Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles)

by James Jackson

  The instant the chair faces fully forward it locks into place. An odd sound begins to emanate from the rear of the craft. Lights flicker, then glow on the expansive controls that half encircle Peng. A huge view screen swings down and lights up, revealing a smudgy looking scene of the outside. He frowns, the image that confronts him looks as if he were gazing through a dirty window.

  A concerned voice sounds from the radio on his belt, “Peng, what did you do? Your instructions were to touch nothing.”

  Peng shakes his head, and says, “I didn’t touch anything, all I did was sit in the chair.”

  The blood drains from Peng’s face, as he listens to his own words. He tries to spin the chair back around, but it will not budge. Gazing at the numerous consoles before him, does nothing to diminish his fear. Light pulses from a number of roof panels. It shifts from a dim glow, to a blinding bright, then back to a dim glow again. Sweat begins to bead on his forehead as his fear builds. A blast of ancient air fills the cockpit, it is almost immediately followed by the smell of burning rubber, or worse. A bank of lights begins to flash on the console directly in front of him. All of a sudden, the air stops blowing, but the burning smell remains, along with the flashing lights.

  Gingerly standing up on the chair, Peng begins to climb over it, then slips. In pure desperation, his foot kicks out and catches a side console, which keeps him from falling. Eventually, he makes it over the back of the chair, and stands once more behind it. He takes a deep breath, then feeling more relaxed, glances downward.

  Peng’s heart stops for a moment, the hatch is closed, sealing him in. He quickly finds the spot where his foot hit the console, stopping him from falling. A number of strange words are lit. It would seem the side panel is also touch screen. He gingerly taps one of the lit symbols, and smiles when it goes out. His smile falters when he notices the hatch remains shut. He touches each of the symbols, turning them all off, one by one, and still the hatch remains closed. Sweat drips from his forehead, from under his arms, and down his back.

  Another blast of air that smells like a musty tomb fills the enclosed space, it is accompanied once again by a strong burning smell. Peng’s stares frantically around, his eyes lock on a vent, then open wide. Smoke puffs, then billows, from the vent. He coughs as the acrid smoke reaches him.

  A voice sounds from Peng’s radio once again, “Peng, the engine is smoking. What did you do?”

  Peng puts the radio to his mouth, and between coughs replies, “All I did was... sit in the chair... the rest... all happened on its own.” He covers his mouth as his eyes begin to water. He feels light headed and staggers. The radio falls from his trembling hand, and crashes onto the deck. Closing his eyes against the stinging smoke, he also falls to the deck. He pants a few last gasps of putrid air, then dies.

  Outside, Peng’s fellow scientists have been doing their best to save him. Nothing they try will open the panel over the access way. A high-pitched whine begins to emanate from somewhere in the craft. The noise increases in pitch with each passing second.

  The high-pitched whine escalates steadily, and becomes so loud that the building is evacuated. Dozens of scientists stand well away, many rubbing their pained ears. Once they are at a safe distance, they discuss options. The piercing noise abruptly stops. The scientists breathe a sigh of relief, then begin making plans to examine the other craft.

  No one will ever know if what happens next was something that Peng did, or if the craft was damaged. The unexpected explosion instantly vaporizes the entire facility, the scientists, and takes the top of the mountain completely off. A massive dust cloud rises into the sky while ground tremors radiate outward in all directions. The initial shockwave is so violent that flying creatures are hurled around, and land animals are knocked off their feet.

  The shockwave reaches the distant volcano, and triggers a fresh bout of fiery eruptions. Enormous plumes of smoke rise from both the volcano, and the remnants of the vaporized mountain. The dust cloud quickly blocks out the sun. Lava and ash spew skyward as the volcano’s previously untapped fury is unleashed. The sides of the volcano begin to collapse while its top falls inward. Fresh lava streams outward in mighty flows across the countryside.

