Deathship (The Outsider Series Book 1)

by Steven Oaks

  “Certainly Michael, and gladly. The sooner we prove ourselves, the sooner we can become more independent,” she said as we drifted away from the ground and silently floated out into the world.

  As we headed to the first destination Athene filled me in on what she knew. I was basically to step out of the ship as she hovered over the storage locations and greet whomever was there to meet me. They would wheel the containers holding the dead out to the waiting port and I would just be there to direct them. Simple enough, though I have never been good at talking with new people. The designated stops on this trip would be my current work load, so I would be meeting with them again when they filled up to capacity. However since deaths can not be predicted, I would be shifted to whatever place needed me most. My first day seemed like it would be my biggest day. While I would not be flying all over the world, I would have several stops to load up the backlog that had built up in the month since the Outsiders first had us implement the storage of our dead. While I did not think it would be a problem today I was lucky I had Athene, as I only spoke English and at anytime I trusted she could translate for me and whomever I was meeting with.

  Now sixty-thousand seems like a lot, but perhaps I have not impressed upon you how massive Athene really was. We who have seen the Outsiders ship perhaps have a different idea of scale, but this ship was the size of a football stadium. Of course not in the same dimension, but certainly as tall and as big around, though stretched out into an oval. She was less tall in the front, but the height of the back more than made up for it. In my mind when I thought I could not fit that many people into her, I was thinking of living people. If you were to stack them, there was plenty of room. Of course there was a portion of the ship left over for living quarters, but that was in the smaller area in front. The area set aside for me was far larger than necessary and made less sense to me as Athene could make any room into whatever she needed at the time. Perhaps it was something to do with the possibility of hosting others within her. Athene’s entire back end was set aside for the cryo-chambers and was so malleable we could fit an entire days worth of the deceased or anyone I needed to transport without intruding upon my living space. Luckily I would not be expected to carry any living persons with me. Even when we started traveling between colonies we would never meet the current output of Earth’s dead. At least not for several centuries by all current estimates.

  I thought better of my clothing choices made earlier, and before we arrived at our first stop I changed into my suit. I figured since I was to be greeting someone in a formal capacity I should look the part and I put on the suit I wore to the original interview. It had been cheap but it still was a decent fit. Athene had even removed the original stains I had been worried about. This made me feel more confident about its appearance. I felt it was going to be good enough for this circumstance as it now looked nearly brand new. I also pulled on my pair of calf high black boots that looked shiny and fancy enough to match the suit. I had pulled the hem of the pants down over the top of the boots so if you did not look too closely you would think they were just dress shoes.

  Flying a stadium sized object in the sky can give you a sense of power, or at least awe when you see the shadow it cast on the ground. It looked like my first stop was going to be in my home state. I suppose it was to help me adjust and just maybe help the public if they knew anything about me. As I hovered over the first stopping point, I felt as if I were an invader. Much like out of any scene in a Hollywood movie I hovered over the pick up spot, which I was calling the Dead Depot in my mind.

  The facility had the look of an old stadium itself, but recent renovations had changed its outward appearance to that of a black circular building. Some of the technology the Outsiders had given was also good for solar power and helped in the storage of any power generated. Basically we had better batteries and power plants based on the manufacturing processes given to us. Many ‘Dead Depots’ were being used not only as storage but as power plants. It was amazing what just a month of Outsider influence, and help in construing buildings, could do.

  Looking out from the control room I could see there were some protesters ringed around the building with their familiar hand written signs. Some were Christians with scriptures written in red. There were even some militant Libertarian Atheists with elaborate signs they must have printed out for this occasion. Currently it seemed peaceful enough even though the local police were forced to keep weeping mourners behind lines of yellow tape. I found out later, when searching online, some of the protesters felt the state had no right to the bodies of their loved ones and had tried to bury them on their property. Any time that happened there was a raid and the bodies were brought here. At the time no charges were pressed against these law breakers as the change was new and unsettling to many. They got a warning, but if it happened a second time they would be fined at the very least.

  Athene maneuvered the ship along side the building’s new roof so I could step out and the stored departed could be easily loaded. It must have been an unusual sight to those below as the stadium sized ship cast a dark shadow over the crowd. On the monitors I had seen several people pointing upwards with looks of awe on their faces.

  I straightened my suit and asked Athene to lower the platform I would walk down. I told myself things were going to be fine.

  As I stepped out a man in a gray suit was there on the roof to greet me. His thinning white hair was blowing in the morning breeze as I strode forward stiffly to shake his hand.

  “I’m Michael, and this is my ship Athene. Pleased to meet you. I hope you’ve had no troubles with the mob outside,” I said, voice cracking. I only then noticed how dry my throat was.

  “I’m Jacob Astor. Good to meet you Michael.” Putting out his hand for the one I just then remembered to proffer, he said, “There have been a few breakin attempts, but the Outsiders foresaw this and have installed some security measures. Nothing lethal, just deterrents. Alarms and electric fences seem to be sufficient,” he said cheerfully enough as he released my hand.

