by Anne deNize
“No, I didn’t,” answered Jeff. “I had a friend who did, though. He was on the last trip the Apex ever made, and never came back. It’s all a mystery.”
“He might still be up there,” said Hannah.
Jeff laughed, “I don’t see how. Maybe some bones.”
“He might be living with the aliens up there,” said Hannah. “We saw the crew walk off with them.”
“What do you mean?” said Jeff.
Toby explained the story of their recycled window and seeing the voyage of the ISS Apex, the landing and the aliens who took the crew away with them. Jeff didn’t believe it until Laura broke in.
“It’s true, Jeff. I’ve seen it too. In fact there’s a video of it that I’ve shown Mr Riddington. He wanted me to make sure you met these kids and heard the story. In fact,” she searched around in her shoulder bag for a moment then handed Jeff a memory stick, “this is a copy for you to see. I thought you might need it.”
“Well, I’ll be…” exclaimed Jeff. “But how did the ship take off again?”
“That’s what we’ve been wondering,” said Toby. “A couple of people did come back to the ship but then left before it took off. They must have done something to fool the computer.”
“But what about the warning message from the captain?” asked Jeff.
“Maybe it was the captain who came back with one of the aliens and he did the recording then,” suggested Toby. “We still don’t know why, though. We couldn’t see anything that looked like a weapon threatening them.”
“Is there any chance I could have a look at this window of yours?” asked Jeff. “It sounds like one of the early recording gels that used to play up a bit. I know someone who would have one of the earliest controls. We could see if the window can be controlled at all.”
“Sure,” said Hannah’s father. “Why don’t you come round in the next couple of days? The window should be playing the return voyage.”
It was all arranged. Jeff would come round with Laura, who didn’t want to be left out of the fun. He would get the remote control from his friend and bring it round on Tuesday evening.
The drinks and food were quickly finished off and they said goodbye to their new friend and to Laura.
“See you Tuesday,” called Hannah, waving to the others as they reached the car park.
It was a much quieter carful on the way home. Joe dropped off to sleep and Hannah was dozing too by the time they reached home. They piled out and Dad parked the car while Hannah went up to tell her mother all about the day and Toby, leading a very sleepy Joe, walked Ella home.
Hannah checked out the window in the little study. It was still showing stars and a couple of the tiny moons in the distance.
“I wonder what happened to the space men?” she said to Toby when he came in. “It’s years and years since the ship left them there. They’ll be old now.”
“If only we could see what happened inside the ship,” replied Toby. “I just cannot see why they walked off like that.”
“Hey, Toby, Hannah,” called their father. “Come and look at this.”
They ran into the living room where their parents were watching television.
“We do not have the entire story at this stage,” said the news presenter. “All we have been told is that the ISS Blue Moon has been diverted from its path to Callisto toward Europa, another of Jupiter’s moons. It was Europa that was the last calling place of the ill-fated ISS Apex, now decommissioned and scrapped. We have a clip of the warning that Captain John Russell recorded on the ISS Apex before he and the rest of the crew disappeared.” The television went on to show a grainy picture of a man’s head and shoulders. He had short dark hair, blue eyes and a short moustache.
“I must warn Earth that Europa should be left alone. There is nothing for Earth-people here.” The recording suddenly went dark and the news presenter’s cheerful face reappeared on the screen.
“Officials declare that the recording is genuine, and is almost certainly Captain Russell, although the picture is not clear. The International Space Agency Director is not yet releasing news as to why they now believe, after twenty-five years, that it is now appropriate to send another ship to Europa. Nor has it been explained why there’s such a hurry that the planned mission to Callisto has been diverted to Europa.”
“I bet I know why,” said Hannah. “Mr Riddington wants to find out what happened to the crew.” She turned to Toby, “Wouldn’t it be dangerous, though? What about Jeff’s son? He’s on that ship. The aliens might get him, too!”
