a few transparent printouts. “We just need to match them, up, and then we can file an official death certificate.”

  “You mean his family back at home has just been in the dark this whole time? I can’t imagine that”. The nurse complains. “How can you not say someone is dead after being abandoned on an inhospitable planet like this?”

  “Like I said, it’s just a formality, for a proper death certificate. With this, his family can get some closure. We may even endeavor to send his body back to Earth, should we have the chance.” Galen concludes.

  “Well then, let’s not waste any more time.” The nurse motions at them. He plays with a cardboard box of disposable gloves, picking up a pair of surgical masks. “Both of you grab one, you really don’t want to get the smell on you.”

  At the back of the medical ward is a supply closet and hallway, which leads to a set of stairs
going below. The passageway is dark, and as Cecil descends the steps, he can feel the cold air around him. The nurse moves to a big door, held closed with a hefty latch. The seal creaks and complains as he pulls up the handle to swung the heavy door open.

  White fog pours out over the floor. Goosebumps pop up on Cecil’s arms underneath the jumpsuit. He pulls on the nitrile gloves, pulling the ends over the cuffs of the jumpsuit. A slight moldy smell lingers above the odor of the refrigerant.

  “This is the station morgue. Luckily, we only have one spot occupied for the moment.” The nurse speaks, pulling on his mask. Cecil and Galen do the same.

  The nurse waves them by him, allowing them to slide into the small space. Square doors line the wall, collecting bits of white frost. A white name tag adorns one of them, written on in black marker; Qaseem Saïd.

  Cecil looks back at the nurse, who faces back against the door, holding it open. On the other side, Galen had started fiddling with the latch. Popping, the door creaks open. Galen pushes it open the rest of the way and extends the long metal drawer.

  The faint smell grows more violent as Galen opens the sleek vinyl bag that had been neatly placed on the long drawer. Cecil draws in a deep breath and holds it. Galen peers into the bag fearlessly. Fishing around, he eventually extracts a grey, beat up mandible. Cecil quickly turns away, pushing air slowly out of his nostrils.

  After a few long moments, he hears the sound of the zipper closing. Looking back over, Galen stands nodding his head, jotting down something into his tablet. He slides the drawer back in and closed the door after it. As they squeeze up and out, Galen nods at the nurse one last time and takes his leave.

  Cecil follows Galen through the corridors once again. “Did Atreo twist your arm into doing that?” Cecil asks, trying to break the silence.

  “No. I actually brought it up myself. Like you, I did some research before coming here. I noticed the death certificate wasn’t an official one as they never found the body. I offered to do it and the director seemed fine with it. Anyways, enough of this. We need to get to quarantine.”