Rise of the Carnelians (Europa)

by Jason Gehlert

  “Commander,” Gillian called him over to the small window.

  “What?”

  “Take a look,” she urged.

  To his surprise, Adrian raised his head slightly. His face contorted into a snide grin, the whole time staring back at them. The windows were sucking the cargo bay’s contents out into outer space. Adrian’s skin flapped about as he tried to free himself from his imprisoned confines. It was no use. Section by section his body started to filter through the holes in the wall spreading remnants of the wealthy billionaire across deep space.

  “That son-of-a-bitch won’t take a hint, will he?” Kaspar gripped the latch.

  “He’s still alive.” Gillian was dumbfounded. “But, you shot him.”

  “Not anymore,” Kaspar said with determination. “Three.”

  Gillian and Kaspar simultaneously released the latches and immediately jerked them to the left, instantly severing the cargo bay from the ship.

  Commander Thaddeus Kaspar watched in victory. Adrian’s darkened pupils became diminutive specks as the cargo bay hurtled through the solar system’s confines, eventually vanishing into the dark realm of outer space.

  New Beginnings

  “That was close.” Gillian managed to get the words out before her face became contorted in a maze of pain.

  “Here.” Kaspar reached over to her. “Let’s get you into the medic bay.” Kaspar helped her up and escorted Gillian down the hallway.

  “Do you think there are any more of them left?”

  “I don’t know.” Kaspar placed his hand over the LCD screen. Within a few moments, the door opened and the two survivors stumbled into the medic bay. “Now, let’s take a look at that shoulder.” Kaspar leaned in and inspected Gillian’s wound.

  “How bad is it?” Gillian asked.

  “Actually, not bad at all.” Kaspar seemed a bit surprised at the nature of the clear injury.

  “Really? Because it hurts like a bitch.” Gillian balled her fist, stubbornly fighting back the stinging sensation.

  “The plasma bullets went right through your shoulder, allowing the wound to instantly cauterize itself. So, you are all set against any possible infections.” Kaspar began to wrap up Gillian‘s shoulder. “I wouldn’t move it too much. It looks like the shot right through the shoulder blade.”

  “At least we made it.” Gillian lost herself in the commander‘s eyes.

  “Yes, we did.”

  “Now, what?”

  “Well, do you have those coordinates for the planet Captain Brody was writing about?” Kaspar looked her over.

  “Actually, his notes are basically the exact type of information that NASA has known all along. In fact, back in 2007, they discovered this planet and started to make strides in exploring their newest discovery.”

  “What happened?”

  “A lack of funding and a space craft.” Gillian unclenched her fist. “That’s where Adrian came waltzing into the picture.”

  “They needed his money.”

  “Exactly. Adrian built them an entire fleet in exchange for his name on the rights for the discovery and building the ships.”

  “Did Adrian know about their mission?”

  “Adrian was on a need to know basis. NASA figured if they threw him a bone, like the colonization of Europa, then his ego would be satisfied.”

  “And, since Europa is only eight years away, by the time Adrian came back, NASA would have already dispatched the other ships?”

  “Exactly. NASA has discovered a nice collection of planets within our own solar system that have the conditions necessary to support life. With Yellowstone’s eventual explosion, they ramped up the process and started sending out their fleets already.” Gillian shifted in her cot.

  “And how do you know of this?” Kaspar asked.

  “Surprisingly, Captain Nigel Brody had many contacts within the NASA program and the United States Government. His constant conversations with NASA are detailed in other parts of his journal. Captain Brody’s unique connections not only got him his own ship, The Amity, which is part of Adrian’s fleet of ships, but a chance to colonize Europa and secure his own legacy.”

  “What a very interesting story.” Kaspar rubbed his beard. “Do you have the coordinates for this new planet?”

  “It was already programmed into the ship’s main computer by NASA, way before Adrian ever stepped aboard the ship.” Gillian tensed up from her wound. “I bet they programmed all of their potential missions into the computer. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit.”

  “So, Adrian had the entire map of all NASA’s marked planets aboard the ship and didn’t even know it?”

  “Yup.”

