The Oceans of Emptiness

by Tiffany Weems

  Inga, the communications officer, swiped at a few controls and spoke. Her voice carried through the room and, as John knew, throughout the ship. “We are about to jump. Please make your way to the designated jump safety zones. Thank you.” Then the communication ended.

  “Are we not telling them about the change?” John asked.

  Captain Creighton didn’t even turn. He spoke lackadaisically with a slight hint of anger in his tone. “The crew do not need to know of the decision until we have arrived. It will be considered an act of mutiny if anyone tells another sole on the ship.”

  John turned his chair to watch out the window.

  “Begin sequence.”

  Everyone fervently worked. John continued to watch, waiting for some technical error, but nothing came. The ship responded and, with the new coordinates, the ship gave all systems go.

  Just before it happened, the ship almost seemed to slow down, they were going to go backwards. Then it was as though his whole body went numb. His head felt lighter. The view changed, but it was more the sensations. Like he’d just swam for three days and his muscles were gone. John didn’t like the feeling and sure hoped that it would go away.

  11

  Twenty Years Later

  Gerald and Wilk stood at the water’s edge. They were both in their wet suits, just waiting on Luna to finish her instruction to the rest of the crew. Then the three of them were to make one final surveillance trip before nightfall. It was far easier to observe the creatures during the day hours; they had learned that a long time ago.

  “Just one more then homeward bound we are,” Wilk said. “At least the disappointment brothers can’t possibly screw this up.”

  “Would you stop calling us that?” Gerald asked with a laugh. “You know I really am beginning to like it here more than on Mars.”

  “That’s because you’re working two jobs on Mars, but down here, your job is more for show. You get to be the slacker you were meant to be.”

  “Shut up.” Gerald turned around to look at the ship. “Here she comes.”

  Luna had exited the ship and was walking toward them carrying her pack and helmet and wearing the look of complete frustration.

  “What took you so long?” Gerald asked.

  “Don’t start with me Gerald. I will leave you here,” Luna said with a smile.

  “Is that a promise?” Gerald reached down for his pack and put his arms through the straps. Then he clasped the broad band across his chest, readjusting the center nozzle.

  “Helmets on,” Luna said.

  Gerald slipped his helmet on his head, clasping it to his neck. He looked around to see that the other two had done the same.

  “Is everyone charged up?”

  Gerald glanced down at his cell. His was green. “I’m good.”

  “Good to go,” Wilk said.

  “As am I,” Luna said. “And Wilk, don’t even think about diving early again. You nearly ran out of oxygen last time.”

  Wilk laughed. “But it was a spectacular dive. Even you have to admit that.”

  Though Luna didn’t say anything, she had a smile on her face. “Activate your packs. We’ll have exactly three hours of sunlight. It shouldn’t take that long though.”

  Gerald activated his pack. “I hope not. This thing feels a little tight.”

  “You should lay off the sweets. You’d eat dessert for every meal if you could,” Wilk said.

  “I’m sure the pack just shrunk.”

  “Boys, if you don’t mind, time to go. Stay close in formation.” Luna leaned forward and leapt up.

  Gerald waited for Wilk to do the same then he leapt up from the sand. They shot forward, flying horizontally over the ocean. There were two main propulsion jets working at the same time. One pointed downward toward the water and one blowing back from their back. The one pointed down was pulsating, keeping them at as steady of a level as possible.

  Gerald lowered one of his hands to feel the ocean rush over him. If he wasn’t wearing the suit, the pure velocity would have probably hurt, but in the suit, it felt nice.

  “Drop point ahead. Dive in three-two-one…” Luna broke the surface first. Wilk was next, then Gerald.

  He held his breath, as he always did. The suit had never posed any threat of not working when he dove into the water, but Gerald didn’t trust it. What if the helmet wasn’t secured? What if his pack exploded on impact?

