Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy)

by Knox, Barry

  “That’s impossible. We’re still in the galaxy, and there’re no stars; hence we’re still in the time-speed dimension,” Dr. Harper said, let out a deep breath in frustration, and continued. “Captain, I request Stephen perform a self-diagnostic test and then run the simulation again.”

  “Stephen, what did we collide with?” Gideon asked before Mary had time to respond to Dr. Harper’s request.

  “We collided with some type of barrier that has no physical characteristics. The barrier absorbed the ship’s impact, and explains why the ship was not destroyed,” Stephen said.

  “What do you mean by ‘no physical characteristics’?” Gideon asked.

  “The barrier isn’t solid. It isn’t magnetic. It has no energy, but yet it’s there,” Stephen said.

  “The computer is damaged!” Dr. Harper raised his voice and slammed his hand on the console station where he sat. “We’re wasting time.”

  “I have to agree, Doctor,” Mary said.

  “May I ask one more question before Stephen starts his self- diagnostic test?” Gideon asked

  “Go ahead,” Mary said frustrated.

  “Stephen, if the barrier has no physical characteristics, how do you know it exists?” Gideon asked.

  “I used the ship’s retro-rocket propulsion system to move the ship in the direction we were heading when we impacted the barrier. The barrier stopped the ship’s motion in that direction. I then used the retro-rocket propulsion system to move the ship away from the barrier and was able to move the ship away from the barrier five hundred meters. A barrier of some kind does exist and is preventing the ship from following our course to the observation point,” Stephen said.

  “Stephen, perform a self-diagnostic test and let us know when it’s completed,” Mary ordered.

  “Yes, Captain,” Stephen said.

  “Everyone, get some rest. We’ll meet when Stephen completes his diagnostics,” Mary said.

  Captain Bowser’s Quarters, SRS Stephen Hawking

  2315—March 7, 2372

  Mary had just stepped out of the shower when she heard Anna say through her implant, “Captain, I have an encrypted message for you from Admiral Frank that I received during our last QMAC communication. I think you should read it.”

  Mary, confused for a second, remembered the admiral had set up a “private” encryption messaging channel using the QMAC communications maintenance and status channel.

  “Anna, why are you telling me this now? Our last contact was seven days ago,” Mary said as she dressed.

  “I was instructed to give you the message five days before we arrived at the observation point, but due to the current situation, I think you should read it now,” Anna said.

  “Very well. Send it to my console,” Mary said as she finished dressing, then walked over and sat at her desk. She accessed her console, opened the message, and read,

  Captain,

  I feel it’s my duty to keep you informed of what the scientists will discover during your mission. This information is ultra top secret, and I believe you need this information to prepare yourself for what’s expected of you after the discovery. The captain of any naval ship should be prepared to deal with any unforeseen events and show confidence at all times during these events and issue orders without hesitation. With that said, here is what you should know:

  1. As a result of scientific evidence known only by the United States government and not shared with the scientists aboard the Stephen Hawking, there’s a high probability the mission will discover that intelligent beings (aliens) seeded life on Earth billions of years ago.

  2. Once it is verified and reported that life originated from aliens, you’ll be ordered to secure the scientists aboard the Stephen Hawking, and have them calculate and report, with high probability, where the aliens came from and where they may be located in the galaxy so only we, the United States, can make first contact.

  3. Given the circumstances—nationality, first contact, nondisclosure of discovery, and so forth—the scientists may not want to cooperate. Use all available means to ensure their cooperation.

  4. The goal of alien first contact is to obtain defensive and offensive technologies and weapons that will be used to protect the United States from current and future enemies.

  Mary sat at her desk and read the message over and over again. She trembled as she studied the message, and her jumpsuit acted as a wick soaking up perspiration.

  She eventually calmed down and understood why Admiral Frank wanted her to know in advance. She would be responsible to have the scientists locate the aliens. She initially thought the scientists would be eager to locate the aliens as requested, but as Admiral Frank had surmised, the scientists might be reluctant to help. Given their different political views, social views, and pride, they may not want to help the United States obtain superiority over other nations and worlds, especially when their discovery might never be shared with mankind. She would have to act quickly and do whatever was required to accomplish her true mission: locate alien beings so the United States can make first contact.

  “Anna, have Lieutenant Klaxton report to my quarters as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Anna said.

  Captain Bowser’s Quarters, SRS Stephen Hawking

  2347—March 7, 2372

  “This is unbelievable!” Gideon said after reading the message from Admiral Frank.

  “Exactly,” Mary said. She paused and added, “But I have to believe it and be prepared when the discovery is made.”

  “How and what do you have to be prepared for?” Gideon looked confused.

  “Think about it for a second, Lieutenant. We have scientists from four different countries and worlds. It won’t take ‘em long to figure out what we’re truly up to when we ask ‘em to locate the aliens before we share the historic discovery—that aliens seeded life on Earth. Even though they’re all playing together now, as soon as the discovery is made, they won’t want their potential adversaries to have technological advantages or fame.”

  “That makes sense,” Gideon acknowledged, then added, “So to answer the other part of my question, how are you going to keep the scientists happy and have ‘em locate the aliens?”

