Welcome to Zeeta 21: City of the Future! “Are you tired of the constraints imposed on us by life on Earth? Taxes, daily chores, gravity? Well, so are we! Luckily, we have Zeeta 21, a state-of-the-art city designed for long-haul space travel, set to launch on October 20th, 3246. It will be populated with 20,000 of Earth’s best and brightest minds. But don't fret. There's room for you too! Sign up now and get the finest out-of-this-world experience for you and your family!” – Arand Corporation Marketing Bureau.
A seemingly perfect solution for a desperate situation, Zeeta 21 was supposed to end the decades of war that ravaged Earth. But soon after launch, dissension between three opposing factions causes mayhem and chaos on the ship. Sunny Bridges, the last surviving engineer, suddenly finds himself at the center of a conflict he wants no part in, as he alone holds the key to deciding the fate of its peoples. But who can you trust in a society devoid of morality or ethics? Sunny must face his demons and fight seemingly impossible odds to save Zeeta 21 from the control of the tyrannical Arand Corporation – and perhaps regain hope for humanity.
Welcome to Zeeta 21: City of the Future! “Are you tired of the constraints imposed on us by life on Earth? Taxes, daily chores, gravity? Well, so are we! Luckily, we have Zeeta 21, a state-of-the-art city designed for long-haul space travel, set to launch on October 20th, 3246. It will be populated with 20,000 of Earth’s best and brightest minds. But don't fret. There's room for you too! Sign up now and get the finest out-of-this-world experience for you and your family!” – Arand Corporation Marketing Bureau.
A seemingly perfect solution for a desperate situation, Zeeta 21 was supposed to end the decades of war that ravaged Earth. But soon after launch, dissension between three opposing factions causes mayhem and chaos on the ship. Sunny Bridges, the last surviving engineer, suddenly finds himself at the center of a conflict he wants no part in, as he alone holds the key to deciding the fate of its peoples. But who can you trust in a society devoid of morality or ethics? Sunny must face his demons and fight seemingly impossible odds to save Zeeta 21 from the control of the tyrannical Arand Corporation – and perhaps regain hope for humanity.
Prologue
It happened in the year 3239: the Year of Death. Humanity had finally pushed itself to the brink, effectively depleting Earth’s resources, and people grew reckless in desperation for food, clean water, and safe living space. Simultaneously, their ability to reason diminished; nations became paranoid and hostile. It was only a matter of time before the Final World War would break out.
No one knew who had started the war, and no one cared. The sky rained fire and fury for months. Bombs of incredible potency carried destruction over continents and filled the oceans with poison, rendering life nearly impossible. Sophisticated cyber-attacks spread panic and confusion at the speed of wildfire. People turned hostile; neighbours were fighting neighbours, husbands killing their wives, and women abandoning their children.
The End of Things was nigh.
Before the war broke out, the remaining superpowers, the United States of the Western World, Greater Russia, and the Chinese Empire, had joined forces in a final attempt to save Mankind. They built a domed mechanical city set to be launched into space to allow humans to prosper in a new and safer environment. It was called Zeeta 21, conceived to carry 20,000 people on a fixed fifty-year flight trajectory before landing back on Earth. Earth’s time was running out; it was time to find another solution for humanity.
The year is 3246, and we are starting the final preparations for Zeeta’s launch. Pockets of survivors are scrambling to survive on the Earth’s burnt crust, living in isolation from one another. Some have heard about Zeeta, but most are oblivious to its existence.
Our story begins at the Monastery of Our Good Lord. It comprises a group of zealous monks led by the Abbess. The monks dedicate their lives to technology and serve as Earth’s last hub for development and research. They form the last civilised bastion where nations can meet to discuss.
Chapter I: Launch of Zeeta (Year 3246)
Leaders of the Surviving World
The Abbess looked at the Old Clock. It was ten forty-three in the morning on the eighteenth of May, 3246. She was about to chair an important meeting with the Leaders of the Surviving World Committee, or the LSWC. This group was composed of representatives from nation-states that still had the capacity to communicate with the outside world. After the Seventy-seventh World War ended in 3239, many countries were desolate from radiation and pollution. The populations which had inhabited the land were decimated.
The meeting today was crucial. It was the two hundred and seventy-second discussion about Mission Zeeta 21.
The Abbess started getting impatient. There was usually a lot of commotion before meetings, but today was special. The meeting was taking place in the Monastery’s main hall, a large dome-shaped room filled with technological gadgets. It could seat up to three hundred and fifty people, and she expected it would almost reach capacity.
But a lot of things were not going according to plan. The monks misplaced the representatives’ nametags from New Uruguay and Greater Russia, a misstep capable of causing a diplomatic crisis and tainting the impeccable image of the Monastery. Luckily, she spotted it in time.
Overwhelmed by the number of guests, the monks also struggled to purify enough water to fill the drinking cups in the welcome salon. Fortunately, they compensated by serving more Buckwheat Beer. This year, the Brothers achieved an unprecedented alcohol percentage, which improved everybody’s mood.
The Abbess was particularly upset when a young and zealous monk named Brother Francis, ecstatic to have outsiders visit the Monastery, tried to hug one of the guests. Any form of physical contact was, of course, strictly forbidden.
More worrying, the Abbess had received late notices from several Committee members informing her they would not show up. Several of them bluntly said they would no longer support Zeeta 21 financially, withdrawing all their funds from the project. She feared the entire project might be at stake.
The Old Clock was visible out of the corner of her eye. It was ten fifty-eight, and the meeting was about to start. As she approached the speakers’ podium, a million thoughts raced through her mind. Despite her internal struggles, she had to keep up appearances. They needed to get Zeeta off the ground — it could be humanity’s last hope.
“Honourable World Leaders,
Distinguished Members of the Committee,
Dear friends and Master Teachers,
We are gathered here today at this crucial juncture of our shared journey.
The bombs fell a little over six years ago. The Seventy-seventh World War was unprecedented in scope and scale, reducing most of the Earth’s crust to a barren wasteland. Life has since then been hazardous and even impossible for millions of innocent people.
However, we here at the Monastery of our Good Lord have remained vigilant and hopeful. And indeed, you have given us hope. You, great leaders, …” the Abbess choked as she despised lauding war-hungry tyrants, “... have offered us a hope for a better future, for all humanity.” Faint applause was heard in the crowd.
“In your great wisdom,” she continued, perceiving the taste of vomit in her mouth, “you decided that conflict and strife was not the way forward. No cooperation and common understanding were needed. Indeed, under the humble guidance of our Monastery, you agreed to seek a peaceful solution. You decided to come together to construct Zeeta 21. A city built for space travel, Zeeta 21 would offer humanity a new chance to live, breed, and prosper outside the hemisphere of Earth’s boundaries.”
The Abbess took a deep breath. “It seems we took life’s frailty for granted here on Earth. Maybe there’s a better chance for our survival in space?” She added the question impromptu and with more emotion than planned. She saw her trusted Brothers look at her nervously, but apart from some scattered and uneasy coughing, no one in the audience seemed to notice much.
She regained her focus and resumed.
“Therefore, dear World Leaders, dear LSW Committee members, it is imperative that we finalise the great work that has begun. We cannot afford to cease the enormous efforts which have led us to this great day. Doing so could prove fatal – for all of us.
The construction of Zeeta 21 is almost complete. With less than six months to go, we will, at last, be able to rejoice in the fruits of our labour. The end is nigh. The end of humankind’s despair hails the dawn of new hope. Zeeta 21 is that hope; it is the light we need to shine into this world.
Zeeta will fill our skies with peace. Our Brothers here at the Monastery continue to pray that the men and women chosen to go live in space breed a new generation of children full of zest. We pray those children will eventually return to Earth enlightened with new ideas and fresh perspectives. May they achieve what we have failed to do: to live in peace and harmony with one another in full respect of Mother Nature.