  Ground tremors radiate, until they reach the ocean, where the energies momentarily turn the waves upon themselves. Jie’s citizens are ill prepared for the ensuing tsunami, which now approaches their city.

  Cheng is piloting a large transport shuttle when he notices an odd shimmering on the horizon. He stares at the ocean for a few minutes, confused by what he is witnessing. His eyes go wide when he realizes what it is. He slams his hand onto the shuttle’s transmitter, then shouts out, “Tsunami alert, get the coastal factories off the ground, and close the gates facing the ocean.”

  A few seconds later, the speakers on the shuttle relay the response, “We can’t just lift the factories off the ground. Do you have any idea how much damage that will cause? They’re paved in, and connected to water and sewer lines.”

  Cheng stares at the fast-approaching tsunami, and watches as it increases in height while it approaches the shoreline. He screams back in a panic, “Lift them or lose them, you have minutes to decide.”

  Marshal Young Sun has been listening to the exchange with increasing concern. Knowing that Cheng is both favored by Jie, and not prone to rash decisions, he makes a life saving decision. He activates the city’s storm alert, then issues his orders, “Lift those factories now, and get those gates closed. This is Marshal Young Sun, I repeat...” The orders are repeated twice more, then he, like the rest of the citizens, can only wait.

  Cheng stares down at the coastal factories as they lift off the ground. Fortunately, their gravity plating is a permanent fixture, and not able to be removed. The gates built into the tall walls slowly close, but they were not built to withstand the huge wave that is almost upon them. In a bold and desperate move, Cheng takes his shuttle down, then lands it on the ocean side of the wall, so that it completely blocks the gate.

  The wave crashes into the shuttle, smashing it into the wall. A split second later, the water strikes the wall. If these walls had not been redesigned to withstand the physical size and strength of the herbivores, the city would have been flooded. As it is, the crest of the wave splashes to the top, and spills over. The gates leak a tremendous amount of water, but thanks to the shuttle, they did not have to endure the initial onslaught.

  Cheng stares out his view screen as the muddy waters recede. He lifts the shuttle off the ground, then examines the damage. The city’s walls have held, and though the gates let a lot of water through, the result is no worse than if they had endured a heavy downpour. He casts his gaze to the floating factories, and is relieved to see that even though many have trails of pipes and debris, they are all accounted for. Casting his gaze at the fishing port, he sees the expected. The docks are smashed, and the city’s fishing fleet is in tatters.

  Time Changes Everything

  Laying in bed, two years later, Jie still reminisces over the loss of the alien spacecraft. But with everyone involved having been killed in the unexplained explosion, he had no one to vent his frustrations on. With little else to do, the city’s development became his primary focus.

  Turning to his sleeping wife, he smiles. Their baby, Jie junior, is peacefully asleep in her arms. Jie’s whole outlook on life changed when his son was born. Things that seemed important to him before, just did not hold the same value once he got to hold his own child. He gets up and walks to the wide windows. He gazes at the city that has expanded almost all the way to his Capitol Building. Over one million inhabitants live and work for him, willingly, and happily. He also recalls forgoing the idea of calling himself Emperor, besides, he prefers to be simply called Commander Jie.

  Alarmingly, the cleanup efforts after the tsunami, and the city’s massive expansion, almost exhausted their fuel supplies. The effort required to locate oil on this world, and then to convert it, has been deemed a fruitless venture. Instead,
the focus moved to building all of the infrastructure required to produce new gravity plating.

  Jie smiles once again, for today is the day that this very factory goes online. When he turns his gaze to his sleeping family, his smile broadens all the more. He walks to his shuttle, and pilots himself to the new factory. Cheng’s duties no longer entail being Jie’s chauffeur, besides Mei did not like the way Jie had to rely on others.

  Once Jie is gone, Mei opens her eyes and smiles as well. Between her attentions, and the special tea she makes, her husband has become mellow and agreeable. She has convinced him that he does not need any special titles, and assures him that their son will be the next ruler.