  The water was murky where they were, but there was light. The sun filtered in only so far. In the parts they could make out, there were plenty of fish and other things that drifted about. From what they had learned, everything down there ate something else. There was no other vegetation so the food chain was clear.

  Gerald dove sideways as a fish with barbed scales swam toward him. “These things ought to know who we are by now,” he said. “I’m getting real tired of almost dying.”

  “They’re just studying us too,” Wilk said. “What are we looking for again?”

  “Seriously?” Luna said. “I don’t know which of you is the bigger idiot sometimes. Just stay in formation or I swear I won’t go back for your body.”

  Gerald got back into his position in the back, slightly to the left of Luna’s stream. He watched ahead until something beside him caught his eye. He looked sideways, ready to dodge another attack, but it wasn’t attacking. The big whale thing that had watched them just as much as they had studied all the other fish swam with them, as though it was guarding them.

  After traveling through the ocean for a good five minutes, Luna slowed down to a stop. Gerald adjusted the controls on his chest so that he slowed down as well. “This a new location?” he asked after Wilk had finally slowed his pack down.

  “Yes,” Luna said. “Thermal scans show interesting activity happening on the bottom here. Thought it might be a good chance to see if the species down here are the same as the others we’ve observed or if their behaviors change in any way.”

  Gerald looked around. “They all look the same.” After spinning fully around, he could just make out the big one still hanging around them. “Is it just me, or is he being more protective than normal?”

  “Gerald, please focus,” Luna said. “We have work to do. Turn your cameras on and stay within range. No turning off your communicators.” Her gaze lingered on Gerald.

  He shrugged and turned around. Then, with the help of his pack, Gerald moved through the water with ease, trying to find the perfect grouping to film. The problem was, he’d watched them for so long that their behaviors seemed the same. There was never a change. The only one that acted any differently was the largest one among them that often followed him around.

  Gerald looked back to make sure Luna and Wilk were not within viewing distance of him. He pressed the button on the side of his helmet to deactivate the communicator. “Is there a reason you’re following me?”

  It didn’t answer, just backed off a little.

  “We’re not going to hurt any of them. You don’t have to worry.”

  Something darted through the water, another fish covered in barbs. The big one whipped his tale around to block the fish before it could reach Gerald.

  “Thanks.” Gerald pushed his button to turn his communicator back on. “Luna, I’m not seeing much. It appears their behaviors are consistent with previous views.”

  “I’m not seeing much either,” Wilk said.

  “I suppose we should head back. Final expedition of this trip and it was a bit of a disappointment. But at least we got some usable footage,” Luna said.

  Gerald stayed where he was until he heard Wilk and Luna coming toward him in the water. He activated his pack and fell in line. They waited to break the surface for a few hundred feet, slowly rising at an angle. Once in the air again, Gerald put on an extra burst of speed and flew past Wilk and Luna.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Luna asked.

  “Winning,” Gerald said. Gerald could see Luna closing back in on him, but he continued to gain speed
until the shore came into view. Then, with a quick flip up, he slowed the pack and landed first. “Yes. I’m still the best.”

  “Whatever,” Wilk said as he landed just after Luna. “You’re not that good. If I had actually tried, you would have lost.”

  “Says the loser.”

  “Hush,” Luna said.

  Gerald looked around to see why they were being told to be quiet. Then his eyes fell on the ship, where they had left the crew. There was blood on the ground near the nose. A good deal of it.

  He looked to Luna who had made a motion to remove her pack and pull out her weapon. Then she moved almost on tiptoes to the ship.

  Gerald silently unclipped his pack and set it on the ground. Then pulling his gun from the pack, he held it out in front. Before he could even make it to the ship, however, Luna had reappeared with her hands up in a shrug.

  “I don’t know what happened, but no one’s here,” she said.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Gerald said. “Where did they go?”

  Luna shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “And whose blood is that?”

  Again Luna shook her head.

  “We’re the only ones here,” Gerald said. He felt the hands before he was able to react and then a knife was against his throat.