  “Well I suppose we should start. I’ve many more stops before my day is over. If you’d instruct your people to follow me over to the dock we can start the loading process,” I said.

  “Yes, it might be a good idea to get this over with. As soon as this first load is taken I think the public will at least settle down a little,” he said, waving over some black clad people. They were wearing face concealing outfits and behind them they were pulling what looked to be a large tube of some sort laid atop a series of carts on wheels.

  I walked with Jacob to Athene’s dock and it irised open just wide enough to fit the tube. I had not known the method of loading but this seem to make more sense than wheeling each container individually into Athene.

  The faceless workers fitted the cylinder into the hole and pulled a lever on the side of the tube. I could hear a sucking sound begin. The tube itself was black so I could not tell if anything was being passed, save for the bumping motion that began as the lever was pulled.

  “Jacob why are these people covering their faces? Is there something toxic in the air here?” I asked, a little worried.

  “No, nothing toxic. These are some uniforms the Outsiders gave us after some of us expressed the desire for anonymity. The exchange of our dead was not a very popular concept for Indiana. Most wanted nothing to do with the technology as the cost was deemed too high. But it seems it was popular enough for the government. Several of the workers you see just needed a job, but didn’t want to be hated. Most travel in incognito to get here and don’t want anyone to know they are doing it at all. However as the manager of this storage facility I am already known, so it’s pointless for me to hide my face,” he said with a sad smile.

  I had not known it was so unpopular. I tended to keep to myself and avoided the news for the most part. The only reason I knew about the Outsiders at all is because not only was their ship so easy to see in the sky, but their
original transmission had turned my television on. I had wanted to know what was going on and I broke my rule about not listening to the news. However the news casts seemed to be mostly positive.

  I just nodded my head at him and continued to watch as Athene was loaded.

  “About how many are you loading me up with today?” I inquired, trying to fill the lull of conversation.

  “Near fourteen-thousand. We’ve been storing them from around the state for about a month now. The process should take about two hours,” he said.

  I was starting to envy the hoods and masks the crew were wearing as I was already getting chilled by the wind and the cold October weather. I was beginning to think I should should have dressed warmer.

  “Would you like to come in for some coffee while we wait? It is a bit brisk out here today,” Jacob said politely, noticing my discomfort. All the while his face still showed the same sad smile.

  I thought a moment. If Athene needed me she would call. I had the watch and earpiece she had given me on my trip to Japan. If I needed her, she would know instantly.

  “Sure, I could use some warming up, and coffee would be very welcome,” I agreed.

  “Follow me then, we’ll get you all warmed up in no time,” he said pleasantly enough, though his tone seemed strangely sad.

  I accompanied him into the building and he led me to his office. It was not very spacious, but it was neatly laid out. His desk was large and made of stained oak with very little on it, save a small desk lamp with a glassy green shade and an old fashioned ink blotter of the same green color. There was also a calendar pad laid out in the middle with notes written and posted all over. Behind it was a large leather chair I thought of as something an executive might have. Along one wall there was an inset counter with a large metal urn I took to be the coffee maker. Behind the desk was a thick set of red curtains tightly drawn to hold the warmth inside. They let in a dim red light which turned the room into a dark parlor.

  He guided me to a plush red leather chair and said, “Please have a seat. I have a pot already brewed up. Would you like sugar or cream?”

  “No thank you, black is fine,” I said.

  He walked over to the large metal coffee container, and poured some of the black fluid into a Styrofoam cup.

  As he handed me the cup he said with a strange tone in his voice, “Just to let you know, this is the cheap stuff and its been sitting here since early this morning. You may very well regret not asking for sugar.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m used to the cheap stuff. That’s all we ever had in the break room at the last place I worked and I never took sugar there,” I said as I took the cup.

  He went around his desk and sat in his black leather chair. As he did I took a small sip of the coffee. It was very hot, and I was not able to drink much, but what I was able to get down was some of the most bitter coffee I had ever tasted. I did indeed regret the refusal of sugar.

  He turned his cold blue eyes on me and asked, “So where did you work before this?”

  I could not think of a reason to lie, but I was always embarrassed about these types of questions. This current job could be said to be the highest I had risen in the job market. Besides working at the warehouse, I had worked in fast food like most teenagers, but I had gotten out of there as soon as the warehouse job had been available and never looked for anything else.

  “I worked in a small town at a warehouse. Just loading and unloading trucks. Nothing special really,” I said slightly ashamed. Here was a man who seemed to have always had some sort of managerial position.

  “Ah. Interesting. No offense, but I wonder why the Outsiders chose you and the others among all those that applied,” he said, frowning and furrowing his brow as he looked to the side. “Many from the military applied. Even experienced pilots tried. Retired or not, they all wanted the job. They would have had more experience in flying than you would’ve had at your age, even if you joined the Air-force.”

