He slowly edged over to it.
The craft had no windows or roof and inside were six very comfortable-looking red seats. Strangely, it appeared to be positioned perpendicular to the direction of travel. The announcement was coming from behind the seats. The male voice now started to repeat the message in Zoren’s language.
‘DECOMPRESION WARNING. ALL VISITORS TO ESCAPE PODS.’
Zoren was completely confused. It felt as though he was dreaming, yet everything was real.
This looks like some type of personal craft, which could be used to move people around. But around what? What is this place?
There was another short wide window on the wall directly in front of the craft and he looked through it to see what the occupants of the craft would have seen.
‘Wait! That’s… No way…’ Zoren said, peering through the window.
That’s the space station! I’m looking down into the communal area. But that means... We were being watched.
Zoren stared at the ravaged interior of the space station. Food was scattered over the tables and floor. Chairs and tables were knocked over.
He glanced back to the craft, where he noticed a lit screen, so stepped inside to take a closer look. On the screen was a list of messages written in a number of languages. He scanned down the list, where right at the bottom he recognised some writing. He read,
‘Exhibit 352 - The Agonian race.’
Exhibit… No! It can’t be true.
Zoren sat down and then pressed a symbol next to the writing.
The screen changed to display more text, in his language. There were now three options: Introduction, History of the Agonian people, and The Xangols and immortality.
Zoren pressed the first option. The screen changed and he read the text now being displayed.
‘You are now looking at the last of a race of people known as the Agonians. Originally from the planet Linud, they are now housed here within a replica of a Gullin space station. Formerly hunted by the Xangols, they are now protected under Galcolian law. From the last six survivors, there are now fifty three Agonians here in captivity. We hope that in another two hundred and thirty years they will be able to be re-settled on the planet of Drijl, away from danger and safe from extinction.’
Zoren felt a deep sense of disappointment mixed with anger.
So the space station is not what it seems. It’s just a simulator to make us believe we were in space above Linud. All these years, we’ve been exhibited in what, a zoo? I wonder if we’re on a planet or in space. No we must be in space surely, if not why would they have escape pods. The announcement has changed, Zoren thought, hearing a difference in the male voice.
He pressed the Return to options button, as he waited for the new announcement to be repeated in his language.
Zoren pressed The history of the Agonian people option, just as the man announced in his language,
‘ALL VISITORS EVACUATED. CREW TO ESCAPE POD. THREE MINUTES TO DEPARTURE.’
The announcement then stopped.
What am I doing sitting here? I’ve got to get out of here.
Zoren got swiftly out of the craft and examined the red arrows, which were running along the corridor into the distance.
They must be showing the way to the escape pods.
He rushed along the corridor, but then there was a distant rumble behind him. The structure of the corridor around him flexed. It creaked and groaned. All of a sudden the red arrows went out.
No, don’t do this. I need those! He looked closely at the floor, but he could not make out the signs any more. What a stupid system. They could have made them readable when they were unlit.
Zoren was frustrated, and now feeling very hot and sweaty, but continued in the direction the red arrows had indicated.
I don’t have much time.
Zoren reached a ‘T’ junction. Directly in front of him was another exhibit with a white craft sitting alongside it.
He glanced at the screen within the craft and read, ‘Exhibit 350 - The mystery ship from the second moon of Golm.’
Inside a vast room was a massive matt-black spaceship at least three hundred metres long and wide, in the shape of a flint arrow head. Its flat elliptical rear had four large tapered holes in it, each at least thirty metres in diameter, where its engines were housed and towards the front of the ship were corresponding intakes. The hull did not appear to be solid; instead, it was more like a slowly moving liquid, similar to the surface of a calm pond, and was criss-crossed by faint blue lines, which had the appearance of veins. The ship was standing on three large landing legs and there was scaffold-like tubing partially covering the front of the ship.
Zoren heard more bangs, which sounded so loud that he expected the corridor would break in two, but instead it began to bend and twist. He glanced back in the direction where he had just come from to see a ripple of distortion rushing towards him. He grabbed the side of the craft just before the corridor shook in its wake. Thunder echoed from all around him.
Where do I go now? Zoren thought, as he looked hesitantly both ways along the passage. Wait, what’s that?
To his left, he noticed an open door off the main corridor, through which he could see a spiral staircase.
That’s not the sort of place visitors would go. He peered through the door. Voices! Where? They’re coming from up there.
‘Hello!’ he shouted.
Zoren rushed up the stairs and at the level above, a door had just closed.
He opened it.
‘Hello!’ he said repeatedly. On the other side of the door was another corridor. He entered it to find there was no one. He was at another ‘T’ junction.
I definitely heard someone. Where did they go?
‘Anyone there?’ he shouted loudly. ‘Is someone there?’
He frantically hurried a few metres down each corridor searching for any signs of movement.
They must be around here somewhere?
Zoren noticed some personal belongings scattered by a closed door. Why would those be there, unless… He moved with haste to the door. He could now hear the sound of a jet engine starting, which was quickly followed by four loud metallic thuds. The door shook momentarily and then the roar of the engine quietened.
