by Craig Gaydas
Quasar.
I hit enter and waited. The computer hummed as the hard drive processed the answer.
Congratulations. You have level one clearance.
The screen momentarily went black and I leaned forward with concern. I wondered if I broke something but then a sentence splashed across the screen.
The desert eye that can be seen from the sky. This Richat Structure cannot see, but is located here.
I placed my hands on my head and leaned back in the chair. I may have scored a 2200 on my SAT and could outthink most of the kids in class, but this particular brain teaser was on an entirely different level. Waving my hands in exasperation I typed the first thing I could think of.
Sahara.
More vibrations sprang from the bowels of the computer as it processed the information. I assumed I was incorrect and reached over to switch off the computer but stopped when another message flashed across the screen.
Level two complete. Welcome, Cartographer.
The message vanished and replaced with a map. It resembled no map I had ever seen, however. When I glanced at the symbols and locations I soon realized it was much different from a map of New Mexico, New York or New Zealand.
It was a map of the universe.
Passing The First Test
The snaking corridors of the Cirrus confused me and I grew worried that their twisting halls would lead me somewhere I didn't want to be. Fortunately, a passing crew member—a seven foot tall humanoid with bulging muscles, flowing blond hair, a birds nest of a beard and fierce azure eyes(later learned to be an Orgellian)—guided me to Calypso's quarters.
I stared at the door, not sure how to alert Calypso of my presence, so I simply knocked. The Orgellian looked down at me, chuckled, and placed his thumb inside a recess next to the door. I heard the familiar melodic jingle come from the other side before Calypso opened the door. Thor (my clever nickname for the Good Samaritan) threw me a brief nod before departing down the hall, leaving me alone in the doorway.
Calypso opened the door and smiled. “I have been expecting you, Nathan. Please, come in.”
He moved to the lone window in the room and stared into space. The room was rather bland and surprisingly devoid of furnishings save for a couch and a table equipped with a Sustanant. I didn't see a bed, but a closed door along the far wall caused me to assume he slept there, if he even needed sleep at all.
“You've been expecting me?”
He motioned me towards the couch and I plopped into its welcoming cushions. Calypso plopped down beside me.
“Yes, I assumed you would have questions for me.” He folded his hands but his smile did not waver.
I felt slightly uncomfortable under the gaze. I shook off my apprehension and decided to tread lightly to make sure I didn't overstep my bounds or offend him. I wasn't quite sure how he would take the news that I passed the test.
I shrugged. “Yes I do, but I wanted to thank you guys for making me feel at home.” I scanned the desolate room and wondered why I received such preferential treatment, but decided to leave that question for another day. “Thank you for making my room feel like home.”
“It was our pleasure, Nathan.” The smile faded. “But it appears something is bothering you.”
“Well,” I said before hesitating. “I came across something on my computer called `The Map', so I clicked on it.”
“Oh really,” he replied with a raised eyebrow. “What happened when you clicked on it?”
“It asked me some questions.”
“Oh?” He leaned forward and tossed me a curious look. “Did you answer them?” His interest level seemed strangely high.
“Yes, so do I win a prize?” I quipped.
His jaw dropped and his mouth formed a comical O. He shot up and walked over to an intercom mounted on the wall.
“Satou?”
“Yes?” Satou's voice bellowed from the other side.
“Nathan passed the test!”
The line went dead and Calypso turned to me.
“Is that a big deal,” I asked.
Calypso's smile widened. “You can say that again! I assume you caught a glimpse of the map?”
“Yes I did, although it was a lot of information to absorb to be honest,” I replied. “My head is still swimming.”
A confused look spread across his face. “How does a head swim?”
I chuckled. “It's just a figure of speech on Earth. It means that I'm dizzy from all the information I had to process.”
Calypso matched my chuckle. “Yes, I suppose it is a lot of information to process.” He seemed to notice the confusion still etched on my face. “What's wrong, Nathan?”
“Well, there was something else on my computer I found interesting. What is a Helios Protocol?”
His smile wavered for a split second and he cleared his throat. “It has been a long time since I heard that term.”
“Sorry for snooping,” I said nervously. “I was browsing through the games and came across it. It kind of popped out of the screen at me.”
Calypso quickly held up his hand. “No, I find your curiosity and thirst for knowledge refreshing. Especially for a human.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Pay no heed to my ramblings, but I will be happy to answer your question. Helios Protocol is an emergency evacuation procedure put in place generations ago to assist the Consortium with preserving interstellar life.”
“OK, can you repeat that in English?”
Calypso chuckled. “To summarize, Nathan, it is a set of protocols that we use in the event of total planetary loss. Think of it this way, on Earth if you have an event like a flood or earthquake that causes catastrophic loss of life and property, your people have emergency procedures in place to evacuate the inhabitants to safe areas, correct?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Well, we have the same thing, except on a galactic scale. A majority of planets throughout the universe eventually die. Whether it is through war, famine, astronomical events or disease it is usually inevitable. Although there are exceptions to the rule we like to have these contingency plans in place in order to preserve life. The Consortium regards life as sacred and should have a chance to persevere no matter the circumstance.”