  “Sir, I can’t answer that. The Outsiders’ methods and motivations are as mysterious to me as they are to everyone. I have met exactly one of them and they didn’t seem to take much of an interest in my past,” I said, taking another sip of the foul brew in my hand out of habit.

  “Another mystery to add to the collection of conundrums behind the Outsiders. You realize you are going to be hated just as I am for working with them, right?” he said, looking intently into my eyes.

  “Honestly I didn’t know there was such of a uproar over this situation. Any news I saw about the subject was mostly positive with wistful longing for the new things we humans would be able to do,” I responded.

  “The news is not always on par with reality. They tell us what they want us to hear. But you could see when you were looking down outside there are many people who are against this. I’m surprised there hasn’t been more of an uprising actually. But that probably has to do again with the news feeding us the views they see fit for us to have. This has been going on awhile and whomever gives them the right amount of money can try to shift the public opinion,” he said.

  “While I grant you that is possible, I suppose, it doesn’t make it true.” I was wondering where he was going with this.

  He stood up violently and threw open the curtains to reveal the sun, cascading light around the room. He said, pointing outwards, “Take a look outside. Does that look like they want this? You’ve not been here everyday for a month with constant death threats against you and your family. The public does not want this. The news keeps saying how wonderful everything is. They won’t report anything about this group outside. Granted this is the largest gathering so far, but its been going on for the entire time since this place was designated as the storage facility for the dead. I’m being paid very well, but my face is known, and I can’t walk down the street to spend it. Nor can I quit as the money is the only thing I’m able to use to protect my family. It’s the Outsiders influence on our world. I’m not saying they are the ones who are making us do this thing, but at the very least the government has decided that this is something we are going to do. All of it against popular opinion. I can’t imagine any of them being reelected. Did you know it passed without a single person speaking out against it? It was a bipartisan bill. Who are we suppose to vote for anymore? It’ll already be too late for those you are taking away with you today, but what about everyone else’s deceased? This is not a happy world, and if they think it’ll blow over before the next election they have another think coming,” he said with such passion that I could see the veins bulging in his forehead.

  “What do you think I can do? That ship out there is theirs. I’m merely an intermediary. I have as little control over the situation as you,” I said, drinking the sludge he had given me. It had cooled enough for me to drain the cup. The bitter taste left in my mouth afterwards made me grimace in regret at this action.

  “You could crash it so at least those people out there would have a place to visit their dead. It’s not right to steal away our families like this,” he spoke in heated tones.

  “Sir, I cannot crash her. Even if I could I don’t think it would do any harm to her. She is very well built and from my limited understanding of the Outsiders technology, she could probably survive multiple nuclear strikes,” I said a bit harshly. “If I may ask, why did you take this job if that’s how you feel?”

  “That’s disturbing news.” He paused. “As for why I took this job, I needed the money. I had been working for a fairly successful business firm, but we had gone under, and my debt was mounting. I didn’t save enough, and over spent with the notion we were going to keep going. I took this job so my daughter could get through college and I wouldn’t have to foreclose and go into bankruptcy. If I had known the public outcry would be this large, I would never have taken it. I’m more worried about my daughter’s future now than I was when I
had no money.” As he said this I could see the tears welling up in his eyes. He put his elbows on the desk and dropped his face into his hands. He was weeping loudly now.

  I have never been good at handling open displays of emotion and this was a situation where I had little experience. This man was so distraught he was crying in front of a complete stranger. A stranger working for the same people he did, who could report him and get him fired for talking openly about his hatred for his job.

  At this point I figured I would leave him alone. I stood up and left the room. I do not think he even noticed. I walked back out to the ship and saw there were still two of the black clad employees standing beside her. I wondered if they took turns watching the process or if these two drew the short straw and were forced to wait until the process was complete.

  The bitter cold wind of that morning blew around me leaving me shivering. I walked up to the side of Athene and said, “Let me in Athene, I’ve had my coffee.”

  The door irised open and the steps oozed down to meet the roof once more. I climbed back up into the warmth and perceived safety of Athene and the wind dropped away behind me.

  As the door slid closed behind me I asked, “Did you hear all of that?” as I plopped into the waiting chair.

  “Yes Michael. That is very disturbing and sad. He seems to feel trapped in a job that has turned out to be more trouble and dangerous than he was led to believe. There are some parallels I’m sure you perceive,” Athene said in a soft, concerned voice.

  “I did notice. However I don’t think I’ll share any of my problems with anyone just yet. I don’t know that room and I don’t know that man. He must be so upset he didn’t even think of me as a possible spy for the Outsiders,” I said while I rested my own head in my hands.

  “Either that or he wants to be let go but can’t make himself quit because of his worry for his family. I expect he will want to immigrate as soon as the colony ships are finished. Those leaving will be on par with siding with the Outsiders and should not look down upon him or threaten his family,” she said.