  “That’s where you and your marines come in, Lieutenant. You must do as I order and do it without argument or hesitation,” Mary said coldly.

  “You mean use force, if ordered, to have the scientists cooperate?” Gideon asked for clarification.

  “Yes, Lieutenant, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Mary said, “That also includes any of the crew that might question and stand in the way of my orders.”

  “Yes, sir,” Gideon said, “I won’t hesitate.”

  Petty Officer Joseph Sipes’s, Quarters SRS Stephen Hawking,

  0300—March 8, 2372

  Joseph found himself in the sun, enjoying its warmth. He calmly looked around him and saw the small building with the double doors behind him. He also saw the two large oak trees with the chest-high table stretched between them. His grandma sat under one of the oaks in a wooden chair, waving Joseph to come to her. Joseph walked over with a smile and kneeled down beside her. She looked very young, and if he hadn’t somehow known who she was, he might not have recognized her.

  “Grandma, you look so young and pretty,” Joseph said as he softly touched her hair and breathed in the sweet perfume she wore.

  “Thank you, Joseph. It’s so good to see you. I wanted to tell you that I’m so very proud of what you’ve done and what you’re about to do,” she said with a smile, then hugged him. As she released him, he heard faint singing coming from the other side of the small building.

  “Do you hear that, Grandma? Who is singing?” Joseph said as he stood and held his head up so he could hear the singing better.

  “Yes, I hear it, Joseph. Let’s go and meet ‘em,” she said as she rose from the chair and took his hand. She led him to the other side of the building and stopped. There he saw an orange-colored, sandy dir
t path leading into the woods that wound down into a hollow. Through the pine, hickory, and oak trees in the hollow, he could see a creek in the distance. The singing became louder, and he finally saw a group of people walking up the trail toward him and his grandma.

  “Are those the people I saw the other day at the creek? The people you told me I helped save?” Joseph asked.

  “Yes, it is, honey,” she answered with a wide smile and then squeezed his hand.

  Their singing grew louder, and Joseph hummed along, thinking it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He couldn’t help but smile as the people walked out of the woods. They continued singing and walking and began putting their arms around the person walking beside them. They all returned Joseph’s smile as they walked past him and began singing even louder. The crowd then turned and started walking toward the back of the small building.

  “Where are they going, Grandma? Can we follow ‘em and listen to ‘em sing?” Joseph asked with excitement.

  His grandma looked into his eyes and said, “Yes, Joseph, we can, but don’t let go of my hand.”

  “Yes, Grandma,” he answered with a big grin, and they began following the crowd.

  Behind the building the crowd stopped at a wrought iron fence surrounding a rectangular half-acre piece of land. A double swinging iron gate was open, but no one entered as they continued to sing. Joseph’s grandma led him toward the gate, and then he remembered where he was. Joseph stopped and tried to pull away, but his grandma’s hand held him.

  “I know this place, Grandma, and I don’t like it. This is where they put Mama and Daddy and my brothers and sisters!” Joseph said, his smile now gone.

  “I know, honey, but it’s okay. There’s someone inside the gate that wants to speak to you.”

  Joseph looked beyond the gate and saw a large man standing. The man was wearing white and motioned with a hand to Joseph to join him.

  “Will you come with me, Grandma?” Joseph asked.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I can’t. I have to leave, and you have to go in and talk to that person,” his grandma said as she squeezed his hand again. She added, “I have to go now, but I’ll see you very soon, and you can spend as much time with me as you want.”

  “Can I spend a whole day with you?” Joseph asked, his smile returning.

  “You can stay with me as many days as you want,” she answered with a big smile, then let go of his hand. “Be a good boy and go on now. Remember that I’m so very proud of you, Joseph. I love you!”

  Joseph kissed her on the cheek, turned, and walked through the gates. The singing grew louder and sounded sweeter as he walked towards the man. As Joseph walked, he saw many, many stones protruding from the ground. The stones were different shapes, sizes, and colors with names and dates etched into their surfaces. He remembered the stones placed for his family with their names and dates. He knew the stones were in this place but couldn’t remember where they were.

  “Hello, Joseph,” the large figure said when Joseph reached him.

  “Is that you, Michael?” Joseph asked, surprised to see the huge man.

  “Yes it is,” Michael answered, pushing the hood of his white robe back to show his head. “I’m here to tell you that you’ll help save many, many lives in the next few days. You must be bold and speak what you feel in your heart. Be brave, and you’ll be provided with the words you need to answer questions and the knowledge to astonish the wise.”

  Joseph was confused and tried to simplify what he’d been told. “I should be bold and brave when I speak over the next few days.”

  Michael smiled and said, “That’s all you have to do, and you’ll know what to say when the times come.”

  Joseph noticed the wind had started blowing as a thunderstorm was moving in. The rumble of thunder shook the ground while the storm clouds covered the sun. Joseph looked toward where his grandma was, and she and the crowd of people were gone.

  “Where’s my grandma and the other people?” Joseph asked Michael.

  “They’re waiting for you, and you’ll join them shortly,” Michael said.