I wholeheartedly thank you, dear World Leaders, for your continued efforts and the trust you place in the Brotherhood. We strive to warrant your kindness and goodwill.” The Abbess paused and gave a long bow.
“Now, having concluded the formal introductory part of this session, I would like to give the floor to Ms Dorateen ‘Scorpia’ Fernandez. Ms Fernandez is heading up the United Southern American Conglomerate, whom we particularly thank for their exemplary pecuniary kindness over the years.”She turned to face Scorpia and bowed again.
“Ms Fernandez will brief you on the latest status of Zeeta and announce the next steps to be taken.”
Dorateen Fernandez, born in the Mexican Republic, was a long-standing member of the LSW Committee. She had been promoted to the highest diplomatic ranks in her home country, then became de facto Chairwoman of LSWC due to her formidable ability to reach consensus, often by intimidating those who disagreed with her. She was an impressive woman due to her large size and strong character. She did not insist on formalities, though, and always insisted that people simply called her ‘Scorpia’. Her late mother gave her that nickname. It meant to celebrate her ability to survive in harsh conditions at any cost, even if it required poisoning those in her way.
“Thank you, cherished Abbess," Scorpia said as she walked to the podium. She wore a turquoise green jacket and skirt, and her extended eyelashes were a bright purple.
“It’s most certainly a pleasure for me to speak here today. As rightly said, we stand at an important crossroads. The Monastery has served as an impeccable arms provider for so many years. Our greatest conflicts wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for their expert research and development. Remarkable work on new laser and plasma technologies has been carried out for centuries in this very facility. Let’s hear a round of applause for the Abbess and her diligent monks!” Applause filled the room. The Abbess took it in silence.
“Now, let’s cut the crap. We all spend a lot of money. I mean, I’ve seen the Monastery’s latest budget forecast, and phew! Trust me, some serious cash is flowing through this place. That’s why I, and others, suggested ten years ago: why not spend at least part of the money on a common project?
“Of course, military expenditure is and will continue to be needed. In this day and age, each National Conglomerate needs to protect itself, no doubt about that. We have rogue survivors, pagan cavemen, in almost every part of the world. Uncivilised, threatening our way of life! Plus, we’ve got these new … creatures. Radiation brought those about, and no ordinary weaponry can kill them. Only a plasma rifle to the head will do. Trust me. I’ve seen it!” Scorpia took a sip of purified water from her personal canister. She started sweating. She loved going off a tangent like this; sometimes her speeches would last for hours.
“Yes, military funding is still needed, and I’ve personally told the Abbess to place special emphasis on hydrogen-driven long-range missiles. We at the Southern American Conglomerate are driven to make the next large-scale conflict as environmentally friendly as possible, reducing greenhouse emissions by up to twenty-seven percent!” Scattered applause and cheering were heard.
“And this is why I’m up here; we need to talk about the future. Like I said, it was decided after the last World War that the Leaders of the Surviving World needed to come together. Since then, twelve percent of the Monastery’s annual budget has been allocated to a common peace project. Sadly, we’ve gone slightly over that. Six years ago, we estimated we needed forty-seven billion dollars, but, so far, we’ve spent nearly sixty billion.” The last statement prompted a stream of expletives from the crowd.
Scorpia spoke sharply into the microphone to rein in the crowd, “Now, now. Hold your horses! Your investment is worthwhile. We’ve cut some corners to make it work. Some of the underground parts of the city will remain unfinished for now to shave off unnecessary expenses. But it’s important we all stay on track. After all, what good are we as nations if we have no enemies to fight? People need to survive for us to exist!” Scorpia drank the last of the water in her canister, then angrily signalled to the monks that she needed more.
“That’s why we decided to build Zeeta 21. Zeeta is the first city ever built and designed for life in space. In a nutshell, we ran out of safe living space here on Earth, so we figured going outside Earth was the only option. Pretty smart, right?” Scorpia glanced at the Abbess who was still wearing her traditional helmet, which obscured her entire face and made her expressions impossible to read.
Scorpia continued, “Zeeta 21 will house twenty thousand of the best and brightest minds of what’s left on Earth. We’ve been drafting people intensively for twenty-seven months, and, so far, there are 18,761 on the list.” She paused, raised her finger, and forced an enthusiastic smile. “Some had to be coerced, but most came voluntarily.” At this point, she was getting weary of being on stage.
“But enough from me. For more detailed explanations, let me hand the floor over to Dr Alois Lechowsky, Director of New Business Ventures at the Arand Corporation. He’ll give you further info on where we are.” Scorpia stepped aside but remained on stage.
Lechowsky was a tall man with long hair and a well-kept beard. He had a friendly demeanour and addressed the crowd in a clear, bright voice, “Why, yes. Thank you, Scorpia. It’s certainly a great honour to be up here again. It’s been a while. The last time I had the pleasure of speaking to this fine assembly was three years ago when we ran into some troubles designing the main reactor core of Zeeta. Regrettably, this caused some delays and further expenditure, but rest assured that everything is back on track, and we’re hungrier than ever for results! The ship is nearly ready.”
Lechowsky brought up a holographic image. “As you can see on this detailed replica of Zeeta, all major parts of the ship are now ready. We have a fully habitable surface, which resembles a real city, complete with houses, skyscrapers, Jonny-bot taxis, and soon, human life.” Lechowsky smiled at Scorpia, who was busy putting a young monk in his place for taking too long with the water.
“The only thing missing is the lower western section of the ship, which currently is empty except for the main infrastructure. As this is underground, we focused first on the main compartments, such as the main city, the engine rooms, and the navigational system.”
He continued as he slowly strolled across the stage. “I’m happy to say, ladies and gentlemen …”, Lechowsky, an experienced speaker, paused to draw in a deep breath to evoke suspense, “… Zeeta 21 will be ready to launch five months from now, as planned, on October twentieth, 3246!” He opened his arms for dramatic effect; the crowd remained still.
“Of course, Zeeta 21 is much more than its technological prowess, which by the way, ladies and gentlemen, I assure you is top-notch! Zeeta features an artificial ecosystem capable of simulating oxygen production and even mimicking plant life. Imagine that. Sitting in a perfectly manicured park with synthetic trees that never wither and foliage that doesn’t grow dull. Just gazing at the stars.” His smile grew bigger. “But coming back, Zeeta is about more than a beacon of human advancement. It’s a platform for humanity to prosper. It’s about its people! Oh, yes. We’re doing our utmost to ensure safe living quarters and living conditions for our lucky future inhabitants. Each of our 18,761 residents will be treated with the care and respect due. They’ll be given the highest possible level of comfort.”
Scorpia returned to the front of the stage and stood next to Lechowsky.
He continued, “Just to give you some details, the entire mission, I’m happy to say, will be led and supervised by the Arand Corporation. As Arand’s Director of New Business Ventures, I’ll of course join the mission and it’s my responsibility to ensure that everything goes smoothly. We’ll have a form of soft central ‘governance’, although I don’t like that term, from Arand and a police unit known as the Enforcers. Trust me. This is just so that people feel safe. The Enforcers will have limited powers and will certainly not interfere in anyone’s life. Now, let me tell you all about how gummy bears will be produced in space from recycled chewing gum. In fact —”
“Your plan is a fucking travesty. It’s amateurish bullshit, and it’s never going to work,” a voice echoed throughout the entire assembly.
Lechowsky, cut off in mid-sentence, briefly hoped he could ignore the outburst and get on with his presentation.
The full-throated voice continued, “I’ve never seen such a load of drivel from supposedly distinguished officials like yourselves!”
The automated LED beams scattered across the room, trying to identify the surprise speaker. The monks had to manoeuvre them by hand.
