Anybody Out There?

October 3rd, Year of the Cancer 432

(October 3rd, 2037)

The Aurora

(This recording has been transcribed; some background noises will be left out due to the complexity of onomatopoeia)

Captain’s Log, Kaidon Aure. It’s day 32 of being lost in space. We are now running on emergency power. Morale is low. We have maybe two days of food left for the entire crew. Navigation systems are down, the hyper-engine is inoperable, and the EI bots are glitching.

I don’t know how much longer we’ll last out here. To be honest, I don’t really want to live out here much longer. I’d rather die tonight. I’m sure the crew shares my wishes, though we are determined to keep hope alive, however far-fetched and false.

It’s terrifying to think that this was supposed to be a scientific journey. Now, our samples will never reach the scientific community. Things that were supposed to be made clear centuries ago will stay trapped in the dark.

From the bow of my ship, I can see one of the greatest scientific mysteries in history, just out of my reach. System Solis-5 is beautiful. Fascinating planetary diversity. Sireinoid life-forms on the Goldilocks planet. But the young star is redoubtable.

It glows with an unholy yellow light. It draws its planets with ways outside of physics. Gravity knows no bounds here. Worse yet, it’s beginning to pull our ship in as well. There is no telling how long we will survive in that place.

— long silence, crashes heard in the distance —

What was that? Romana? Oh my Taio! I need a medic on deck six.

— Explosions in the Distance —

Code red! Somebody get a transmission going! Heavens above, that’s still on? If anyone is listening to this, please send help immediately. Our coordinates are —Recording unintelligible —

I repeat:

— Recording cuts off here —

-----

On December 3rd,2037, a UFO crashed into Cedar Canyon, Nebraska. U.S. authorities were quickly on the site, keeping the area quarantined for a total of three weeks. Many renowned astrophysicists and cosmochemists were invited to the site, as well as astronaut Manning Keller. This incident took the country by storm.

On January 14th, 2038, the government issued an official statement about the UFO, claiming it to be nothing more than a rather large asteroid. This was met with the protest of several locals, who reported it falling too slowly to be an asteroid, with claims being made that it resembled a strangely shaped rocket. Reporters also commented on the suspicious lack of a scientific article; in response, a standard article on the asteroid’s make-up was quickly published.

Conspiracy theorists around the globe claimed several reasons for the U.S. government’s vague explanations. These ranged from experimental weapons testing to alien invasion; one user even claimed that charred, half-dead bodies were escorted off the site.

One of these theorists was right.

-----

On November 7, Y.C. 432, a message from a scientific spacecraft was intercepted by the cargo ship Star-Staller. The message was dated October 3rd and appeared to have been transmitted several weeks earlier.

Nautilus quickly discovered the location of the lost ship, which had made a crash-landing on a planet called Soltres in the star system of Solis-5. The planet had rudimentary space-travel abilities, but dangerously innovative inhabitants. The corps decided that the best course of action was to send a small retrieval squad to gather the remaining parts of the ship. Part of this elite team was young Special Agent Killian Rogue.

-----

January 15th, Y.C. 433

The Lonestar

“Captain, we are approaching Luther 4 for refuel.” Our pilot informed us in her usual monotone drone.

Captain Sirus nodded. “Dock at Dahlia’s Port for refuel.”

I resisted the urge to bang my head against the dashboard. This was our third refuel in the past week. I knew Tachyonic Speed used up a lot of fuel, but this was ridiculous. Two weeks of traveling was starting to feel like an eternity.

Be a Special Agent, they said; it’ll be exciting, they said. Yeah, well, special agent my glutimus maximus. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the corps’ reasons for sending me, of all people, on a mission to magic land. Maybe all the older, more experienced people were on leave. Or maybe Evilo was just trying to make my life impossible.

As the ship jolted out of hyperspace, Luther 4 came into view. It was part of one of those Taio-forsaken corners of the universe, reserved for hiding criminals and housing Imperial slaves. Nevertheless, it was beautiful. The atmosphere was a mix of pink sea, white clouds, and gray smoke. It gave the impression of some abstract painting by some master modern artist.

“Ready to land, Killian?” Captain Sirus stood a good two mets (Earth: 2 feet) taller than me. His tentacled green beard just barely touched the top of my hair. I shivered in disgust. So slimy.

“Yes, sir,” I cringed, “Anything you need me to do while we’re stopped?”

“Yes, actually,” he cleared his throat, “stay on the ship.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

I stood up, indignant. I was a Special Agent, for crying out loud. Now, this guy was treating me like a child? Stupid exceptional enrollment. No matter how many jobs I did, this happened every time!

I sighed. “But, sir,” I argued calmly, “I could be of help.”

“You’re still staying on the ship.”

“Yes, sir,” I refused to meet the captain’s gaze. My composure might look impeccable, but I was fuming.

“Ms. Ardon, you’re coming with me.” The captain turned to the pilot. “We need to get some replacement parts for the hydraulics system, according to Levis.”

