Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 91

He arrived on the Bridge and came away from the door. He was acknowledged and he motioned for people to continue. Officer on the deck came directly to him and asked if he was relieved.

“No,” Jon said. He looked at the man as if trying to remember and then it was there- “Lt. Armagost. Michael E. Sorry, I don’t remember your middle name.”

“Eugene,” Armagost filled in. “So, it’s true. You remember everyone’s name?” There was just the hint of Canadian accent.

“Pfft,” Jon said. “Not even. Don’t perpetuate myths. I just happen to like your last name, so it stuck. Probably doesn’t mean what I imbued it with, but I will keep my ideas about it, if you don’t mind.”

Someone announced the Away Team was prepared to beam down. Armagost looked to the Captain.

“Carry on, A,” Jon said, mean ‘eh.’ It was taken in the spirit he was offering it.

Armagost performed an eye survey all the command team stations and nodded towards one of the live cameras. “Away Team, be safe. You’re cleared for transport,” he affirmed.

Jon had come forwards, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn’t glass, but it allowed light to pass through. Eight beams came to a center point. A lifetime ago he had been sitting there, minding his own business, with an artifact rammed the ship just over head. It puncture the ship without loss of atmosphere. It was strategic. They knew. They knew!

“Sir?” Armagost asked.

“They fixed it pretty fast,” Jon said, recovering.

“Oh, hell yeah,” Armagost said. “The probe is presently being studied on the hangar deck. It’s a pretty sophisticated piece of tech.”

A Yeoman arrived with a cup of tea.

“I didn’t ask…”

“Sophia recommended I bring it to you,” she said. She wore the uniform with green highlights, denoting life science and or civilian track. Her collar held a distinction pip for merit in the line of service. The ‘Sophia’ she was referring to was his Suit’s permanent AI personality, assigned to him.

“Thank you,” Jon said, accepting the drink. “Poviach. Joan.” He found very little else to go on. His eyes were moist. “I am sorry. I feel like I should know more…” Simultaneously, he was holding an internal conversation with Sophia- ‘if I want a drink, I will ask for it.’ Sophia responded: ‘you’re showing signs of anxiety, and I am offering non-medical remedy in an attempt to be proactive in combating what could be evidence for PTSD.’ ‘I already hold the DX.’ ‘Oh, so, drink the tea. Breathe deeper.’

It became apparent that Poviach had asked something. Sophia translated ‘Do you want anything else?’

“Oh, no. No, thank you,” Jon said. “Sorry. Multitasking.”

“I know the look,” Poviach said, and went about her business. Administration had their own station, aligned with communication.

Jon walked the bridge. There was a bridge station that tracked the Away Team, and somewhere there was a War Room where ‘angels’ watched over individual Away Team members. Their reports flowed up to this station. Between angels and AI suits and AI on the ship, Away Teams had never been so safe. He compared to the days he grew up on origin, no seatbelts, laying in the rear window, riding bikes without helmets, no kneepads. Away Teams today were not coddled, just extremely sophisticatedly protected.

Jon paused at the science station, studying terrain and recording life signs. There was a discussion going on. A cavern was discovered that contained an atmosphere different than the surface life. It also had an abundance of life forms that would not be compatible with surface life-forms. The officer at station realized he was being observed and smiled. ‘LT. Cundy, Ransom’ explained what he and the ‘under-bridge’ teams were looking at it.

“If I am not mistake, there is an Origin analog. A cave in Romania that was discovered with pre-historic life-forms. Atmosphere heavy with sulfur? They thrive in a sunlight space, living off a floating mat of bacteria…”

“I am impressed that you know that,” Cundy said.

“It’s science. It’s cool,” Jon said. “And to think humans discovered that and managed to get in there and take samples and leave without destroying that small ecosphere.”

“That was huge, considering the tech they were using, and the fact they really didn’t understand what they had stumbled into,” Cundy agreed.

“So, why is this strange?” Jon asked.

“It may not be anomaly, but we’re curious. We assume this planet was created with your biology as a template. The nebula went away and the star and planet arrived, and there is no apparent loss of mass for this region- which means this planet was created. Why create a pocket ecological system that by its very nature is isolated and not necessarily contributing to the whole?”

Mystery. “Maybe the planet evolved?”

“In an instant?”

“The blueprint came from my inner knowledge of earth?” Jon asked.

“That’s a theory, but the level of knowledge you would hold, or the amount of data a entity would need to reconstruct a planet to this level of precision is unparalleled, unprecedented…”

“I get it,” Jon said. “They didn’t just have me. They had Sophia. Perhaps access to the ship’s data base.”

“True,” Cundy said. “But why is this level necessary.”

“If you were going to establish first contact, wouldn’t you want your guests to feel at home?” Jon asked. “Have you found any other caverns?”

“Yeah! This world is honeycombed with caverns. The planet is filled with life,” Cundy said.

Cundy showed a map of the world. A feature stood out. A crater, submerged under water. Three mountains at the center. Cundy stopped talking when he felt Jon gripping his shoulder.

“Captain?” Cundy asked.

“Can you zoom in on that feature?” Jon said. “Any caverns.”

Cundy did. “Oh. Interesting. I wouldn’t call it a cavern. I would say this is an artificial structure.”

“It has an atmosphere?”

“It does.”

“So it’s not flooded?!” Jon asked.

“It is not. I could put a probe in it if you like.”

“No, establish coordinates, and transport me.”

“Umm, I don’t think I have the authority…”

“I am giving you authority. Don’t make me do some stupid rank pulling shit,” Jon said.

Armagost came over. “Captain?”

“I want a direct transport to this site, specifically this room,” Jon said. “Just me. And Sophia, of course.”

“No,” Armagost said.

“Yes. And no committee. Look, it’s safe. The air is breathable. There is no other life signs there. You can beam out if there is an emergency. Do it. Now. That’s an order. I deal with the committee afterwards,” Jon said. “Please.”

Armagost was not happy. “Transport him, Cundy. My auth-code.”