Chapter 11
It was Tuesday at last. Hannah had been to school and was now looking out the window every five minutes to see if Laura and Jeff had arrived. And suddenly, there they were.
“Toby, Toby, they’re here,” she announced breathlessly. Toby turned around from the computer screen where he had been playing a game.
“Okay kiddo, I’ll get the door and you ring Ella.”
“Don’t need to, there she is, and Joe.” Hannah pointed out the window to where Ella and Joe could be seen hurrying around to the gate. Toby went to the door to welcome Laura and Jeff and they waited for the youngsters before going inside. Everybody said their hellos and then they all crowded into the little study. They let Jeff study the window first.
“Do you have the control? How does it work? Can we try it now?” asked Hannah.
“Slow down, Hannah,” said Toby, “we don’t need to rush Jeff. Give him a moment.”
“Oops, sorry,” said Hannah. Jeff smiled at her and pulled out of his pocket a gadget with a strong resemblance to a TV or DVD remote.
“That’s all right, I’m excited too,” said Jeff. “Let’s see what we can do with this.”
He pressed buttons while the others examined the window. For a while nothing happened. Then the moons could be seen speeding up and slowing down again. Then they speeded up again and then stopped. Then there was a jump and the picture changed. Another jump.
“I’m afraid it’s only partly working,” said Jeff. “I can get fast forward alright but reversing happens only in jumps and one step at a time. I can get different speeds forward though and slow it right down.” He pressed buttons again and the picture moved back several steps. Again and they were back on Europa.
“Cars,” said Joe, pointing at the window.
“No cars, Joe,” said Ella, “but those lines do look like roads.”
Joe got up and went over to the window. He moved the chair and climbed up carefully. Toby held on to keep it steady. Joe put his finger on a part of the window showing dots on one of the dark streaks.
“Cars,” he insisted.
“Do you know, I think you might be right, Joe,” said Toby, bending to look closer. “They look awfully like cars to me, too. They’re all travelling in a line on one side or the other. Maybe the aliens drive cars.” He grinned at Joe who smiled back and clambered down from the chair.
Jeff fast forwarded and they could see the white dots moving along the dark line.
“I’ll just go back another jump to make sure we’re before the aliens arrive, I’d like to see that part again. Your video clip was amazing, but I’d like to see it in the original,” said Jeff. He fast forwarded the window until Hannah said “stop! There they are.”
With some button clicking, Jeff managed to achieve a normal walking pace as the aliens moved closer into view. They were moving fluidly and smoothly, quite unlike the jerky movement they had shown earlier. Hannah counted six of the slim shapes as they approached and then moved out of the frame. With the fast forward Jeff soon had the window showing retreating backs as they went away again.
“That’s Jim, there,” said Jeff, pointing to one of the bulky-suited figures. “See the tiger’s head painted on the back of his helmet. He called it his lucky tiger and claimed it kept an eye out behind for him. Maybe not so lucky this time.” He watched as the figures all wa
lked off into the distance and disappeared. “If only we could see what happened inside. What did the aliens do or say to make them just walk off like that? Did they know the spaceship would take off without them?”
They all just stared at the window, wondering what it could have been. Something powerful enough to take them all off into the unknown with strange beings, leaving everything – not only the ship but also their homes back on Earth, children, friends, husbands and wives.
“Twenty-five years,” said Hannah and shivered.
“Why didn’t they leave someone on guard?” said Ella.
“Did they even lock the door?” asked Laura.
“Everything on the ship was left as though they were coming back at any time,” said Jeff. “Clothes in the sleeping cabin, Food in the galley section, everything.”
Silently they watched as two figures returned, went out of sight, then their backs as they walked away again into the distance. Jeff tapped a finger.
“No obvious weapons. No resistance from the crew. Maybe one of the cars had broken down and they went out to help.” Everybody laughed uncertainly.
