by Steven Webb
“Come on Taylor. You can suck Trent off, or whatever you two do when no one’s around.”
“Seems like you’re projecting a bit. Something we need to know about you?”
Taylor high fived Trent. “Nice. We doin this or what.” He was already headed out of the cave before he finished his sentence.
There had not been much of a reason for Joseph to go back to the ship after they made the food run. When he got there he found that the plants were merging with the metal frame, forming a strange ancient hidden city. This was his own Indiana Jones adventure minus the deadly traps preventing him from reaching the treasure.
“hm, hm, hm, hmmmm, hm, hm, hmm.” It was as if Taylor was reading his mind.
“Are you? Is that the Indiana Jones theme song?” Joseph had no other choice but to join in. Soon all three of them were loudly singing as they stood in front of the wreckage.
“Nice. Okay now we need to get to work. If you see anything that looks like this…” Joseph drew out a large Y shaped image. “Or like this…” He drew a handle and gears. “Make sure to grab em. I’ll sort through everything before we go back.” The first stop on their journey was the place where everything started. Broken glass still covered the ground. Some shards jutted straight into the air. The once splendid observation window was now reduced to a few jagged edges. Seeing the structure still holding up despite plummeting into the ground, was a testament to it’s engineering. Plenty of metal scraps were tossed around. He remembered seeing a suitable handle when he was on the initial food run. Now he just had to figure out which portion of the ship he had been in. If he was going to start anywhere the cafeteria was as good a place as any. “Guys, this way.”
An obstacle course had been set up by the broken beams, made more dangerous by the onset of rust. The three of them clambered over the scraps and towards the open tunnel. The broken door still held it’s half closed position, unaware the contents it tried to protect were completely exposed by the missing roof. Puddles of water hid in the corners. If anything had potential to hold the gears to make the spit turn properly it would be the three-D printer. It’s metal frame was bent and contorted.
Joseph managed to slip his hand inside a gap on the front of the machine and pulled with all he had. The sheet refused to budge. “Taylor, toss me that table leg.”
“This one?” he held up a metal leg bent in half.
“No let’s go for the other one.” The leg flew towards Joseph and past is hand, hitting him square in the chest. “Ughhh.” a crushing blow left him unable to speak. A few coughs cleared up his lungs but the pain continued. “Thanks, I didn’t want to breath today.”
“Any time.”
“I thought it was a nice throw. Just like this.” Trent threw a chunk of plate right at Joseph.
He managed to dip past it. “Dude what the hell?”
I don’t know. I thought it would be funny.” The laughter from Trent was met by pure silence from the other two.
“Yeah no. Far from it. I need you guys to come hold the printer while I try to pry it open.” With Taylor and Trent bracing the machine, Joseph slipped the leg into the seam and yanked with both his hands gripped tight around the pole. It refused to move. He needed more force. He placed his foot onto the metal frame and leaned his body back. A few more good tugs broke the panel free, sending Joseph spinning backwards.
The insides exposed themselves to the world. The goop sourced for food assembly had begun rotting inside, turning everything a strange shade of gray, accompanied by a foul odor. Any useful components were now rotting away. Something inside caught Joseph’s attention. It was a series of plastic cups used to hold the base materials. He got to his feet and began pulling the containers loose, ignoring the cut to his hands caused by the machinery inside. He didn’t care, those containers were a game changer. In total there were fourteen. “That’ll work!” His excitement was uncontainable when the first set gave way. “Yes! This is perfect! I can’t believe it!”
“What are you rambling about?” Trent came around to see the sight for himself. “I don’t get it.”
“I can use these to make a….ughhh…” Another two cups broke loose. “To make a battery.”
Taylor let go of the machine. “Wait you mean we can get electricity? We can have lights and music?”
“No, but I can do one better. I can use it to power the distress beacon. I didn’t see any point in fixing it once we crashed…..Ahhh.” He pulled another two cups loose. “But now we can actually use it.”
“So you just, what, hook those things up and it turns on the beacon?”
“No …ugh..You just need…ahhh. A few metal screws and some copper. Oh and if we can get some salt that would be even better.” He finally removed the last of the containers. “We should be able to find everything we need in here. Just collect some screws and I’ll take care of the copper.” Christmas had come early and Santa had granted his wish. The wires would have to come from the printer. It would supply more than enough copper to build his battery twelve times over.
Taylor approached Joseph with some white packets in his hands. “Is this enough salt?”
“Yeah it is. How are we coming on those screws?”
“I’ve got twelve right now. Make that thirteen. Never mind, twelve.” Trent disappointedly threw a metal sliver aside.
“That should work. I have three that popped off the machine over here somewhere.” He scoured the ground. “Ah, here they are. Who’s ready to make some magic?”
