Into The Void (4 page)

              Captain Steele landed into the ocean waves hard knocking the air out of him. The parachute's heavy canopy got twisted around him, ballooned, and took on water dragging him under as he got caught in the wires. He struggled to remove the parachute but he failed. The cords were wrapped around him preventing him from removing the parachute. He reached for his knife only to find that it wasn't there. He was being dragged under without any air. His ears were ringing and hurting from the pressure. He was becoming lightheaded when he noticed another body falling to the bottom of the ocean. He tried to move over to the body for their knife but was making little progress. Everything was going dark as he struggled harder and harder. He felt as if his head was going to explode.

              Captain Steele reached again for the body and was able to get a finger on it and pulled it closer. He grabbed the knife off the body and cut the cords from the parachute just as everything went dark.

              Captain Steele awoke on the beach of a small island to the sounds of movement a few hours later. He rolled over and coughed before quickly recalling what had happened. He quickly remembered that he had been skydiving on a training mission before hitting the water and almost drowning. The sounds of movement became louder as they were approaching. He looked for a weapon and found nothing. He got up and ran into the jungle where he knew he had concealment. Out on the beach he had no way to defend himself or hide.

              As Captain Steele was running for the jungle he heard a male yell “Over there! Open fire!”

              Captain Steele turned quickly to the left and slid under a large tree branch. As soon as he slid under it gun fire erupted. He could hear the rounds flying into the tree. He didn't think they would use live rounds during this training mission. He has never used live rounds in a training scenario where he would be shot at without first being told that was the case. He quickly figured that maybe this isn't part of the training and they are hostile threats. He continued to climb under the tree's roots.

              “He's around here somewhere. Find him and kill him.”

              Captain Steele continued crawling and transitioned silently to a large bush. He saw a man standing with his back to the bush and about 10 others around before they moved out of the way. He then emerged from the bush, grabbed the mans neck, snapped it and dragged him back into the bush where his body was hidden from view. He then grabbed the man's rifle. He then moved low and fast to another bush where he repeated the process. This time he found a knife as well.

              Captain Steele saw a man walking just 3 feet from the bush. He looked around hoping no one else was near by. He looked and didn't see anyone. He waited for the man to pass him then got up and ran toward the man before shoving the knife into the man's throat twisting the blade in the process. He  quickly pulled it out and began dragging the man to another nearby bush.

              Captain Steele looked around and saw a thick tree canopy and a way up to it. There was only one problem. There were two people close by the tree that probably wouldn't let him get up it. He thought about it for a moment before one man moved away. Captain Steele seized his moment and ran from the bush at the man in front of the tree.

              “You! Stop!” The man said as he raised his gun.

              Captain Steele threw his knife at the man striking him in the eye. The knife hit the man at the same time as he fired. His bullet flew by Captain Steele's head. Captain Steele took the man's handgun and turned it on the second man who was walking away and fired twice hitting him in the neck and head. Captain Steele then ran up the tree before prying his knife from the man's eye as the man's body fell to the ground.

              “I heard 3 shots come from this way.”

              Captain Steele made quick work through the tree's branches before seeing a small make shift dock with a boat in the distance. There were 5 men guarding the boat. He took aim and fired 3 shots to each man before reloading. He then looked down and saw one man with a scar over his eye and down his cheek looking into the trees with his gun pointing towards him. The man with the scar seemed to be looking for Captain Steele before firing. Captain Steele waiting until the man turned sideways before jumping from the trees. The man looked up just as Captain Steele was falling towards him.

              Captain Steele took his knife and aimed if for the mans throat. The man moved sideways using his rifle to hit the knife that was in Captain Steele's hands in hopes of knocking it from his hands but failed. Captain Steele fell on the man and they both hit the ground. Captain Steele started to drive the knife downward. The man raised his arm to block Captain Steele's knife.

              “Stop! You can't!” The man said.

              Captain Steele then spun around the man and pointed his handgun at him.

              “Give me your guns,” Captain Steele said.

              The man hesitated a second before tossing Captain Steel his guns. Captain Steele held his finger up to his mouth telling the man to be quiet. He then took off toward the boat at a high rate of speed before hearing gun fire come from behind him.

              Captain Steele took his rifle and pointed it behind him and fired several rounds. He then boarded the boat and started to back it away from the island. He then started to head into the storm thinking that he had drifted in the direction of the waves and that it would have been away from the storm and his team.

Chapter 5

Derelict

              Captain Steele awoke in his bed and walked to the small lab on the ship. Ready to do another log.

              “Captain John Steele, log 8. Date is year 4000 month 3, week 1 Standard Milky Way Year.