I watched Captain Sirus and Ardon leave. The Rygothian pilot flashed me a smug smile as the door to the bridge closed. I sneered back, fangs on full display. One of these days, I was going to make her regret her Smart Alec superiority complex.

After the door closed, I threw myself into my seat. These people were never going to take me seriously. I sighed. At least there weren’t any academy officers to annoy me now.

-----

January 15th, 2038

Ouray, CO, Earth

“I’m bored.” Of course she was. I rolled my eyes.

“Why are you calling me then?” I asked.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re a famous conspiracy theorist and practical essayist?”

“I’m not famous, Jolie,” I argued as I turned my phone on speaker, setting it on my nightstand.

“Says the girl who’s been published by the New York Times and Agni,” Jolie shot back. I could practically see her indignant frown staring at me through the screen.

“That’s all anonymous,” I explained for the millionth time. “Which means that Aurora Carlson is famous, not Robin Banks.”

“Well, you're Aurora Carlson or whatever, so same difference,” Jolie said in that childlike ‘you're wrong I’m right’ way of hers.

I grabbed my phone and ran to the bathroom. What better time to get ready for the day than when your European friend was calling you at 6: 15 in the morning? I don’t think that Jolie had a life outside of trying to annoy me or get juicy gossip for her “Around the World” blog thing.

“Whatever you say,” I recited as I stuck a toothbrush in my mouth.

“Any-way,” Jolie sang, “What are you working on now?”

I spit out a glob of toothpaste. “I’m thinking about doing a speculative essay for the UFO that crashed in Nebraska a few months ago. I’ve got it written; all I need to do is put it on a few platforms.”

“Ooh, ooh!” An excited squeal came through the phone. “I heard about that! It’s big in the U.K. right now!”

I raised an eyebrow. “Is it now?”

The excited squeal continued, “Yeah, tons of other influencers are getting on it! I’ve been meaning to ask you about it. So whatcha got?”

I dragged a hairbrush through my auburn rat’s nest. “Well, apparently, on December 5th, the local hospital sent an ambulance to the site because one of the scientists got a third-degree burn up their forearm. But someone said that three bodies were extracted from the site. So I checked the hospital records, and the ones from that night had been logged but then erased. I also looked through said scientists’ social media accounts; no burn scars. So obviously, they found bodies, possibly ones still alive, and now the government’s trying to hide it. At least, that’s what the essay claims. How’s that for you?” I finished as I put a hair tie into my second braid.

“Awesome,” Jolie breathed through the phone. “No scars at all?”

“Nope, so can I go back to sleep now?” I muttered.

“Sleep?” Jolie asked, “What time is it over there?”

“Six.”

“Really? Sorry!” Jolie exclaimed, “Yeah, sure! Sleep away. Sorry to wake you.”

I laughed. “Really, Jolie? I thought you’d know me better by now. I was already awake; you can stop apologizing.”

I could practically see Jolie’s face go an angry pink. “Seriously, Robin!? If I could slap you through the screen, I would. You can’t just do that, you piece of -”

“Bye, Jolie,” I talked over her creative string of fake profanities, chuckling as I heard sparkling kitty litter in the mix. I inhaled deeply as the phone went dead. I wondered if it was too late to watch the sunrise. Probably. But walks couldn’t be out of the question yet.

-----

January 15th, 2038

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

The lights are always there. They never stop shining through my eyes, whether I’m awake or asleep. Every new color they shine into my irises sends shooting pains through every nerve in my body. I scream and cry out, but all the white people do is flood me with sedatives.

I’m starting to think the torture will never stop. That I’ve died and this is my own personal form of hell. I pray to Taio and his saints to rescue me, but no salvation is in sight. As they leach my malnourished body off the sedatives, I wonder what new horrors today will bring.

They speak in languages I don’t understand. They have been for months, maybe years; time doesn’t work right here. The minutes are slower, the hours faster; nothing they do makes sense. They manipulate the air in the confines of my prison. They use pieces of metal to attract other metals. They use tiny suns as heat sources. Every single thing they do chills me to the bone.

I lay on the uncomfortable sleeping device they have me on for a moment. The already bright lights brighten even more. I hissed softly. They removed my smart-contacts as soon as they found them; I wish they hadn’t.

After a few minutes, or so I assumed, I sat up. I expected the white coats to immediately come rushing in, needles at the ready. My body tensed at the thought.

No one came.

I should feel relieved, my brain told me; they aren’t here to hurt you, it said. But I felt the opposite, because my contradicting brain had made a routine of it. I looked around nervously, shivering as my optic receptors told me the room was different too. But why?

I examined my prison again. There was a circular disk on the sterile silver table, piled to the brim with… food? I inhaled deeply; my olfactory receptors tingled with excitement at the new scent. Is it dangerous? I asked myself; it must be; they must be trying to poison me! It would only make sense, after all they’ve done. No, I was assuming. Doctor Romona taught me to never assume or spiral.

