Prototype: The Lost and Forgotten Series

by Robert Gallagher

  The terminal where Abs and I watched as the escape attempt unfolded has been removed. Seeing nothing else of interest, I return to the previous room, glancing around for one last look before I turn to leave. It’s then that I smell something bad. My curiosity raised, I follow the smell farther into the room, losing it momentarily and then finding it again, stronger and more pungent. My fear and curiosity increase equally as I come up against a wall.

  This section of the wall is part of the main bulkhead of the station. Seeing nothing at first, I run my hand over the wall, and then I feel the unmistakable edge of a panel. Following the edge down, I find a place I can slip my fingers into and behind the panel. Gripping it, I slowly manage to pry open the paneled section a few inches. Now with more of the panel open and gripping the edge with both hands, I pull back on the section of wall with all my strength. Without warning the panel suddenly gives and opens, crashing to the floor, the source of the smell dropping out like a discarded manikin.

  I look down aghast at the body and take a few steps back. The smell almost overpowers my control of my stomach as I try to keep everything down. Then I recognize the body staring up at me, and the battle is lost at that moment and I succumb to the stench, adding my own vile odor to the room. Coughing and spitting the remains of the taste I can’t get rid of out of my mouth, I stagger back to the vent of the room and take in a deep breath.

  I call out loud to the room as I take more clean breaths. “I need help down in engineering. I’ve found another body.”

  Abs walks into the control center; she was given access after the lost-and-found incident. The control center, as always, is alive with various sounds from the many systems that surround the room. Alistair Brookes looks up from his work console as Abs enters. He stands to greet her. “Welcome to the control center. Not many of our guests are normally allowed up here, but I’m happy to make an exception for you.”

  Abs comes to a stop, looking around at the systems. “It always surprises me at first that there are no windows, but it’s obvious; you only get things like that in stories,” she says as she stops looking round and faces the professor.

  “Well, windows would be nice, but they’d be totally impractical. The command ship had an observation area, but to have something like that on any ship or space station takes so much reinforcement to the infrastructure, it generally is too expensive. But I’m sure you did not come all this way just to talk about windows.” Alistair smiles.

  “Very true, but it was an honest observation. I need to ask you if you know who was piloting that pod. It’s clear that what was accomplished there was no mean feat. Someone with detailed knowledge of the station must have helped or been the one flying that pod.”

  Alistair looks thoughtful before answering, “I went over the plans myself, and you are right, the detail of knowledge was staggering, but I can assure you that this information did not come from me, and no one on my staff has that kind of knowledge. Plus none of my staff are currently missing.”

  “So if you had nothing to do with it, then who? It’s unlikely to be one of the convicts.”

  “There are some very smart people on this station, but not any who could have pulled off that escape attempt. I’ve been going back over the list of inmates, and none of them come close.” The professor looks genuinely perplexed, and then his expression changes to one of thoughtfulness. “There was one man who could have possibly carried it out, but his pod malfunctioned as it was docking. This was a while back—just a day or two after I arrived.”

  “What happed?” Abs looks up with interest.

  “His name was Dr. Zorn, and he had volunteered to try and help me escape. He was part of the construction team, but as his pod entered the docking tube, there was some kind of malfunction with the fuel burn-off system, and his pod was incinerated.”

  “So there is no way he could have survived in some way?”

  “Unlikely, as the docking sequence never took place, and the system detected a dangerous buildup of pressures from the pod and an imminent explosion, so it was jettisoned back into space.”

  Abs rubs her forehead in frustration. “This makes no bloody sense.”

  “Professor Brookes, Sam McCall is asking for you and Jessica to come to medical. It would seem he has found another body,” the station computer announces suddenly and without warning, startling Brookes but only causing Abs to look up with interest.

  By the time Abs and the professor arrive at medical, Jake, Frank, Neil, and Samuel are already there, along with Dr. Moore and Sam. Two covered-up bodies are also in the room.

  “Thank you for coming along with such short notice, but I thought it was important to let you all know what I discovered recently, I’ve been concerned of late regarding the incident at the lost and found. The body discovered there, I later confirmed, was one of the two inmates I saw ducking out of the laundry several weeks back. Jake confirmed with me who he was.”

  Jake nods in agreement as Sam continues. “This discovery led me to the idea that the two were working on the escape plan together, but then at the last moment, one of them killed his mate.” He pauses, looking at each person present like this is some kind of whodunit, various heads nod in agreement except for Alistair, Abs, and Samuel.

  “But I never believed any of it. The plans, the designs…I doubt very much that either of them could have designed a working coffee machine, let alone a modified pod and booster. The only thing that made sense prior to finding the last body was that the two from the laundry helped a third, the brains of the outfit, but at the last minute they turned on the brains, killed him, and then fought over the pod, realizing or already knowing it could only take one. The survivor then takes the pod out and dies. This made perfect sense until I found the second body.” Sam pauses and looks over at the covered-up bodies and then at the assembled.

