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Chapter 2

  1.3c on surface

  Atmosphere nominal.

  Atmosphere suitable for breathing.

  Atmospheric contamination with life high.

  Water scan 86.5% success within 1sl.

  Survival state psyche traumatized.

  Survival state health nominal.

  Survival state physically nominal.

  Survival state social abnormal.

  Hostifle fauna scan nominal.

  Hostile flora scan negative preliminary.

  Switched survival profile to standard.

  Energy scan 13.5% success within 1sl.

  Energy scan 51.3% success within 100sl.

  Initiate trauma recovery routine.

  Updated target dashboard

  12144 AIG 9H1, 0V 0H0

  Remaining energy: 343cy

  Remaining food: 60.1cy

  Emergency shelter position: non-ideal

  Emotional limiters applied.

  It is strangely quiet. A purple shine reaches through my lids and onto

  the optical receptors. I slightly open my lids. I am in a coffin with a

  small window next to my head. Outside is a blue sky and purple flora. I

  have never seen so much purple. Everything is blurry and moves slowly. I

  have been in this coffin before. Pluto took care that I faint at least

  once in one of these under high acceleration. I know how it feels to

  awake from that. Still, I feel numb. The sedatives are still working.

  This coffin brought me back to live.

  “*Welcome to VRT3142. We have touched surface 14.3c ago. No hostile

  flora or fauna detected so far. The surroundings, atmosphere, and

  radiation is suitable for Marduk. I advise you to keep a breathing kit

  on at all times and stay close to any of my drones.*”

  I groan. My body feels like someone beat me all over with a flat paw. It

  slowly dawns on me, where I am.

  And that everyone else is dead.

  “Dade, what is our general situation?”

  “*I assess our situation to be a default rescue operation, with a slight

  delay. So far we have no hyperspace connection. I expect a connection

  soon, though. Everything is suitable to go ahead with the default rescue

  preparations.*”

  “That means we find a suitable shelter first.”

  “*Correct. My shuttle is equipped with everything to keep you alive for

  ten standard cycles, enough to find a suitable shelter or go into

  emergency coma. We need a suitable shelter position, food, and energy

  source. VRT3142 shows sufficient resources.*”

  I start to shift in place, looking for the breathing kit. It is placed

  right next to the opening mechanism for the shuttle exit door. My

  entrance on the Gudea was sealed as soon as I was inside the shuttle.

  The exit is sealed as well, but more suitable for me to get out of the

  shuttle. As soon as it is open, the shuttle will not be airtight any

  more. It is just a second class shuttle. It is nothing like the

  equipment we had on the *Apollon*. Nevertheless, I am alive and safe for

  now. On a planet like this some big carnivore will come checking me out

  sooner or later.

  The shuttle is not big, a cylindrical capsule of two body lengths in

  diameter. Packed in there are a nuclear energy generator, emergency tent

  and ratios, 3D printers for longer emergency situations and all sorts of

  trinkets and devices.

  “What are the chances of finding energy sources?” Energy is the critical

  issue in 90% of the emergency situations. We can make food and fuel from

  dirt and dung, but need power for that.

  “*Chances are good. I chose the equatorial continent because it showed

  the best combination and variety of biomes suitable for survival. There

  are multiple sources of high radiation within reach of our first tier

  rovers.*”

  I strap on the breathing kit.

  “*Prepare for door opening. Expect a change in temperature of about 5

  degree.*”

  My coffin opens and light floods my optical receptors. The gravity is

  acceptable, a little more than usual. It takes a few claps before I can

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  get out of the seat, arranging my legs feels difficult right now. I

  basically fall out of the shuttle. The emergency tether lets me slowly

  to my knees.

  “Thanks Dade.”

  “*Always happy to help. The sedatives will keep working for the next

  500c. Right now, you feel tired from the last strikes.*”

  “Tired is not the word I would use.” I breathe heavily. Except for the

  jelly like structure, the breathing kit feels like it is not there at

  all. And even better, I can move water and food through the mask.