  “Where are they waiting?” Joseph asked.

  “In paradise,” Michael answered as a bolt of lightning struck nearby.

  “We’d better go in the building and get out of this,” Joseph began saying and stopped. He watched in fascination as Michael’s white robe turned black. The same color it had been on Leonis.

  “I’m leaving now,” Michael said.

  “Where’re you going?” Joseph asked.

  “I have more work to do before the time comes,” Michael answered as a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. The clap of thunder was so loud it woke Joseph. He couldn’t go back to sleep and lay in his bed, thinking about what he had seen and what he had been told.

  Part Six: The Origin of Life

  Combat Control Center, SRS Stephen Hawking

  0832—March 8, 2372

  Once again the ship’s officers and scientists gathered in the Triple C. Stephen reported he had completed his self-diagnostic test and no problems had been discovered.

  “I don’t care what the AI reports. I believe it has a serious problem, and we can’t trust anything it reports,” Dr. Harper said.

  Mary thought for a second and addressed Dr. Qasim, “Doctor Qasim, you’re the computer expert. Do you think Stephen has a problem?”

  Dr. Qasim squirmed in her chair, glanced at Dr. Harper, and said, “I believe the AI is functioning properly.”

  “How can you say that?” Dr. Harper almost yelled. “Take a look outside; the stars are gone! The AI is wrong!”

  “I said…that I believe Stephen is working properly…I didn’t say the data and sensor information being used to determine where we are is accurate,” Dr. Qasim responded.

  “Stephen, if we’re in normal space, where’s the stars?” Mary asked, again wondering why these brilliant scientists seemed to avoid asking simple questions.

  “I don’t know, Captain. I have also attempted to locate our sun using the advanced long-range sensors, and our sun doesn’t exist,” Stephen answered.

  “Do you need any more proof that the AI is malfunctioning?” Dr. Harper said, this time remaining calm. “We’re only about eight thousand light-years from Earth. Our sun, along with all the stars in the universe, has to exist, and we would see them if we were in normal space.”

  “Did you attempt to locate Earth?” Gideon asked.

  “No,” Stephen answered. The AI paused and added, “Searching for Earth now.”

  “There’s no need to scan for Earth! If the stars and sun are not there, then Earth won’t be…!” Dr. Harper began shouting until Stephen interrupted him.

  “Earth has been detected, and long-range sensors are gathering information for analysis,” Stephen said.

  Stunned, no one said a word for a few seconds.

  “That’s…that’s…that’s…impossible!” Dr. Harper stuttered.

  “Earth analysis results are being displayed on the main MCC holographic display,” Stephen said.

  Everyone in the Triple C rushed to the MCC, and as they entered they saw the main display showing a blurred planet as analyzed sensors data scrolled across the bottom of the display. Everyone stood and watched the display for minutes without a word. Eventually Dr. Harper said, “Everyone, to your consoles. I’m sure this data is in error, but it might help us figure out where we are and diagnose the problem with the AI.”

  The scientists took their places at the consoles and began analyzing data. Mary, Gideon, and the other officers remained standing, watching the scientists work.

  Mary leaned towards Gideon and asked, “Why did you ask about Earth?”

  “It just seemed to be a logical question at the time,” Gideon answered as he continued watching the main display.

  The planet remained blurred on the display as the data continued to be received and processed. Minutes went by, and the blurred image began to take focus. The data on the bottom of the screen
began reporting high levels of water on the surface and heavy water vapor in the atmosphere. Hardly any other compounds and gases were reported.

  The image was an infrared display showing the warm and cold parts of the planet. The core of the planet was white hot, and the surrounding atmosphere was colder blue. Within half an hour the sensor analysis was complete. The processed, and now-focused infrared display, showed the planet was a ball of water surrounded by a thick atmosphere of water vapor. The scientist then began the task of analyzing the data to detect life.

  “Why’s the display shown in infrared?” Mary asked aloud to no one in particular.

  “There’s no light from a local sun or stars, Captain,” Dr. Harper answered. “Captain, I’m not sure what we’re looking at. It may not even exist; it may be false data Stephen is reporting for some unknown reason. If it does exist, I can assure you that it’s not Earth. It could be a planet that’s also stuck in the time-speed dimension with us.”

  After several hours the scientist concluded that whatever they were analyzing, it was lifeless because of the atmospheric conditions and the absence of light.

  “So, what’s next, Doctor?” Mary asked.

  Dr. Harper threw his hands up in the air as he said, “I don’t know, Captain. Nothing makes sense, but I still believe we’re in the time-speed dimension.” Dr. Harper thought for a second and asked, “Could I talk to Petty Officer Sipes? I want to ask him some questions. Maybe he saw something out there he didn’t remember or didn’t report. I don’t mean to be callous, Captain, but he’s mentally limited and may need some probing from us to get some information that might be useful.”

  “Anna, where is Petty Officer Sipes?” Mary asked.

  “He is in sick bay, visiting Gunny Xia,” Anna answered.

  “Have him report to me as soon as possible,” Mary said.

  “Yes, Captain,” Anna replied.

  Sick Bay, SRS Stephen Hawking