by John Walker
“Serling here,” Victoria replied. “I just got clearance to prep the ship. Are your people working?”
“Oh yeah,” Carlos said. “Captain reached out to me a bit ago. We’re running some tests on the engines and the artificial gravity modules right now. I’m sure we’ll be done in the next twenty minutes and we can start the ignition process. How long before you come aboard? And what about the captain? Are we waiting for him?”
“We don’t have launch clearance so we’ve got time to let him get here. I’m almost to the hangar now and will ensure the bridge staff has taken their posts. Hopefully, they can finish their preflight check in less than an hour but I won’t hold my breath … unless you’ve already gone through some of the list?”
“Some,” Carlos said. “Not as much as I’d have liked. Our part of this process will take longer than the bridge so the moment we heard about the object, we came aboard and started working. I had a feeling the council would order us up ASAP. Sounds like we’re taking some initiative?”
“I talked Jacks into authorizing your activities.” Victoria drew out her security card and scanned it to get through the door leading to the hangar bay. It slid shut the second she stepped through. “It didn’t take much though. They’re sending some of the smaller ships to check it out, those two test ships with guns, I think. Everyone’s worried about what we’re dealing with here.”
“I am,” Carlos admitted. “I don’t mind saying it.”
“Well, remain calm,” Victoria said. “I’ll see you in person in a couple minutes. Serling out.” She rounded a corner and paused at the clear plastic wall that separated the hallway from the work area. Taking in the massive flagship, it never ceased to give her a sense of awe. Spanning just over twenty-three hundred feet long, it was the largest space vessel ever built by man.
Bristling with weapons and the most advanced technology humanity ever conceived, it was prepared for the perils of space, of visiting other worlds and discovering the secrets waiting for them out there. Victoria never dreamed those things would come to them first, that they would experience them at home.
Somehow, I feel naive about that. Whether they were dealing with something automated, an alien intelligence or something else entirely it felt like fate to encounter it so close to their own launch into the cosmos. They were months, perhaps weeks away from leaving Earth and yet, the unknown came to them.
I suppose it’s convenient.
Victoria headed to the docking arm and ran her card twice more to get through to the ship proper. Utilitarian walls were covered with gray metal plating, hiding the various subsystems beneath. There was little in the way of decoration or aesthetic. The people who built the Leviathan were interested in making it work, not pretty.
She headed to the nearest elevator and took it down to the engineering section. Carlos and his team would be hard at work even without the promise of launching the ship in the next few hours. Guards were stationed at the door when she arrived and they offered her a salute which she returned on her way by.
The primary engineering section was a wide-open space with ladders and stairs leading up to catwalks covering five stories. Carlos stood on a ladder, discussing a component with a young man who crouched beside him. The chief engineer sported a nearly shaved head and what little hair he had was black flecked with gray.
He was only forty-one years old but he acted as if he topped sixty. As he finished his conversation, he came back down to the bottom level, barking orders to technicians on the other side of the room. He caught sight of Victoria and approached. “Hello, Commander. Welcome to controlled chaos or, as I prefer to call it, herding cats without incentive.”
Victoria looked around. There were enough men rushing about that they nearly bumped into each other. She smirked. “Looks pretty relaxed to me. One would wonder if you guys never did this before.”
“One would be right.” Carlos ran his hand over his head. “I can tell you, it’s pretty intense down here and this crew is getting nervous. Some think we’re not ready to launch … which I personally don’t understand. We’ve been checking and rechecking systems for a while now. But fear of change rules, I suppose.”
“I guess so.” Victoria clasped her hands behind her back. “How long to finish the preflight checks?”
“Our part will be done in an hour. You’ll need to speak to Derringer about his part.” Carlos was referring to Lieutenant Nicolas Derringer, the primary pilot of the Leviathan. He’d be on the bridge, working through his own set of challenges. “I’m not sure what his process is for launch.”
Victoria smiled. “I’m aware. I’ll head up there now. If you need anything, let me know right away. I want to be ready as soon as possible. When Captain Miller gets here—”
“Yeah, I know,” Carlos interrupted. “He’ll be pushing hard to get into space. And I’m with him. This situation’s creepy. We need to be up there. If for no other reason than to gather more data on that thing. Close up scans would go a long way toward formulating a good idea of what it is.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Victoria left his section and boarded the elevator, considering the next steps. The rest of the ships didn’t require as much time to prepare for departure. Medical already had what they needed and the tech labs were just battened down computers.
Weapons, on the other hand, needed to be checked. She pulled out her tablet and made a note to ensure she got it on the list. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, a rush of overlapping conversations assaulted her senses. At least fifteen people were crowding the bridge, a section that was meant for only five.
Panels were off the walls and technicians used wiring diagrams to check and recheck information. Nicolas was at the helm, speaking into his com while tapping away at the console. His black hair looked wet from whatever he used to slick it down. Of all the people around him, he seemed the most at ease, the most at home in the chaos.
Ensign Madeline Blanchard sat at the communications console, looking harried. Her blond hair was in a tight bun but her expression was one of frustration. “I’ve already explained, we’re in a preflight check status. I can’t authorize you to offload those terminals.” She paused. “Because we’re in lockdown! Does that seriously not make sense to you?”