              “The loneliness... is... unbearable. I have been alone before. For months and without light. I... miss people. I broke down the other day. I decided to give up, to turn the ship around. I couldn't take it. But I didn't, and that has changed. I got my second wind but that seems to be fading.
              “I'm not sure I can do it. The lack of anything... that's all it is. A lack of everything and anything. We trained for this but there is nothing out here. I have movies. I have an Artificial Intelligence, Jamie, to talk to. I have both mental and physical stimulation to keep my mind and body strong. There is... something out here. The light is fake. The AI is fake. Only I am real. The ship is too but that's it. I am the only living thing out here. Nothing exists out here but something does. It's like its crawling into my head causing hallucinations. It's not real.

              “In every training scenario that we trained for there was a hope of returning. Returning to light, or people, or anything. I never knew exactly what I was hoping to return to. I knew what it was I wanted, but I failed to appreciate the warmth of light, of sound, of moving air, of scent other then musky metal. This does not exist here. All I get are a dusky and dim whittish-yellow artificial light with the hopes of a pretty window view fading suddenly to the reality of looking out a window only to realize that its like looking at a wall painted black that leaks into the hallways like rays of sunlight through the clouds causing the light in the hallway to be over taken and dimmed by the shadows. This is intensified by the gentle and constant dull hum of an engine and a lack of sound so strong I can faintly hear my heart beat in the most quiet parts of the ship, with a scent so empty and stale the air itself is so stagnate that it seems to be filled with metal flecks, a taste of a void of existence on my tongue that even the thought of even the most decadent food seems unable to make a dent in, and I seem to be unable to physically feel anything which is only a thing brought on by a forceful abandonment of the environment by the environment itself forcing itself to cease its own existence. All five of my senses are destitute of substance unless I try really hard 100 percent of the time. It seems to bring on a melancholy of incredible proportions. This is what awaits me every day for the next 150 years.

              “What awaits me is 150 years of nothing. Absolutely nothing. A man needs sunlight. A man needs people. A man needs hope! A man needs a long term achievable vision even if its just to do as the day comes and not to care about anything. I've got none of that! I can not hope to do as the day comes because all that comes is a complete lack of anything. All I got is 150 years of no hope and no vision. All I have is nothing. I will die out here! That was the fucking mission. It was a suicide mission with no fucking hope!

              Captain Steele smashed his fist on the counter as his eyes started to tear up.

              “Why couldn't I go with real people? They never explained that. What am I? Some kind of sick experiment? I can't return. Everyone is depending on me. To do nothing. To do nothing for the next 150 years in hopes of salvation. Everyone is depending on me to succeed at a mission that is impossible. I will die alone. I will die without seeing the sunlight again. I will die without ever seeing anything that is alive.”

              Captain Steele paused for a moment.

              “Why am I broken? Am I really the best mankind has to offer? People have survived on the dark side of the moon by them self for 3 years farming energy with no effects to them. Why is this different? I have been stranded on a free floating asteroid that stayed in the shadow of a brown dwarf for months. Little light, no interaction, no communication, and running out of air. How is this different? There was no hope there. Why is this different?”

              Captain Steele took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.

              “I will continue to strive to continue the mission, but I just don't know if I can. I have been in situations where I was going to die. Where my squad was going to fail. The mission was computed to at 100 percent failure over a dozen times. We knew the cost and we all survived. I was told the success rate here is two percent. Why is it any different? Why? No matter what the reason I must carry on. I have to carry on. Ending log.”

              Captain Steele sat there for a minute before going back to bed.

              Captain Steele awoke from his sleep. His stomach was growling. He knew he needed something to eat but he didn't want to prepare anything. He walked to the kitchen, checked the cupboards and didn't find anything that seemed like it would hit the spot. He then went to food storage and checked on it. He looked around and saw everything was in working condition. He then went and made his rounds around the ship before heading back to the kitchen. He looked into the cupboards again and found a bag of chips. He decided this will do and so he finished it off but was still hungry.

              “Can you do any cooking Jamie?”

              “I am not programmed to cook.”

              “Lotta good you do around here.”

              “I keep the ship running and the mission on-”

              “Yeah, I know. You've told me lots of times before. I just think you should be able to cook. They failed to program any real use in you. They know they can't expect me to cook for 150 years. I am a guy after all.”

              “Cooking can create dopamine in your brain John. This would help prevent depression.”

              “Yeah, well, I still probably ain't going to do it.”

              “John, I highly recommend you try to.”

              Captain Steele sighed. He really didn't like the Interface but it was all he had to talk to.

              “Fine.”

              Captain Steele just made a breakfast burrito and ate it.

              “Ehh.... I'm not feeling the happy feelings.”

              “It takes time John.”

              “Yeah, well, I've been on this ship a long time and it ain't happening.”

              “Several years at this point.”

              “Like I said, 'I've been on this ship a long time'. Has it really been years?”

              “Yes. It has been exactly six years and-”

              “You know what, never mind. I don't want to know.”

              “Very well John.”

              Captain Steele went and watched a movie before working out. After working out he went back to his bed. He hated this mission and thought it was stupid. He didn't care anymore. It was nothing day in and day out. He needed something to change. He wasn't sure what could change but something needed to change. He rolled over onto his back and fell asleep.