  “That can’t possibly have happened, as both the muscles are now confirmed dead, leaving the brains who then takes the pod out and dies, which also makes no sense at all. The brains understands enough to design and build a pod but not about the effects of the black hole.” Sam looks toward the group and then over to Dr. Moore.

  “Could you tell us your findings, please, Doctor?”

  “Yes, of course. They both died approximately four, maybe five weeks ago. The second body found was first killed and was bludgeoned to death with a large item, but the other was strangled by someone with strong hands, though the pattern would suggest someone using just one hand with a very powerful grip.”

  “Just one hand? That’s unusual. Could anyone have been able to strangle him?” Alistair asks with interest.

  “No, not really. The discoloration shown around his throat is large, and it would have taken someone with very strong hands to cause that kind of injury. You could cut out almost everyone here except maybe for Frank.”

  Almost as though on cue, everyone turns to regard Frank.

  “Hey, sod that. I’ve had nothing to do with it. I’m a changed man and have not had a drop of anything in years,” Frank says, almost spitting out his words and looking from Abs to the others.

  “It’s okay, Frank. No one is outright accusing you. This is just an observation of facts, trying to understand what happened. Besides, I would be more concerned about Abs’s man hands.” Sam finishes with a slight smile, and the others laugh now, looking at Abs.

  “Hey, cut that out. I definitely do not have man hands, but I’ll show you my pissed-off female fist if you keep that up.” Abs turns red with annoyance as Neil and Jake burst out laughing.

  Trying to hold down a laugh of his own, Sam continues, “Okay, settle down, guys. We are almost done here, and thank you for your results, Doctor.”

  “I was happy to help, and to be honest, this is the most exciting thing that has happed in a while. But I have less interesting duties to attend that won’t get completed on their own, so if you all will excuse me.” With a slight nod toward the professor, Dr. Moore leaves the room.

  “I
want to end by giving you my conclusions. Professor Brookes has designed a truly impressive station, the likes of which I have never seen before. It poses many issues, the complications increasing with each additional member of the group included in any escape attempt. The last escape was, in my opinion, the best and only chance any single person had to escape, and that failed.

  “In my opinion, even if that pod had waited until it left the protection of the station’s field, I’m very doubtful that the booster would have been enough to escape the influence of the black hole. Every four weeks here just makes it even harder to overcome, and that was for just one of us, and that window of opportunity is now closed.” Sam stops there, looking at all the glum faces staring back. Only Samuel still seems optimistic.

  “Even if we could escape the influence of the black hole, no ship, private or otherwise, would wait in the vicinity of the black hole for years on the off chance that someone would succeed in an escape, and even if one would, I’m betting the federation station is armed and would not put up with that for too long.” He pauses only long enough for the information to sink in, but Alistair jumps in first.

  “So you have concluded that escape is impossible?”

  “I would not say impossible, but the price is too high, and I’m not willing to pay it. The only conceivable way to escape with all present would result in everyone else dying.” This was the moment Sam had waited for, and as he concluded, he watched one more than the others. Only Samuel was still looking hopeful.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s the facts. Even if we say to hell with the rest of the people here, we would still need to get past the federation station, and my escape plan would just get us away from the black hole with nowhere else to go.” Sam stops there, looking at the others and feeling that he has let them down.

  “If anything changes or I get more information that helps, then I’ll let you know, but for now these are my conclusions, and I can’t keep them from you.”

  It is pitch black in Neil’s room. Neil lies wide awake, as he has tossed and turned in bed for the past few hours; nothing he did has helped, and his betrayal of Frank lies heavily on his mind.

  From out of the darkness, eyes watch with mild interest until their owner finally breaks the silence. “You have been a very naughty ape-man. I see you have made just a big enough crack for me to slip inside.”

  7

  Commander Taylor’s Predicament

  Facility Zero, 1 day online: federation year 2417

  Commander Taylor watches from his command ship as Facility Zero settles into position and powers online. The professor’s whereabouts had been brought to his attention just a few minutes before. Everyone knew there was nothing that could be done. The system was designed to reject any commands to bring the station back, not that the stabilizers had that kind of power in the first place. In fact, if the system detected the facility moving away from the black hole, then the stabilizers would just shut down and send the entire facility down into the black hole.

  No escape meant just that, but even so the commander felt responsible for Professor Brookes, who is not just a colleague but a friend, and until he’s exhausted every option, his mission will continue on station. The commander watches in silence as the first of the pods descends toward the prison.

  Due to the secrecy of the project, authorizing any possible rescue attempt has to be from the station itself and not from the command ship, the command ship being far too large to approach safely, and organizing any other rescue attempt from outside the station would possibly compromise the project itself.