“There’s a plethora of things I want to know here. What surveillance system have you set up? How will the Enforcers maintain law and order? Where are the penitentiary facilities? Who will control the food supplies, and how will you keep people from running amok in case of general shortages?”
The bluish beam had now tracked the speaker down. He was sitting in the back rows, looking relaxed and leaning into his chair in a comfortable manner. Lechowsky felt cold and miserable, taken aback by the hostile questions. Squinting his eyes, he saw the man sitting in the Northern European Conglomerate pod but could not make out which country he represented.
After a brief pause, it was Scorpia who spoke. “And who might you be, exactly? State your name, affiliation, and ranking, please.”
“I think it matters less who I am and more what I can bring to this project,” the man retorted.
“Look, sir. Quit clowning around and let the assembly know who they have the pleasure of listening to, I implore you. We have an agenda to get through, and I really can’t tolerate this much longer.” Scorpia was sweating profusely; that damn LED beam did not help.
The man got up and slowly walked towards the stage. He was now standing some ten metres away. Two others were following behind him. Scorpia noticed that he was dressed in blue pants, a decent suede jacket, and a tie. Not a diplomat, for sure, but he looked civilised enough.
“My name is Sunny Bridges. My team and I ...”, he paused to gesture towards the woman and man just behind him, “have intricately studied your latest designs for the past sixteen months. Now that the mission is entering the final stages, we want to present our recommendations to make it a success.”
Lechowsky eventually mustered the courage to step in. “Well, while your suggestions might serve the general interest, I must remind you that Formula 27B-6 would have to be duly completed and filed with the Arand Development Office. Provided, of course, your Formula 79U document has already been approved. Otherwise, we couldn’t possibly be required to look at any such —”
“The expedition you are about to embark on will be an utter disaster,” Sunny interrupted. “People will die, and your reputation will forever be tainted with sin and shame.” Sunny looked at Scorpia as he spoke. He ignored Lechowsky and continued, “My crew and I have composed a list of 1217 changes to be implemented and operational before launch. The changes can be grouped into three categories: 'a', mainframe optimisation; 'b', security, and 'c', governance. Without our input, you’re doomed to fail.” Sunny’s stern eyes rested on Scorpia.
She had been in thousands of top-secret meetings and dealt with people from all walks of life. But, something in Sunny’s ferocious manner surprised her. He seemed intelligent and even elegant in some strange way. She was willing to hear him out.
Misreading the situation, Lechowsky oafishly said, “Come on. Can we get this man away from the stage? Can someone call Brotherhood Security? This has gone on long enough. We’ll miss the noon mass if we don’t —”
Scorpia flashed him a glare. “Shut your fucking mouth!” she hissed. Someone turned the mic off just in time to spare the audience.
“I want to hear what he has to say.” Then, she faced and addressed the audience. “Honoured delegation! Please allow a small deviation from our schedule. I’ll be dedicating some time to a private discussion with this individual and his … cohorts. Do excuse us. This afternoon’s programme will proceed as planned.”
Scorpia left the stage with Sunny’s entourage. Lechowsky meekly followed behind them.
Sunny Steps In
Scorpia and Lechowsky stood with Sunny and his two followers in a dimly lit room with monitors of every size lining the walls. Lechowsky started feeling claustrophobic; plus, he was still uneasy not knowing the motives of these strangers. They sat down at the table in the middle. Scorpia was eyeing the three. They all sat and looked at her with focused stares.
She took control of the floor.“So, are you going to tell me what this is about?” she asked. “Why don’t you start by introducing yourselves.” It was an order, not a request. Sunny quickly replied as if he had been waiting for the cue to do so. “As mentioned earlier, my name is Sunny Bridges. I’m a Chief Engineer specialising in AI system design.” He then gestured towards his male companion. “To my right here is Robert Bacon. He’s an advanced mechanical engineer and one of the main architects of Zeeta’s engines. He’s been working on the project since the very beginning.”
Looking left, he continued, “And this is Kira Berezin. Her field is Advanced Agro-Engineering technologies. Kira deals with food engineering, a multidisciplinary field combining microbiology, physical sciences, and chemistry. In short, she’ll be producing the food on Zeeta.
“Together, we’ll eliminate uncertainty from the equation to ensure everything runs according to plan once we launch Zeeta.”
Lechowsky struggled to find the right moment to interrupt, and this seemed as good as any. “But, wait, wait, wait! Hold up! You three, you’re some magical troika that pops up out of nowhere with a slew of answers to questions no one has even asked yet, solving problems no one has even addressed —” He looked at Scorpia. “I mean, what, er, who are you? Why should we trust you?” Scorpia nodded in silent agreement.
“We’re specialists from the Northern European Conglomerate assigned by our respective Nation States to this project,” Sunny explained calmly. “We’re hired by the Arand Corp as contractors, albeit working quite independently from the central organisation. As such, we’ve been actively contributing to the construction of Zeeta. Now we wish to come to you with our proposals. That’s all there is to know. As things are, we naturally don’t feel any particular, hm, affiliation to our home countries.”
Scorpia gauged him. “In other words, by coming directly to me, you hope to circumvent your hierarchy back home. About the people paying you to work on Zeeta, I take it you’ve had some falling out with them or carry some sort of grudge? Or perhaps you feel you’re more likely to succeed in your endeavours by coming directly to me instead of going through usual channels. If you are indeed contracted by Arand, you know our administration can be quite … difficult. It’s not always easy for new ideas to get through.”
Sunny glanced at Scorpia. She was quick to make correct assumptions. She was a woman with a great deal of intelligence and strong will: a dangerous cocktail.
“I take it then,” Scorpia paused, got up, and strolled through the room with her hands behind her back before continuing, “you’re vigilantes? Rebels, acting on your behalf for a cause you deem righteous, just, or perhaps simply self-fulfilling. Can I assume that much?”
A serious expression appeared across Sunny’s face. It showed a sensitive side of him, fragile even. Scorpia thought this was a man who spends many hours alone, pondering.
“You could in some sense label us, uh, outcasts, I suppose. But humans are complex beings. And I’m not one to assign any rudimentary nomenclature for what essentially constitutes an intricate web of emotional and practical drivers,” Sunny said. He had regained his impenetrable demeanour.
Scorpia sat back down. “Listen, chump. You managed to grab my attention and fuck up my meeting schedule. But you better make it worth my while. So, tell me exactly what the hell it is you three came here to do."
A light immediately sparked in Sunny’s eyes. He had been waiting for this moment.
“In essence, we want to solve your biggest problem: control. Pulling twenty thousand people from their natural habitat into space is both unprecedented and risky. There’s no way of knowing how people will react. And although you have some law enforcement measures in place, the risk is high.”
Scorpia and Lechowsky gave each other incredulous looks.
Sunny continued, “We’re going to install an all-knowing artificial intelligence system called NADOSH on the ship. The system will tie into every possible nook and cranny of the ship’s controls. This entails everything from monitoring people in their homes and controlling when and how individuals take their meals and prescribed drugs. Also, NADOSH is intrinsically linked to the ship’s engine controls." Sunny turns towards Bacon. “This will allow the Commander in Chief to instantaneously get detailed reports about the ship’s trajectory, energy use, et cetera.”
Emphasising an important sidenote, Sunny said, “of course, Mr Bacon here will manage the operation of the engine systems. No interference is allowed, and any communication is for data-exchange purposes only.
“Kira has devised an ingenious system to optimise food supplies. With her techniques, we can produce synthetic meals rich in nutrients and extremely cheap to make. Most of the base ingredients comprise recycled waste from organic and non-organic sources. Crucially, various drugs can be added to the food to either experiment with mind-controlling techniques or at least render subjects more docile, if need be.”
Lechowsky was about to talk, but Scorpia shushed him. “Indeed, that might prove useful,” she said while pondering the possibilities.