Zoren franticly tried to open the door by pressing some buttons on the panel adjacent to it. Finally, it opened to reveal a large room with at least twenty identical smaller doors. Above all of them, except one, were flashing red lights. The remaining door had a flashing orange light, which as he observed it turned red.
‘No!’ Zoren said and then ran to that door. He could feel the heat radiating from the other side. He banged his fist against its surface.
Dejected and resigned to the fact that the only way to apparent safety had eluded him, Zoren ambled from the room back into the corridor. Opposite him, on the other side of the corridor was another short wide window of an exhibit. He despondently wandered over to it and gazed down into the exhibit, where there was a large blue forest of trees surrounding a yellow lake. Large flocks of blue birds circled in the sky.
It looked so beautiful that he had to smile, and thought, It’s like another world in there. They look so calm, completely unaware of what’s happening around them.
Zoren wiped his sweat drenched forehead with his sleeve. Why is it getting hotter in here? The temperature was now almost unbearable and Zoren was starting to find it difficult to breath. He could now feel a warm breeze passing by him.
I don’t know what to do.
Another explosion scattered the birds inside the room. The corridor moved violently, causing the window in front of him to crack. Within the exhibit, in the distance, trees started to topple and then a large hole appeared in the ceiling.
‘Oh my...!’ Zoren said, as the ceiling exploded outwards.
He watched on in disbelief as the birds and their world disappeared before him. In ten seconds everything had been blown into space, leaving just the empty shell of the colossal exhibit room. He gulped
. He felt an overwhelming need to run away and hide somewhere.
An intense light suddenly filled the void, and Zoren had to close his eyes and turn away from the brightness to stop him being blinded. The whole corridor was lit up as if the window had become one massive light-bulb, and as he opened his eyes, for a brief moment, it seemed he was no longer alone, but as his eyes adjusted it became apparent that it was his shadow on the far wall. He felt the heat building on his back and moved away from the window down the corridor.
That’s the light from a star, Zoren thought, as he attempted to look back towards the window. It’s very close. That’s why the temperature’s increasing so quickly. We must be heading into a star.
‘This is it then,’ he said out loud, as he drifted lethargically and aimlessly along the corridor. ‘This is where I die.’
He glanced each way along the corridor.
‘There’s nowhere to go, no way off this ship, this zoo!’
Chapter Four
I can hear a voice! Zoren glanced quickly around. There it is again.
‘Hello, is there anyone there?’ he said.
‘Over here!’ the voice responded.
Zoren focused on the nearby craft.
The voice… It’s coming from there, he thought puzzled.
He edged over to it, but there was no one inside.
‘Er… Hello!’
A voice of a woman spoke to him from the speaker onboard the craft. ‘I think it’s time to leave this place. Do you need a lift? I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to die today inside this Polnozoo.’
Zoren was taken completely by surprise.
‘What? I mean, yes! Do you know how to get me out of here, then?’
‘Yes, I have a way out of here. I suggest you get moving. Head for exhibit 350, but you only have five minutes before the Ukopi star consumes the Polnozoo ship.
Exhibit 350?
‘Which... Which way?’ Zoren said, panicking, as he saw a ball of flames moving along the corridor in the distance.
‘Go back the way you came. You passed me,’ the woman’s voice replied.
‘I passed you? But I saw no one.’
‘I’m on a ship. That ship you looked at in exhibit 350.’
‘That was your ship?’
‘Yes, now get moving.’
Zoren quickly returned to the spiral stairs and headed down towards the level below.
He heard a loud roar, which seemed very near. The whole stairwell moved, causing him to lose his footing. He slipped on the stairway and fell a number of steps, almost twisting his ankle, but managed to grabbed hold of the rail to prevent him falling further.
Damn! Come on, get up. Not far now.
As he entered into the main corridor a floor below, he was suddenly aware of movement behind him. He turned to see two small animals, which were no larger than his hand. He watched them for a moment as they waddled along the corridor towards him on their two short legs. Their chestnut-coloured furry body blended with their head, which had no visible ears or mouth, and their large disc-like eyes stared at him from within the fur.
Looks like some of the exhibits have broken out.
An intense warm air was now rushing by him, indicating that the corridor was now open to space. He could hardly breathe, so had to take long deep drawn out breaths.
Zoren arrived at exhibit 350. Through the window he saw the ship lifting away from the floor and he could hear the noise of large engines running. The ship’s landing legs disappeared inside the hull, while the scaffolding surrounding the front of the ship crashed to the floor.
‘How… How do… I get in?’ Zoren said, in between breaths. He desperately searched for a door.
‘Go to your left,’ the woman’s voice said from the craft in front of the window. ‘There’s a door. I’ll open it for you.’
There was a click and a door in the distance sprang open.
Zoren rushed towards it, but nearly tripped over one of the two animals he had seen.
Get out of my way!
They circled his feet, making it hard for him to move forward.
Zoren stopped and looked down at them. They both sat at his feet gazing up into his eyes.
They look so pitiful. They must know or sense I’m leaving this place.