  The other complication is that any escape attempt needs to be carried out within ten years. Past that time frame, the station’s proximity to the black hole will be past the point of no return. All possible solutions were raised and examined and thought over, and every expert except for one had come to the same conclusion: it is not possible.

  Dr. Zorn has a brilliant idea. It is risky, and it has its own particular dangers, but it could work with a bit of luck. This is good enough for the commander, and it has been given a go-ahead. Standing in front of the assembled project team members, Zorn takes a moment to gather his thoughts.

  The majority of the project team present are experts in one field or another regarding space flight, astral physics, gravitational effects, and so on, which helps to save time and prevents all the “but why can’t we” and “why would that happen” type of questions. They will just listen. Some will nod, others will smile, and one or two still look very skeptical.

  “The issue we have is twofold, but there are other minor points that we will need to overcome. Some of you will know and understand these points, and others I’m sure will come up to speed very quickly and will be able to spot issues that we might not see or understand. Issue one: the pods do not have any kind of guidance system on board. The docking process is controlled by the cryostation, and that ceases as soon as the facility receives the pod down the docking tube.

  “Issue number two: even at this range, the pods, fully fueled, do not have enough thrust to break away from the influence of the black hole, and due to protection from the gravity field, any escape attempt needs to be practically from a standing start outside of the gravity field; otherwise, it would be like throwing eggs at a wall.

  “Our job today is for a short-term solution that needs to be carried out on the facility itself, and this leads to another problem. Whoever goes over will also have to be rescued, which means more work due to the pod modifications that need to be carried out, so we will need a small team, three maximum.”

  The room erupts into a deafening noise, everyone trying to talk at once, some trying to say why they should go, others explaining why this cannot work. Arguments start as small groups seem to form, with all the varying ideas, each trying to make clear their reasons that this is madness, and others saying it’s pure genius.

  “Quiet down. This is not helping. Each and every one of you will get a chance to make your case, but I’ll make it easier by asking if any of you is willing to stay behind on the facility.”

  This question is met with a sudden silence, one that is shortly broken by a single voice.

  “I am, sir. Wheeler, second class, on secondment from Commander Taylor’s crew. Commander Taylor requested volunteers, and I’m more than happy to help, sir.”

  Zorn smiles with relief, and the room’s attitude changes with this one voice.

  “Thank you, Wheeler. Help accepted.” Turning back to the rest of the assembled, Zorn continues, “If there are no other volunteers, then we will move our discussion over to my plan. Modification of a pod is going to be our focus. Also, we will send a pod with extra components that we can use to help with the modification process. We will need to modify one pod per team member that is not willing to stay, so I propose that we send a three-man team to help with this task. I have already made my intentions known to the commander that I will head this team, so all I’m asking for at this point is just one more volunteer.” He looks around at the many faces he’s known for years, but many of them have families. Dr. Zorn knows he was very lucky to get Wheeler. Seeing no other volunteers, he continues.

  “The following schematics should be sufficient to modify a pod to give its occupant enough power to thrust away from the facility so that the command ship can safely approach and scoop in the pod. As you can see, the pod requires no external modification and can quickly be completed in a day or two. In theory we could modify a pod by adding a section of an additional pod to act like a thruster’s rocket to break away from the influence of the black hole, but if that schematic fell into the wrong hands, well, that could lead to the entire project being scrapped.

  “The last obstacle is the federation. If they discover what we are up to, then they will put a stop to it. I would estimate the odds being around 95 percent in our favor the first time we launch a modified pod from the station, dropping at about 20 percent with each time after the first. As soon as the feds notice anything o
ut of the ordinary, then the game’s up. This facility is designed to be escape proof, and without outside help, I would suggest it is.”

  The meeting continued on for a few more hours to cover and finalize the plan, which took an unexpected and positive new direction. An idea came from a relatively low-level technician who asked why the modification had to be carried out on the station. Considering only two people had volunteered, the work to be carried out with two or maybe three people, if Professor Brookes helped, would still take weeks, so the plan was changed: two pods would be modified on the command ship and flown down to the facility from there.

  The modifications with a full team took three days. Now all that had to be done was to pilot the pods down. Zorn would then start the slow process of refueling the pods. Wheeler would stay and take on Professor Brookes’s role, and Professor Brookes would come back with Dr. Zorn. Overall mission time, one week down on the facility and just over six weeks back on the command ship. The plan seemed perfect, but truth be known, any rescue attempt at this point was doomed to failure.

  For the past year while the facility was being prepared, every level of the federation had been bored witless, and now every federation member is on ultrahigh alert as the first of the very worst of federation society are being transferred from the cryostation down to the facility. Each pod is scheduled and scrutinized, nothing is out of place or turn. Sending too many down at once would quickly overwhelm the limited staff within the facility, so each pod is timed precisely.