Sunny explained, “What’s more, we’ve invented the XZ-9000 Cybertronic device. This gun will essentially lobotomise any subject that refuses to obey orders by inserting a thin needle through the eyeball, piercing the front lobe of the brain, and extracting serotonin-filled brain juices. This procedure effectively turns people into zombies and renders them unable to work or perform any but the most menial tasks. Thus, it’s naturally to be used exclusively for the most extreme cases of non-conformity.”
Gesturing again towards Kira, Sunny continued. “Our expert has even made a special brand of edible food paste to feed these wretched souls. It’s called: Tofu Brains — a mix of ninety-nine percent synthetic human brain compounds and one percent liquorice. I can assure you no actual human specimens are used to produce it. And it’ll keep the zombies calm, keep them from acting upon their cannibalistic tendencies. In other words, we suppress their hunger for human flesh. Ideally, this will ensure they’ll still be able to carry out some menial tasks.”
Scorpia was about to speak, but Sunny did not let her. He finished what he wanted to say. “Oh, and we plan to start mass-producing XZ-9000s early next month. One in five Enforcers should carry one and receive advanced training to use it. Trust me. It’ll be needed after we launch.”
Scorpia left the table briefly to take a call from her superiors. She returned, her expression changed but secretive, and sat in silence.
So, Lechowsky jumped in. “But hold on for a second here, people! I mean, is this all just done and dusted? You speak about installing some omnipresent AI to control Zeeta. I mean —” he meekly looked at Scorpia, “we can’t accept this. It wasn’t in the protocol. It would have to be studied in detail, looked over by the Launch Planning Committee, who would first need the greenlight from the steering board before we could even think about mentioning it under AOB with the LSWC members.” Lechowsky was out of breath.
For the first time, something Lechowsky said caught Sunny’s interest. “Ah, yes. That’s a good point. I should underline the fact that NADOSH is already up and running. We have her connected to all the different subsections of the ship, whose functioning isn’t possible without her. So far, people believe these are merely autonomous sub-sections of the main data access network while, in reality, NADOSH is running everything. The only thing left to do is activate her central avatar, the ‘person’ the Chief in Command will speak to.”
“Whaat!” Lechowsky spat, incensed. “This is outrageous! Where are the guards? I want these people removed! We can’t —”
Sunny continued to speak, unperturbed by the outburst. “NADOSH is programmed to react with hostility towards anyone compromising her or the mission. Thus, de facto, any opposition towards her will lead, eventually, to the death of that individual. Locking us up won’t make much difference. I’m merely trying to convey that I hope to have you as active partners in this project as it makes things … less messy.”
“You fucking rat. I’ll throw you to the monks! Their torture chambers were designed for people like you. Hope you like acid!” Lechowsky thundered.
Looking at him, Scorpia said, “You will do no such thing.” She folded her hands.
“We’ll consider what these men are saying and assess their proposals. NADOSH sounds like an adequate main interlocutor for this mission. Indeed, she could help us make wise decisions for Zeeta and keep its people and processes under control. It seems like a possible way forward.”
Lechowsky was flabbergasted, his rage mixed with profound insecurity. “But this is insane! How can you accept this so quickly? I mean, these people just walked into the room. We can’t just take what they’re saying at face value. The entire thing could be an elaborate hoax for all we know. What the hell does N-A-D-O-S-H stand for, anyway? Probably some smart-ass technical acronym. I promised people utopia, not a machine that would run their lives.” His eyes were bloodshot.
Scorpia started pacing the room while thinking about it out loud. “What I’ve heard for the last twenty minutes makes loads more sense than anything your empty-skulled brainstorming committee ever came up with.” Scorpia sighed. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that Zeeta and its people are safe and adapt well to their new lives. Clear boundaries are crucial for any child as it helps them develop healthily, and so it is with nascent civilisations. We’ll give people clear limits and harsh repercussions for anyone stepping outside those limits.”
To Lechowsky, she said, “I’ve just received a call from the Judge. The Superiors have decided it shall be this way.” He gulped.
Scorpia had changed her expression completely. Management made it clear she had to follow orders and let Sunny carry out his ideas. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities presented by the radical proposals of these three uninvited guests. Don’t know why, but they seem trustworthy enough, she thought to herself. At least until the operation gets going. I can get rid of them if needed.
To the others, she smiled and said,“I believe it’s indeed better to keep this under wraps. Everything that we’ve discussed here will be our little understanding, OK? I don’t want this, shall we say, detail to reach the Leader of the Surviving World Committee. Anyhow, they’ve entrusted us with organising operations as we see fit. And we don’t want to bother them with such technicalities at this critical juncture when their resources are better spent elsewhere. Do we agree?” Her eyes pinned down Lechowsky. The smile was gone.
He averted his gaze and sunk into his chair. That was exactly the kind of concession Scorpia was expecting.
“Good. Unless I change my mind, we shall do as Sunny and his two, um, partners propose.” There was a gleam of malice in Scorpia’s eyes. “On one condition ...” She looked at Sunny. “I want to join the expedition as a Member State representative. I want to be on Zeeta 21 as a privileged diplomatic member with complete immunity. I want luxury and freedom. I won’t answer to anyone.” Lechowsky gestured wildly.
Scorpia gazed into the air. Her look reminded Sunny of an excited child, carefree and ready to run across a busy road to get what she wanted. While admirable in an infant, that was a dangerous quality in an adult.
She took two steps forwards and spun around. “I want this to serve as a common understanding between us. It won’t be written or recorded and will simply be a tacit agreement amongst us here in the room.
“I will function as Executive President of Zeeta 21, and you will all answer to me. Lechowsky will keep his position as Director at the Arand Corporation, serving as a puppet for all accountability and responsibility of the mission. He’ll also be the face of project Zeeta 21. De facto, it will be me, Sunny, Bacon and, uh, what’s her name …” Scorpia glanced at Kira, “who makes the decisions. That’s how Zeeta will be run. Give me a night to sleep on it, but that’s what I’m thinking. It’s the will of the Judge and the Arand Corporation.”
Scorpia’s word seemed so final that no one bothered to interject. Lechowsky tried adamantly to save what little self-respect he had left. He puffed up his chest and said, “I know just the man to lead the Enforcers. Lieutenant Horrigan will be the iron fist we need.”
Sunny looked at Kira and Bacon and nodded. Their plan was approved, and the real work was about to begin.
Brother Francis Brings the Holy Receptacle
It was an exciting day, almost too much so. Brother Francis was called upon by the Abbess herself to carry out a range of distinguished tasks, usually given to higher-ranked monks. She put him in charge of overseeing that all delegations had ample water supply during the conference, which was no small feat; Ms Scorpia drank all the extra supplies they had. The Abbess also gave Brother Francis the responsibility of placing name tags and country flag labels for each delegation. Unfortunately, he misplaced the flags of Greater Russia and New Uruguay. Luckily, giving them extra homebrewed Buckwheat Beer rations settled the mishap.
He was in a rush. The Abbess had told him that the mysterious guest, Mr Sunny Bridges, was going to attend a private work session with a few trusted companions. It was of utmost importance that their flasks be filled with clean water to ensure maximum efficiency during the meeting.
Francis was running around in such a frenzy that he spilled most of the water from the flasks. He became flustered with embarrassment when he realised they were not closed properly. But the flask for Mr Bridges he kept safe and secure under his robe.
He approached the meeting room where the Abbess said the private work session was being held. It was, of course, in the secret underground passages of the Monastery, away from prying eyes and used only for exceptional occasions. Francis took a deep breath and gently opened the door.
“You fucking imbecile! Is that all you’ve got?” the loud voice of Mr Bridges thundered through the room; Francis felt the weight of Bridges’ words suspended in the air.
“We haven’t gotten this far … No, we’re not going to be stopped or even delayed by a simple-minded fucking simpleton like you. Because, you know, that’s what you are. A simpleton. A fucking idiot not capable of understanding things greater than yourself!” Sunny’s words hammered down like an acid hailstorm.