  Gerald felt a deathly male arm wrap around him and the knife press deeper against his throat. He could smell the man’s breath, putrid as anything he’d ever smelled before. The man made a motion toward Gerald’s weapon.

  With a sigh, Gerald handed over his weapon. “Have you been stuck here?”

  The man said nothing, keeping Gerald between himself and the other two at all times.

  “We can help you with whatever you need,” Luna said in a calm voice. She had her hands raised high, the gun still in one. “But I’m going to need you to let go of Gerald first.”

  Gerald was sure that wasn’t going to happen. He could see his weapon point directly at Luna.

  Luna stayed as she was.

  In a flash, the gun shifted. There was a shot and Gerald saw Wilk drop to his knees.

  “What was that for?” Wilk asked through gritted teeth as he held his arm.

  Still no answer. The man motioned his hand with the weapon for them to board the ship.

  Luna walked over and helped Wilk to his feet. Then the two of them limped onto the ship. Gerald was escorted on board with his arm wrapped behind his back and the knife to his throat. He wished he could turn around, just to catch a glimpse of the man.

  Once all were onboard, the man pointed to Luna and then to the controls. Did he want them to take off? What, for Mars?

  Luna shook her head. “I can’t do that. Not until the rest of our crew are on board.”

  There was a strange laugh that ensued from behind him. It definitely didn’t sound normal. There was another wave toward the cargo hold.

  Gerald bit his tongue. If the man meant what he thought he meant, Gerald was sure they wouldn’t want to open that cargo hold.

  The gun waved at Wilk in a threatening manner.

  Gerald watched Luna take a seat with a sigh. He could make out Wilk seated in the copilot seat. They weren’t going to do anything. He threw his head back and hit something. The man’s grip loosened. Gerald broke free and turned around. The shock alone was enough to make him nearly pass out. “You,” he said. Time had not been kind to the man, but Gerald recognized Beasley immediately. He knew the eyes.

  Beasley’s clothes were worn and dirty with only scraps left on the arms and near the ankles. His hair was matted, full of rats and his beard shaggily over grown, graying with time. His skin looked leather like.

  Beasley touched his nose and looked at his hand covered with the fresh blood. The old priest’s eyes narrowed.

  Gerald took a fighting stance.

  With a smile, Beasley aimed his gun and fired. Gerald heard the shot, then everything went dark.

    

  It could have been hours or days by the time he came back to consciousness. Gerald could smell the putrid breath and knew immediately who was still there. Squinting through his eyelashes, Gerald made out the silhouette of a man, with two weapons in his hand.

  He could also make out only one person at the controls.

  The ship lurched. Opening his eyes fully, he rose from the floor.

  Beasley flashed a horrific smile and motioned for Gerald to join Luna at the controls where Wilk had been seated before Gerald had been knocked out.

  Gerald walked with shaky legs, leaning against the sides of the ship for support. As he sat down, Gerald glanced at Luna. “Where’s Wilk?”

  She didn’t answer. They broke through the outer atmosphere and Luna lowered the ship with ease to just outside Capena. She never looked at Gerald or turned around in her seat. When she was spoke, it was monochromatic. “We’ve landed. You can leave now.”

  Beasley laughed.

  “You’ve got what you wanted, now leave before anyone else gets hurt,” Luna said.

  With the gun pointed at Gerald, Beasley made a motion like he wanted something to write on. Gerald grabbed a tablet and handed it to him. Then, without glancing down once, Beasley scribbled something across the screen with his finger. He turned it around so they could read it.

  Gerald bit his tongue. “I won’t do that. No.”

  It was though Beasley knew exactly how to manipulate Gerald. The moment that weapon turned toward Luna, Gerald knew he didn’t have a choice.

  “Alright. Don’t kill anyone else, please.” He tried to walk out of the ship, but suddenly his legs didn’t seem to want to work. His heart was beating fast and his body felt numb. Gerald looked at Luna.

