Stellar Flash

by Neil A. Hogan

  If they survived it.

  #

  Patel made to run his hands through his hair but remembered he was wearing his old chunky space suit, and stopped. He couldn't even rub his chin, or stroke his little white block of a moustache, and the puffy suit weighed down on him. Even though the bubble of air in the cavern was hydrogen and oxygen, without a carbon dioxide scrubber, he wouldn't be able to live long if he took his helmet off.

  He shivered, irrationally wondering if another mushbug was about to make an appearance behind him.

  The creature in front of him didn't look that close to the sketches drawn by the crew members from the previous mission to the mushroom bugs' world. There was no record of any color other than browny-purply-black, and they weren't drawn like this. He wished he could have gotten better images, but they hadn't thought to send artists on that particular mission. And, even then, they may not have been able to recreate it exactly when they got back.

  Shifting frequencies not only messed with people's minds, it also translated the images they remembered differently. He'd never been to Frequency One but he understood it was like seeing a tesseract there, a six 'cube'-sided cube, and then trying to take the image back to Frequency Zero and draw it. The human mind would end up with a six 'square'-sided cube. Sometimes it wasn't possible to bring back the correct image of something.

  But he did know that if the original item from that frequency somehow made it into this, then it would transform to match the memories of how those in Frequency Zero now perceived it.

  This gold mushroom bug had never been seen before by anyone in this universe.

  He walked back and forth in front of the ice wall, looking at the alien's warped image, the helmet light breaking up its reflection in the hard wall. Five antenna at the front with plating across its oval back that was made up of millions of tiny pieces. The alien looked like a trilobite-shaped mushroom with feelers.

  He couldn't see its underside but he suspected that it might have something concealed there. Was it part of it, or was it holding something?

  He leant against the wall and pondered the creature, checking the time. Five minutes until time reached zero. Would the creature suddenly become active? And would the resulting time bubble affect him? He'd been able to flash here with no problems, so assumed he wasn't part of the bubble. But there was always the chance of some kind of external effect.

  He turned on his recording equipment. "Analysis suggests the creature has flashed across the frequencies. It's possible it has used some kind of remote jumping technology, but without any way of returning, it would be a suicide mission. I suspect that the device is with it and we just can't see it."

  He was thankful the admiral hadn’t blocked his messages, and he was able to get a request to the space station’s AI to do a complete scan from above and below. He’ll investigate the records of the creature when he got back.

  He looked around the small cavern, careful not to move too fast in the low gravity. He didn't want to bounce into the ice wall. "How'd you get here, Blondie?" he said aloud. "Are you working with someone?"

  He held the datapad in front of him, speaking for his report, filling in time before the security guards arrived. He wondered if the creature could hear him.

  Something flickered out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a rivulet of water, and stared at it in surprise.

  "What?"

  It took him a moment to realize what was happening. His HUD said the external temperature was minus one hundred and ninety-two degrees Celsius. Running water couldn't exist.

  He shone his light along the glassy ice. More rivulets.

  But there was something else strange about them. They just didn't look right. If he could have taken his helmet off and had a closer look...

  Just then, five security personnel flashed in.

  "Doctor Patel, my team and I are here to watch the creature. You can leave it to us." The guard brandished what looked to be some kind of plasma bazooka. "If it wakes up, we'll take care of it."

  Patel knew not to bother trying to explain the whole reverse time effect, but he had to turn back to the water. It was completely impossible. "Just one moment. I don't know why water is running here. It's too cold for it. I need to check..."

  He took a closer look and stepped back. The water was running backwards. Up the wall of ice.

  Patel opened his mouth and closed it again. He should have guessed. The creature's phasing was about to happen, but it was happening in reverse. From its perspective, it had already died through being frozen - forward in time for it. But for Patel and the team, everything was backward for them. That meant that its appearance must have vaporized the ice, which then melted and froze quickly.

  Then Patel swore and almost smashed his gloved hand against his helmet in realization.

  That was the reason there was an atmosphere in here in the first place. The creature's appearance had created it. And if it leaves, the pocket would be instantly filled with ice.

  "Emergency evacuation!" yelled Patel. "It's about to implode. Get out. Press your addresses. Return to the base!"

  The security personnel knew not to argue, and immediately tapped their wrists and disappeared. Patel glanced around furtively. Had he left anything? No.

  He watched as more rivulets of water sprung from the ground and began streaming towards the block of ice above – a torrential up-pour.

  The wall of water started moving inexorably towards him, like some ancient ocean demon out for revenge.

  He quickly slapped his address button, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and flashed back to the surface.

  Just as Patel vanished, the creature disappeared, and the cavern was instantly filled with ice that had been there for eons, like nothing had ever happened.

  #

  Patel was back at the base; his suit helmet off. He’d got back to his temporary quarters and activated the contact screen while unclipping his gloves and boots.

  “Please leave a message,” said the AI.

  Patel sighed. Heartness insisted on her breaks.

  “Well, I’m sure you’re taking some time off, Admiral, so I’ll be brief. I don’t think you’ll like what I found. I’ll send the details encrypted to the X-1a’s AI. Your authorization only.