Francis noticed Sunny’s two friends from the meeting and a fourth gentleman in the room. It was an Arand technician.
Sunny was the only one standing up, pacing the room while spewing obscenities at the Arand representative seated with his back towards him. Francis made a mental note to pray that the Good Lord cleanse his ear canals after this ordeal was over.
Silent as a mouse, Francis walked up to Sunny. “Your fresh water supply is here, sir. I’ve filled up the fl-fl-flasks personally,” he stammered.
Sunny turned towards him abruptly, his face red with rage. Without a word, he forcefully knocked away Francis’ tray. Francis, completely in awe and perplexed by the enormous presence of this great man, fell to the ground. He was still clutching Sunny’s flask and did not know what else to do but hand it to him.
Sunny’s lips broke into a sad smile, ripe with deceit and self-loathing. He took the flask and threw it at the technician’s head. “Maybe this jester is eager for a fucking sip of water. That might make him more cooperative.” The flask bounced off the back of the unlucky man’s head with a loud thwack!
Francis was beside himself. The weight of all the stress and anxiety preparing for the LSWC crashed upon him. He was also struck with fascination for this Sunny Bridges character, about whom he had not heard until only a few hours earlier. He felt tears of pride come to his eyes; this was a sign of destiny at work. That he was to behold such a divine sight as watching one of the creators of Zeeta making final preparations was simply too much. He wept.
Francis quickly snatched up the empty flask from the ground. “This is it. The Holy Receptacle. Sunny’s flask. I shall hold on to it and protect it with my life," he solemnly vowed.
He thought better of staying in the room much longer. Instead, he clutched the flask and sped for the door. Better to be off before a new torrent of abuse came, this time directed at him for his poor performance as drink-bringer.
As Francis was about to close the door, he heard a gun go off. “None of my business … Better not bother the Abbess with such affairs," he thought as he ran off, brimming with equal measures of fear and joyful bliss.
Back in the room, Bacon looked at the corpse flopped over the table, the – now-former – Chief Technical Adviser for the Arand Corporation. Sunny had been vociferously questioning the man for an hour non-stop; the atmosphere was tense.
“Sunny! What the hell? You shouldn’t have done that! You risk getting us all killed, jeopardising the whole thing!” Bacon exclaimed.
The gore in front of them was appalling. Half of the balding man’s scalp was missing, and blood was still oozing onto the table. Kira turned her head in disgust.
Sunny dismissed Bacon’s concern. “We‘ll write it off as suicide. He was dead weight anyway. We can’t have such incompetent crewmembers.” He was still worked up and was rapidly pacing back and forth. “Yeezus! Is no one around here capable of explaining to me, in simple terms, for how many nanoseconds the Orbiter Vehicle will remain attached to the 2xTurbo Rocketdyne RS-255 main engines at launch?”
“Don’t worry about the details. Just let the machine do all the calculations," Kira spoke softly. Her voice was so sexy, Sunny realised. “After all, it’s what you’ve built her for. Let NADOSH take control of everything. No human interference is needed. We’ve already tested this setting in the beta version." She smiled at Sunny in a very endearing way.
Bacon stood up; a verbal explosion ensued. “Thanks for bringing that up, Kira. Would now be a good time to remind us all that we can’t do half the fucking things that Sunny promised? Would now be a good moment to highlight that the artificial intelligence you call NADOSH is nowhere near as functional as Sunny just promised everyone at Arand Corp!? We’ve been trying unsuccessfully for months to get NADOSH to react to even simple air quality control and lighting commands. FAILED. As things currently stand, that hunk of metal is not getting off the ground, let alone capable of housing human life for more than ten minutes before they all suffocate from lack of oxygen.” Bacon let out a huge sigh. “Maybe now’s a good time to call it quits? Admit to Scorpia that we oversold this whole thing and just accept that Arand will do whatever they want and probably fail miserably? Hell, I’d rather be on a ship with people running around like headless chickens than die from radiation poison or whatever the hell comes next on Earth.” He sighed bitterly.
“I need the original code. It’s the only way," Sunny muttered. He had not been listening to Bacon’s rant. “With the chip from the original AI, I can build it into Zeeta’s mainframe and run it directly.” Sunny was still gripping the laser pistol tightly. To his disgust, he noticed some goo from the body in front of him stuck on his hands. “I have … I have studied the Pendleton file to death. I know all the ins and outs. The cyborg used for that mission, NADOSH, was incredible. She was a machine, but she showed such adaptability and managed to survive impossible odds. She was just a machine disguised as a woman, but she completed her mission and even developed compassion. Despite being a machine, she developed compassion for Pendleton until the very end.”
Bacon was trying to ignore the fresh corpse. Holding up a handkerchief, he sputtered, “Oh, here we go again with the fucking Pendleton fairytale. What does it matter that a convict sentenced to live on a planetary rock in exile fell in love with a cyborg? That’s all she was, Sunny, a fucking cyborg sent to cure a doomed man of his loneliness. That’s it. If you feel certain that old tech can run an entire spaceship, you’re lying to yourself. The reality is we have no goddamn way of knowing if your little programming routine can run Zeeta 21. You made a good speech at the council meeting, sure. Got Arand’s ear, who, by the way, we don’t work for anymore since they fired us, remember? And, you just conveniently omitted all the unknowns. What happens when we let an untested and possibly independent AI loose in a city of twenty thousand hapless people? She might turn us all into slaves as far as I’m concerned.”
Sunny looked to the ground. He was immersed in his thoughts. It was impossible to tell if he was still aware of the people around him. “All my problems will be solved when I get the original code," he said. “It’s the only way. NADOSH is our only option. We’ll set her to self-aware mode the second we leave Earth’s atmosphere. I’ll program her consciousness to ensure my well-being. If she was capable of loving Pendleton, she’ll be capable of loving me too. And all the people of Zeeta. She’ll be kind and merciful to anyone who lives there. I and only a few others will have the password to overwrite the trajectory coordinates. That means only a select few can steer Zeeta back to Earth before the mission ends if needed.”
Kira shifted in her chair. “That sounds awfully dangerous. I mean, what if something happens to you or you’re somehow left unable to act? In a case of a major emergency, that could compromise the entire ship," she said.
“I’ll inject a neurotransmitter into my body. That way, NADOSH will constantly be aware of my vital signs. Her first mission will be to keep me alive. I’ll also code an emergency response in case we need to crash-land on Earth. NADOSH and I will live - and die - together," Sunny said while gazing off into the distance.
Kira and Bacon felt the oppressive atmosphere in the room. They realised they were taking a huge gamble literally travelling into the unknown with Sunny. However, they felt reassured by Sunny’s presence; he exuded an inexplicable calm. It felt right being around him, and he was comforted by the idea that they could rely on each other.
Bacon took a sip of water. “After we take off, I want to be left completely alone. My team and I will continue working in the engine rooms without interference from the outside. This will give me time to continue my research," he said.
Kira looked at him. “You mean you’re still adamant about doing gene manipulation on humans to see if they can evolve? Sure, humans aren’t perfect, but I think it’s beyond the scope of this mission to create different forms of life.”
“Humans are the reason we’re in this fucking mess to begin with!” Sunny roared. “Our species somehow has an unquenchable thirst for self-destruction. Indeed, if Bacon is right, there might be something after us, such as the transmutation of our species, the next step on the evolutionary ladder. Maybe going beyond our human frailties is the way to save our planet and future generations.” His words were tinged with both hope and spite.
Bacon felt satisfied with the support of his comrades. “Very well. It seems we’re all in agreement here. Let’s carry this through. Sunny, whatever you do, I advise you to move quickly. Last I heard, they plan to launch a few months from now, so we don’t have much time to get NADOSH working properly. Whether we can do that in time seems to be the biggest unknown here.” Bacon got up.