He felt a deep guilt inside, knowing that he was about to leave and they would most certainly die.
I can’t leave them.
He bent down and picked up one of them, then the next, cupping both of them with his hand against his belly. They stayed motionless gripping his clothes.
Zoren entered the exhibit through the door.
A cylindrical column descended from the belly of the ship in the distance. He ran straight over to it and without even a second thought, he entered. He was now inside a lift carrying him into the ship.
Chapter Five
Zoren’s hearts pounded as the Pojin lift stopped and its door slid open. He stood staring out into a small light-grey room. Directly in front of him, in the centre of the room, was a large metallic-looking block, which had rounded corners and was about the size of one of the crafts he had seen on the Polnozoo.
As he took a deep breath to charm his nerves, he felt a chilled air enter his lungs, which made him think that it had only just been placed into the room.
‘Hello?’ Zoren said in a quiet and anxious voice. ‘Anyone there?’
‘Please, come onto the bridge,’ a calm female voice replied.
He walked hesitantly into the room, glancing quickly around it searching for the woman.
The room was very bland, with the only hint of colour being from a blue band that ran around the centre of three of its walls at about waist height. On the far side of the room appeared to be two computer terminals, each with a seat in front of them. One of the monitors was on and was showing a view from the front of the ship. To the left of these was a flat black table.
Peering more inquisitively around, he asked,
‘Where are you? There doesn’t seem to be anyone here.’
‘That’s because I’m everywhere,’ the voice replied. ‘I’m the ship.’
‘What do you mean… you’re the ship?’
Zoren was now peering up at the ceiling expecting to find a camera or something to talk to.
‘Yes, my name’s Kalrea. I’m a Xint nuronic computer and this ship is called the Aurora.’
‘I don’t understand. So you’re a computer. But you sound real. I mean like me.’
‘That’s because I am.’
‘But if you’re the ship, then that means you’re not real, you’re some kind of artificial intelligence; a machine!’
‘And you’re an Agonian. So what!’ Kalrea replied, with a slight raised and agitated voice. ‘Why is it that you think I can’t be real? Why can’t I be treated like other people?’
It’s... No don’t think of it… I mean her… as it! Zoren’s thoughts seemed confused. She’s a bit sensitive over what she is.
Zoren then said. ‘I have to say you really have caught me by surprise. The only computers I’ve used are very basic. I’ve no idea what it would take to get one to talk, let alone reason for itself. Look, I hope I haven’t offended you. I never intended to. I… I want to thank you for helping me.’
‘I think it’s time to leave this place, the Ukopi star is about to consume the Polnozoo.’
Zoren approached the illuminated monitor, which showed the Aurora accelerating towards the wall of the room in which it was housed. He noticed that the creatures cradled in his arms also seemed to be interested in the image on the monitor. He felt a slight jolt and then heard the distant sound of tearing and scrapping metal, as the ship effortlessly broke out from the Polnozoo.
‘That’s incredible,’ Zoren said, gazing at the expanse of the Polnozoo now visible on the monitor. ‘How big is that place?’ he asked, pointing to the image.
Kalrea replied. ‘It’s three-point-two kilometres wide, four-point-three in length and two-point-ei
ght at its highest.’
The massive structure, which stretched as far as the eye could see, was made up of many domed sections, each of which must have been the home of one of the exhibits. Great metallic frames covered them, criss-crossing similar to a spider’s web. Remnants of the exhibits littered the space around, giving a hazy appearance to large areas of the Polnozoo.
Zoren watched the monitor, in stunned silence, as massive explosions erupted from within sections of the Polnozoo.
Oh my God! Look at that! he thought, seeing the Ukopi star looming large in the background.
The colossal ship was slowly being consumed by the star, like a hungry child eager to finish their ice-cream, its contents smearing the face hiding the mouth from view. There were brilliant flashes of light as the Polnozoo broke into pieces, the Ukopi star relentlessly eating through the great mass before it.
The Aurora banked rapidly away from the star.
I could have been dead by now, Zoren thought solemnly.
He shook his head slowly and took a long drawn out breath, before saying,
‘How many people or should I say creatures died on that ship?’
‘Far too many, Zoren.’
‘Couldn’t you have saved more? After all, you saved me.’
‘Yes, I suppose you could see it that way. I could have saved more, but I couldn’t save everything. How would I have chosen who to save? Those with intelligence or those who were rare? Who would you have chosen?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well you chose to save those Glonvi you’re cradling in your hand. Why did you save them?’
‘Because… Well I suppose they just happened to be in the right place at the right time.’
‘And so were you, Zoren. You were all alone and in need of help, and I needed you.’
‘What do you mean, you needed me?’
‘Well, my belief is that I have a duty to protect the pilot of this ship and I’ve chosen you to be my pilot.’
‘What?’
‘Once I have found the right person to be my pilot, I will help him or her accomplish his/her objectives as if they were mine.’
‘Your belief! To me, it sounds like you do not have your own goals and you need a person to guide you. Is this what you have been programmed for?’ Zoren commented.
Aurora Saga 2 Immortality for Life Page 4