  He flicked a switch, then swiped the information from his tablet to the screen in front of him.

  “Attachments sent,” said the AI.

  He’d seen the scans made by X-1a and knew that Hogart was to blame. He would have to have a chat with him when he got back. Not just because what he had done was against the laws of the Earth government, but because it was impossible. He not only wanted to know why, he wanted to know how.

  If Hogart made it back.

  #

  Admiral Heartness was enjoying a brief respite from the stuffiness of her cabin, taking a walk through the center of the space station. If the mushroom bugs were going to invade, she had to be clear-minded and relaxed, and what better way to relax than to have a closer look at the AI’s artwork-avatar.

  Passing several alien tourist stores that were spruiking amazing collections of items from around the galaxy, she headed for what looked like a large plant-root system that spread out along the adjoining corridors and across various connecting bridges. A massive trunk spread upwards, branching into, well, branches that impossibly pierced the glass canopy into the vacuum, and seemed to wave slowly at the nearby rings of Saturn.

  Space Station X-1a's AI’s image this week was a tree, representing the silky oaks of Australia. A thick body with rough bark that seemed to surround it in thousands of soft sticks, the tree filled the central restaurant promenade of Ring One, its branches each ending in a small AI access terminal where tourists could ask questions or check messages.

  Tourists gawked and snapped images around her, while personnel took their drinks or food to check status updates.

  Heartness smiled to herself at all the happy people, then walked to the lift vestibule. Hop
efully she’d be able to lift the travel ban soon and everyone could get on with their lives. Thankfully no one yet knew what she looked like so most tourists thought she was just another personnel member. Even if they had noticed her stripes, they wouldn’t know what they meant.

  She checked her flashband. A message from Patel with an attachment. She couldn’t check it so close to so many people. If the news was bad, it would spread like wildfire and make controlling everyone so much harder. She decided to access the files from one of the less used terminal areas near the top.

  The lift only took a minute to get there and she was pleased to find no one was up this high. With no shops and only another window showing the rings, it wasn’t the most popular area. She liked to come here on her breaks, sit by herself and watch the crowds below.

  Of course, she could have gone back to her office to check Patel’s files, but she had those kilos to work off. She didn’t want to end up with seat butt.

  "Voice authorization Heartness One. AI open the attachments recently sent by Doctor John Patel."

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  The AI opened the files as a hologram in front of her. A rough frequency scan and animated reconstruction of the frozen mushroom bug up to the point it disappeared.

  The main recording had been made from above, and she watched as Patel stepped backwards, madly hit his arm to disappear as a wall of water came closer to him, then the creature’s antennae had begun to move as the ice melted around it.

  Then it had simply disappeared, and solid snow had filled the pocket.

  “AI, reverse playback.”

  She watched as there was a flash, the snow exploded into a bubble, and the creature materialized, half in ice and half in rock, then it twitched a few times and was still as Patel came closer.

  “AI, confirm that this was a flashband entry.”

  “Yes, Admiral. Isolation field matrix is indicative of Earth technology.”

  Heartness knew the only real way the creature could have materialized is if it had somehow got hold of a flash band. The flash bands were programmed with all the Solar System’s bases' locations in space/time, and automatically calculated the exact vibration to be able to change the location coordinates of the traveler. But they weren't designed for mushroom bugs, which was probably why the creature had materialized inside rock.

  "AI, show me the underside of the creature."

  Heartness hoped her hunch wasn't right, but as the AI shifted to the other composite image, a frequency scan that had been conducted through the south pole of the moon to the bottom of the creature, she could see the evidence underneath. A bright silver flash band concealing almost all of the alien’s underside.

  And not just any old flashband.

  It was Hogart's.

  Heartness looked at it with sadness. "Oh, Hogart. What have you done?"

  Chapter 8

  A Gift in Time

  Now that three of the crew were in danger, Puppy was in charge. He stood on his twelve stick-like legs near one of the three entrances to the Center, towering over everything, and overseeing the progress.

  The crew knew the humans would not be happy to find that the star system was teeming with life. If what the queen said was true, life on the other planets would most likely be more queens and their bacteria.

  The drones were still on the way to the surface of the other worlds in the star system, so they hoped to get more comprehensive results within the hour. But if all the planets contained these mushroom bugs, then it might be a huge risk asking them to join the IC.

  Then again, the humans had spread across the planets of their Solar System before their Shift had happened, and they had been fairly well-behaved after joining.

  "AI, please take my report," said Puppy.

  The AI’s Japanese avatar immediately appeared and Puppy looked her up and down. "Why does Hogart like this form? Is it pleasing for him?"

  "On some parts of planet Earth, this form is attractive. Hogart just likes looking at what he considers to be pretty faces. He'll be away from humans for a while, so something familiar will help him cope mentally. If you miss your race, I can be someone for you, too!"

  "I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder," said Puppy, wagging his body a little. "Well, there’s nothing more I can do for the moment so I’ve got a bit of time. Okay, change for me."