“What’s the problem, ensign?” Victoria asked.
Madeline looked up, her expression turning to one of relief. “Commander. I’m dealing with one of the tech lab leads. He’s got a bunch of computer equipment that was supposed to be removed from the ship yesterday but it didn’t get done. He wants it out of here now but the regulations state that during preflight check, we don’t offload equipment.”
“In this case, make an exception,” Victoria said. “I doubt weight will be a factor but let’s err on the side of caution. Tell him he has twenty minutes to get that stuff off the ship and I want a report of why it didn’t get done yesterday. I already know the answer but if he’s going to push us to be lenient, he can pay for it with some documentation.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Madeline replied, returning to her work.
Victoria approached Nicolas. “Lieutenant, would you mind telling me what all these people are doing on the bridge?”
Nicolas didn’t look up from what he was doing as he replied. “Apparently, they were scheduled to secure the protective panels on the console over there. I told them to be quick about it. I’m not excited about a bunch of exposed wire and conduit. They said it wouldn’t take very long.”
Victoria raised her voice. “I want those panels installed in the next fifteen minutes and you off the bridge. If that’s a problem, explain it right away. Otherwise, hurry up. We’re in preflight check status.” Once the technicians picked up the pace, she returned her attention to Nicolas. “There. Now, where are you at in the process?”
“So far, all systems are green,” Nicolas said. “Power’s solid. I’ve got control of thrusters. Engines are online but I’m still waiting for Carlos to say we can ignite
. I’m not sure what all they have to do.”
“I was just down there,” Victoria replied. “We should be good within the hour. Madeline, check in with all other departments and make sure they’re all properly staffed and that all crew is accounted for. If anyone is missing, we need to find out where they’re at and how soon they’ll be here.” She sat in her chair, bringing her computer online.
Alright, Warren, where the hell are you now? I can get us going only so far but they’ll never let us take this thing up there without you. Victoria sighed. Your leave couldn’t have come at a less opportune time.
Chapter 2
Warren opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Nausea gripped his stomach and his limbs ached with fatigue. Blurred vision slowly cleared, the ground coming into sharp focus. Steel-gray metal, like what they used for the Leviathan, was cool against his bare hands and as he pushed himself up, strong hands grabbed his arms.
He struggled away but one of them spoke, a man with a deep voice. “Whoa there, man. Relax.” The guy stepped back and let him go. “It’s cool. I think we’re in this together.” Warren looked up at him, a tall black guy with a bald head and muscular build. He was wearing army fatigues.
Others came up behind him, also in military uniforms. Each of them looked curious, afraid and nervous. Warren understood. They appeared to be in some kind of metal box, one that appeared sealed. The floor vibrated ever so slightly, a notion that was more sensed than felt. As he pushed to his feet, the big guy helped steady him.
Some remained in the back, a number of people in civilian clothes. None of them acknowledged him as he stood. One sat in the corner, rocking back and forth. Another paced, muttering to himself as he did so. Still another tried to make a call with their phone but it was clearly broken. A final person was lying down, possibly asleep.
“You’ve been out the longest.”
“Who are you?” Warren asked.
“Name’s Dexter Pollard,” the black guy replied. “You can call me Dex. I’m a lieutenant in the marines. The others … well, we all haven’t been properly introduced yet but you wanna start?”
“I’m Captain Warren Miller of the Space Agency. I was heading to our base when … this happened.”
A blonde woman stepped forward. “I’m Lieutenant Debra Knight.”
“Corporal Jake Terrence over here.” He was a younger man, maybe twenty-one. He wore his brown hair shaved to stubble and looked exceptionally thin, as if he’d just gotten out of training. “Armor.”
“Sergeant Gary Brennan.” He stood at just over six feet with clear blue eyes and a black stain on his scalp that must’ve been the beginnings of hair after it was shaved recently. “I’m a marine with Dex. We’re from the same base.”
Dex gestured to the others. “The civilians over there haven’t been very talkative. I woke them up and calmed them down but they’re pretty messed up just now.”
Warren nodded. “Now that we’re all properly introduced, do any of you know what’s going on? Are they going to be okay?”
“We’ve all been in this room,” Dex said. “Abducted by those things. Since you’re Agency, maybe you can tell us what’s going on. As far as they’re concerned.” He looked at the civilians. “I figure we’ll have them hang back. I don’t even know their names. One of them said something about a bad car accident and his wife dying … it’s rough.”
“Yeah, enough about them.” Gary stepped forward. “What’re you got, Agency guy? Because I sure didn’t buy that bullshit your Colonel was selling. You guys had to know about this in advance. There’s no way you didn’t. Not with all that money you got flying around. I want more information and I want the truth!”
Warren smirked. “I’m flattered you think I have all the answers. I don’t have a clue what’s going on right now. I thought I was dead, honestly. When I was on my way to the base, I was stuck in traffic. A shadow fell over me and everyone around me. We started running … people … they …” He paused, rubbing his eyes. “They disappeared. Vanished like … they were disintegrated.”
