Fire Fury Frontier

by Amanda Rose

  His boots and uniform had been bloodied as well. He’d parted ways with Norita outside of Gin’s quarters and had headed back to his private quarters to change and shower. Due to the biohazard of getting another person’s blood on himself he’d been granted permission to shower, albeit briefly, and it was blissful. The water had felt incredibly cleansing after months of sponge bathing.

  Takeo refocused his mind to concentrate on his work. He had always had a very sharp mind, and it had helped him to power through getting many things done. As he continued to organize and add his notes to the audio logs, his curiosity about the mega-structure grew. It held innumerable possibilities, and risks. His instinct was to prepare. Prepare for what? He asked himself. Everything…

  The comm system clicked on, “General Yamamoto?” Koi’s voice came through.

  “Yes?” Takeo asked.

  “We’re nearing the gas giant, it won’t be long now. ETA 1 hour,” Koi informed.

  “Thanks,” Takeo replied, “Back on the bridge already, heh?”

  Koi laughed, “Can’t keep me away. See you in a bit.” The comm clicked off.

  Takeo hurriedly finished organizing the data entries, and then uploaded them into the main computer hub for safety. He set down his data pad and called Raiden. “General, what can I do f… you?” Raiden’s voice came in, slightly distorted from the planet’s radiation.

  “Meet me on the bridge,” Takeo instructed.

  “Yes, sir!” came Raiden’s prompt reply. The General stood from his desk, straightened his uniform, and walked out the door.

  |

  Everyone on the bridge fell silent when the mega-structure came into view. They were awe-struck. Dr. Seto Takei watched in wonder, with keen fascination. “Remarkable,” Seto finally said, breaking the silence.

  Raiden felt just as amazed seeing it for the second time as he had the first. He had thought his memory of it was over embellished, but the reality of seeing it again proved otherwise. It was truly massive, it’s presence humbling.

  Koi’s eyes were glued forward on it as he flew the ship in closer. He could hardly bring himself to blink. Norita walked past him and got right up to the window, “It truly is colossal,” she said, taking it in.

  Takeo stood next to Raiden, and he spoke quietly while the others marveled at the gigantic structure, “Raiden, your scans helped Dr. Takei determine that the energy you saw, the bright light, it’s a wormhole.”

  “A wormhole, sir?” Raiden asked.

  “Yes. The doctor described it like a short cut from one point in space to another. He believes this structure is some sort of anchor to keep it in place, apparently, otherwise the two ends can jump to varying locations,” the General did his best to relay the information as he understood it.

  “Wow…” Raiden said, thinking about what that could mean for them.

  “Raiden, we need someone to test it. To go through and make sure the other side is safe, and that it too is anchored, so that we can get back. With the drill destroyed, and water supplies bottoming out, if there’s any chance of attaining water on the other side we need it. We have no idea what to expect… it may even be a one-way trip,” Takeo explained.

  “I understand, sir. I’ll do it,” Raiden said without a second thought. This was the discovery of a lifetime and despite the fear of the unknown Raiden’s curiosity demanded he go.

  General Yamamoto looked Raiden in the eye and saw his conviction. “Alright then, thank you,” Takeo said.

  Takeo turned to face the rest of the room, and raised his voice, pulling the others out of their reverie, “Lieutenant Saito will be our test pilot for the wormhole,” he announced. The others turned around to face them. “Doctor Takei, would you please brief him on what to expect?” General Yamamoto asked.

  Seto nodded and walked closer to them, “Up until now wormholes have been purely theoretical. To be completely honest, we don’t know what to expect. From theory alone, it’s presumed to be like a galactic highway, so we suspect once you enter the corridor of the wormhole that you will be accelerated through the wormhole to the other side. How long that will take and what you’ll experience in transit is impossible to say. You’ll need to run scans for us during your time in the wormhole for us to understand the science behind this phenomenon. We’ve set up your ship to send us a feedback relay as you go.”

  “Understood,” Raiden said, nodding at the doctor.

  “The head engineer has been reinforcing your ship, you’ll have a better chance of withstanding intense gravimetric forces. We’re taking every precaution. There’s no way to know if we’ll have communications capabilities at such a great distance. Presumably, if the wormhole is open, it may work as a conduit for communications as well, however that is just an educated guess. In the face of the unknown, well…” Seto stared out the window, “You’ll know once you’re in there.”

