by A. L. Mengel
A green light appeared in the side of her visor as the message flashed across her visor screen:
ATMOSPHERE AT SAFE LEVELS.
The green light flashed as she waited.
DISENGAGE?
She selected yes as the collar decompressed. She removed the helmet and dropped it on the floor.
The ROVER was covered in Martian sand. There were the remnants of clipboards and a visor screen in pieces on the floor, its colorful wires scattered in various directions. As she looked around the inside, desperately trying to get a greater memory of what happened before she woke at the bottom of the surface, she noticed the flashing message on the console screen:
AWAITING VOICE COMMAND.
“This is Counselor Janine Abagail.”
The ROVER screen lightened as a digitized voice responded.
“Awaiting your directive Counselor Janine Abagail.”
She looked up and around the interior. No speakers. Had she been speaking with someone on the ship?
She leaned back in the chair and took a breath. Air! Even if it were manufactured, and she couldn’t breathe it outside, she came to a new appreciation of the Earth’s atmosphere. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and sighed. And then she leaned forward and opened her eyes. “I am missing the other members of my team.”
The monitor swirled for a moment.
“The members of your team are no longer living.”
She gasped.
The image of the three mounds of dirt flashed through her mind. “ROVER. Can you locate the other team members? Where can I retrieve their bodies?”
“They are not able to be located. Their communication apparatus is dysfunctional, and not communicating. Recommend contacting Vega One and returning to mothership.”
Were they truly gone?
“Are they gone? Where are their bodies, ROVER?”
There was another series of tones. “Their communication apparatus does not function. Their presence cannot be detected.”
“ROVER, how do I contact Vega One?”
There was a series of audible tones. “Attempting location of Red Outpost.”
She shook her head. “I need to contact Vega One.”
“Your assigned mission from Vega One was to locate the Red Outpost and retrieve a genetic inventory left by human predecessors.”
“Can we contact Vega One?”
“Contact from this vehicle is not possible. Carrier signal has been lost. Recommend return to Red Outpost immediately for contact with Vega One.”
She nodded and looked out the windows as the sandstorm was quieting. The Martian terrain – red sand peppered with darker rocks – was coming more clearly into view. “Take me to the Red Outpost.”
She looked out the windows as the ROVER slowly turned its wheels. She could hear the crunching gravel below. As the vehicle started traveling away from the dark mountain formation, she turned around, looking at where she had been. There had been no indication of how she got here.
But now, she had an idea.
As she looked outwards, the image of the three mounds of dirt permeated her mind. And the empty suit. It was Jeremiah’s.
What had happened back there?
*****
At the end of the mountain formation was a small structure. It was built into the side of the mountain, but was clearly not part of the terrain. She saw a silver glow; a reflection of the fading light, as the ROVER slowly navigated the rocks that peppered the sandy landscape.
RED OUTPOST APPROACH!
An audible alarm sounded. The voice increased in urgency.
DUST DEVIL PORT SIDE!
DUST DEVIL PORT SIDE!
She looked out towards the left. It looked like a swirling tornado; something she might have seen back on Earth. It looked to be several miles away, through the gap between the dark, sandy mountains.
It was a swirling dust cloud; much larger than any tornado she had ever seen.
“ROVER, what is that dust devil?”
There were a series of tones as the ROVER pulled into the camp. “A Mars ‘Dust Devil’ is a violently swirling cloud of dust that moves across the terrain. During the days of the SALVATION mission, the phenomena was studied by man and it was determined that they are similar to tornadoes on Earth, but dust devils are not associated with weather.”
“And are they a threat?”
“Winds speeds can reach over 100 miles per hour and they are considered a threat to all Martian construction put in place by man.”
“ROVER, which direction is it headed?”
“Counselor Abagail, it is currently stationary.”
The audible alarm sounded again as the urgent voice rang above her.
OUTER DOOR OPENING IN T-MINUS ONE MINUTE!
She picked her helmet up from the floor and eased it over her head. As the neck panel clicked into place the interior lights came to life, and the oxygen chambers hissed full of air. As the side door slowly rumbled open, she looked once more through the other side of the ROVER. The dust devil stood there. A swirling plume of dust. She felt like it was mocking her. Had she much more time?
*****
It was oddly calm around the RED OUTPOST. It was nestled in a crook of the mountain range; surrounded by soaring plateaus in a small, shaded corner of rock. When man had built this remote research and planning station, the scientists involved took great planning and preparation. Could the massive rock formations offer protection from the dust devils that moved across the rolling sands ahead?
As she approached the entry door, she turned around and looked at the swirling sand through the break in the rock formations. It was much further away than it appeared. Could the massive rocks break it apart?
She turned back towards the door.
She wiped a layer of dust from the access panel as a screen came to life. A digitized male voice greeted her.
“Welcome Counselor Abagail.”
The door slid open with a hiss.
She took a step inside and looked at the surroundings. A receiving chamber of some sort. Other suits similar to the one she was wearing hung on the side wall. Large, heavy looking boots lined a floor which looked to be made of steel. And further in was a larger door, which looked to open horizontally. The male voice filled the room.