  Her expertise in pharmaceuticals, along with her understanding of the local fauna, is without equal. Her laboratories create and test all kinds of medicines. While she is in Jie’s presence, Mei is submissive, but in her laboratory, she dominates. Those that know her, quickly figure out who is really in control, but none dare speak of it.

  Mie stares at her baby, and with a frown realizes that her original idea is no longer as important as it used to be. She has found Jie to be a better man than she ever expected, and thus his accident has been deferred, indefinitely. Their baby wakes up, and starts to cry. He giggles when Mei tickles his belly, completely unaware of his fate.

  Meanwhile at the new facility, Marshal Young approaches Jie, bows, then says respectfully, “Sir, we didn’t expect you today.”

  Jie stares at the new facility with pride for a few moments, then says, “Our journey into space can continue now.”

  ###

  Section Eight: Emma’s Legacy

  Journal

  Preface

  The story of ‘Emma’s Legacy’ is not quite what it appears to be. This personal journal was discovered long after it was written, and provides a tantalizing tease of the future that is in store for the Terran, her crew, and indeed, for all of humanity.

  Within these pages many questions are raised, but few are answered. The answer to most important question of them all is not found within this Journal. Clues about the past are left scattered like star dust across the skies. What really happened to the gallant crew of the Terran?

  Take a gaze through the looking glass if you dare, and see if you can predict the future. Only time and patience will tell how close you really are.

  “The universe is a pretty big space. It’s bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamed of before. So, if it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space, right?” - Carl Sagan

  “The energy requirements for interstellar travel are so great that it is inconceivable to me that any creatures piloting their ships across the vast depths of space would do so only in order to play games with us over a period of decades. If they want to make contact, they would make contact; if not, they would save their energy and go elsewhere.” - Albert Einstein

  Welcome to ‘Emma’s Legacy’, the second journal of the ‘Terran Chronicles Universe’.

  Introduction

  Decisions that have been made, events that have already taken place, and those that are still to come, have consequences beyond anything imaginable. These words provide a sneak peek at humanity’s destiny, but it’s as though the view is through fractured glass. The details are hazy, and any answers given, are not clearly defined.

  This story takes place long after the final voyage of the Terran. All that remains is the legacy of that intrepid crew. The remnants of humanity continue to survive, forever on the edge, alongside the other races of the Alliance.

  Chapter One - Boys will be Boys

  The boy peeks over the corner of the desk, gazes around the dim room with wide eyes, then says in a hushed tone, “Shhh! If my mom catches us in here, we’ll be in for it.”

  “Okay, Benny, I get it,” Richard replies with a hint of annoyance. He knows Benny’s mom, Dianne, all too well, and remains crouched behind the large desk.

  “Well,” Benny counters, picking up his friend’s bothered tone, “you wanted to check out my mom’s computer too!”

  “Only ‘cause you said you found something really cool.” He nervously runs a hand through his short red hair, then adds, “Besides, you never said anything about sneaking around in your mom’s study.” He is beginning to have second thoughts about being in the room.

  Benny stares at his friend, grins cheekily, and says, “Gotcha!” He stands, turns the lights on, and says, “My mom’s out tonight, so it’s safe.”

  Richard sighs, “Yeah,” he says with his heart pounding in his chest. “You got me!” He stands, playfully thumps Benny’s arm, and adds, “I might just keep your birthday present for myself after this stunt.”

  Benny’s jaw drops in fake surprise as he looks at Richard and says, “C’mon, Rusty, just ‘cause I turn thirteen a week before you...”

  “The girls like me more!” Richard counters smugly.

  Benny pauses, then responds, “But I‘m taller.”

  The two boys laugh, their noise filling the room. They have used the same routine on each other for as long as they can remember.

  Benny’s expression turns serious. He glances left then right, and says, “Well, we’d better get to it; she’ll be home in a few hours.” He walks over to a console and activates it.

