Stasis (Alpha Ship One Book 1)

by L. D. P. Samways

  But I didn’t have time to ask any questions. The Ursines escorted us through the building, which looked like some sort of prison. It had cells with metal doors on them. The metal doors had small square flaps in them, just like a prison cell. We were walking on a platform, just like a catwalk in a cell block. On the far end was another hooded bear. He was also holding something. It looked like pillows and blankets. We reached the bear, and he handed us a pillow and a thin blanket each. He then opened a cell door and pushed us all in. The cell door closed behind us and everything went dark.

  We were not only prisoners on an unknown and hostile planet, but we were prisoners to the facts. Why were they treating us like this? What could they gain from locking us up? And what the hell was Pilgrim Tech thinking, giving a technologically advanced ship to a sub-tech species like the Ursines? What possible good could come from such a thing?

  It was rattling me something fierce. My mind was rushing with unprofessional thoughts of vengeance and violence. I could hear the collective fear of my crew around me. We didn’t even say a word.

  We just sat there in silence until everything sank in.

  Chapter Four

  We’d been in the dark for what I can only imagine was a few days. They’d left us water in a trough, along with some gooey grains in a bowl for nourishment. Nor me or my crewmates touched the stuff. We didn’t want to risk being poisoned or catching some sort of unsanitary disease. I’d advised them to stay strong, telling my crew that they didn’t bring us all this way just to kill us. That theory quickly went down like a lead balloon.

  “You can’t be serious, Flynn. We get shoved into a damn dungeon for days on end, and you’re here telling me that everything is going to be all right? Well, excuse me for being pessimistic, but I just don’t see much of an out here,” Jess said.

  By now, our eyesight had adjusted to our surroundings. The dark had covered up the moldy cell we were in, but our noses and eyes grew accustomed to the degradation around us. I was sitting on the cold concrete floor, watching my three crewmates from afar. They were leaning against the wall on the far end of the room. The cell didn’t consist of much other than four walls, a large trough in the middle of the room, some drainage for urinating and a bucket for crapping in. The blankets and pillows we’d been given were used as cushioning from the cold and the hard surface of the floor. Nobody had gone for a crap since we’d been placed in the cell. I didn’t know if it was because of a lack of food or the embarrassment of shitting in front of your crew. But I figured that embarrassment would wear off soon and somebody would have to empty their bowls. You just couldn’t go for days on end without doing so. I feared that if we held it in any longer, we’d suffer some severe consequences.

  “Everybody feeling okay?” I asked, worried about the wellbeing of my team. But nobody answered me. I guess they were just as tired of this as me. I had to lighten the mood. Or at least get their attention. So I got up from my corner, headed toward the bucket, undid my pants and plonked my butt down on it. I heaved a little and strained. After a few seconds, I managed to do my business, and instinctively reached for some toilet paper. But I wasn’t back on the ship, I was in a prison cell. And there was no toilet paper in sight.

  “Shit,” I said, fittingly of course. I heard my team snicker from their side of the cell.

  “Why do you think we haven’t gone yet?” Dale said, laughing.

  “Thought you guys were too embarrassed to shit in front of your captain,” I said, sitting on the bucket, trying to figure out my next move.

  “Sorry to break it to you, Flynn, but your captaincy doesn’t mean zilch right now. We’re imprisoned on an alien planet, millions of light-years away from home, six years older than we were before we entered stasis, and you think that doing a turd in a bucket is too embarrassing for us?” Jess said.

  I felt a little stupid. I sat there, head in my palms, wondering if I’d ever get the respect of my crew back. But then again, they were right. We were no longer a crew. We were prisoners. I was no longer their captain. I was just an idiot on a bucket taking a shit with no toilet paper.

  How the mighty fall indeed.

  There was a thunk all of a sudden, and I looked up from my bucket. The cell door clunked open and a ray of light entered the room. I shielded my eyes, but it was no use. The light pierced through the gaps in my fingers as I held my hand over my face. I heard the sound of heavy footsteps entering the cell. I opened my eyes and saw an Ursine. He was just as big as the rest, and was holding some sort of gizmo in his hand. I recognized it straight away. It was a translator, and it sent signals to the Ursine’s voice box that he had strapped around its mammoth neck. There was a clicking sound and then the beast spoke.

  “You, human, the one on the bucket, you are needed. Boss wants to speak to you. Boss has opportunity for you and your ship. Come with me and hear what boss has to say.”

  I looked up at the Ursine and shrugged my shoulders.

  “Would love to, but I need some toilet paper,” I said.

  I could see that the bear creature was confused.

  “I don’t know what that is. Come with me now, or you will be punished.”

  I sighed, knowing that it was no use. The expression “does a bear poop in the woods?” came to mind. So I got up off the bucket, pulled my pants up, tightened my belt and hoped that I’d have the opportunity to wipe some other time. I walked toward the Ursine and he prodded me to the door. Another Ursine slapped a lasso on me and pushed me through the door. I turned around and gave my crew a glance. They watched in horror. I think they thought I was done for. They thought that they’d never see me again. That I was going to be executed, and sure enough, they’d all be next. I’d like to tell you that I thought differently, and that I was full of courage and hope. But I’d be lying. Truth is, I thought I’d never see them again as well.