He sensed romantic tension between Kira and Sunny. “I’ll leave you two in case you have, um, other things to discuss." He left the room.
Alone now, Kira and Sunny sat down next to each other. Sunny let out a huge sigh and let his head drop into his hands. “No one fucking understands me… The load and pressure I’m carrying on my shoulders. I just want to make it right," he said. “I know there’s hope for humankind; it can’t end this way.”
Kira was touched by his vulnerability; it was the first time she saw him open up like this. “I understand it’s a lot. But you shouldn’t feel alone. We’re here to help you," she said as she rubbed his shoulder.
Sunny noticed she had taken off her shoes. She had painted her toenails with three colours of polish; the sight of her feet aroused him.
He took her hand gently, and he started caressing her cheeks. She smiled at him, and they kissed. Sunny felt a bolt of lightning traverse his entire body. She was soft, and her lips felt like balm on an open wound. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair, short, silky curls. He looked into her deep brown eyes.
Sunny felt hard already. He got up and pulled her body against his. He lifted her skirt, then her one leg. He pushed himself into her with a determined thrust. He moved. Timid at first, then harder and faster. They both moaned in enjoyment as they extracted mutual pleasure from each other’s bodies.
Just before he came, Sunny thought there might be some things worthwhile in life after all. He let the orgasm run through his body, his every nerve ending tingling with emotion.
Then he opened his eyes and realised the dead man was lying there next to them. There was still work to do.
Sunny Sees the Abbess
Sunny must have been waiting only five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. His palms were sweaty, and he could barely remember what time of day it was. So many things were racing through his mind: calculations, potential outcomes, all that could go wrong.
But he needed to convince her; he needed to see the Abbess.
Her presence caused an invisible veil of tranquillity to come over the tiny room they were in. Sunny had managed to get an impromptu meeting with her in one of the most Eastern towers of the Monastery. They were, as far as he could tell, completely alone.
As soon as she walked in, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Somehow, he felt like everything was going to be alright. The Abbess looked menacing. Her towering figure was dressed in a multi-layered gown best described as flexible war armour decorated with golden patterns reminiscent of ancient Rome. On her hands were white gloves from which an unknown gooey substance appeared to drip. Her face, as usual, was completely covered, this time by a bulky-looking helmet with no visible passages to let air circulate.
“I… I’m Sunny Bridges. We must speak.”
The Abbess put her hands together. “I know who you are. The Judge and the Arand superiors told me about you. Now, make haste. Tell me why you have beckoned me.”
Sunny nodded and explained. There was no time to waste.
“The Pendleton file, I’ve studied it in minute detail. The cyborg used for that mission, she survived. I want to transfer over the AI to control Zeeta. I need access to her mortal remains and extract the chip myself. It’s the only way." Sunny, realising he was in the presence of a great being, was humbled.
She remained silent, so Sunny continued. “I’ve laboured for weeks attempting to copy the code. But I need the source material. I need the actual cyborg and her memories. Before Pendleton passed she … she showed remorse. She showed him love and kindness. This AI clearly has immense learning and problem-solving abilities, and it can do what’s best for Zeeta. Keep the people safe. It’s our only hope.” Sunny felt a lump in his stomach. Everything depended on the Abbess and her reaction.
“I have foreseen your request; your contribution to the meeting earlier caused quite a furore. My meditations have guided me. And I shall grant your wish. You will be given access to Nadia, the cyborg host with the AI you seek. Since the Pendleton mission, we have kept her functional here at the Monastery. You know that from the documents, I presume.”
Sunny felt a burden lift from his shoulders. There was hope yet.
The Abbess continued, “I ask but one thing: be truthful to your heart. Do everything in your power to succeed. I fear what might happen once Zeeta takes off. Dark visions have clouded my mind. Nadia was one of our finest prototypes. She was conceived as a manual labour cyborg, built to serve here at the Monastery. But she turned into so much more. Be conscious of your actions. Do what you can; keep your spirit pure." The last statement carried a firm, if not menacing, undertone.
“My monks will guide you to a secret location in the dungeons underneath this very Monastery. You will have twenty minutes with the specimen, no more.” As soon as she finished, the Abbess turned and left the room.
Two monks immediately entered, gently blindfolded Sunny, and took him away. Many chambers of the Monastery were kept secret from the outside world; this was one of them.
He regained his senses in a small sterilised room, partially lit by pre-war monitor screens and a few fluorescent overhead lights. A few monks were preparing for the operation, but Sunny ignored them.
He was looking at her — Nadia.
She lay there on the table, her mortal remains looking innocent and peaceful. Her entire face had been blasted off by a gunshot, exposing the circuits and wires inside her head. Dried blood stained her clothes. Why the monks had not cleaned her in all this time, he did not know nor bothered to ask. It was clear she was a machine. Tubes and electrical cables were keeping her online. It felt unreal to see the woman he had read so much about.
The monks nodded at him, and he stepped back. He watched as they cleaved her skull open and worked their way towards the core. Much damage had already been done to her metal cranium, so there was no point in being delicate. They extracted the main controller chip and gently placed it in a foam-lined box. The machines were turned off, and Nadia was no more; the only thing left was the chip containing NADOSH. Sunny took the box from the monks and left the room.
It took him another four months of non-stop labour to install Nadia’s chip into the NADOSH mainframe. When he finally succeeded, Zeeta 21, docked at the take-off pad close to the Monastery, lit up the entire desert like a beacon of light, all systems functional.
Brother Francis ran to his window when the blinding rays penetrated his tiny tower room. A tear trickled down his cheeks.
Ready for Take-off
It had been a few months since Lechowsky last saw Sunny and the two others. He still carried a grudge and spent much time pondering the rude way in which they interrupted his presentation at the last assembly, making him look like a fool in front of the entire delegation. And Scorpia. His blood boiled as he imagined the many ways he would like to exert his revenge.
Apparently, Scorpia had given Sunny free access to Zeeta during off-hours, meaning he was pretty much free to tinker with whatever he saw fit. This was completely out of protocol, of course. God knows what the hell he was doing there, but Scorpia remained convinced that installing the super AI was the right thing to do. I really hope Scorpia’s telling the truth. That the Judge supports this like she says, Lechowsky thought.
At least she had promised Lechowsky that they would get Sunny out the way as soon as possible. She, too, agreed that he was too much of a liability. They just needed to get Zeeta into orbit, get everything stabilised, and then he was no longer of use.
To keep occupied, Lechowsky was finalising his work on the Jonny-bots. The robots would serve the people of Zeeta, doing menial tasks like cleaning, cooking and taxi services.
He had approved the final list of friendly phrases the bots would use to communicate. Fifty years was a long time to be away from Earth, and he saw it as a personal responsibility to make talking to the bots as varied and agreeable as possible. His favourite line so far was, “Have no fear, your friendly Jonny-bot’s here!”
At that moment, one of the monks clumsily opened the door to his office. “Ex-excuse me, sir, but this, er, person wanted entry. He wouldn’t wait any longer," he said while tripping over the hem of his robe. A smile broke on Lechowsky’s face.
A man wearing a massive set of power armour walked in. A mask made of high-grade aluminium, almost like those ancient gladiators wore, covered his face. Behind him was another soldier dressed in civilian clothes. Although maintaining a calm demeanour, their propensity for violence was evident.
“I’ve just gotten some jolly news. It seems my men and I are going after all," the armoured man spoke. His mask made his voice distorted and frightening. Lechowsky’s smile grew bigger. Just as he thought: it was Horrigan, all right.
“Indeed!” Lechowsky sprung from his chair. “I managed to get approval from the Board. You and your men are welcome to join Zeeta when it launches just a few weeks from now!
I’m thrilled we’ve managed to make it work. But let me just say that it was no easy feat!”