“OK now I get it,” I replied. “You guys are kinda like an Intergalactic Red Cross.”
Calypso cocked his head. “A what?”
“Never mind,” I sighed.
Satou burst through the door, interrupting our conversation. He bent over and put his hands on his knees, attempting to catch his breath.
“Sorry…for…bursting in like this,” he wheezed. “I just could not believe it. I had to come see for myself.”
Calypso noticed my confused look and let out a hearty laugh. “Ah yes, Satou. Our new human companion is our new Cartographer.” He paused and grabbed my shoulder. “That is, if he wants the job.”
I yawned. “Can you wait for my answer until tomorrow? I'm tired.”
Satou roared with laughter and grabbed me in a bear hug. “Of course! We would not want to wear you out before you even start.”
“Satou, would you please escort Nathan to his room?” Calypso asked.
Satou accompanied me to my room. During the trip, he rambled on about how he was proud of me and how long it had been since they had a Cartographer and other such nonsense. I was so tired and unable to maintain any sort of serious conversation. By the time we returned to my room I collapsed in the bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
My dreams were disturbed by visions of laser beams, spaceships and bodies falling from skyscrapers. I was on fire, trapped in a building, with no window or door to escape from. I struggled to breathe as the smoke overcame me.
I woke up breathing heavily, drenched in cold sweat, looking for a window that wasn't there as the fragments of the dream still tugged at the back of my mind. I rubbed my eyes, fell back against the pillow and stared at t
he ceiling. Time escaped me in space so I had no idea how long I had been asleep.
I dragged myself out of bed and trudged to the Sustanant. A sea of icons stared back at me and I was afraid if I pushed the wrong button I would get a warm glass of motor oil or a steaming pile of feces. I eyed a button that had a picture of an empty glass and pressed it. A cursor blinked on the keypad and I typed in “milk” but nothing happened. I tried to lift the sliding door, but it wouldn't budge. As I struggled with the door a blinking icon flashed red next to the keypad. It was a switch that read “hot” on one side and “cold” on the other. Thinking that hot milk would be awful, I moved the switch to “cold”. The door slid up and I pulled out the glass of cold milk.
I took a swig, placed the glass on the table and returned to bed. The vividness of the dream tugged at my thoughts and I found it difficult to fall back asleep. I focused on the ceiling and counted imaginary sheep until my eyelids started growing heavy.
The doorbell prevented me from drifting back to sleep. I groaned as I got up and opened the door. Satou stood on the other side with a smile on his face.
“I hope you slept well. I wanted to let you know we will be docking within the hour,” he beamed.
“Docking?”
“Yes, we will be interfacing with the ISS Argus before resuming our journey home,” he replied.
“Well that was quick.”
“Quick?” Satou looked confused. “I am sorry but you have been asleep for over six hours.”
I rubbed my eyes wearily. “Great, I feel like poop.” I sat on end of the bed and pulled on my boots. “Um, you mentioned home? Are we returning to Earth?”
Satou cocked his head. It was meant as a sign of puzzlement but for a guy with an octopus head, the gesture seemed absurd. “I am sorry but I meant Caelum, not Earth.”
I finished putting on my boots and dropped my head in my hands. “I'm sorry I forgot that I have a new home now.” I rubbed my eyes and looked up. “So what's the problem with flying to Caelum on this ship? Does this thing get poor gas mileage or something?”
“The Cirrus is designed for short, interplanetary travel only. We are required to interface with an interstellar class vessel in order to make the trip across galaxies. Without getting into specifics, it is all a matter of engine design. ISS class vessels have warp capabilities but IPS vessels only have basic propulsion systems more suited for traveling from planet to planet.”
“But—” I interjected, but Satou stopped me.
“I know this is confusing but let me break it down to the basics. If we attempted to travel to Caelum in the Cirrus from our current location it would take us a little over 40 years to get there at maximum speed. With the Argus, at maximum speed, it will take us about two weeks.”
“Oh,” I replied blandly, as if Satou just told me where to find the bathroom.
“The good news is once we arrive Calypso will most likely call a meeting with the High Prince and recommend that you stay on board of the Cirrus as the Cartographer.”
I shrugged. In honesty, my emotions were conflicted on the subject. Already resigned to the fact that I would have to remain among these strangers and remorseful that I would never see Sam or my family again, I was still attracted to the idea of discovering things that scientists on Earth only dreamed of.
Satou's wristband beeped and Natronix's voice boomed. “Satou, Calypso and Madoc, I need you all on the bridge as soon as possible.”
The urgency in Natronix's voice interrupted my mental wrestling match. The captain seemed a strong and grizzled universal explorer with a gut of iron, but the voice that came across the com-watch (a name I made up) sounded rattled. Satou's demeanor mirrored my feelings on the subject. He turned abruptly toward the exit.
“Wait!”
Satou turned and stood in the open doorway. “No more questions for now, Nathan. I am needed elsewhere.”
“OK, then I'm going with you,” I replied.
Satou stepped in the room and let the door slide closed behind him, his face told me what he thought of the idea. “I am afraid I am unfamiliar with the human sense of humor. Was that a joke?”