  The door slammed shut and I was escorted through the same dank hallway we’d all been taken down a few days prior. My heart was beating uncontrollably in my chest. I could feel my legs buckle as I imagined what horrors awaited me.

  ***

  You can imagine my surprise to find out that I wasn’t being executed and that the Ursines were actually taking me to meet their boss. It was more than a relief when I realized what was going on. And there I was before, worried that this was it, and I was finally going to lose my life at the hands of these bear creatures. But my death would have to wait, at least for now.

  After taking me from my cell through the prison corridors and out of the prison walls, they took me through some narrow alleyway streets. It was dark outside, and the alleyways were empty. By looking at the sky, I guessed that it was midnight their time. All the other Ursines must have been asleep. To be honest, it made perfect sense. Bringing out an alien in restraints through a city full of hostiles civilians would most likely cause pandemonium. So I guess these things were smarter than they looked. It was growing apparent to me that I’d underestimated their capabilities. They had the same tendencies as humans. Each one I’d seen thus far had a way about them. They weren’t mindless. They were intelligent. And seeing the complexity of their city and the different buildings it housed made me realize that maybe, just maybe the humans back on Earth had also misjudged these guys.

  After making our way through the small Ursine-less alleyways, we entered another nondescript building. On the outside it looked barren and without much importance. But on the inside, it was decorated with many different artifacts and decorations. The place looked regal. It was fit for a king. And I figured right off the bat that this was where their boss hung out.

  And I was right.

  After only a few minutes of walking, we reached a grand room in the middle of the building. It was oval shaped, the middle of the room was elevated, and we walked up some sort of ramp toward what I could only describe as a throne of some sorts. Sitting on the throne was another Ursine bear creature. This one was smaller than the others. It looked frail in comparison to the other gig
antic creatures of the same species. I guessed that the one on the throne was older. Much older. Its fur was grey and well groomed, a stark difference from the deep blacks and browns of the others. Plus, it looked a lot less rugged. Just like on Earth, a life lived well with plenty of money seemed to preserve this older Ursine.

  “Bow to the boss,” the hooded jailer Ursine said. I contemplated whether or not it was a good idea to go against their wishes. I wondered if my team would pay for my lack of courtesy to their king-like-bear on the throne. But without much of a fight, I decided to bow to their boss.

  The hooded jailer took a few steps back and turned around, facing the opposite way. It looked as if it was guarding me, or shielding my meeting with their king. I didn’t ask why, I just stared at the Ursine on the throne. It was draped in some sort of cape. The cape was purple and the fabric it was woven out of was smooth and seamless. I watched as the creature looked at me, its emotionless and dead eyes examining every inch of my body. I felt my face get hot. Around me, pillars that reached my waist held baskets on the top of them. In those baskets, burning wood and incense scorched my face. I could smell the burning wood and it made me feel uneasy. As I looked around the grand room, I noticed that there were many other pillars, with many burning baskets on them. I figured that it was some sort of ritual. I just hoped that I wasn’t about to get eaten or worse.

  “Brup, nup, dup dup,” the creature on the throne said in his native tongue, before reaching for a translator voice box that was placed on the armrest of the throne. It switched the box on and strapped a translucent strip of plaster on its throat. I knew what that plaster was. It measured the vibrations in their vocal chords, allowing the translator box to accurately decipher what it was saying in its foreign tongue.

  “I can assure you human, that you are going to be just fine. My subjects don’t tend to score very well on their communication skills. You could even argue that they lack the necessary faculties to communicate with you in a well-spoken and well-understood manner. That being said, you are here for one purpose and one purpose only,” the Ursine king said, shifting his weight on his throne. He moved a little, trying to get comfortable. I watched as his over sized, plump physique squished and rested against the perimeter of the throne he was sitting on. Fleshy folds of fur seemed to escape through every gap in the chair. I was immediately taken aback by the vocabulary that the Ursine king possessed. He spoke in a completely different manner compared to the others. Even though I understood that the voice box translators were not always accurate, and sometimes jumbled up certain words, it was a wonder to hear such clearly spoken English coming from what I thought was a primitive race.

  “What purpose?” I asked, finally gaining the courage to speak.

  The Ursine King stopped fidgeting on the throne and reached for a glass of liquid on his side table. He took a sip out of the chalice and placed the fancy glass back down.

  “Your purpose is simple. The humans think that they can offload you onto us. They think that we will be happy with an old ship that has seen more travel than is worth thinking about. They also think that we will graciously accept their gifts, like we owe them something. But I have news for you human, we don’t. We won’t accept their gifts without returning a gift of our very own.”

  I swallowed hard. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Not only was this creature clever, it sounded vengeful. It knew what we thought of it. What we thought of their race. And I had a feeling that they’d had enough.