Horrigan, all emotion masked by his gear, nodded. “Affirmative. What made them change their minds? I thought the previous decision to ban ex-military staff had been final.”
“Aha, well, belonging to a former secret military service is one thing, Horrigan, but the real problem was the numerous atrocities committed by yourself and your fine assemblage of…’’, he glanced at the man behind Horrigan, “killers.”
Lewchowsky continued, “I did the best I could to cover it up, but it was just too much for the Arand Board. Even in this day and age, there are limits to what the remnants of our once civilised society can do. The stuff your crew did still gives me nightmares."
Horrigan remained neutral and emotionless.
“So, yes, the good people at the Arand Corporation were nervous about allowing you and your rogue band of mercenaries on board. Understandably so, I might add. I mean, I wouldn’t want to be confined in a space-city with women and children murderers.” Lechowsky struggled to speak casually; the trickle of sweat on his forehead revealed his anxiousness. “But, I made them decide otherwise in the end."
“What changed?” Horrigan demanded, discretely communicating that the build-up wasn’t necessary. He just wanted facts.
Lechowsky put his hands behind his back. “Well, we need protection on this mission, Arand Headquarters must be kept safe at all times. A new guy, fucker named Sunny, made all this clear to us. Let’s just say he changed the, er, dynamics of how we plan to run Zeeta. I was taken aback at first, but then I decided to make the most of it. Hence, I’m appointing you Commander of the Enforcers, Horrigan! You will de facto oversee our entire police force, reporting directly to me.”
Horrigan nodded.
“I hope this is somewhat, er, pleasing, to you. Zeeta 21 should be a pleasant experience. For sure, it’ll be better than getting scorched by the radiation on this hell-hole Earth has become. I foresee a great career opportunity for yourself, and your closest cohorts.” He smiled at Horrigan’s partner. The name tag read ‘J. Blakemore’.
“I don’t fucking work for anybody," Blakemore spewed. A young boy of ten or eleven timidly clung to his knee. Lechowsky figured it was Blakemore’s son.
Lechowsky maintained a mock smile, then looked at Blakemore and said, “Now let me just make one thing clear to you two motherfuckers. I’m giving you the chance of a lifetime to leave Earth and repent for the sins you’ve committed. Lord knows there have been plenty. Here, you’re treated like scum. On Zeeta, you’ll be first in command. But don’t you ever forget that you fucking work for me. Whatever you do, my safety is your priority. You got that?” He continued, “You want to know how I got you a place on board? By stripping you of your humanity, that’s how. The fact that you agreed to undergo a complete cyborg-transformation means that anything left of that, shall we say, delightful personality of yours will be gone. Eradicated. The only thing left will be a hunk of metal with a huge gun that serves me.”
He calmed down and continued, mostly speaking to himself, “Lord knows this is stupendous. What the hell am I getting myself into? That Sunny boy gave me a good scare. If indeed people turn into barbarians, I need to be safe. I’ll be the Leader of the Arand Corp on Zeeta and force those ants to obey.” He chuckled quietly with boyish glee.
Blakemore crossed his arms over his chest. This was not the first farcical power display he had seen. He felt his son hold on to his leg. Blakemore had been trying to provide for him as best he could since the boy’s mother passed. But life on Earth was increasingly tough even for a well-paid mercenary. He hoped Zeeta would be a safer place for them both.
“Affirmative, sir. I’ll start training and prepping the men. We’ll be ready for Zeeta’s scheduled launch," Horrigan said and left the room.
“You’d better be,” Lechowsky murmured bitterly to himself. “You’d fucking better be.” And to Horrigan he said, “Oh, and don’t forget. You have your transformative surgery tomorrow at nine a.m. I told the monks to keep that pretty face of yours in a jar somewhere when they cut it off."
October 20th, 3246: Launch of Zeeta 21
Scorpia was frantically pacing back and forth. Two weeks had passed, and the last-minute preparations for Zeeta’s launch had gone mostly according to plan. Large parts of the ship’s underground remained unfinished, but there was no more money to complete the work. They had to make do with what was there.
Lechowsky had insisted an army of goons, one of whom looked like an armour-clad tank, be brought along. Not exactly whom she would have chosen, but she did not object. She was, frankly, exhausted. From the beginning, she felt the whole weight of the mission had been on her shoulders. Between negotiating financial support from the countries and presenting numerous progress reports to the LSW Committee, her batteries were drained. Oh, how she dreaded sharing the stage with Lechowsky, listening to his utopian fairy tales. It had all taken a toll on her, physically and mentally. Her feet were feeling tired; she sat down.
But everything was going to be okay. Today was the launch of Zeeta, and she would finally reap the fruits of her hard labour. She imagined a long journey through space where she would be treated like a queen. She would make decisions and work when necessary, but mostly she would enjoy life and make sure Lechowsky stayed in line.
She had not heard from Sunny in a while, but her sources reported that he had been quietly prepping Zeeta as agreed. She hoped he would not betray her, but that remained to be seen.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door-gong sounded. The monks had those stupid bells installed in each room in the visitors’ quarters. It made this skull-cracking low-pitched tone the people of religion seemed to find soothing. It went off four times; that meant the Abbess was visiting.
The Abbess came into the room as quietly as a feather. Scorpia looked at her. The Abbess was wearing a large gown made of dark brown textured leather and elegant fabric in a similar shade. On her head was a disturbing two-horned goat-head. Scorpia wondered what the Abbess’ face looked like; apparently, no one had ever seen it.
“Forgive me, Abbess, but your dress today, it’s really … astounding. What does it signify? I know you told me something about suffering …”, Scorpia trailed off.
The Abbess sat down on a wooden bench and spoke gently, not the least taken aback by the question. “Indeed, here at the Monastery of Our Lord we proudly display our suffering on the outside rather than keeping it hidden within our souls. That way, we give it room and space to grow, so we can share it with others and ultimately transcend our pain.” She paused briefly. “Thank you for enquiring about our ways. We’re grateful and humbled when outsiders are interested in our way of life.”
I was just wondering why you dress like a freak, Scorpia thought. She said aloud, “Yes, er, well, I take it you didn’t come here to exchange fashion advice. As you know, Zeeta will be leaving in a few hours, so I need to get ready. My boarding escort will arrive shortly.” Scorpia had the impression that Abbess was wearing a smile heavy with sorrow under her mask.
“Soon, you and thousands of others will fire up Zeeta’s engines for the first time and take to the skies in a blaze of glory. Your journey around the Earth will bring clarity to mind and soul. Whereafter, you’ll surely land back on Earth to bring new enlightenment and hope to the world. We’re all so proud and hopeful of what you can achieve,” the Abbess said kindly.
“Alas, fear and a heavy heart weigh on me and disturb both my sleeping and waking moments. I worry. I worry gravely for what’s about to become of you. And of us.” The Abbess’ words drove an ice pick through Scorpia’s heart. She elegantly expressed the mix of excitement and fear they all felt. Although they tried to conceal it, Scorpia’s entire staff were somewhat fearful of leaving.
The Abbess nodded as if she had read Scorpia’s mind. She solemnly put her hands together. “So far, I’ve contained my pain and suffering through meditation. But the Brothers have started to feel it as well. I sense the same anguish running through our beloved Monastery. Although Lord knows the monks are working as diligently as ever. They’d never let fear get in the way of their duties.” The Abbess sounded so warm and proud when she spoke.
Scorpia thought she was probably a beautiful woman beneath the witch-like exterior. Her feet were feeling better, so she got up to take a glass of fermented water, what the monks called beer. “Why, yes, umm, the monks surely have done great deeds. Without them, this whole operation wouldn’t fly. We would be … grounded, for lack of a better term," she said absent-mindedly.
