The Cassini Code

by Dom Testa

  “Not too fast,” Lita said. “Your mouth is probably like a desert.” Alexa’s face relaxed as she moved the ice around her mouth, then asked for another by opening wide. Lita smiled and put two more chips in.

  Soon Alexa was able to make more sounds. She moaned, not in a painful way, but as if she was working out her vocal cords. She took two more ice chips, then looked back up at Lita and croaked her first word.

  “What?” Lita said, leaning forward. “Say that again.” Another croak. Lita looked up at one of her assistants, Mathias. “Did you catch that?”

  The boy shrugged. “Sounded like ‘Santa.’”

  They both looked down at Alexa, who frowned and slowly shook her head. She licked her lips and, mustering her strength, clearly said, “Sedna.”

  “Sedna?” Lita asked. “S-e-d-n-a?”

  When Alexa nodded, Lita and Mathias exchanged glances again. “Doesn’t mean a thing to me,” he said, then went about his work.

  Lita chuckled at her friend, then fed her another ice chip. “Are you loopy?”

  Alexa cleared her throat, and this time her voice was much easier to hear. “You…asked where we were. We’re…at…Sedna.”

  “Well,” Lita said, “I don’t know anything about Sedna, wherever that is. But if that’s where you’re hanging out right now while you get well, then I’m okay with that.” She smiled at her friend. “What if I got you a cup of tea? Remember, nothing comes between you and your tea.”

  Alexa didn’t answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and appeared to rest comfortably. Lita helped gather the data on Galahad’s first-ever coma recovery patient, and was pleased with the information. Alexa seemed to be fine physically, and her neural scan displayed no brain damage, either. There was a slight arch in one wavelength that hadn’t been there before, but nothing significant.

  She was just finishing up when the intercom buzzed. It was a call from Triana. Lita walked over to her desk to answer it.

  “Hey, I was just about to call you,” she said. “We’ve had some excitement down here, and I forgot all about the alarm a while ago. What was that about?”

  Triana said, “The collision warning system in Engineering went out.”

  “It went out? You seem pretty calm about it.”

  “That’s because it popped back on again,” Triana said. “Without us even doing anything. So we flew without any warning system for almost ten minutes.”

  “And Bon? What about his code, or whatever that was?” Triana let out a long breath.

  “Well, he uploaded something. I’ll be honest, it’s a total leap of faith, because it has taken us off course, and I’m a little nervous about that. But supposedly it will get us through the Kuiper Belt.”

  Lita thought about this for a moment. “So we won’t need the warning system, is that right?”

  “I don’t know. I’m trying to have faith in our little friends back at Titan, but I’d just as soon have the warning system as a backup, you know? Anyway, I’m going to address all of this at our crew meeting in a couple of hours. Wanted to see if you were going to be there. What’s this excitement you mentioned?”

  Lita smiled. “Our sleepy-head patient has come back online.” Triana digested this for a moment. “You’re telling me that Alexa is awake again?”

  “That’s right.”

  “That’s great!” Triana said. “And she’s okay?”

  “As far as I can tell. A little disoriented, maybe. She mumbled something strange, but I think it’s probably just like waking up after an intense dream. She probably couldn’t tell the real world from the dream world, I’m sure. But yeah, she seems fine.”

  “Congrats to you and your staff,” Triana said. “What a relief. I can’t wait to announce that at the meeting.”

  Lita grew serious. “Yeah, I was thinking about this meeting…”

  “And?”

  “And I’m just curious how you’re going to handle it. After everything that’s happened lately, I’m a little worried that it might turn ugly.”

  Triana paused before answering. “The only way to handle it is to be honest.”

  “That doesn’t seem to buy much with some people anymore,” Lita said.

  “Yeah, I know,” Triana said with a sigh. “But I’ve had this discussion with Gap already. There’s no other way to go with it. It’s not like I won’t be firm, but regardless of what happens I can’t abandon my ethics. I know that emotion often overpowers rational thought, but where would we be if we all ditched reasonable and logical thinking just to battle someone else’s emotional outburst?”