              Captain Steele felt the ship decelerated and woke up because of it.

              “Jamie? What is going on?”

              “We have a problem.”

              “No crap Sherlock. What's the problem?”

              “We have an anomaly.”

             
“What is it Spock?”

              “I do believe you are using the term 'Spock' as a reference to a certain character incorrectly John.”

              “Fine, whats the anomaly?”

              “The anomaly is unknown.”

              “Great. It's great to know that the anomaly is unknown because that was really in the air. Give me details 'Spock'.”

              “I do believe you are...”

              “Why did we slow down Jamie?” Captain Steele asked irritated.

              “The anomaly seems to be a large mass.”

              “That's it? That's all you got?”

              “Yes. Part of the mission is discovery.”

              “Is it vital?” John asked.

              “Unknown.”

              “Is it dangerous?”

              “Unknown.”

              “Is it important?”

              “Unknown.”

              “Then whats the anomaly?”

              “Unknown. It seems to be a large mass approximately three miles across, two mile high and 700 yards deep. The object seems to be hollow at various points. It appears to have emitted some kind of energy at one point from what appears to be the tail end of the object.”

              “Is it still emitting energy?”

              “No, but unknown energy sources seem to have moved the object at some point.”

              Captain Steele moved to the bridge.

              “How far out is it?”

              “30 minutes at current speed.”

              “Scan that thing again. I want to know if any life forms are on it, some kind of way in, any material it's made out of, some kind of layout, and if there is air in it so that I can breath. I'm suiting up and will go in. Nothing else should be out here. This object is so far out it is impossible for it to exist unless they tried the same thing we are trying. If that's the case I need to know why they failed. I want to go in dark with our ship's systems on standby.”

              Captain Steele put on the combat exoskeleton suit made for Deep Space Suicide Missions. The DSSM suits were made to give elite teams a chance at surviving in the harshest of environments. Everything from zero-G, extreme high pressure environments, deep sea storm missions, missions in almost absolute zero, and upwards of 25 times the heat of the sun- 125,000 kelvin. The suit is made of  durable carbon nano-aggravated diamond rods laced with neutron star fiber. The neutron star fiber is so dense that it can take the most sever beating possible. As damage is done to the armor the armor will chip off the neutron star fiber before significant damage can be done to the wearer. The carbon nano-aggravated diamond rods give the wearer an unprecedented flexibility and lightness to the armor. The material is also made lighter by anti-graviton material that is laced across the neutron star fiber so it has complete buoyancy at all times. The anti-graviton material throughout the star fiber cancels most of the weight out making the weight of the entire suit out to be that of just 50 pounds.

              The DSSM suit is also able to “cloak” causing the light rays to bend around the suit to make the user completely disappear, even in complete full bright light conditions. Most cloaking suits bend light rays around the suit so that if you look closely you can see a general outline of the person because of the warping of light. The DSSM suit bends the light around an object in a similar fashion only it then manipulates light even further, to the point of changing the wavelengths so that it changes the color to match the background behind the suit, so that if you look at the suit when its cloaked all you see is what is behind the suit without even so much as a general outline of the suit. If you where to look at the DSSM suit while it is cloaked you would noticed nothing until you ran into it because of the multiple significant manipulation of light rays.

              The DSSM suit also has the ability to remove the sounds made by the user when moving by manipulated the sound waves to bounce toward the suit towards the middle of the suit, then back to the limbs causing the sound waves to dissipate due to the loss of energy. The DSSM tracks the users limbs, via neural impulse tracking, in advance of movement to allow the manipulation of sound waves to make sure the waves hit the suit and bounce back and forth in a direct tight beam until the sound dissipates. The suit and the air between the suit where the sound waves are being directed absorb all of the sound so that only the wearing of the suit can hear the sound no matter what his or her movement is.

              The DSSM also has the ability to manipulate any substance, such as liquid, that would normally react to movement by causing a small invisible bubble of energy around the user's movements. This bubble would be shaped in such a way to move any substance back toward the suit and having the suit manipulate that movement of liquid back to the small bubble of energy around the suit. This process would be repeated as many times as necessary to remove any ripples in liquid.

              The DSSM has an oxygen container that holds 12 weeks worth of oxygen if the user is breathing heavy and then recycles it to give another six weeks worth of oxygen. The suit also has a built in helmet that can be removed by neural activation that would cause it to “break down” into pieces and slide into the suit. The helmet also has a heads up display with a known map of the area on it which the suit builds by scanning the environment with SADAR or Sound Adaptation Detecting and Ranging. It is similar to RADAR in the 20
th
century but instead of using radio waves to track objects it uses both extremely high frequency and extremely low frequency sound waves that are so small or so great that they can pierce through almost any material or bounce off of the material to show not only the depth of an object but also what its made of. This helps when deciding what weapons may pierce any objects that are scanned. The frequency creates a sound that is far above or below what any creature's ears have the ability to hear which helps the user of the suit to remain hidden.