  Everything going in is sterilized while going through the thin jelly.

  With it on, I can drink any water and breath almost any air.

  The last strikes come back to me and I throw up. After a while, I get

  back up again.

  “How long would a rescue operation take, at most?”

  “*I have not identified our location yet. Currently, my limited

  resources are focused on ensuring your survival and a successful rescue

  operation. It can take between 9 and 160 standard cycles until a rescue

  team reaches us.*”

  “160 cycles? Aleph’s ass. I have never been alone for more than a cycle

  or two.”

  “*Do not worry. Next to your standard training in emotional, physical

  and mental health care, I can provide you with more in depth emergency

  support.*”

  I am shaken again by a memory.

  “Do you know the Rite of Sorrow?”

  “*The Rite of Sorrow indicates the passage of a Heart Child into the

  Vettro caste. It includes graphic depictions of violence, trauma, and

  loss. It is one of the duties Vettros have to perform in order to be

  given the privilege of research grants.*”

  Of course, Dade, knows about all the rites. Nevertheless, I am a Marduk

  and my psychic hygiene requires talking to others. Next to regular

  interaction in leisure, breeding exercise, physical exercise and

  non-breeding intimacy. Interaction with my Heart Family and my crew.

  Dade can help me much, but xe cannot bring them back. Lope hurts the

  most. The view of xyr being torn to atoms by the collapsing bubble hits

  me again. Lope, I am so sorry. I should have never insisted.

  A few tears come, then a lot and then the sobbing starts. They were my

  colleagues, my friends, something like a Heart Family. Right now, there

  is nothing rational I can do about my loss and grief. Just find another

  shoulder to cry on. My sobbing becomes stronger. There may not be

  another shoulder for very long.

  “*The preliminary shelter is set up completely and ready for you.*”

  I look up, still feeling the wet tears on my fur. I blink the last ones

  away. Above me, a weather balloon rises and a first fleet of drones is

  setting up a perimeter. Dade seems to be functioning alright.

  “Can I help you somehow?”

  “*It is best you rest and eat for now. Though the Imperial Decrees

  enable you to do all current tasks just as well, I advise you to find

  emotional stability and energy, until further notice.*”

  “Then I guess I have to thank both you and Emperox Ninurta.”

  “*Indeed. Ratios have been prepared in your preliminary shelter.*”

  I should conserve my strength and get back to a nominal emotional state

  soon. The food is alright, standard imperial emergency ratios with a few

  pills. Sleeping pills, probably. They are not suppressing my emotional

  response, just limiting them. I feel the grief and loss, while I eat and

  drink. My thoughts are with my crew.

  My journal duty feels easy for most of the last cycle. Standard

  operation, standard observations, standard behaviour of the strange

  mass. Standard in a ‘we are travelling insane distances at so far

  unheard velocity’ way in a makeshift second choice ship. I still

  remember most of the numbers we had when the strange matter ground us

  into destruction. But then it gets more complicated. I start writing

  Lope’s name, thinking about my crew and how they died. My underarm

  lights up. Dade sent me a message, assumingly so xyrs voice does not

  distract me.

  “*I suggest you to skip this triggering part for now. We will review

  this later. Please continue from the point in time that you stepped into

  the shelter.*”

  In a few cycles xe will remember me to update my journal accordingly,

  and it should be easier for me than, even without the emotional

  limiters. I finish my journal. I am looking forward to my family, to

  Zyra’s embrace and Leto’s laughter. I could really use a hug from my

  Heart Family right now. I lie down and try to fall asleep. Dade seems to

  have made the shelter especially dark and quiet, maybe xe also added

  some nice scents reminding me of home. Those emergency shuttle Bots do

  that. All just to make you feel safe and comfortable.

  Even when considering all the sedatives, emotional limiters and training

  for this flight, I remain amazingly calm and proactive. There are a few

  persons to thank for. Though of course, back then, I was far from

  grateful to them. I hated them, especially Nona.

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