The Loop

by Richard Leru

  “No, he’s in a private meeting with Dr. Titus about something he found on the scanners.”

  There was a slight buzz, then every screen lit up throughout the ship. Dr. Titus came on a small screen behind him, showing scans of Planet C and B. “Attention crew of the Erebus. A situation has arisen. Scans show that asteroids are on collision paths with Planet C and Planet B of this solar system as well as with the current location of our ship. These impacts will result in major atmospheric reshaping and destruction of planetary life. We will be evacuating immediately. Secure all of your equipment and prepare for immediate travel. We are leaving Solar System 1. Dr. Yuen will be coming around administering sleep serum injections. “

  ALEX FOUND HIMSELF, for the second time that day, racing to the command center. This time, he found Commander Birch and Dr. Titus in the conference room. The main screen was open and the leader of the settlers was talking. Alex quietly entered the room and listened.

  “I understand the situation. Before I sign off, I would like to say two things. First, we understood the risks when we signed on for this journey. Do not think sadly on our memories, this was our choice. Second, stay safe in your travels,” His eyes began to tear up. “It was a pleasure chasing a dream.” With that, the communication went black.

  “We aren’t going to get them?”

  “No, Mr. Runner, there is no time.”

  “How can there be no time? Doesn’t it take years or months for asteroids to impact?” Alex asked, directing his question at Dr. Titus.

  “Normally, yes, Alex, but this time, the asteroids appeared out of nowhere, close to the planets and us. I can’t explain it.”

  Commander Birch jumped back in. “Mr. Runner, we don’t have time to debate the reasons or ethics of all this, every second we waste, we put this ship in greater danger. We are headed for Solar System 2. We will continue our mission, the search for a suitable planet for human development, without the settlers. Report to your quarters for sleep serum injections.”

  “Come on, Alex, let’s go.” Dr. Titus reached for Alex’s arm. He swung it away.

  “Birch, this is why further research needed to be done. You didn’t listen to me and put those people on the planet. Your rush has cost those people their lives.”

  “Mr. Runner, do not lecture me on the cost. Every decision that is made on this ship, good or bad, will haunt me the rest of my life. It doesn’t matter if you like that or not, only that you obey. Now go back to your room. We are leaving this place.”

  Security took positions behind Alex, seeing them and knowing he really didn’t have a choice, he steamed back to his quarters. Passing Jones on the way out of the command center, Alex shot him a look of disdain and conviction.

  Jones knew that he had made the recommendation to settle the planet. He had elected to take the leap of faith. Now what? Everyone was going to die because his foolish positive hope. All his positivity and optimism had brought was death and loss. A piece of Jones broke in that instant, the light in his eyes ceased to shine. Instead, a cold darkness took its place. From now on, if something wasn’t certain, he wouldn’t allow it to happen, no more acting on faith. Jones made a vow in that moment to never take a risk that involved lives again.

  “You better give him an extra dose this time.” One of the security officers said to Dr. Yuen, laughing as he walked out of Alex’s room. Alex was walking around in a small circle, pacing, unable to sit still.

  “Alex, it’s time for the serum injection.”

  “He is just throwing away all of their lives and didn’t even blink an eye.”

  “Alex, it’s time for the serum injection.”

  “How can you be okay with this, Yuen? How can you just be carrying on like nothing is happening? Out there, right now, they are all about to die! Don’t you care?”

  “Alex, of course I care. What am I supposed to do though? I’m just the doctor, and right now, I need to get this IV in your arm. If I don’t, then security will.”

  Alex laid down on the bed, sticking his arm out in the air. “Fine then, Doctor, put me to sleep.”

  The Erebus left just as massive asteroids impacted the planets, churning clouds of dust and molten ground into the air. Their Eden in the stars was being transformed into a literal hell.

  9.Solar System 2

  The sleep serum had done its job cooling Alex’s emotions. Now he was sitting cross-legged on his bed, looking at the picture of Angela. She was so beautiful, her smile so welcoming. How he missed her. How he wished she were there with him now to comfort him, to bring warmth in the coldness of space.

  Alex turned to the small monitor in his room that had turned on. Commander Birch came on in a ship wide broadcast. “Attention all crew, we have reached Solar System 2. From initial scans, this system has eight planets. Temperature readings suggest the two planets closest to the central star, Planets A and B, are molten rock. Planet C, D and E are solid mass but appear to have no atmosphere and temperatures far below that of life sustaining abilities for mankind. The remaining planets are gas giants. Prepare the shuttles. Captain Ratchet and his security team will go take samples from Planets C, D, and E. We will remain in Solar System 2 to recharge our engine. When we have recharged, we will move on. Birch, out.” The screen was blank only for a few seconds until Arenta came on “Command crew to the command center.” That’s weird, Alex thought. Why weren’t the designated Landing Teams taking the soil samples. Before the mission it had been decided that a command crewmember was to be on every landing mission; this was breaking protocol.