OUTER DOOR CLOSING. ATMOSPHERE STABALIZATION COMMENCING!
She looked back as the door slid closed with a thud. A series of red lights on the far wall illuminated in a pattern – three at a time, two at a time, four at a time, two at a time.
And then they all changed to bright green.
ATMOSPHERE AT SAFE LEVELS.
She unlocked the neck from her helmet as the pressurization hissed outwards in tiny plumes. As she lifted her helmet high above her head, she took a deep breath.
The air was perfectly breathable. Just as it had been in the ROVER. She treasured the air going in and out of her lungs. This place seemed somewhat familiar in this foreign world. And while there still was a great deal of mystery surrounding how she got to be here, she was hopeful that her memories would return. That things would start to appear familiar again.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the same voice:
INNER DOOR OPENING!
The door rumbled open with a hiss. She paused, looking across the threshold. The interior had several hanging lights that cast a warm glow on what appeared to be a long, rectangular work table in the center of a darkened room. Papers and electronic devices were scattered across the entire length of the table.
PRESSURIZATION COMPLETE.
She looked up towards the ceiling. There didn’t appear to be any speakers – nor cameras – but she felt that she was being monitored. Observed. And then a familiar voice rang through the silence as she stepped into the darkened room.
CONTACT VEGA ONE?
It was the same voice from the ROVER.
She took a moment to clear her throat. “You…are you the same computer from the ROVER?”
I AM.
“An
d you followed me here?”
I AM ASSIGNED TO YOUR WATCHFUL PROTECTION.
“How is that possible?”
I WAS PLACED INTO YOUR HELMET ASSEMBLY, AND AM ABLE TO CONNECT TO DEVICES WITH YOUR SIGNATURE.
She nodded and looked around the room. There was not much to see beyond the table. The hanging lights – which to her, seemed quite primitive in such a high tech installment – were weak in their light distribution. The light didn’t reach beyond the center table, and the walls faded to darkness.
Papers were scattered about the table.
To her, it seemed out of place. They hadn’t used paper for many years. How long had this outpost been in existence?
CONTACT VEGA ONE?
The voice filled the room.
“Uh…” she stammered and found a small stool. She dragged it out from under the edge of the table and sat down, bending her knees and resting her feet on the rung. “Computer, is there a communication station somewhere in this facility?”
THAT IS A NEGATIVE.
She raised her eyebrows and her mouth dropped open slightly, as she cocked her head to the side. “Oh…kay…so how am I supposed to contact Vega One?”
YOU ISSUE THE COMMAND AND YOU WILL BE SPEAKING WITH THEM.
She nodded slowly. “Speaking with them…I see…so I just say I want to contact them?”
YOU ISSUE THE COMMAND WHEN YOU ARE READY.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Okay. Contact Vega One.”
The far wall lit up, like a giant screen in muted grey. There was a dull audible tone, and then she saw two men appear, in giant super lifelike appearance. One man had snow white hair and a matching beard; the other was clearly younger, with brown shoulder length hair. They both beamed. “Counselor Abagail! We thought we’d lost you!”
Her face shifted. “Come again?”
The snow white man spoke first. “Jeremiah thought you might have this issue. Do you have memory loss?”
She shook her head. “What do you mean? Jeremiah?” She thought of the empty suit back at the edge of the mountain. “I…woke up out of some slumber or loss of consciousness to a missing team. I honestly appear to be suffering from some sort of amnesia. I am starting to remember the others who were on the team with me, but I honestly don’t remember you or how this mission began.”
There was an interruption in the communication feed as the outpost shook and rumbled. She reached out and braced herself on the table and chairs. She raised her head towards the ceiling. “What was that?”
THE DUST DEVIL HAS APPROACHED OUR LOCATION!
She ducked underneath the table as the outpost shook and rumbled once again. There was a howl of wind just outside. She raised her voice. “Computer! What is the scenario if the Red Outpost is destabilized?”
EXTERIOR WALLS WILL IMPLODE DUE TO PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL. ANTICIPATED DEATH DUE TO LACK OF ATMOSPHERE.
As the dust devil roared its ferocious winds, just outside of the Red Outpost, the walls shook and rumbled, as Counselor Abagail lay down underneath the table, drew her knees up to her chest, and shut her eyes tight. And in the midst of the roaring winds, as the walls felt as if they might buckle, a voice had entered her mind.
Fall forward. Trust. Take a leap of faith. And everything will fall into place.
*****
She opened her eyes.
The underside of the table cast a shadow on her face. She took a breath. There still appeared to be an atmosphere. The walls must still be intact. She eased herself up on her elbows. “Computer?”
No answer.
She crawled out from underneath the table to see the same two faces on the far wall. Their eyes were wide. Once she emerged, the man with the white hair spoke. “Counselor Abagail! What is happening down there?!”
She hung her head down for a moment and shook her head. She sighed. “Dust devils,” she said. “I had no idea what they were. But I asked the computer and was told they erupt in the Martian atmosphere with little or no warning. They’re far larger than any weather phenomenon ever seen on Earth.”