  Lita had been standing during the conversation, leaning against her chair. Now she pulled the chair out and sat down. “Listen, you’re the Council Leader on this ship, but you’re also my friend. You know I support you one hundred percent. I just…” She hesitated before finishing. “I just worry that always taking the high road in all of this will only lead to us plummeting off a cliff at some point, you know?”

  Triana said, “I’ll ask you the same thing I asked Gap: What do you suggest?”

  Lita sat quietly. She picked up a little glass cube on her desk, one of her personal mementos from her hometown. It was filled with sand and pebbles from the beach at Veracruz, a visual reminder of the seashore that had supplied so many of her happiest memories. She had spent countless days running through the surf with her family, and had also spent several evenings alone with her mother, sitting in the sand, watching the moon rise over the water. She cherished those memories, as well as the wisdom that her mother had worked so hard to transfer to her oldest daughter. So much of that wisdom involved dignity and moral decisions.

  Triana’s steadfast determination to fight disorder with dignity reminded Lita of her mother’s lessons. How could Lita possibly find fault with that?

  “You’re right,” she said to Triana. “I’m just…never mind.” Triana chuckled, then said, “I never knew how passionate this Council was. Channy wants to get tough, Gap wants to fight, you’re a little feisty, and Bon punched someone in the mouth. Maybe I’m way off base.”

  “No,” Lita said. “We’re lucky to have you in charge. If it was up to us there’d be chaos by now. You’ve been steady. Then there’s me…” Her voice trailed off.

  “You’ve had a lot to deal with,” Triana said gently. “Don’t beat yourself up for thinking about turning back. We’ve all thought about it.”

  Lita sat back, surprised. She had never considered that Triana, of all people, would have those feelings. Yet why not? There was a sense of comfort there, compared to the harsh reality they faced each day in space. Of course Triana would feel that, too.

  It was selfish, Lita realized, to assume that no one else could experience what she was going through. Yet before she could respond, Triana changed the subject.

  “So, will you be at the meeting? It starts in two hours.”

  “Are you kidding?” Lita said with her own laugh. “If you can’t control all of us thugs, I’ll need to be there with my little medical kit.”

  “Things will be fine,” Triana said, then, after congratulating Lita again for the good news on Alexa, signed off.

  Lita swirled the sand around in the cube, then put it back on the desk and walked into the next room to check on her lone patient.

  29

  In the seven months since leaving Earth, there had been only three previous all-crew meetings aboard Galahad. Triana believed strongly that not only were they unnecessary in most instances, but that too many meetings would dilute their significance. She instead encouraged department leaders to make their own decisions as they saw fit, and to report any problems or concerns to the Council, which usually met about once per week.

  As she walked into the large auditorium, Triana felt an oppressive heaviness in the air. The usual chatter and laughter of the assembled group was restrained, much quieter than one would expect from a gathering of more than two hundred teens. Triana felt the gaze of each eye as she made her way to the front of the ro
om, much as she had when she watched Merit’s speech in the Dining Hall. Her path down the aisle took her past many friendly faces, and several crew members greeted her with a smile and a wave.

  But it seemed that just as many either frowned or looked away. She approached the front row of the room and was relieved to find Lita, Channy, and Bon seated, talking amongst themselves. Or, to be more precise, Channy was talking, while Lita and Bon sat passively.

  There was no sign of Gap. This time the irritation within her quickly swelled into anger. Whatever issues he might be experiencing, Triana could not accept that they warranted his continual absence. She looked around to see if he might be seated nearby, but although she spotted Hannah about five rows back, Gap was nowhere to be found. She decided that her first order of business after the meeting would be to locate the Council member and have a serious discussion about his future in a leadership role.