The difficult task of getting the Beacon in working order now lay before them. It happened to be attached to the generator room. Reaching it was a much easier task than getting to the cafe. To Joseph’s amazement, the antenna was still connected to the signal box. He didn’t have tools so it was going to take all three of them, along with some ingenuity, to repair any damage. The dish portion was smashed up. They worked together to expand the it back to its original shape. The process took less effort than anticipated. The metal gave way easily, becoming a rough image of its former glory. A large hole in the side needed to be filled. The others were small enough to be of little to no consequence. A piece of metal scrap fixed the issue right up. The dish was stuck facing the ground. Joseph took a screwdriver and loosened up the connecting bolts. It’s hinge opened, the dish was ready to be repositioned. There was very little room to rotate the dish but some movement was better than none. After a few more adjustments and improvised repairs the antena was fully operational.
“Now to make the battery.”
Joseph grabbed the copper wires and used a rock to remove the insulation.he wrapped each screw up with a piece of hook shaped wire. The screws were then placed into each of the cups. The copper hooks allowed him to connect the cups together.
“Now we put some salt in each well like this.”
Joseph tore open the packets, and evenly distributed the little salt available.
“And now we just need to fill these with some water. One of you needs to go get the canteen and bring it back. Taylor how bout you.”
“Fine I can do that.” He started to head away but stopped. “What should I tell them about cooking the food?”
“Tell em to just eat it raw for all I care.”
“I think I’ll try being a little more tactful.”
“Hey if that’s what you want.”
With that, Taylor was gone leaving Joseph and Trent alone. Joseph tore the connecting end of the power line from the signal box. He attached the wires to his homemade battery. Now he just had to wait for the water. With everything he could do at a stand still he decided to sit back and relax. The wilderness was strangely beautiful today. He stared at the main hub of the ship before him. A loud Metal creak rang out. The large chunk of ship shifted, and then without notice, collapsed into the ground letting out a loud explosion and shrieking of metal. Dust flew high into the air. The ground shook beneath Joseph and Trent.
“Fuck. I’m glad we weren’t in there.”
“You and me both.”
It was a subtle reminder that their lives we’re constantly at risk out here, no matter how safe they felt. Joseph and Trent distanced themselves from the ship while they awaited Taylor’s return.
What seemed like hours, had gone by when Taylor’s voice could be heard.
“Guys. I got the Canteen. Heads up the others, weren’t as mad as I thought they would be.”
“Hey Joe, I’m gonna scare Taylor. You want in?”
“Nah I’m good.”
“Okay but you’re missing out.” Trent crept over to the new pile of rubble created from the collapse, and wiggled under one of the beams. “Help Taylor. I can’t get my legs out.”
Somehow Taylor didn’t see Joseph leaning against the hull fragment. It was quite the show. Taylor was freaking out about Trent, trying to get the beam off him. “Where’s Joe at?”
“He was inside when it collapsed.” Trent let out a surprisingly real cough. He was fully committing himself to the prank.
“Are you serious?” Taylor was in full panic mode. He ran over and tried digging at the rubble.
While his back was turned Trent pulled himself out from under the beam. A few silent steps placed him directly behind Taylor. “Gotcha!”
Taylor lept into the air. Joseph and Trent both let out a loud guffaw. Despite wanting nothing to do with it Joseph found the sequence of events hilarious enough he couldn’t stop the laughter. Talking was nowhere near possible like this. Instead he just walked over, tears of joy streaming down his face, and took the canteen from Taylor. He had to settle himself down before pouring the water. Every drop would count. A few deep breaths got him calm enough to complete the battery. Each cup now held enough water to almost entirely sumberse the screws. The light from the signal box turned on. The sound of life came from the box.
Beep….
Beep….
Beep…
Beep….
The signal was active. Now they had to hope someone was listening.
FRANK
The melodic sizzle of bacon played the chorus for Frank’s breakfast symphony, joined by the bubbling oatmeal baseline, and whisking to keep tempo. Every step was an intricate part of the song creating a masterpiece. He was lost in the beauty of the whole thing.
The Twins could be heard running down the stairs. They then passed the kitchen, Mia wrapped in a towel, running after her brother who was reading texts from her phone.
“Oh I can’t wait to kiss you tonight.” Ben held the phone tightly, trying to stay ahead of her. He used the couch to help maintain his lead. “I miss holding you.”
“Stop it you jackass. Give me back my phone.”
“Are you going to wear that cologne I love so much.”
“Dad, tell Ben to stop reading my texts.”
“Cut it out now.” Frank had to stay focused to keep the food from burning. “If either of you wake your mom up, I’m going to take both of your phones and then no one will have to worry about reading any texts.”
Ben fled around the dining room table for cover. ““I love you so much. Oh and you sent a picture of you making a kissy face. Man this is pure gold.”
“Ben I’m gonna kill you.”
They had hit Frank’s last nerve. He left the kitchen to run itself while he dealt with the little monsters running around his house. Just the sight of him walking into the room brought Ben to a screeching halt.
Mia ripped the phone away from his hands. “Fucker. God why are you so annoying.”
“Ben go get your backpack and come get your breakfast. Mia, you finish getting ready. I don’t want anymore fighting this morning.” The twins headed back upstairs. “Did you guys hear me. I said no more fighting.”
“Yes dad.” They both spoke in unison.
“I hate you so much.” Mia muttered.
“You’re no angel yourself.”
“Shut up.”