“I wasn't making a joke. If you people expect me to be your Cartographer and assist you with exploring the universe, galaxies, planets or whatever it is you expect me to do, then I expect to be involved in situations that may arise, don't ya think?”
Satou's brow folded upon itself in deep thought as he contemplated the validity of my logic.
He crossed his arms and nodded slightly. “I agree with your statement, but I warn you that Natronix may not embrace your idea nor your presence upon the bridge.”
I followed him out the door and down the hall toward a row of transparent doors where I watched while elevator compartments zoomed up and down to the decks above and below us. Several crew members walked past us throwing respectful nods to Satou and curious glances toward me. I marveled at the variety of races aboard the ship. An Orgellian stomped by, his enormous feet sounding like a bass drum as they slammed against the metallic floor, a squat humanoid with a face similar to a rabbit (later discovered to be a Kamilian) shot me a toothy smile before a dark-skinned humanoid with an angular face, bleached white hair and pointy ears (a Drith-nar, Satou told me) walked past, looking at us suspiciously.
The elevator door swung open and we stepped inside. I saw no buttons of any kind and wondered how we would get to where we needed to go.
“Deck one, code Satou-Epsilon-Nine,” Satou called out and the elevator ascended. The door opened on deck one before I had the chance to even ask what Satou-Epsilon-Nine meant.
We stepped onto the bridge and he turned to me, answering my unspoken question. “In order to gain access to the bridge deck, one has to be authorized and speak the code.”
“Oh,” I responded while admiring the scene of the bridge.
Several circular lights overhead illuminated the scene before me. There were no windows of any kind which surprised me, but later Satou explained to me that the Cirrus was more like a submarine floating through space and less like a space bus. Several large monitors dotted the room and were manned by different alien races. Some looked like Satou, some looked like Madoc, others looked different but bared a striking resemblance to other aquatic animals and I wondered if these particular races had been chosen because they were naturally adept at flying spacecraft. Natronix sat in an elevated chair and peered through a periscope, gripping the handles so hard his knuckles were white. Calypso stood next to him with his arms folded and a serious look about him and as soon as we entered the bridge he turned toward us and frowned.
“Um, Satou do I even need to ask?” he said with a cursory glance toward me.
“I know, sir, but he insisted on coming along with me,” Satou said and nodded at me. “He made a very compulsive argument.”
“Oh?” Calypso raised an eyebrow. Natronix peered his head around the periscope, rolled his eyes and returned his attention to whatever he had been looking at.
Satou walked over to one of the monitors and put his hands on his hips. Without looking at Calypso he presented my “sound” logic for being on the bridge. Calypso listened intently and nodded, accepting my point of view.
Shortly afterward Madoc burst onto the bridge, breathing heavily. Luckily this time he was wearing a translator and I discovered that the elevator had been taking too long on the medical deck and he jogged up the emergency access stairs to get to the bridge. I wasn't sure how far the medical deck was but judging by Madoc's flushed face and struggles for air, it couldn't have been close by.
Calypso turned to Natronix and put a hand on his shoulder. “Any sign yet?”
Natronix shook his head without removing his eyes from the periscope. Calypso turned toward them and rubbed his chin.
“Well the reason Natronix called us here is that we may have a situation.” He turned toward an object that looked like a large table you might find in a giant's kitchen. It was oval with a flat glass-like surface and s
tood about eight feet in diameter.
Calypso opened a panel on the surface and punched several buttons. Suddenly a holographic image of an aircraft carrier floated above the surface. As I moved in to take a closer look, I realized that it only slightly resembled an American aircraft carrier. It was long, rectangular and flat on the surface, however instead of a bow along the front, there was a hangar-like entrance and I could see the outlines of several smaller space vessels nestled inside. There was a rising tower located at the rear of the vessel which appeared to be the bridge. Neon lights surrounded the ship, illuminating hidden ports containing steel barrels of cannons, lasers, machine guns or whatever type of weaponry these people used. The reflection of the holographic image highlighted Calypso's facial features, giving his red eyes and hard face an eerie glow and making him appear like a demon, ready to cast his judgment on all mankind.
“The Argus?” Madoc asked, staring at the image.
Calypso nodded while the image spun, creating a 3-D, panoramic view of the vessel. He looked over at a crewmember who turned several knobs and listened intently to a cylindrical device attached to his ear. He reached up and adjusted a small antenna protruding from the mechanism. After frantically playing with the antenna he turned toward Calypso and shook his head.
Calypso took a deep breath and looked at Natronix who rested his arms on the periscope handles and frowned.
Satou turned from the monitor he had been examining. “What is wrong with the Argus?”
Calypso scanned the room and placed his hands on his head. He moved to each of the various monitors with a sense of urgency and his uneasiness created a small knot in my stomach.
“It's gone.”
Uninvited Guests
I looked around the room and watched while a bunch of glum faces barked orders at each other. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to determine what all the fuss was about.
“So what if it's gone?” I shrugged.
The room descended into silence before everyone turned toward me. Their eyes burned a hole in my soul which was quite an uncomfortable position to be in. I switched my gaze to the floor. It didn't help because I still felt their eyes on the back of my head so I chose to shuffle my feet nervously instead.