  For now, however, it was important that she focus on the crucial meeting at hand, and not let Gap’s apparent lack of maturity disrupt her thoughts. All of her concentration would be required to overcome the hostility of Merit and his disciples.

  Her eyes were drawn to a knot of activity toward the back of the auditorium, and she knew at once that it had to be Merit. He was all smiles, shaking hands with everyone around him, waving to others nearby, and playing the role of popular underdog to the max. Triana felt her heartbeat accelerate, and forced herself to remain calm. This would undoubtedly be her toughest test of the journey, and she could not afford to let him throw her off track.

  She walked up to her fellow Council members. Channy jumped out of her seat and gave Triana a hug.

  “I am so glad this is finally happening,” the Brit said. “You’ll be great, I know.” Triana smiled, but couldn’t think of anything to say in return.

  Lita spoke up from her seat. “Alexa sends her regards, and says that she wishes she could be here to cheer you on.”

  “She still doing okay?” Triana said.

  “She seems to be fine, except for that disorientation I mentioned. Guess that’s a pretty good tradeoff for waking up, though.”

  Triana agreed, then looked at Bon. “Have you seen Gap?” He shook his head. “No. Is there a problem?”

  “I honestly don’t know. Just wondering why he’s not here.”

  All three of the Council members gave her a blank look. Finally, Lita said, “I’ll try to hunt him down after the meeting. Maybe I can find out what’s bothering him.”

  Triana nodded, although she knew that the responsibility was hers. She turned and walked up the steps to the auditorium stage, positioned herself behind the podium, and stared out at the suddenly silent room. The only crew members not present—other than Gap and Alexa—were those whose duties kept them from attending, and they were watching on vidscreens around the ship. When she spoke, Triana was pleased to hear her voice come out loud and strong.

  “I won’t pretend that everything is happy and peaceful on this ship today.”

  She noticed that the words had the immediate effect she had hoped for. Her objective of speaking honestly and forcefully was intended to, at the very least, maintain the respect of the crew, regardless of their position. She certainly had their attention right away.

  “A growing number of you have questioned the mission that we trained very hard to accomplish. Many of you have expressed dissatisfaction with the Council and its decisions. And some of you have also requested that we discuss the option of turning around and plotting a course back to Earth. I have called this meeting to answer these concerns and requests.”

  She took a deep breath. “I will also fill you in on our latest connection with the Cassini, and how they’re helping us through the Kuiper Belt.”

  Triana paused to let this sink in, and to allow the inevitable buzz to ripple across the room. Those wearing yellow arm bands had used the concept of Cassini support to back their campaign of a return to earth; if the mysterious alien force was now suddenly helping to pilot Galahad to safety, it was a blow to Merit’s movement. Triana took a quick glance at him, and their eyes met briefly. He wore a faint smile, as if he recognized the strategic move Triana had successfully executed, elevating their battle to a new level. When the murmurs died down, she continued.

  “I must admit that I have found it personally disappointing that a few of us have so quickly abandoned the spirit which powered our mission from day one. Each of us made incredible sacrifices to be here; we left family and friends behind because we believed in what we were doing. We believed that it was our destiny to take the human race to the stars.

  “Of course it hasn’t been easy, and I won’t stand up here and lie to you and promise that the worst is behind us. We don’t know what lies ahead. And, even more sobering, we have no idea what awaits us at Eos.”

  She paused again and took in the entire room. “Every one of us knew this when we made the decision to leave. We were strong, then. We also knew that we were leaving behind a future that promised only disease and death, and chose instead to create a future filled with hope. I’m saddened to think that, even though we have conquered every challenge presented to us, a number of us would prefer to give up.”

  Triana could sense the unease that her words created in the room. She knew that Merit’s message had never been portrayed in this manner before; no one had equated his movement with the concept of quitting. Her goal of presenting the R.T.E. idea in a new light was having an effect. She pushed on.