  Alex was once again the last one to show and took his seat in the conference room. He sat down, shooting a look at Commander Birch. This time, Arenta was standing at the front of the room, with an eerily pale face. She was a smaller girl but had clearly been a sports star her whole life, and carried herself as such. Today, however, there was no strut in her walk, no strength in her voice. She looked timid, which put a strange fear into Alex’s heart.

  “Thank you for coming so quickly. I have called you here to report a finding. Upon our arrival, our communications officer detected something from the center of this solar system, a signal. It is originating in the void just outside the orbit of the furthest planet. We cannot decode the message, but do know that it is constant and repeating.” Arenta paused, allowing the information to sink in further.

  “We don’t know what this is or even if it’s friendly, but we are going to find out. Dr. Titus and I will take a shuttle to the location where the message is originating from and investigate further. Alex, we will need you to come along as navigator. The rest of you will carry on with your duties while the ship recharges. Captain Ratchet will take the other shuttle along with Dr. Taylor and gather soil samples from the planets. Any questions?”

  “Why isn’t the view screen zoomed in on that object?” Jo asked, pointing around the room at all the blank screens. Every one was just empty, a complete break of procedure.

  “We began the journey to place the Erebus within solar charging range, but once we made contact with the signal, we lost the ability to move and much of our scanning capabilities. It is jamming our systems somehow. We had to shut down the engine to avoid overheating. Other questions?”

  This question came from Jo again. “Why didn’t our initial scans pick it up?”

  “We don’t know. Our cameras couldn’t spot it, either. The only way we are pinpointing its location is by tracking the signal back. Anything else?”

  A few moments went by in silence until Dr. Titus spoke up. “You know this has to mean that there is intelligent life out there, right? I mean, beyond our own comprehension.”

  “Dr. Titus, we can’t say anything for certain as of yet.” Arenta was doing everything she could to keep her calm demeanor.

  “Well, it’s not like that could be a rogue satellite or something. We are thousands of light years away. That only leaves the answer that this is of alien origin.”

  “Then we will make certain of that, Dr
. Titus. Alex, how quickly can you do the calculations?”

  “Give me an hour.”

  “Great, then meet Dr. Titus and I on the shuttle deck when you’ve finished. Everyone is dismissed.”

  “Wait, what about the soil sample landing missions?”

  “What about them, Mr. Runner?” Commander Birch had genuine surprise in his voice at the question.

  “We decided before this mission that every landing would be accompanied by a command crew personnel. Captain Ratchet going by himself breaks mission guidelines. He’s not a scientist, he doesn’t know how to take the samples or what he’s looking for.” Alex looked over at Captain Ratchet. “No offense.”

  “None taken.” Captain Ratchet was a generally lighthearted soldier. He was good at fighting and target recognition; scientific endeavors had never been his forte, and he was okay with that.

  “You’re right, Mr. Runner.” Commander Birch glanced around the room quickly. “Ms. Taylor will accompany Captain Ratchet.”

  “Me?” Jo was clearly scared. She had already been on a landing mission but Alex had been there for emotional support. She had never taken lead and was not certain she was ready for that responsibility.

  “Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll look after you.” Captain Ratchet tried to reassure the obviously frazzled Jo.

  “Great, now that that is settled, should we go find out how much more advanced these people are?” Dr. Titus was unnervingly excited about this development.

  Alex knew that Dr. Titus was right, but how could that be? Alex had tried to remain open minded about a lot of things. He had seen spacecraft drawn on ancient tombs by native peoples but never thought aliens could really exist. Yet, here it was, concrete proof to the fact. That idea scared him. Think how much more advanced a race would have to be if they had invented space travel millennia before man. If they did find extraterrestrial life, would it be like a caveman having only discovered fire meeting a modern human, or more like an ant meeting a giant?

  Alex plotted in the navigation profile and the three of them piled into a shuttle. Seconds later, they made way in search of this alien signal.

  JO WATCHED AS the shuttle Arenta piloted turned into a small speck barely visible to the naked eye. She and Captain Ratchet were heading to Planet C first. The planet itself was almost exactly the size of Earth and was surrounded by a ring of rock. The planet was black and could only be seen by the light reflecting off it from the star at the center of the system. It’s glossy, oily sheen looked almost alive.

  “What is that movement, ma’am?” Ratchet was pointing near the center of the planet, where the black surface slid and rolled like ripples in a pond.