  “That’s what I call irony. He didn’t even need us for his last mission.”

  “Probably not.”

  “He definitely got the shitty end of the stick on that deal.”

  “Good riddance to him, that’s what I have to say about that.”

  “You and I will have to conform to this new planet and start our own colony,” Kaspar said.

  “Like Adam and Eve?” Gillian replied slyly.

  Commander Kaspar and Gillian were making their way back towards the cockpit, heading down the hallway engaged in conversation.

  “So, what did you want to tell me before?” Kaspar already formulated an idea of what happened between them, but let her talk.

  Gillian again hesitated to mention what had happened. She began to work up the courage once more. “I wanted to tell you that it didn’t mean a thing. I want to be with you and only you, Thaddeus.”

  Kaspar entered the cockpit and sat down in the chair, staring out across the endless array of stars that were floating by the front window. He started to hear static coming from his earpiece and titled his head to get better reception.

  “Commander Kaspar,” the voice called out through the endless static.

  “Hello? Who’s there?” Kaspar asked the caller.

  “Shaw,” the voice mumbled back. “Commander, it’s me, Lieutenant Shaw.”

  “I thought you were dead?”

  Gillian took a seat on the bench where they had sat during the Abagail’s maiden voyage.

  “I survived...barely.”

  “You seem to have a knack for that.” Kaspar joked back. “You have more lives than a cat.”

  “I guess I do. Are you going to let me in, or just let me freeze my ass off out here?”

  “Where are you?” Kaspar inspected the ship’s screen. A tiny red speck began to flicker aboard the giant grid.

  “I am directly behind you. I managed to escape in one of the gliders before the final explosion.”

  “Sweet. I’m glad you made it.”

  “Can you open the docking bay for me?” Shaw asked.

  “Hold on a second.” Kaspar ran his hand over the LCD screen and prompted the computer through an online display of features, to open the docking bay doors. “How do I know it’s you?”

  “Because I hate those blue scum-sucking nits,” Shaw replied with a bitter tongue.

  “That’s the lieutenant I’ve grown accustomed to. Welcome aboard the Abagail.” Kaspar watched as the computer’s sensors picked up the lieutenant’s glider. It landed safely in the docking bay. Kaspar slid his finger over the computerized touch pad and closed the bay’s doors behind Shaw.

  “I’m in,” Shaw responded back.

  “I’m coming down to get you. Stay put,” Kaspar ordered.

  “I plan on taking a nap. Is that okay, Commander?” Shaw quipped back.

  “Gillian, follow me down to the docking bay.”

  “Yes, Commander.” She held her bandage firmly in place, as she rose to follow Kaspar. “You know, you have a nice ass.” Gillian chortled.

  “Oh, hush.” Kaspar briskly walked, trying to escape his leering fan club.

  The commander repeated the same process and opened the dock’s doors with a quick scan of his hand print. The door separated into two halves, revealing the idle glider from the sp
ace station. Leaning against the wing as a weary Lieutenant Shaw. His body was doubled over with his torn hands placed on his knees.

  “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Gillian called out to Shaw.

  “You look better than I feel,” Kaspar said with a tight grin.

  Shaw noted the commander’s blackened skin, and black scruff marks stretched across his face and hands, and his singed facial hair. “You look almost as charred as I do.”

  “It was interesting trying to escape down that hall of fire.” Kaspar reached out and shook Shaw’s trembling hand.

  Shaw returned the favor. “I see you not only saved the Abagail, but you saved the girl, as well.” Shaw looked over at Gillian. “Nicely done, Commander.”

  “Yeah, she was worth the fight.” Kaspar elbowed Gillian playfully in the ribs.

  “Adrian?” Shaw asked.

  “He missed his flight,” Kaspar cracked. “Gillian has brought to my attention that we are in search of a neighboring planet capable of harboring life.”

  “Sweet deal. Can I tag along?” Shaw was eager for the trip. “I’m in desperate need of a vacation. Sunshine, warm water, and women.”

  “Uh,” Gillian interjected as she pointed to the three of them.