The younger of the two leaned forward, and his face filled the screen. “Nelson Moses here. I know you are having some memory issues. Do you remember me? We must get you out of there. We know about the Mars dust devils. I believe that’s why that station had been abandoned.”
She stood still, with her arms hanging at her sides. She raised her eyes and looked at both men. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where my team is.”
She thought of the three graves back in the shadow of the dark mountains.
And the empty space suit. She couldn’t find an explanation for that.
Copernicus beamed.
His eyes widened and he started smiling and laughing. “There is no reason for that, Abby! They are right here!” They have been with us for a while now. That’s why I said I thought we lost you!”
She watched the far wall screen, the larger than life movie, of Copernicus, the old, grey haired man who seemed somewhat genuine, but she was having a difficult time remembering him. Nelson Moses, the younger of the two, significantly so, as his brown shoulder length hair dictated, she felt a closer connection with. There was something about him. She felt that she had known him. Sometime in the past.
Copernicus and Moses ushered the others into the view of the screen and her memory was instantly jolted. Her eyes widened, her face beamed and her mouth dropped open. “Jeremiah! Winston! Eli! What are you doing on the ship? The computer down here calls the ship ‘Vega One’. But I honestly am having a hard time remembering anything other than the three of you.”
Jeremiah moved to the front.
He was as she had remembered him. He didn’t look injured at all. His skin was perfect. His blonde hair close cropped. “Counselor Abagail!” He beamed.
He flashed a big smile.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand,” she said. She looked directly into his eyes. The image of his face filled the back wall in a larger than life shot. “I woke up out on the sandy terrain. And I had no idea where I was, how I had gotten there. Nothing.”
Jeremiah was nodding as she was speaking. “That makes sense to me,” he said. “You had fallen down into a ravine. We thought we had lost you! You don’t know how ecstatic we are to be communicating with you!”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Wait a minute, Jeremiah. You mean to say I almost died?”
“Yes. You almost died. We left Mars because we could not locate you. I don’t know how deep you fell into the ravine, but we weren’t able to rescue you. And after a great deal of time spent searching, we declared you dead.”
Moses moved into the viewing area. “And we were so astoundingly pleased when we found out you survived! We are preparing a rescue mission at once!”
She looked up at the others on the screen. “Let me speak to Jeremiah. I need to speak to him in confidence.”
Moses nodded. “Of course, of course! You need a private line.”
She nodded.
“Okay then! Jeremiah go to 3.5.2.1. and we will have you set up for a private conversation within minutes.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“And for you? We need to return to the surface to rescue you.”
She lowered her head and nodded. “I agree. Send the rescue ship. Get me off this planet. It’s dead here. It’s not like the Mars that I had heard about while growing up, when they said that there was life teeming under the surface.”
“We will have the rescue pod down to the surface within minutes.”
“And I will wait for my private chat with Jeremiah.”
Moses nodded. “Absolutely!” he said. Copernicus appeared on the screen and was in agreement with Nelson. “You will get some time to speak with Jeremiah,” Copernicus said. “When we are preparing this mission. And we will be down there soon. It won’t take us long at all.”
*****
While waiting on Vega One, she ventured further into the compound. She left her h
elmet on the conference table. She walked away from the conference room, navigating the littered paperwork and the haphazard chairs. Across from the table, was a corridor, which led to a network of other corridors, further and further into the dark crevices of The Red Outpost.
The corridors were littered with debris and papers. This post had been abandoned for quite some time, she could tell. As she shuffled her feet down the metal corridor, she called out.
“Computer?”
YES COUNSELOR ABAGAIL.
“Can you direct me to the chamber where the DNA and seedlings are held?”
YOU MUST PROCEED FORWARD. AT PRECISELY TWENTY ONE YARDS AHEAD, THE DOOR TO THE DNA HOLDING CHAMBER WILL GRANT YOU ACCESS.
“Thank you computer.”
She headed down the corridor and cracked a light stick. The greenish glow highlighted the narrow walls, the debris on the floor. It also cast a bit of green tinted light on the metal door on the far end of the corridor.
As she approached, it said:
NO ACCESS.
Who were they trying to keep out?
Standing in front of the door, she looked at the panel to the left. There was a small, silver plate.
“Computer? How do I access the DNA holding chamber?”
PRESS YOUR RIGHT THUMB TO THE PANEL.
The door slid open and she gasped.
It was like entering a tiny, tropical rainforest. There was foliage of all kinds, lining rows with a clear roof and artificial sunlight. How long had this been here? And the plants are still thriving?
She turned to the left.
There were chambers filled with test tubes and large freezer drawers. She took a few steps forward, and then there was a rumble.
She heard the exterior door open.
Had they arrived already?
She walked down the long, dark corridor and saw the light filtering through from the conference room. After seeing the chamber, she had many more questions. When were these items placed there? And for what purpose? Was man trying to seed another planet?
As the inner door slid open, she saw Jeremiah’s smiling face. “They sent me to come get you,” he said.
“We don’t have much time, either. Out on the plain there are dust devils everywhere! One almost took out the pod!”