“I heard that.” Frank watched them wander back to their rooms before he felt comfortable enough to return to the kitchen. The eggs were starting to burn. Smoke rose from the pan. “Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit.” He pulled the pan from the stove. The batch was ruined. Black residue remained stuck to the pan as he scraped the eggs into the trash can.
“Hey babe.” Kelsey was awake and standing in the kitchen. Her beautiful red hair was a mess, and she was wrapped in a light blue robe.
“Morning Sweety.” Pan still in hand, Frank leaned over to Kelsey and gave her a gentle kiss. “Sorry the kids woke you up.”
“Oh, no I was already up.”
“Stealing my robe today huh?”
“Yep” Kelsey snuggled in the robe. “I like it better than mine.”
“You know they’re the exact same robe right?”
He opened the fridge and grabbed the eggs out to start his second attempt. “I Literally bought them at the same time. The only difference is yours is pink.”
“Yeah but this one smells like you.”
“So that’s where your daughter gets it.”
“You know it. Now what’s for breakfast?”
“Oatmeal, toast, fresh squeezed orange juice, and bacon.”
He started cracking eggs into a bowl. “And if I don’t burn these ones, some eggs.”
She took a seat at the counter. “Sounds delicious. I love it when you cook. Mmmm. look at my big man whisking those eggs. Once the kids leave I’m taking you upstairs.”
That was all the motivation Frank needed to get the kids off to school as quick as possible. He loved having time at home with his family in the mornings now that he no longer had to worry about going into work early. Having the family all gathered around the table for breakfast was great, even when the twins were in one of their moods. The moment got interrupted by the vibration of a phone. The whole table rattled.
“Who’s calling you this early?” Kelsey said, mouth full of food.
“No Idea.” The screen lit up with the words NASA. “I need to take this. I’ll be right back.” he took the call outside. “Hello?”
“Hey Frank, It’s Daniel.”
“Why are you calling me from work? You know I quit right?”
“Yeah, but we need you to get down here now.”
“Why what’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you over the phone but it’s big news. Just get down here now.”
“Okay. I’ll be down in a bit.”
“No. you need to get down here as soon as possible. Trust me.”
“Gotcha. I’m on my way.” He opened the door and leaned his head inside. “Sweety, I need to get down to NASA. Something urgent came up and they need me. Can you clean up and get the kids to school?”
“Yeah sure. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Frank grabbed the keys from the wall and jumped in the car. The entire ride was spent trying to figure out what could be so important to bring him back in. He figured Daniel was exaggerating about the urgency of the situation until he pulled up to the gate.
“Morning Sir. Please head straight to the control room. Pull up in front of the building and we’ll have someone park it for you.”
Things were growing more bizarre by the minute. All Frank could do at this point was go along with the strange charade. He pulled up at the front of the building as instructed. Daniel was standing at the curb along with a security guard awaiting his arrival.
The security guard opened his door. “I’ll take it from here.”
It felt odd having to let someone else park for him but why not. Frank stepped out of the car and joined Daniel.
“Let’s get moving. I’ll explain everything on the way in.” He held out Frank’s security clearance badge. “You’ll need this.”
It felt good to have the badge back. “Okay tell me what’s going on.”
“The SETI Program picked up something interesting yesterday morning. It was a beeping sound being relayed by one of their satellites.”
“But what does this have to do with me.”
&
nbsp; “I’m getting to that part. We analyzed the signal and we’re sure it’s the distress beacon from the Phoenix VII.”
Frank couldn’t believe his ears. “Wait what? You mean you found them? And if the beacon’s going off then they must still be alive.” This was unbelievable. He thought they were gone forever. Having lost the entire crew, including his childhood friend was the reason he had quit in the first place.
“That’s exactly why we needed you to come back. We need your expertise and knowledge of the mission. We’d love it if you came back permanently but this will have to do for now.”
They headed inside. Though he’d been gone over a month, Frank slipped right back into the routine. His office was still empty, as if they anticipated his return. “Well this will take some time to make homey again.”
“You’ll have plenty of time for that later. For now we need you in the control room.” Everyone was busy running around the room analyzing data and passing along their work. The screens showed complex routes through the solar system, and schematics of the ship.
“It seems the signal is originating from the far side of the sun. Our estimates place it coming from roughly 2 AU’s away.”
“Wait so your saying their in our path of orbit?”
“Precisely. We figure when the solar flair hit it left them floating without the ability to correct their course on the way to Earth. We’ve been trying to account for every variable to see where their heading.”
All of this seemed like some dream his mind concocted to deal with the mission’s failure.
“Right. First thing we need to do is try to get sight of them. I want all telescopes turned towards the signal. Hopefully we can catch a glimpse of it.” He turned on one of the computers and attempted to log in. “Crap. they already blocked my user info. Daniel need you to get in. I want to get full control of the DSRS. We should be able to get it within range to communicate within a few weeks. Once it’s in place we can get pictures to assess damages as well.”
For the next few hours, Frank sat down with Daniel scribbling formulas all over a white board. They calculated exactly how much thrust, and how fast they would go. The plan was looking more and more like a slingshot maneuver around venus to add more speed. They even figured out how far away they would be before the short range radio communication would work. This was truly his niche The numbers flowed out of him.