  “Oh yeah, right. Well two out of three ain’t bad.” Shaw showed off one of his infectious grins.

  “I would like you to be my second-in-command, Lieutenant Shaw.” Kaspar helped Shaw over to the door. “You have a nice limp there, Lieutenant.”

  “You wouldn’t want to see the other guy.” Shaw grinned. “I’d be honored to sit with you on the deck of the Abagail. I call shotgun.”

  “Funny.” Kaspar and Shaw entered the corridor with Gillian behind.

  “It’s good to have you back, Lieutenant,” Gillian said. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.” Gillian started to look at Shaw as an older brother of sorts. A family member you definitely wanted to back you up during family squabbles.

  “Likewise.” Shaw turned to face Gillian, casually returning the compliment. He then glanced over at Kaspar. “Want to hear a funny story?”

  “Sure,” Kaspar answered back. “I’m game.”

  “When Adrian threw my detonator into the generator’s pit, he thought he had me dead to rights.” Shaw squeezed off another grin through the pain.

  “Really?” Kaspar was intrigued. “How did you pull it off?”

  “When he had me dangling over the pit with his claws buried in the sides of my neck, he got all cocky and said, ‘I have a ticket for you, but it’s one-way’.” Shaw attempted his best Adrian impression.

  Gillian fought back a round of the giggles as she found this quite humorous.

  “To which he then said, ‘Goodbye, Mr. Shaw’.” Shaw again did a dead on impression of the late billionaire.

  “How did you get out of it?” Kaspar was indeed curious to know how this story ended.

  “I opened up my hand, exposing another detonator. Man, you should’ve seen that bastard‘s face. I thought he‘d shit a brick.” Shaw rolled his head about in a victorious parade of exuberance. “So, I said to him, ‘Goodbye Adrian‘. Then, I pressed the button and ignited the entire generator room and the fucker dropped me anyway.” Shaw stretched out his arms as he limped down the long hallway. “All well that ends well. I survived and he didn’t.”

  Gillian moved in close to Kaspar and grabbed his hand, squeezing it as they walked down the hall.

  The three shared a good laugh as they walked side by side down the Abagail’s halls, ready to embark on their new adventure together.

  Epilogue

  Earth

  January 1, 2046

  Chile, South America

  “Chile, South America had become the beacon of hope after Yellowstone’s mammoth explosion on Christmas Day left the entire Northern Hemisphere swallowed in a massive cloud of ash and debris and the United States awash in rivers of lava. The United States was buried underneath several feet of ash. Many flocked to the warmer areas down south in hopes of cheating death’s odds. The President’s death inside the White House came to symbolize the crushing defeat at the hands of a powerful new enemy.

  “In other news, Mount St. Helen’s has experienced rumblings and will soon erupt according to the small remaining band of local scientists. They fear Yellowstone’s eruption has triggered this scenario, and will ignite the Cascade region of volcanoes.” The reporter on the TV stopped to take a deep breath. He then translated the report into Spanish.

  The old man fiddled with the black cracked knob on the aged black and white television. The picture was full of lines and bounced all over the place. He was lucky to even have contact with what had happened only a week ago. “It’s starting all over again.” He sat back in his wheelchair and spun his wheels around to go outside and catch the last glimmering rays of fading sunshine. He ran his fingers across the bill of his dusty Broncos cap. His fingers were a bit gnarled and bent from his previous mission, but he was lucky to be alive.

  “Mr. Drake?”

  Nolan couldn’t make out who it was, for the stranger was standing behind him.

  “Speaking?” Nolan asked, whirling around to face the man.

  “I am Senator Bryce Perry.” The tall, lanky politician reached out his hand. “Are you okay?” Perry was referring to Drake’s current state of affairs.

  “I’ll manage.” Nolan noticed the eyesore of garments the Senator was wearing. A mismatch of colors splattered across his suit. Even the tie was a singed remembrance of a fashion mistake.

  “You were there.” Perry scanned Nolan’s injuries.