  “There has been growing criticism of the Council, spear-headed by individuals who seek to trumpet their ideas while disregarding the concept of order and discipline when it doesn’t serve their purpose. The Council was never created to rule as a monarchy; you have the rights and abilities to change the Council as you see fit. But, bear in mind that when you begin to eliminate any sense of organization, and rush to alter the governing body every time it disagrees with your personal agenda, you’re encouraging chaos. Order and discipline must always be preserved, or we’ll be no better than animals when we reach our destination, be it Earth or Eos.”

  Another low murmur spread across the room as the impact of Triana’s words hit their mark. In the front row Lita subtly nodded her approval to her friend. Bon stared up at Triana with a look that she could only interpret as respect. It strengthened her resolve.

  “I have taken note of the recent suggestion that we turn the ship around,” she said, and again the room fell silent. “There are three points I would like to address. One, the dangers involved in attempting to turn around within the Kuiper Belt are statistically greater than maintaining our straight path. Two, there has been no contact from Earth that suggests any change has taken place in regard to Bhaktul’s Disease. Where is the sense in fleeing from death, only to allow insecurity and fear of the unknown to lead us right back into its grip?

  “And third, some have implied that the Cassini would fix all of our problems on Earth, painting a picture that resembles the Garden of Eden awaiting us. This is the lowest form of propaganda, because it plays on your emotions rather than your rational senses. Its goal is to get you to feel, rather than think. It’s dangerous, and cannot be backed up with facts of any kind.”

  Triana took a deep breath. As she began to speak again she looked up to see Gap enter the back of the room. He stood by the door for a moment, then slowly made his way down the aisle to the front row. Triana watched him, trying to make out the expression on his face. He appeared to be calm, and, as he sat down beside Channy, looked up at Triana and nodded once.

  She looked across the sea of faces. “As we make our way on this voyage, we find that we are truly children. Not just in a physical sense as individuals, but as a race of beings. Our experience with the Cassini taught us that we have so very far to go, so much to learn, and probably quite a bit that needs to be un-learned. If we allow it, it can frighten us and prevent us from expanding our knowledge and our intellect. If we allow it, it can destroy us, rather than teach us how to live in th
e galactic community. Those decisions are up to us.

  “Three hours ago Bon re-established contact with the Cassini. He specifically requested their help in navigating through this dangerous ring called the Kuiper Belt. Twenty minutes later he used their response to program a new course for Galahad, one that will put us on a safer track, and will speed us onward to Eos. There are too many details to try to share in this meeting, but we will post all of the information on the ship’s intranet. You are encouraged to examine the specifics, and to submit your questions and feedback.”

  Triana looked back at Bon for a moment. “But there is so much more that we have learned from this particular exchange, much more than we discovered during the incident at Saturn. I’ve asked Bon to speak to you about it. I think you’ll find it…fascinating.”

  She stood aside. Bon hesitated, then rose from his seat in the front row and slowly climbed the steps to the stage. As he walked to the podium the room remained deathly silent. This was something completely unexpected; Bon, renowned for his quiet demeanor and often-surly attitude, had never addressed any gathering of crew members beyond his duties in the Farms, and was something of a mystery aboard the ship. His bond with the Cassini also lent an aura of wonder about him.

  He reached the podium and, for the first few moments, kept his gaze down. Then, he slowly looked up and addressed the crowd.

  “It’s difficult to explain my communication with the Cassini. I have tried to describe it to Triana as a complete surrender to an energy that we can’t possibly begin to understand. I get the sense that they are far older than our solar system, possibly as old as the universe itself. We could probably talk for hours about their history and their purpose. But, for the sake of time, let me tell you the essence of the Cassini.”

  He looked back down for a moment, and appeared to gather his thoughts. Triana noticed that no one in the auditorium moved; they were as captivated as she in the mystery of it all.

  Lifting his gaze to the assembled crew, Bon continued. “For lack of a better word, I believe the Cassini are…policemen.”