  Norita approach Raiden and extended her hand, “You’re a brave man, and on behalf of everyone abroad the Saisei, I thank you.” Raiden took her hand and they firmly shook. He was at a loss for words.

  “Come on,” Takeo said to Raiden, “Let’s get down to the hangar bay.”

  Chapter 9: The Wormhole

  A dedicated crew was tending to Raiden’s ship when they entered Bay C. As soon as they walked into the hangar Raiden felt a twinge of panic set it, but he pushed it to the back of his mind and ignored it. He’d expected the ship would have looked bulkier, but in fact it looked sleeker in design with the new upgrades. Zavion was overseeing the final touches.

  “I wish I had advice for you, but I don’t,” General Yamamoto said with a heavy sigh, “But you’ve seen this first hand. Better than any of us, you know what to expect.”

  Raiden bobbed his head in agreement, “I think as long as I head straight for the center I’ll be fine.”

  The ship-wide speakers clicked on and a lengthy announcement was made, explaining the mega-structure and the flight test they were about to attempt, encouraging people to find a window to watch the incredible event, along with a shout out to Raiden for safe tidings. When the announcement shut off Raiden shivered. Something about hearing it all, knowing it was now expected by the entire ship, felt unnerving. Again, he tried to push away his worry to focus on the mission, and to remind himself of the incredible possibilities that lay in store if he succeeded.

  |

  Freya was lying in bed, wide awake with her thoughts, next to Koji as he gently snored, when the announcement came on. She jumped out of bed as soon as she’d heard Raiden got to pilot the flight, and hurriedly started getting dressed. Her abrupt departure from the bed had woken Koji up.

  Groggily he looked up at her and saw her struggling to do up the button on her pants with one hand. “Everything OK?” he asked.

  “How’d you sleep through that? There was an announcement. That thing we found, it’s a fucking wormhole! Raiden’s manning the first flight through,” she finally managed to hook the button on her pants. Koji sat there silently taking it in.

  “Where are you going?” he finally asked.

  “They’re prepping for launch, I’m gonna go see him off,” she said. Freya finished pulling her jacket on, and quickly straightened her hair, “Stay as long as you want. I’ll see you later,” she said, and hurried out the door.

  |

  Beep! … Beep! … Beep! The gentle beeping of the medical monitoring equipment sounded harsh to Gin’s sensitive ears as he awoke. Where am I? he wondered, feeling weak. The white of the room blended together to his unfocused eyes; white walls, white beds, white sheets, doctors and nurses in white uniforms, it was veritably a sea of white. As his eyes focused things and people began to take shape, and hues of grey and other colors broke up the monotony of the room.

  Gin went to lift his hand up to rub his face, only to find his arms were tied down. A sense of panic swept over him. His mind felt foggy and confusion ran rampant in his brain. The beeping of his heart rate monitor and the off rhythm beeping of other patients’
machines, the whoosh of nearby ventilators, the incessant murmuring, and patients crying out, all blended into a horrendous cacophony. Gin felt a throbbing headache coming on.

  Just as Gin was about to cry out for help a nurse walked up next to him. “You’re awake,” the young man said, “I’ll get your doctor.”

  Not wanting to be alone, Gin went to grab the nurse, but the restraints held him back, “Wait!” he cried out, his voice strained and hoarse from his parched throat.

  The nurse turned around, “It’s OK, you’re safe here.” Gin exhaled slowly and nodded, and the nurse took off.

  A few minutes later the doctor arrived, and Gin was taken aback by her beauty. She was tall, with thick black hair tied up into a messy bun with a digital data-pad pen stuck through it. She wore glasses, and her eyes were almost violet in color. Her pale skin accentuated the pink of her lips.

  “Hello Gin, how are we doing today?” she asked, looking down at him. The bright ceiling light behind her head made a halo, and he thought she looked like an angel.

  “I… uh…” he was at a loss for words.

  “Don’t worry. I know it must be confusing to be waking up in a different place and not being able to move much. You’re in the hospital. I’m your doctor, I’ve been looking after you. My name is Xena Nakamura. You were found unconscious and near death. Do you remember what happened?” she asked in a soothing tone.