  “I’m not the astrophysicist, but my guess is that without an atmosphere, solar winds are buffeting that section of the ground, much like what happens on Mars.”

  “Solar winds? Should we be worried, ma’am?”

  “No, we’ll be protected from the radiation by the shields on the shuttle and on the planet, our suits will keep us safe. “ Jo paused, looking out the window as the winds blasted the surface, creating a ripple emanating from the center of the impact. “Let’s not land there though.”

  Ratchet landed the shuttle where a high outcropping shielded them from the solar winds’ assault. Outside, the ground was black and ashen. Everything was burnt. The surface was cracked and dry. Every step Jo took crunched loudly, and her boots sank in nearly three inches. After quickly collecting a few samples, Jo and Ratchet left Planet C. Planet D and E were the same. They were all black, dead planets. Hell, it seemed, had found its way into substance.

  After collecting samples from the three dead planets, Jo and Ratchet turned the shuttle back to the Erebus. As the shuttle flew, Jo looked out in the vast dark of space with a worried look on her face. Out there, Alex, Dr. Titus, and Arenta were about to make first contact.

  SITTING IN THE back of the shuttle, Dr. Titus and Alex were debating the merits of different possibilities for the production of this signal, but nothing would stick. They had been travelling at a crawl speed, in cautious form.

  “Guys, you’re going to want to see this.”

  Arenta had stopped the shuttle a few hundred feet from what looked like a giant speaker. It was a round concave disc with a large solar panel sticking out the back. The dish was pointed directly at the Erebus, bombarding it with the signal. The dish itself was smooth and looked like a giant black satellite. The front’s concave surface was not just black, but a pure void, no reflection, no starlight, or fleck of impurity. It ate every bit of light that came to it. The only visible lines that defined the size of the dish were letters of some kind around the circumference of the device. Alex thought he recognized them but could not put a finger on what they meant. He was sure he had seen them before though.

  Arenta, Dr. Titus, and Alex circled the dish several times, taking observations and measurements. It appeared that only the front of the dish was black, the rest was a type of dark metal. Careful to avoid being caught in the signal Arenta, Dr. Titus, and Alex took samples of the black substance covering the front of the ‘space speaker.’

  “We need to find a way to turn this thing off. Any ideas, you guys?” Arenta turned over her shoulder and looked at the two resident geniuses. Alex and Dr. Titus shared a look with each other, neither had a clue. Together, they scoured every visible inch of the device, looking for a key or identifying mark they could understand, hoping to find a way to turn off or translate the signal. They could not find any help in deciphering the transmission.

  Alex was running out of patience. “Can we just blow it up?”

  By this time, the shuttle was hovering in space to the side of the dish system. Arenta, Alex, and Dr. Titus were all sitting in a circle in the main compartment of their small ship. “That should be our last option. If we do that, then there’s no way to find out who created that thing.” Dr. Titus was dead set on proving alien life existed. “We also don’t know what kind of power it uses or if the explosion will temporarily increase the signal strength. In destroying the dish, we could destroy the Erebus. A condensed wave could tear apart the ship at a molecular level or even cook the people inside.”

  “What other option do we have? We can’t move the ship, and we’re going to have to eventually.”

  Arenta had a brilliant idea. She had been silent, thinking about a different strategy. Arenta had studied the shuttle’s capabilities and schematics down to the last screw. She learned from her military days that often, it wasn’t the pilot with the most skill behind the stick but the pilot who knew their craft’s abilities best that won the war. She jumped into the captain’s seat and grabbed the communication line.

  “Arenta to Erebus, be prepared to move the ship…. Move it to the pre-established charging coordinates.”

  “What’s the plan, Arenta?” Alex had taken the co-pilot seat.

  “Well, this shuttle still has some of the old systems from before our conversion. So my plan is to run interference for the Erebus. I’m going to move our ship into the signal, blocking it from reaching them, that way they can move the ship out of the signal’s path.”

  “Okay, but then we’re trapped.”

  Arenta smiled from the side of her mouth as she began pushing buttons on the dashboard. “Like I said, some of the old systems are still in place. More importantly for us, the retrorockets still have some fuel in them. Once the Erebus is free, then we’ll boost ourselves free. The signal may mess with the PEMG engine, but it won’t interfere with a rocket burn.”

  “That should work,” Dr. Titus yelled forward from his seat in the main cabin.

  “Are you ready, Erebus?” Arenta moved the shuttle directly into the path of the satellite signal. Instantly, the ships trajectory stopped and communications ceased. From here, the shuttle couldn’t see the Erebus. They had already established a set period of time to remain in the signal stream. After just under a minute, the retrorockets pushed Arenta, Alex, and Dr. Titus free of the signal.

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