  She gave him an encouraging smile and a curt nod.

  He moved, stepping out only moments before Beasley. Luna was left on board. Was Beasley really that stupid? She was obviously going to contact someone the moment they were gone. Maybe she’d find help in time. Maybe they’d never even make it to Second Earth. Maybe no one else would die.

  They walked on the surface of Mars, Gerald dragging his feet as much as he dared. He considered going the wrong way. If he just turned toward Ares or Flora at least he’d be able to keep Beasley away from his father. But then Luna may not be able to find him. So Gerald stayed on course for Second Earth. He prayed on the way that his father was in Capena, just anywhere but there.

  The settlement came into view. There were no guards, no gate, nothing to stop him from entering Second Earth. Gerald tried to go in first when he felt the arm wrap tightly around him once more. The knife was against his throat again and the gun pointed straight ahead once more. People scattered. Gerald wondered how many people recognized the man and how many were just reacting to the threat.

  “I can’t lead you there if you hold onto me.”

  Beasley tightened his grip.

  What was he waiting for? It took a minute for Gerald to realize what Beasley already knew. The moment his father found out someone was threatening people with a gun, he’d come running: the hero of the people; straight to his true death sentence.

  “Gerald,” his father said the moment their eyes met.

  Gerald could see his shoulders drop. “Just go. I’m fine.”

  The knife dug in slightly causing something to trickle down his neck. Gerald winced.

  “We can settle this,” his father said. “What do you want?”

  Beasley motioned at Gerald’s father and then back at them.

  “Alright. We can talk alone. Just follow me.”

  Gerald closed his eyes. He was forced to walk, shoved to the left then the right and finally he heard the slide of a door. Gerald opened his eyes to find himself in the city hall. The reception desk was empty as it had been the first day he’d been in the building.

  “I understand,” his father said. “I’d be mad too. In our defense, we thought you were dead.”

  Gerald held his breath. That wasn’t much of a defense. The knife was removed from his neck and was
instantly stabbed into his thigh. Gerald screamed in pain. He was released, immediately falling to the ground. Gerald tried to stand back up, but Beasley shot him in the other leg, just below the kneecap.

  “Stay down Gerald. I can take care of myself.”

  “Dad, just shut up. He’s going to kill you.”

  “I know that and I don’t plan on going down without a fight.”

  Beasley slowly stalked toward Gerald’s father. Gerald spun over and tried to crawl his way to them. There was a shot. His father fell. Using his elbows, Gerald dragged himself across the floor.

  Beasley looked at Gerald with a smile. He mouthed something that took Gerald a moment to understand. “Say goodbye.” That’s what he had mouthed. Gerald looked at his father. What his father had done, Gerald didn’t know. He kept trying to crawl to his father. He could still help.

  Searing pain started in his leg and shot up through him. He looked back to see the knife gone. And, with shaky vision, he followed the drips of blood toward his father. Beasley bent over and ripped his father’s mouth open. Gerald closed his eyes, though that didn’t stop him from hearing the screams that he was sure all of Second Earth could hear.

  When he finally had the nerve to open up his eyes again, Beasley was gone and his father was motionless. It took several more minutes of Gerald laying on his side, staring at his father, before Luna showed up with a frantic Wallis and a frazzled Jessica.

  “Shit,” Jessica said. “What happened?” She never even looked at Gerald.

  Luna ran to Gerald. “Are you okay?”

  “In quite a bit of pain, so no.”

  “We need to get you to a doctor.”

  Gerald shook his head. “I don’t want to leave him.”

  “I’m pretty sure there is nothing you can do for him now. Gerald, we’re going to have to get you help too or you could bleed out. That cut in your leg is deep.” Luna motioned for Wallis to help her. Then the two of them lifted Gerald and carried him from the room. Luna spun her head around. “What are you doing?”

  “Guarding the door until cleanup crews have arrived,” Jessica said. “No one is to see what happened to him.”