“That shouldn’t take the whole crew,” said Laura, “but it’s a nice thought.” She turned to Hannah, “Is your mother upstairs? I would like to say hello and be polite. Would it be interrupting her?”
“No, she’d like to see you,” said Toby. “She says the occasional interruption is useful. She stresses the ‘occasional’ and looks at us sternly. So we don’t both her with little things and she’s happy to see us ‘occasionally’,” he chuckled. “Why don’t you go on up? She’s in the studio.” Laura went out and they heard her steps on the stairs.
“Hannah,” said Ella slowly, staring at the window.
“Mm?” said Hannah.
“What’s on the outside?” asked Ella.
“We’re looking at the outside,” replied Hannah, “through the window.”
“No, I mean, what can you see if you stand outside and look in through the window?” Ella hesitated as if they might laugh at her.
“That is a very, very, good question,” said Jeff slowly. “We don’t know if the gel works both ways, nobody checked. Besides, this window is odd, anyway. Even if the gel in other windows is one way, this one could be different.” He paused and looked at the window.
“What’s on the other side? Is something covering it over?”
Toby nodded. “Yes, I put a sheet of cardboard over it because there was too much light. It makes it dark in here, but it didn’t let in a lot of light before that anyway.” Everyone moved quickly to the door. Toby turned back and grabbed the video camera, pulling the plug out of the wall. He checked quickly and then smiled in satisfaction.
“There’s juice in the battery, anyway. We should be able to capture something at least.”
They all filed out the front door and round the side of the house to where the little study window had a sheet of cardboard tacked up. Hannah thought it looked like the house was abandoned and was pleased that Toby was taking it down. It wasn’t difficult; the cardboard had softened in the weather and started tearing as soon as Toby touched it.
Toby looked at the video screen and repositioned it a couple of times. They all studied the window intently and Hannah found she could make out lines up and down and some vague shapes. With a start she pointed at one corner.
“Look, there’s somebody there,” she said. “There’s a head, and shoulders and there is one arm. He’s looking away.” She pointed out what she could see to the others and they eventually could see it, too.
“Okay now, let’s see,” said Jeff. He pointed the remote control at it and pushed some buttons. Nothing seemed to change. He tried again, pointing the remote at the window. Still nothing.
“It looks as though the control only works on one side,” he said. “That’s a pity.”
“What happens if you use the control on the other side?” asked Hannah. “Will this side change too?” Jeff smiled at her.
“Good thinking, Hannah. Let’s see what happens. You stay out here and watch, and I’ll go in and jump it back a bit.” He walked off and they saw him through the window as he entered the room and pointed the remote.
“Hey, it’s changing,” said Ella. “Look!”
Chapter 12
They watched as the picture in the window jumped and changed. Jeff came back out with the control.
“That’s back to the landing,” said Jeff. “Let’s see what the inside looked like.”
It looked very crowded with seven people in space suits sitting back in reclining seats. Three had control panels in front of them. Jeff pointed to the middle seat with control panel.
“That’s where the captain sits. That must be Captain Russell. Ah, it looks like they’ve landed.” Everyone in the picture had relaxed and a couple were standing.
“Do we get to see the aliens now?” asked Ella.
“Watch,” answered Toby.
They concentrated on the faint shapes in the window as the slim figures entered.
“Look, the captain opened the door for them,” said Hannah. “He must have thought it was safe. How did he know they were there?”
“He would have seen them coming across the landscape,” said Toby. “Pity we can’t hear any of what‘s going on.”
“What’s happening there?” asked Ella, pointing to where one of the aliens was standing beside someone still seated. Everybody watched intently as the alien moved carefully around so the others couldn’t see what he was doing. But the alien was in full view of the window. From a pocket in his suit he took something and pressed it against the astronaut’s breathing pipe. Nobody on the screen seemed to have noticed. One by one, the same thing happened to the others. Then the alien at the front with the captain gestured ‘get up and come’ and the seated astronauts rose and gathered with the others at the door.