  Richard’s attention turns to the room. He gazes around Dianne’s study, and whistles. The shelves are filled with data pads, while the walls are adorned with real pictures. For all the years he has known Benny, he has never been in this room. He stares at the large holographic display in awe. Few citizens have them in full 3-D, most only have imitation models, but this is the real deal. Benny stands before the display and points to various icons, accessing the computer’s massive database.

  The two boys spend quite a while trying to figure out how to access the information. They are so focused on the computer’s display they fail to notice they have company, until it is too late.

  Dianne quietly stands behind the boys, and stares at the information on the display, then relaxes. She was alerted to the security breach the second the boys activated her computer console, and was concerned about what was happening in her quarters. Returning quickly to find the boys using her console was momentarily disconcerting, but she was further surprised to find they were not looking at the things most boys their age are curious about.

  Both boys freeze at the sound of her voice when she calmly says, “Ancient history, but very exciting times.”

  Benny stammers, “Mom, I can explain...”

  She lifts a hand, interrupting her son, and smiles, “Benny, no need.” She turns her attention to Richard, “Now as for you mister, well...,” she raises her eyebrows in mock annoyance, “I think I had better help you find what you’re looking for.”

  The boys stare at each other in stunned silence; they both expected her to be mad. Finally, Benny says, “Mom, look at all this cool stuff on the Terran.”

  Dianne stares at the data and smiles. She is a historical archives specialist, and a renowned teacher of ancient history. She points at the data her son has displayed, then says, “Well, that Gamin Technology Journal was pretty much obsolete the minute Joe wrote it.” She gestures at the 3-D image, instantly replacing the scene with that of an impressive spacecraft.

  Richard’s jaw drops, “Hey! It says Terran on the hull.” He glances at Dianne, a confused frown on his brow, and adds, “But that ship doesn’t look at all like the one on display in the museum.”

  Dianne sits down in her chair for a few moments, then replies, “I think you boys should read the New Earth Ecology Journal; it was written by Emma herself,” she adds proudly.

  Richard frowns, then says, “But why is the ship different?”

  She closes her eyes, smiles, and almost feels as though she were on the ship that started everything. Both boys fidget while they wait, but remain quiet. A few moments later, she opens her eyes and says, “All in good time. You need to start at the very beginning if you want to truly understand how things came to b
e.”

  Richard tilts his head. “That’s the beginning?” His voice is filled with doubt.

  “For you, Rusty, it was,” she says, smiling at Richard. She then adds matter-of-factly, “besides, you boys know all there is to know about the Gamin and Kord technologies.” She leans forward, glances at both boys secretively, then adds mysteriously, “But New Earth’s ecology? Now, that’s something the teachers don’t explain.”

  Benny’s face scrunches up. He knows his mother just said something important, but he also knows he missed it. While still pondering her words, he says, “So what happened to them?”

  Dianne smiles lovingly at her son and his friend, then says, “One step at a time boys.” She motions to the display and brings up an old-style document; one they have to read, and not just watch.

  Richard is flabbergasted. “Flat pictures? Wow, that’s old,” he says in surprise.

  Benny stares at his friend and says authoritatively, “They didn’t have 3-D scanners back then.” He turns to his mom for support, adding. “Did they Mom?”

  She smiles once more, and replies, “No son, they didn’t.” Addressing both boys she says, “Now just watch the display.”

  Dianne motions to the image before her. A massive book seems to open at her command, its cover turns with a wave of her hand, revealing the first page.

  Chapter Two - Emma’s Journal

  New Earth Statistics

  Atmosphere: 98% Earth-like.

  Gravity: 1.05G

  Size: Earth + 25%

  Rotation: 26 Hours per day, 385 days per year.

  Notes: New Earth has similar weather patterns to Earth, with a planetary average temperature of one degree cooler. Its geological strata indicate that the planet is relatively young. The major continents are stable, while some of the smaller landmasses have extensive volcanic and seismic activity.