Think about this logically, I told myself. They’ve been poking and prodding you for possibly months; they must’ve learned something from all they took. Logically, their next course of action would be observation. They want to see how I do on my own.

Summoning all the courage I could, I slid off the only comfortable surface in the room. As my bare feet touched the floor, I felt a touch of delight. It was padded! The texture reminded me of the surface of my home planet, hard and soft and warm all at once.

The room also darkened into a world I could understand. Rich colors I had missed for ages replaced the washed-out ones this planet seemed to prefer. I struggled across the room, finding it harder than I assumed it would be. Apparently, injured patients who refused to get out of bed for weeks were smarter than I thought. 

When I reached the table, I thanked Taio that there was a place to sit down. Finally, I examined what I hoped was the white people’s version of nutritious food. I poked at it nervously, tasting it with the microvilli on my finger. There was nothing toxic; that was a good sign. But did they expect me to eat it with my hands, or did they have utensils? 

I shuffled around the table, looking for any sign of an eating utensil. Opening a drawer, I found several silver contraptions. A few looked suitable. I picked up one anxiously, my eyes finding the blinking red light that always gave me the impression I was being watched. I suddenly had an idea. 

Grabbing the strangely shaped silver object, I staggered over to the light. I hoped these people knew how to play gestures. Taking the utensil, I mimed gathering food in my mouth. The red light blinked indifferently. I repeated the action a few more times before deciding it was useless and heading back to the table.

Then, something unexpected happened. The door opened. It wasn’t in the usual rushed way; it was careful, almost polite. And this time, one person, sporting neither a lab coat nor a hairnet, entered softly.

-----

January 29th, Y.C. 433

The Solis-5 Star System

You never realize how long fourteen days is until you have to stay on a ship for that long. Our arrival in the Solis-5 system was bumpy at best. But Levis, our older-than-stardust mechanic, assured me that the Lonestar was built to withstand the physics-defying quirks of this place. 

We were supposed to be making a cloaked landing on Soltres today. With Ardon on the wheel, what could go wrong? But assuming all went well, I’d finally get to do something once we were on the ground. 

As I shrugged on my uniform, the circadian lights clicked on. This woke my cabinmate, who responded with an unceremonious string of colorful Luthean curse words. I chuckled as I watched him throw a pillow in the direction of the light. The lights don’t have a visible source, buddy.

The bridge was practically empty when I walked in. Even the door sounded exhausted as it begrudgingly hissed open for me. I grabbed a breakfast panini and took a bite. I loved it when Ardon wasn’t on the bridge.

I had about an hour of bliss to myself before the rest of the bridge crew showed up. They all had bags under their eyes, even the nocturnal ones. Captain Sirus was the only one who looked well-rested.

“Morning, Captain!” I exclaimed, savoring the flinches of the crew, “The first thing on our agenda is a landing. Ardon is nowhere to be found, by the way.”

“Really?” The Captain sounded surprised. “I saw her earlier; she should be on the bridge by now.”

Just then, the door hissed open. Ardon walked in, head held a little too high. I took notice of her red cheeks and deep breathing. Had she run to the bridge? I smiled at the thought.

“Sorry I’m late, Captain.” Ardon sighed, “I had to do a check-up with the medic.” 

“Of course,” he nodded gravely. Seriously? When I’m late, I never hear the end of it, but when she is, it’s another Tuesday? That was just wrong. 

Ardon took her seat at the front of the bridge. Another crew member started the landing procedure. Yet another picked up the speaker to inform the rest of the crew. I turned on my screen and pulled up the Soltres media. What kind of planet kept all their radio waves unencrypted?

“Anything we should be aware of before landing, Agent Rogue?” Captain Sirus asked, “What is Soltres’ knowledge on the matter?”

I tapped my fingers on the desk. “The planet is mostly ignorant. But look at this.” I pulled up an essay by a name I’d been seeing a lot recently, studying Soltres essayists. The captain bent down to get a closer look. I scooted my chair frantically before I could be met with a faceful of green tentacles. 

“I assume the essayist is also an adept hacker. She’s thorough and knowledgeable in ways that shouldn’t be possible. Not to mention her essays are… captivating, to say the least.”

“Do you have a proposed course of action, Agent?”

“Observation and extraction.” I proposed the idea as calmly as I could. Really, I was bubbling with excitement. If the captain accepted, I could make First Contact with a new planet. That was bound to get me recognized. 

“That’s a bold move.” At least he hadn’t outright said no. I had to play this next part carefully.

“Yes, but I did some research; I think she’d be a perfect representative candidate. Imagine the information she could provide to Nautilus if she were taken to Adara.”

“Hmm,” Captain Sirus seemed cornered. “While I can’t argue with your logic, I must remind you that our primary objective is damage control of the Aurora.”

“So that's ‘if we have time’?” I flashed a charming grin; usually that won people over.

“Fine, agent.” The captain rolled his eyes. 

He walked away to oversee the landing. I pumped my fist silently. This was my big chance for some respect! Aurora Carlson, here I come.