The Abbess sighed. “I’ve prayed day and night for you and the ship’s crew members, all 18,765 of you. I pray you’ll stay safe. And wise. That’s what worries me the most: that a stroke of fear or panic will cause bad decisions to be made and things spiral out of control.”
Scorpia, her mind still elsewhere, took another sip and put down her glass. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly lost her train of thought.
“I know about the changes to the interior design. And I know about NADOSH," the Abbess said. Her tone was firm but not accusatory. “Mr Sunny Bridges made quite an impact with his speech at the last Committee meeting. I can understand why you took on his proposals. I’m not sure I would’ve made the same decisions, but I can understand your reasoning. After all, one doesn’t argue with the Judge and the Arand superiors.” She didn’t seem to hold any grudges and was merely stating facts.
Scorpia froze. How the hell did this lady know about the changes she had greenlit Sunny to make. Did she know about the Enforcers as well?
The Abbess continued, “I’m not here to cause strife or influence you in any way. Once Zeeta leaves the Earth’s atmosphere, you’re on your own. Only your love for God and your common sense can guide you. Our Brothers and I will remain in contact by radio with the ship, but our powers to intervene are limited. Therefore, I beg of you, be wise. Trust the inner good within yourself and in others. Don’t make decisions out of anger, fear, or spite. Look for the unlimited ocean of consciousness within yourself and pray that you can find it in your fellow men as well. Don’t let this become a tragedy. We, and all the people on Earth, are counting on you for hope and strength. We’ll await your return with eagerness and faith.”
The Abbess got up and started to leave. This was not a discussion but rather the Abbess asserting her views. Scorpia sat back down, the sour taste of low-grade beer still burning the back of her throat. She received another call from the Judge and took his instructions in silence. Her thoughts were swirling inside her head like a tornado, triggering a migraine.
“I need to get high. This fucking pain is too much," she mumbled while rubbing her temples. Her stomach felt as if it were ready to crawl out of her mouth, spilling its contents in the process.
Then, the dreadful gong sounded again. This time it was her escort group. It was time to board Zeeta for the final take-off. Her escort was professional and comforting. Four rather handsome men in Arand uniforms arrived in a small electric vehicle to drive her to the Zeeta take-off site.
The car drove up to an elevated platform where the Arand directors were sitting. Scorpia joined them and started watching all the equipment and groups of people be loaded into the Zeeta spaceship. There was a long line of people slowly walking up the boarding platform. All happened peacefully and quietly. The monks stood around giving out desiccated flowers and praise to anyone passing by. Scorpia thought they looked like idiots.
“When this thing takes off, we initiate our contingency plan. Immediately," she said to Lechowsky, who was standing with a few others. He was discernibly taken aback by her blunt statement. “I have the greenlight from the Arand superiors. The Judge himself approved it.”
“Holy fuck,” he murmured to himself. He stumbled over some metallic crates as he moved closer to where Scorpia sat. He was now within whispering range.
Scorpia frowned, and her voice turned dark and hostile. “I don’t trust any of these people, not a single one! Just after we take off, I want to turn on the heat. Unleash the Enforcers. Everyone is confined within their cubicles. Complete order and control will be upheld from our side. Arand will run the entire show. And anyone who opposes us will be quelled.”
“But-but I thought we would wait a little bit, at least a few months, to see how people behave, how things progress, before —”
Scorpia ignored Lechowsky’s concern and interrupted him. “And I want constant surveillance of Sunny and his band of merry men. Just to make sure they don’t step out of line. If they do, we clamp down on them. Immediately.”
This pleased Lechowsky, who now seemed more at ease with the order. He called Horrigan over and whispered something to him.
Scorpia watched a pregnant woman in the crowd. Her belly was huge; she held onto it while smiling at someone helping her up the steps. Scorpia frowns. What a pathetic fool, she thought. I’ll wipe that grin off her face soon enough. I’ll make every one of you respect me.
The pregnant woman gave birth to a beautiful girl called Lily about a month after take-off. Like all mothers, her mind was filled with hopes and dreams that her little girl would grow up happy, strong, and eager to make a positive impact on the world. Little did she know that Lily, and the rest of Zeeta 21’s populace, would spend their lives in captivity.
Soon, all the remaining passengers and Arand staff members boarded, and the launch protocol was initiated.
A pleasant voice filled the ship’s passenger sections as the engines fired up and the doors were sealed triple-shut. “Greetings, fellow space travellers, space explorers, and space cadets! Welcome to Zeeta, your home away from Earth! I’m sure you’re all fired up to get moving, so listen carefully, and we’ll be on our way. Now’s the time to take your designated seats and hold on close to your mummy, daddy, or designated legally viable warden. We’re just about to take off! Drinks and other refreshments will be provided to you shortly. In case of ANY questions or requests, grab the plastic tube in front of you and inhale as deeply as you can. It’ll send you straight to dreamland, so you can forget about your troubles. Please be aware that the Arand Corporation can absolutely not be held liable in any form or manner in case of unwanted illness, discomfort, or deaths that may or may not occur anytime before, during, or after our initial flight schedule has concluded.
“That does it for the formalities. All that’s left to do now is sit back and relax. And remember, folks: smile happy, smiiiiile Zeeta!” The voice was replaced by a busy rustling of people settling into their seats.
And without further ado, Zeeta 21 carved its way through what remained of the Earth’s atmosphere, slowly making its way towards the stars.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
THIS IS A PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 1
GET YOUR COPY OF THE FULL BOOK ON AMAZON TODAY!
Moribund Earth: Survivors of Zeeta 21, previously published under the title of Tofu Brains: Life On Zeeta 21, is the first volume in a three-book series by Danish writer/filmmaker Lars Koch. If you're a fan of dystopian science fiction and enjoy it even more when some of the elements of a horror movie are mixed in, Moribund Earth could well be a satisfying addition to your reading list.
Koch's story begins in the year 3246. The 77th World War has ended, and planet Earth and its inhabitants are in sad shape. Countless species have gone extinct, and even though we're dealing with a time period roughly 1200 years in the future, human beings have yet to leave the solar system or even colonize Mars. The authoritarian Arand Corporation has constructed the enormous Zeeta 21 space station and staffed it with 20,000 specially selected conscripts, whose job is to spend their time in the relatively benign territory of interplanetary space developing a solution to the problems human beings are facing on Earth.
Doratine "Scorpia" Fernandez and Dr. Alois Lechowsky are two of the most prominent figures heading the Zeeta 21 effort. They're also distinctly diabolical. Reluctantly, they allow top engineer Sunny Bridges and two of his colleagues to join Zeeta's complement. Back on Earth, a cloister of technology-worshiping monks prays for the success of the mission.
We quickly jump to the year 3263, and things on Zeeta are not going as planned. Life there has become almost as bad as on Earth, and a resistance group called The Fallen has started battling against the Arand Corporation's oppression. Meanwhile, those in charge of the mission carry out their hidden agenda and prepare for Zeeta's return to Earth.
Overall, Koch's story is well-constructed and well-presented. The author is a fan of Philip K. Dick, and the influence of Dick's books, particularly Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?, is clearly in evidence. Koch's writing style is direct, smartly organized, and never awkward. His rendering of action scenes is particularly strong, and their choreography makes them easy for the reader to visualize.
The author revels in depicting graphic violence and hideous deformities, but I don't think he overdoes it at any point. The dialogue feels natural enough, too, with the characters far more likely to curse at each other than to exchange stereotypical sci-fi technobabble. Koch also uses a refreshingly light touch with his world building, revealing the details of his 33rd century setting little by little.
The conclusion of Moribund Earth may seem a bit misanthropic, but I also found it darkly humorous. The more you're inclined to believe the worst about human nature and feel that this nature is unlikely to change, the more likely you'll be to find that the ending makes perfect sense. Mr. Koch is currently hard at work on the other two volumes in this series, and I think it will be interesting to see where the story goes from here.