“Did someone get the captain’s breathing pipe?” asked Toby. “I didn’t see.”
“Yes one of the others behind him did it,” said Hannah. “That one there,” she pointed. “What did it do to them?”
“It must have been a drug of some sort,” said Toby. “Something that forced them to do what they were told to do.”
“Yuck,” said Hannah, “I wouldn’t like that.”
“It’s mostly illegal here to use something like that,” said Laura.
“That means the crew were kidnapped,” said Ella, “and taken away.”
“So what happened to them?” asked Hannah.
“Good question,” said Jeff, “and what happens when the Blue Moon gets there?”
The others pondered this question. It was a bit scary thinking that the same thing could happen all over again. And to Jeff’s son.
“There must be something we can do,” said Hannah. “Can we at least warn them?”
Jeff turned to Laura. “Maybe Mr Riddington?” he suggested.
“Maybe,” said Laura. “Did you get anything on the video, Toby?”
Toby was fiddling with the camera, rewinding and playing.
“Something,” he said, “not much, though, because it’s all so pale.”
“Can we do a copy?” asked Laura. “Perhaps onto the memory stick I lent Jeff? It’s right here.” She found the memory stick in her bag and then handed it to Toby as he nodded. He made a move to pick up the camera but Hannah stopped him.
“Hang on a minute. What about when the captain came back?”
“You’re right,” said Toby, “I was forgetting that.”
They watched as Jeff went inside again and fast forwarded the window to where he could see the two figures approaching the ship. He came out and joined the others.
They watched as two figures came into the ship. Then the captain sat down in his couch in the centre front, checked some of the readouts and then took his helmet off. He touched another control and a screen in front of him lit up. He spoke for a short
while then turned it off. The alien was busy at another desk.
“That was when he recorded the ‘keep off’ message,” said Toby.
“Do you think he was still under control of the drug?” asked Hannah.
“I would say ‘yes’,” said Toby, “but we can’t really tell for sure. And it looks like that alien was reprogramming the on-board computer so the ship could take off.”
“We must get a warning to the Blue Moon,” said Laura. “Can we get that recording Toby, please?”
Toby said “sure,” and led the way indoors, carrying the camera. He connected with the computer, uploaded a copy then saved another copy to the memory stick, giving it back to Laura. “There you are.”
It was an anxious wait for Hannah as no word came back from Laura over the next few days. She couldn’t help worrying about the crew up in the ISS Blue Moon, not knowing what was in front of them. She worried, too, about Jeff’s friend from the abandoned ISS Apex. Did the aliens just kill everybody? Or were they being kept in some weird prison? Was there anybody alive up there on Jupiter’s streaky moon?
Then came the call they’d all been waiting for. Laura didn’t say much.
“Watch the news at five o’clock tonight. There’s a piece about it. And Jeff’s friend and son are both okay.” She was in a hurry so rang off immediately.
Hannah told Ella, who came over to watch the news with her. Joe came, too, and settled down at their feet. They chattered excitedly and Hannah’s father came to watch with them.
“Here it is,” said Hannah as the presenter came on with a picture of a spaceship behind him. “Ssh.”
“And we have some sensational breaking news about the ISS Blue Moon and its diversion to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. This was a rescue mission to recover the survivors from the ISS Apex who disappeared twenty-five years ago on a mission to Europa. The International Space Agency was not releasing details to ensure that the mission was not compromised. The stunning news that there are living beings on Europa is being released worldwide.”
The screen behind the presenter changed to show the alien figures in spacesuits coming across the moonscape.
“That’s the picture from our window,” said Hannah.
“Captain Martin Maxwell of the ISS Blue Moon has reported to the International Space Agency that they landed safely and were able to establish communications with the aliens, through one of the survivors. Two of the original crew remain alive, the others having passed away from natural causes over the twenty five years they were marooned on the moon.