“Exactly!” Dex pointed out. “That’s what happened to me too! Hundreds of us!” He looked around. “But where the hell are all the rest? Why are we alone?”
“I don’t know.” Warren sighed. “The Agency kept the weird smaller space ships secret for as long as possible to avoid panic … and I guess they were right to. People freaked out big time. That was a terror run if ever I’ve been involved in one. But it was unnatural. Like, I’ve never been so frightened in my life. It didn’t even make sense.”
Debra grunted. “I’m glad you guys decided to hide that information. Maybe half the people who got taken wouldn’t have been if you would’ve spoken up.”
“So you wanted them going crazy?” Warren asked. “Rioting in the streets? Looting stores and taking to the roads, causing traffic jams and accidents? You guys know what people are like. In the face of a disaster, they lose their collective minds and we end up with all kinds of tragedy. It sucks that we have to keep things from people but that’s just how it is.”
“They could’ve stayed home!” Debra shouted. “In their houses, away from the streets!”
“Spare me your indignation and think about what’s going on,” Warren interrupted. “We have a predicament that goes way beyond what’s happening on Earth. If I’m right, we’re being taken back to that object right now and God knows what happens when we arrive.”
“Notice something?” Gary said. “Everyone in this room … we’re all military.”
Jake snapped his fingers. “He’s right! What’s that all about? It must mean something.”
Warren narrowed his eyes in thought. “I doubt it means much. Luck, more than anything. Processing? You know, when prisoners are divided up into specific groups. It’s probably something like that. Where were you all going when this happened?”
Debra said, “I live in off base housing. I was on my way in to work my shift at the hospital. I’m a nurse.”
“Me too,” Jake added. “Er … the going to work part, not the nurse thing. I took a back way to avoid traffic.”
“Same,” Dex replied, “only I got caught in traffic. Hundreds of us got caught at once. Unless Gary was relaxing in bed, we can guess they didn’t bother taking people straight out of their homes. Then again … probably would be irresponsible to jump to any conclusions.”
“Interesting.” Warren rubbed his chin. “I’d love to understand how they divided us up.”
“I think a more important question,” Dex said, “is where the hell we are right now?”
“Space,” Warren replied. “Heading back to the mother ship. Congratulations. You’re all officially astronauts. Though I’m guessing none of you are particularly excited about the prospect. Have any of you tried anything? Get through a panel? Look for a door?”
Dex nodded. “Yeah, I walked the room. The walls and floor are smooth. I didn’t find any seams or gaps. However they got us in here is obscured. Not saying I’m an engineer or anything, but for now, I think we’re trapped.”
“Okay,” Warren said. “Not the best news but better than if you would’ve figured something out and cast us all into space.”
“You don’t think they’re going to probe us, do you?” Jake asked, drawing a withering glare from Gary. “What, man? You know what they say about aliens. They’re always sticking things in people’s asses.”
“Always, huh?” Gary asked. “You make it sound like aliens are running a convenience store where folks show up to be tortured by them.”
Jake shrugged. “I’m just sayin’. I know you’ve heard the stories. I sure as hell have and they’re horrifying. I mean, creatures like these have no feelings. They’re not like us at all. They lack um … that thing … it’s like … eulogy? No … that’s not it, but it’s an ‘e’ word. Damn it!”
“Empathy?” Debra offered.
Jake nodded. “That’s it! Yeah, they lack that!”
“Good to know.” Dex turned
to Warren. “What do you think, man? What should we do?”
“Well, our young friend might be exaggerating but the spirit of his concern is very real. We don’t know what these things want or why they took us. I think it’s safe to assume it was hostile and we should definitely prepare accordingly.”
“How so?” Gary asked.
“I don’t really want to find out the hard way that these things are intending to do something terrible to us.” Warren looked around the room but it was simply a metal box. He had no idea which might be the way out. For all he knew, the floor might open up on their arrival and dump them. “I think we need to be ready to fight.”
“We’re unarmed,” Debra said. “And we don’t know what we’re up against. How can you hope to stand up to something you’ve never even seen?”
Dex chuckled. “Lady, this is what we do. We’ve been killing threats we couldn’t see for a hundred years.”
“Those were human,” Debra pointed out. “These, you don’t have any idea! They might be physically tougher. I shouldn’t have to be the one to explain it to you.” She gestured to Warren. “The Agency must have studied the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. Surely, you understand the dangers of what you’re proposing.”
Warren nodded. “I certainly do and I can tell you with complete certainty that if we don’t fight, if we don’t at least try, we may lose the opportunity to do so. Whatever we encounter when one of these walls opens must be considered an enemy and we have to do anything we can to escape.”
Gary raised his hand. “I’ve got a concern.” Dex glared at him. “It’s a serious one, LT. What if we succeed at fighting these things off? How do we get back home? Believe me, I’m all about kicking the shit out of some alien bastard that dragged me off of Earth but when we’re done, we gotta leave. Right?”
“Yes, that’s a problem,” Warren said. “I’m not sure how we’ll deal with that so we’re going to be playing some of this by ear. What is it you boys talk about all the time? Improvising? Overcome? All that stuff?”