  The AI immediately changed into another alien like Puppy but with ten legs, a smaller tongue and bigger mandibles.

  "Oh, hellooo," said Puppy. "Even up-to-date with the ten-leg trend. And the drool... How sexy are you! You look barely out of your egg!"

  The six-eyed, ten-legged spider-like alien seemed to shuffle a bit in what humans might have considered coyness.

  "Much better. Now, that's a pretty face! Thank you AI. This form is much better. Let’s have you like that for now." Then Puppy turned to the center of the Center. "Okay team. Time for an English report for the human race. Are we ready?"

  "Aye, aye captain," said Amy's translator. She was the only one there.

  "Officer Puppy reporting for the humans. Captain Jonathan Hogart, First Officer Spiney and Communications Officer Cuddly have been captured by mushroom bugs on Planet Brown and Purple. Monitored communications suggest that Queen Unpronounceable has split into two queens and that there is a chance they will kill our crew members if we don't give them flash technology."

  "Right so far, though I think she said dismember," said Amy.

  "’Dismember’ it is. We assume that this has not yet happened as we expect some kind of ultimatum or hostage negotiation to take place. However we have not been able to contact the crew since they were taken inside one of the conical buildings, and assume that they have chosen communications silence for security.”

  “Correct.”

  “Drones have been sent by the AI to thirty planets in the star system, with about ten so far confirmed by quantum entanglement to have life. We suspect that this life is the same form as below, but are waiting more detailed reports. We should know for sure within the hour. If these creatures have spread throughout the star system, and are fighting amongst each other, then the quarantine protocol must be enacted until they have evolved further."

  "Yes," said Amy.

  "We have decided that more detailed investigations are required, in order to analyze the exact chemical the mushroom creatures are secreting, so that we can rescue the crew members from their prison. To this end Officer Geo and Officer Torus, along with a small contingent of security personnel, have arrived in an area on the night side to capture one of the aliens. Incidentally, I have decided to name the aliens, for easy news reports for Earth, Mushbugs."

  “Mushbugs?" asked Amy. "Why didn't you ask me? I'm an astrobiologist! They should be called Eukaryotoid Amoeboid Protists! They're not at all related to mushrooms or fungi or bugs! Why not EAPs?"

  "Thank you Amy. Mushbugs it is."

  If Amy had been human, she probably would have rolled her eyes.

  "Here ends the report," said Puppy.

  The AI bent on her pole-like legs and straightened again. "Shall I get back to my duties?" she burbled.

  "What, you don't want to just stand there and look sexy for me? Love what you've done with your back hair. Oooh, and you’ve got mandible extension! Mmm Mmm"

  "I think this form is too much of a distraction for you, officer Puppy."

  Puppy clacked his front legs together and gave a sound almost like sighing. "Alright, if you insist. Amy?"

  "All you aliens are so specific in what you like. I must say, I don’t really understand. If it's got holes, I'm in."

  "Sorry?"

  "I love merging with another being and just travelling in and out of all their holes. Especially their pores. Getting deep into an alien from every angle. That's the most amazing feeling. Do you know humans actually have seven holes in their head, and they're all connected? I can slide through their skulls! But it's not just humans. Look at you. Are those legs hollow?" Amy's gelatinous
body twisted and turned, reaching out a translucent tentacle to touch one of Puppy’s legs.

  Puppy, immediately concerned, stepped back a little. “Amy, we've been on missions before and you never said anything about being, you know, xenocurious with me. What's got into you?"

  Amy flickered, changing color a few times, settled on green, then turned back to her computer, a bit distracted. "Anyway, I can do that with anything. Even this computer. But you're right, Puppy. I'm definitely feeling more amorous than usual. It must be the binary stars." Amy looked at the image of the AI. "Can you give me a piece of pumice from Earth?"

  The AI's ten-legged hairy alien disappeared and was replaced with a darkish grey rock with millions of tiny little holes in it. Amy almost collapsed into a puddle at the sight.

  "Oh, even more beautiful than I remember. When I discovered these volcanic rocks on Earth, I locked myself in my cabin for days. Amazing experience. Not very conversational, though."

  "You're joking!"

  "I think this is a better choice for an image, don't you think?"

  "A rock!"

  "The AI can speak through something else, and she doesn't need an image anyway. It's just for us to have a direction to speak towards."

  Puppy clacked his legs. Perhaps it was best not to be too distracted. In any case he was looking forward to seeing Hogart's reaction when they got him back. "You're right, Amy. AI, I hope you're alright with being a rock for a while."

  "Yes, Officer Puppy, Officer Amy. I am very happy to be a piece of pumice stone."

  Just then the rock began flashing red. "Results are in," said the AI.

  "And?" asked Amy.

  "Confirmed. All thirty planets, several moons and even a few asteroids and comets contain mushbugs. And they're all fighting each other for resources."

  "It's an infestation. We can't let them know about Earth," said Amy. "Or our entire universe, for that matter."

  "We may need to quarantine the entire star system," said Puppy.

  "Additional," interrupted the AI. "Cyborg bacteria detected on most of the outward planets, capable of adding huge concentrations of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere."