Rise of the Carnelians (Europa)

by Jason Gehlert

  Gillian held back with a tight restraint. It was her subtle way of pissing off Adrian.

  “Are we back in grade school?” he grumbled. “Just give me the fucking straw.”

  Gillian huffed as she let loose of the plastic instrument.

  “Adrian and Philene, you draw the caves and mountains,” Gillian said with a crooked grin. She knew Adrian would have a hard time moving around with his arm brace. “Seth and Angela, you draw the Chaos Region, and the icy craters.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Seth said, grabbing his helmet and heading over to the door with Angela .

  “Let’s head down to the departure chamber,” Adrian responded. “Follow me.” He led the way through the corridor, past the docking bay, and moved into another hallway which brought the team past the mess hall, lodging, and science labs.

  Gillian caught sight of what seemed to be several local specimens swimming inside the tanks. One of the species drew her interest. It resembled a shark from Earth. “Hey Philene, what kind of shark is that?”

  “Oh, cool.” She stopped dead in her tracks. She took a detour and entered the science lab. Walking up close to the gigantic tank, she examined the animal’s small dorsal fins, which were low and rounded. “Interesting,” Philene said as she looked closer at the shark, from the safety of the hallway. “Its anal fin is larger than the dorsal fins, and its pinkish coloring leads me to believe that this is a Goblin shark.”

  “How can you be sure?” Gillian asked.

  “Goblin sharks are a unique breed. They have a pinkish coloring due to their blood vessels laying underneath a somewhat transparent skin. So, they bruise easily. Their fins have a bluish appearance for the same reason. Their front teeth are smooth-edged, while their rear teeth are adapted for crushing their prey. You can see that here.” Philene pointed as the shark opened its mouth slightly, displaying several rows of razor-sharp white teeth.

  “What a weird fucker.” Adrian leaned in close to the tank.

  “The Goblin shark has that joust-like cartilage protruding from the top of their heads.” Philene turned around.

  The shark snapped its head around and startled Adrian, who jumped back from the tank, losing his balance and landing on his ass.

  “Now, that was worth the price of admission.” Gillian chuckled.

  “Relax, they only eat octopus and local population of crabs, at least their Earth counterparts did.” Philene helped Adrian up off the floor. “Although, I wouldn’t want to get caught inside their deadly grasp. They use electro-sensitive organs in their beak to sense their prey. Their jaws protrude and create a fierce sucking motion with a tongue-like muscle, and then they firmly hold down their prey with their teeth. The front row pins the prey, the rear row grinds them into pieces.”

  “Ouch,” Ulysses said with a grimace. “Sounds like my ex-wife.”

  “Or, my fellow businessmen,” Adrian countered as he rested against the silver counter top. “I’m ready to get down to the surface. Let’s go,” he said leading the way yet down the hallway. “No more sight-seeing.” Adrian waved his hand in the air.

  “I’ll try to contain my urges,” Gillian responded, heading up the rear of the migrating group.

  One by one the team member entered the departure chamber.

  “When I press this button,” Adrian said motioning to a big, yellow button. “It will start pressurizing the chamber, so please, no taking off your helmets once I press the button. The chamber will then lower onto the surface and open its doors like an elevator. Once you step out, the doors close, and our mission is born.”

  “Got it.” Seth slipped on his helmet.

  “Each of you have gravity boots designed to keep you rooted on the surface. These suits were prepared based on the most updated information on the moon that NASA’s has culled over the last sixty years. So, by all measures, you are safe out there on the surface.”

  Angela and Philene followed suit with Gillian’s assistance.

  Adrian also needed Gillian’s hand in helping him with his suit. “I will be on Frequency 19 with Philene. Seth and Angela will be on Frequency 20. We also have helmet cameras that will relay back our positions and findings to the control room. The control room is on the far end of the corridor, past the lockers,” Adrian told Gillian.“Thank you.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Gillian replied tartly. “Good luck.”

  Adrian waited until Gillian exited the room and then watched the doors slid shut. He pressed the yellow button allowing their slow descent.

  “Our helmets are all equipped with two-way radio transmitters,” Adrian said into his helmet mike. “Use the desired frequency by entering the numbers on your keypad, which is located right above your left wrist.” Adrian showed the others. “These suits are completely user friendly, allowing easy use of the communication system, and scanners. They were designed to be sleek and streamlined, but tough enough to withstand the elements of Europa’s terrain.”

  “So, Philene and I will be on Frequency 21,” Adrian said. He nodded over to Philene to set her frequency. “Seth and Angela, you will be Frequency 21 as well.”

  “Okay,” Seth said while he and Angela programmed their keypads accordingly.

  “The main control room will be able to hear our every word, and our mini-cameras on the side of your helmets will give Gillian and Ulysses visuals of our positions.” Adrian finished up his preparations. The doors opened and revealed the bitter cold surface of Europa, just waiting to be explored.

  Control Room

  “Let’s check in on our ailing commander,” Gillian said tugging Ulysses by the elbow and starting her jog down the hallway.

  Gillian brought Ulysses up to speed. “Adrian mentioned the control room. That’s where we can keep a watchful eye on their progress. He said it’s located at the far end of the corridor, down past the lockers.”

  “I’ll go check it out,” Ulysses said.

  “I see each room has an intercom,” Gillian said scanning the devices in the hallway, medical lab, and science lab. “I bet there’s one in the control room. Buzz me once you get there.”.

  “I will. You keep an eye on my old friend over there,” Ulysses said, motioning to commander Kaspar.

  Gillian stared over at their immobile leader. “It looks like there are several beds in the wall. But for what?”

  “Possibly for the dead. This is a medical lab. Or, it could be some sort of fancy regeneration chamber . You know, just like in the sci-fi movies.” Ulysses graced Gillian’s shoulder with his hand. “I will be back, don’t worry.”

  “I’m fine. I can look over my journals and study those animals in the science lab. There’s plenty here for me to do.”

  “Okay, okay. I will check back in fifteen minutes. Fair?”

  “Fair,” Gillian said with a gently smile.

  Ulysses exited the lab and started to make his way down the hallway, leaving Gillian alone with the commander.

  “Man, what a gorgeous spectacle!” Seth bellowed, stepping onto the crater like surfaces of Europa. “Look at those mountains!”

  “Beautiful,” Philene added helping Adrian cross a tricky part of terrain.

  “Angela and I will take the surface, you guys head for the mountains and caves,” Seth said. “Be careful, it could be tricky walking. Especially for you, Adrian.”

  “I’ll be fine. We will be able to keep in contact on Frequency 21, that will allow for all of us to communicate with each other easier.” Adrian seemed to be shouting through his helmet. He did a routine check of his life meter. His vitals were good. He raised his right arm. He motioned for them to switch to Frequency 21. “If you flip up this small flap of fabric, it will reveal your vitals. Oxygen, blood pressure, and body temperature.”

  “Okay, got it!” Seth and Angela both answered.

  “I see it,” Philene said as she looked down at her wrist.

  “When your levels dip too low for any reason, head back to the chamber as quickly as possible,” Adrian warned.

/>   “Why would they dip?” Angela asked.

  “If your suit rips, or your helmet cracks,” Adrian said.

  “Well, if any of that happens, according to Gillian, we will freeze to death instantly,” Seth countered. “So, no one has to worry about getting back to the chamber, because you will be dead.”

  “Valid point. So, try not to get yourself killed, okay?” Adrian studiedthe group. “Let’s make our mark.” He held out his hand, placing it in the center of the group. Each team member followed and in a matter of seconds their hands were piled on top of each other in a ‘go team us’ concept.

  Ulysses made his way down the corridor, noticing that the last line of lockers had been smashed inward, buckling in the center. He wondered what kind of force had slammed into those lockers. It had to be driven by some pretty powerful force to bend the metal in such an odd way.

  Ulysses started to have some serious concerns when he noticed a trail of blood streaked across the floor, and heading straight into the control room. He picked up his pace, briskly walked over the bloody trail, and entered the control room. Something wasn’t right.

  The control room was massive. In the far corner, a triple layered Plexiglas window overlooked the moon’s surface, with Jupiter looming off to the side. The control bus was covered in blood, the buttons sticking together and smeared with some sort of greenish slime.

  Ulysses looked across the room and found a oddly shaped black male crumpled in a heap by the other control panel. His fingers looked gnawed at the tips, exposing whitish bone. His legs were bent forward, seemingly broken at the kneecaps. His face had what looked like several claw marks and what seemed to be several jagged tooth striations across the skin. His left ear dangled by several layers of skin, resting atop his left shoulder. The man’s eyes were open; his dilated pupils had captured his last seconds.

  “Fuck me,” Ulysses muttered, cautious while he sidestepped pools of blood that gathered around the dead man. Ulysses worked his way over to the intercom and pressed the button.

  “Yes?” Gillian answered.

  “We have a problem here.”

  Ulysses captured her attention with his stern voice. “I’ll be right there.” Gillian clicked off the button and headed down the hallway.

  Gillian noticed the damaged lockers and streaky trail of brown colored blood leading into the control room.

  Immediately on the heels of her entrance, she clasped her hands over her mouth in stunned horror at the grisly scene before her. There stood Ulysses, his own face distorted into some sort of confused expression, staring over the dead body on the floor.

  “What happened in here?” she asked while she took inventory of the grimy control board, pools of blood, and mangled corpse.

  “I don’t have a fucking clue, but I don’t like it.” Ulysses sidestepped the body and looked down at the man’s tattered red and orange jumpsuit. “The name patch says R. Hooper. He looks to be about thirty or so,” Ulysses said, studying the man’s facial features. The bald young man had sparse facial hair, a slim physique and rather large eyes.

  “We have to find out what happened here. He could be part of the previous team. Which means if he’s dead, where are the others?” Gillian wondered.

  “Sssh, do you hear that?” Ulysses asked. He strained his head to pick up on the sound.

  “Sounds like a clawing noise.” Gillian scanned the room. “It seems to be coming from inside the walls,” she said with a frightened look on her face.

  Gillian turned her head to see an arrangement of fingers clasp around the door jam with a tightened grip. “Who’s there?” she barked at the intruder.

  The determined stranger had pulled himself into the room head hung low, gasping for breath. “Just don’t stand there, help me,” Commander Kaspar called out to his stunned team.

  “I tell you, this is what you dream of as a kid,” Seth said to Angela. They continued along the smooth surface. “Keep your eye out for anything that could help us.”

  “I see the control room off in the distance,” Angela noted looking in the opposite direction at the space station.

  “That tiny room up there in the corner?” Seth squinted.

  “Yeah.”

  “How do you know it’s the control room?”

  “The glass is thicker for one, and I see two people in the room. They do look like Ulysses and Gillian to me.”

  “Good point,” Seth replied. “Over here, take a look.” He carefully stepped his way across the surface. “It looks like ice. And, over here small penetrations in the thick surface,” Seth noted, bending down to touch the ice.

  “Did you see that?” Angela asked.

  “See what?” Seth turned around.

  “Down underneath the ice. I thought I saw a shadow or something.”

  “It could possibly be an animal, or another organism. The science lab had quite the collection going.”

  “Yeah, we could open our own aquarium pretty soon.” Angela chuckled.

  “Europa Aquarium, opening Spring 2050,” Seth retorted with a sly grin.

  “You are such a wise-ass.”

  “I’d name a wing after you. The Angela Nestor Wing.”

  “Yeah, you do that.” She smacked his back with her right hand. “What are we looking for again?”

  “Any signs that the previous team might have worked on, or possibly didn’t finish. Remember Gillian talked about the cryobots? So, perhaps that’s what their main objective was. President Faulkner sent them here to colonize the moon and recover samples of water and any possible signs of life. Like over here, you see this icy surface?”

  “Yeah, it has a hole in the center of it.”

  “This is where they probably dropped their robotic toys and gathered up those samples of fish.” Seth noticed a harpoon gun wedged in between several craggy rocks. “Someone left here in a hurry, that’s for fucking sure.”

  “Find anything yet?” Adrian prompted Philene.

  “Not yet. You can’t rush perfection.”

  “Yeah, I know that feeling.”

  Philene and Adrian approached the outer layer of the Chaos Region. Several craters were strewn about, making their trek tricky and aggravating.

  Adrian noticed something off in the distance. A large object was buried in the moon’s surface. “Do you see that?” he asked.

  Philene squinted in the direction of Adrian’s request. “That thing?”

  “Yeah. Doesn’t it look like a ship or something?” Adrian asked fishing in his suit for a set of binoculars.

  Philene dismissed his query with a harsh reaction. “You are dreaming. Let’s stay focused, okay?”

  “It looks like some sort of alien craft. One that I certainly didn’t design.” Adrian peered through the binoculars. “One side seems to be curved inward, possibly from some sort of impact. I think we should check it out.”

  “Yeah, after we search the caves. I can see a small opening in the side of that mountain ahead,” Philene said as she tugged Adrian along. His arm brace was caught inside a crater and bent to the point where Adrian tumbled head first from the sudden jerk. “Are you okay?” Philene turned around and helped him up.

  “No, not really.” Adrian seethed. “My brace is broken.”

  “I’ll help you along.” Philene grabbed his arm. “Trust me. I won’t let you fall.”

  “Better not. I sign your paychecks,” Adrian quipped. “Here.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight. “I came prepared.”

  Philene took the instrument and flicked it on, letting a powerful beam penetrate into the mouth of the cave. “Looks creepy.”

  “It reminds me of a movie I saw when I was a kid, where they are all stranded on this planet.” Adrian shrugged. “I personally didn’t like that movie. It had those creatures that survived and hunted during the night.”

  “I liked that movie.” Philene continued with Adrian in tow. “Stay close and watch your step.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that
.” Adrian commented and looked up at the cave’s magnificent ceiling. He turned on the mini-flashlights attached to each side of his helmet and noticed something scurrying across the rocky surface. “Did you see that?”

  “See what?” Philene asked.

  “Nothing. It must be medication time. My mind’s going nuts.”

  “I can’t wait to find a collection of cultural remains inside this cave. Or, better yet a specie’s perfectly mummified remains, like the Iceman.” Philene smiled in eager anticipation.

  “Let’s keep pushing forward.” Adrian illuminated the cavern revealing a twisted path straight ahead.

  “Commander, you shouldn’t be out of bed.” Gillian ordered.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “We crashed the ship into the docking bay,” Gillian replied.

  “Actually, we crashed the ship through the docking bay,” Ulysses said with a shrug. “You suffered a concussion and some minor injuries in the process.”

  “I have a rather large headache.” Commander Kaspar clutched his head.

  “We have stumbled on a rather disturbing scene here, Commander.” Ulysses brought his friend’s attention to the scattered blood pools, dead body, and the slimy control board.

  “I can see that.” Kaspar looked over the control room. “What caused it?”

  “I’d be damned if I know.” Ulysses again shrugged. “But, I suggest we find the artillery room, and fast.”

  “We will go as a team,” Kaspar ordered the twosome. “Stay close to me. We will find out what happened here.”

  “There has to be a captain’s quarters around here somewhere, right?” Gillian said

  “I would think so. From the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like the other team made it back to their ship.” Kaspar noticed the corridor was filled with streaks of blood. “My guess is that the dead guy in the control room is the same person that crashed into these lockers here.”

  “How do you know that?” Ulysses countered.

  “The streaks of blood lead from the lockers into the control room and there’s a splattering of blood on the locker itself.” Kaspar pointed out the darkened red stains.