  “Through it all. My chopper went down after the ash clogged the intake and rotors. After I painstakingly escaped across the burning bridge,, I found myself trapped on top of a motor home on the other side of the park. I saw the lava flow bearing down on me as it chewed away the rubber tires, sinking the motor ho me into the lava’s river. My lungs were burning to a crisp, I was waiting to die. Then, out of the ash cloud, a specialized chopper that was built specifically for these harsh conditions, came to my rescue. I lost my legs when the chopper’s line snagged and locked itself around the crankshaft. I’m lucky she pulled up when she did. Once I felt the lava rush over my legs, I knew it was instantaneous. The hot, searing pain, was followed by a complete dismembering of my legs from the knees down.”

  “We can’t stay here forever,” Perry said.

  “Yes, I know that. Her thick blanket has covered the entire Northern Hemisphere in several feet of ash. But, we have yet another problem brewing, Senator.” Nolan became serious. “Follow me back into my tent and I‘ll explain everything.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Are you familiar with the Pacific Northwest region?” Nolan spread out the map.

  “Somewhat.”

  “I fear that Yellowstone’s explosion will trigger the other active volcanoes in that region.” Nolan popped the top off of a red marker and started to circle Mount Rainier, followed by Mount St. Helens.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “Positive. Of course, once they erupt, they will take out the greater Seattle area and its surrounding cities and towns, burying them underneath a thick blanket of mud. What’s left of the local scientists have already went on record stating Mount St. Helens is ready to erupt. She’s experiencing stomach problems, if you know what I mean, Senator.”

  “What can we do?”

  “It’s too late for them right now. Oddly enough, those two aren’t our problem.”

  “I don’t follow.” Perry leaned in closer.

  “These are going to be our problem,” Nolan said, circling the entire Cascade Mountain region in thick streak of red ink.

  “Are you insane? That’s almost the entire damn chain of the mountain.”

  “This area is known as the Cascade region and is home to eleven other active volcanoes, all waiting for that perfect time to blow their tops. Yellowstone’s eruption has precipitated that process.”

  “
And?”

  “And, bury the entire western seaboard of the United States underneath a fiery cloud of hell for years to come.”

  “That’s why we have to move further south. I have the late President’s orders to escort all survivors, including you, to Antarctica.”

  “For what?” Nolan asked firmly.

  “A safe harbor from the wrath of the eruptions.”

  “Yellowstone will lower the global temperatures by an average of twenty to thirty degrees Celsius. And, you throw in these new eruptions in the Cascade region, that will further lower temperatures. You think it’s cold now down in the South Pole? We will all wind up freezing to death.”

  “President Forsythe took that into consideration. There’s something down there you need to see, Mr. Drake,” Senator Perry urged him. “Our President arranged for a contingency plan to be put in place, working closely with NASA. Both offices had shared a common goal.”

  “Which would be what?” Nolan asked. He had known the President personally and he never mentioned any other plan besides the Europa Agenda. “You mean besides the Europa Agenda?”

  “It has become bigger than that.”

  “Really?”

  “Back in August of 2007, the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland made strides when they discovered a Earth-like planet called Gliese 581 C, just outside our solar system, located in a red dwarf system. By their standards, this new discovery is only 20.5 light-years away, which is relatively close by scientific measures.” Perry reached for his cell phone, and brought up several images of the new planet.

  “Are these an artist’s renditions of what the planet could look like?” Nolan peered at the folder of pictures.

  “Yeah, and from NASA’s information, they say this new planet is fifty-percent bigger than Earth and it orbits a red dwarf called Gliese. This red dwarf is smaller than our Sun, about sixty times dimmer as a matter of fact. Nevertheless, these planets can orbit the red dwarf more closely and still retain a habitable zone. The average temperature of this new Earth ranges from 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists speculate the planet is either covered in water or could be rocky. Either way, NASA has factored in the close distance and determined that this new planet can at least harbor extraterrestrial life. There are two more planets inside this new solar system that have the possibility of life. A major discovery indeed. So, over the last forty years, NASA set forth a strict regiment of planning. Recently, they have sent exploratory teams with their own fleet of ships. Thanks to Adrian Blakely’s technology and deep pockets, we now have the capability of reaching these planets in our lifetime.”