  “What gift?” I asked, trying to play dumb. Back in basic training, well before I made Captain, my drill sergeant informed me that the best stance to take when talking to a hostile alien was a stupid stance.

  Act dumb, and be spared, that’s what he used to tell me.

  “For far too long the humans have underestimated our ability to fight them for what is rightfully ours. We have ancestors on their planet, ancestors that have a right to evolve. But the problem with humanity is simple. They only care for their own evolution. Well, that is where they will fall short of the mark. We inhabited planet Earth many years before humans did. Yet, other animals were not allowed to prosper. Our Earth ancestors might be worlds apart from us, as they don’t share the same intelligence as us, but they are still family. As are many other species on planet Earth.”

  I rolled my eyes. I didn’t mean to do so, but I managed to do so nonetheless. The Ursine King caught my reaction.

  “You don’t approve, human?” he asked, moving around in his throne. I stared deep into its eyes.

  “Oh, I’m sure you guys are dumb enough to think that we owe you something. Last time I checked, Earth was Earth and this planet, what ever it’s called, is well…yours. You own this planet. You do with it how you please. As we do with ours. I’m sure you can see some sort of resemblance with our bears and yourselves. But believe me, these so-called ancestors of yours won’t join you. They just can’t. They’re wild animals. They have no sense of consciousness. They are programmed to eat, sleep and mate. I’m sure you guys have a lot more going for you than that.”

  I heard the Ursine King chirp a few times. It was laughing, just like the jailer had been laughing at me earlier. I must be a funny guy to make these aliens cackle every few minutes. I was starting to get annoyed with the whole thing. I just didn’t understand what the heck these things wanted. It seemed as if they were hiding something. And then I got my answer.

  “You are smart human. Much smarter than I thought. Which makes a change. Most humans are naïve. They believe what they are told from birth and grow up harboring those ill-conceived delusions. We, on the other hand are aware of many things. Many things that the human race just cannot fathom. We do not waste our time with ideology, philosophy or history. We only think about two things. Advancement of our kind and the spread of our war. A war that will eviscerate the weak. And the weakest shall go first. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, human, but your people will be the first to go. Along with the many systems that support your people through trade routes and defense.”

  I could feel my legs wobbling slightly as I remained idle on the ramp, the incense burning in the baskets making me feel a little unsteady on my feet. As the immense heat coming off the burning baskets rose up my back, I closed my eyes, fearing the worst. I knew what was about to be asked of me, and I also knew that my answer would not be received well by these things.

  “I will not rise up against my own people. It is not something that my crew or I will do for you,” I said, opening my eyes and staring at the Ursine King. It did not flinch, it just chirped once again. I could see that the voice box translator was running low on power. The conversation was nearing the end, either way I looked at it. My refusal to help them would probably cost me my life.

  “We are not asking you to rise against your people. We are not stupid. We know how humans feel toward alien life. But then again, the humans aren’t your people anymore. They sold you to us. You are now ours. We are now your people. So you shall not rise against your people. You shall have revenge on your old people. With or without your approval, you and your team of humans will do as we ask, or face the realization that having no friends in the whole galaxy can be both painful and unforgiving.”

  I stood there, emotions running high within my core. I felt like challenging the Ursine to a fight to the death. But I knew that it would be pointless. One misstep, and I’d have been killed before I even got a chance to raise my fist. And then what good would I be?

  “I will not help you. You can do with me what you will. Besides, I doubt you have the capabilities to take anybody on. Let alone travel to Earth,” I said, a smug smirk expanding across my face.

  The Ursine chirped again, this time a little louder and for a lot longer.

  “You are mistaken. But you will see. As I said, you will do what I ask of you, with or without your consent. There’s no such thing as free will here, human.”

  The Ursine raised his paw, swung it back and suddenly everything went black. I
was knocked out cold. They dragged me back to the cell. I didn’t put a fight up on account of me being away with the cosmic fairies. But when I woke up, I realized that they could do a lot more than kill me.

  They could take everything I cared for away from me.

  Chapter Five

  I opened my eyes and saw my crew standing over me, or at least what remained of my crew. Dale Dykstra and Raj Habish had looks of concern on their faces. I could tell straight away that something was amiss. I immediately noticed that we were a person short. I quickly sat up, wincing in pain, grabbing the back of my head, whilst frantically looking around the cell for any signs of her.

  “She’s gone,” I heard Raj say.

  I looked up at my two remaining crewmembers and frowned.

  “What do you mean she’s gone?”

  Raj took a few steps back while Dale held his hand out. I grabbed it and he hoisted me to my feet. Once I was standing, I could feel my body tilting slightly to the left. I’d been hit in the back of the head pretty hard. As I ran my hand over the back of my skull, I could feel the moist sensation of blood dripping onto my fingers. I quickly looked at my hand and then back at my now two-man crew. I sighed. My injuries would have to wait, and the way I saw it, I’d survive. After all, I’d been through a hell of a lot more than a whack to the back of the head. I was the captain of the Alpha Ship One. I was more than capable of withstanding a beating. That’s how fleet captains were built.