  “I…” he thought for a moment. As he tried to remember he felt an acute pain in his wrists and looked down at the bandaging. Then it came back to him, the knife, the cutting, the incredible dark red of his blood, how good it had felt to feel anything, and how beautiful he thought it looked until the darkness had consumed him. “I tried to kill myself…” he said.

  Xena gently nodded, “Yes. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  Gin lowered his gaze, What am I supposed to say? That it’s all I’ve been able to think about since Rei died… How the hell would she know what it’s like to watch someone die? To find your comrades fucking severed finger? Shit, she trusted me…

  Gin felt a swell of nausea as his private war raged within his mind. His saliva thickened in the wake of his emotional turmoil. He let out a whimpering sigh, and a single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

  Touching his arm compassionately, Gin felt comforted by the heat from Xena’s hand. “It’s alright, we don’t have to talk now. Try to get some rest. I’ll have someone come by to check in on you shortly and bring you some food,” she said, sincere care in her voice. Gin gently rocked his head up and down in acknowledgement, and then she left.

  |

  Freya entered Bay C and quickly looked around for Raiden. She saw him standing next to Ken, the two of them staring at the ship. She called, “Hey!” as she ran up to them. Raiden and Ken both turned to see her approach.

  “Oh, hey Lieutenant,” Ken said as he saw her.

  Raiden smiled, “Hi, Freya. How’s the arm?”

  She looked down at her arm, “Hurts like hell but it’s healing. Lucky you or I’d ‘ve got this flight,” she teased.

  Raiden chuckled, “Yeah, yeah.”

  “That thing is seriously a wormhole though? Wow,” she said shaking her head, “I know it’s been a while but watch out for Link on the other side, could be an ambush waiting, never know, right?”

  Raiden nodded, “Agreed.”

  “I gotta get going, my patrol shift starts soon. See ya,” Ken excused himself.

  “Come to the mess for cards tomorrow,” Freya hollered after him. Ken turned and gave a thumbs up, as he continued to head out of the hangar.

  Freya found herself distracted by the ship, and Raiden stared at it too, it looked immaculate. “You lucky son of a bitch,” she said, pulling her gaze back to him. “Seriously though,” she continued, “you earned this.”

  Raiden held her eyes with his, Freya was rarely serious, and he felt at a loss for what to do. “Thank you,” he finally said and hugged her.

  “So, when do you launch?” Freya asked.

  “Within the hour, just waiting for the green light from the powers that be,” Raiden replied, trying to hide his anxiety.

  “The discovery of a lifetime… Be safe though, I mean it. When that wormhole opened before, the power behind it, it’s just… well it was intense,” Freya grabbed his hand and held it firmly, “Don’t die out there.” Her eyes searched his.

  “I’ll come back, I promise,” he said, and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

  “OK, well, I’m going to go find a place to watch from. Don’t fuck it up, alright?” Freya grinned, back to her regular self.

  Raiden couldn’t help but laugh, “Yeah, I won’t.”

  Freya gave him another quick hug and then walked off. Raiden watched her leave, wondering if it was the last time he’d ever see her.

  |

  Hiroshi sat in his living room, staring out the window, waiting patiently yet attentively for the wormhole to open. He had been in total awe when the mega-structure had first come into view. He had expected it to be big, but this was truly beyond comprehension in terms of humanities building capabilities. It was clearly made by intelligent beings, and he wondered if those who had created this were nearby watching the Saisei. It was impossible to tell the age of the structure, for space was an immaculate preserver.

  The camera app on his data pad was open and ready to capture the miraculous event when it happened. Of all the things Hiroshi had ever drawn, he was never so excited as he was to capture this. He wondered just what the aperture would look like when the wormhole opened.

  The week off from teaching, while filled with its own challenges, had been a welcome reprieve. Hiroshi loved teaching and seeing his students excel, but the artist in him felt nourished to have the time to think and dream and work on projects. If only it hadn’t come at the cost of so many lives… he thought, feeling some guilt for his time to luxuriate. No, that’s not your fault. Just an unfortunate reality, he told himself.

  Just then he saw the small ship launching from the Saisei come in to view as it headed toward the mega-structure. Hiroshi stood up and quickly made his way up to the window. He steadied his hands and began to make micro-adjustments to get the perfect framing with his data pad to capture the photograph.

  It took several minutes for the ship to make its way across the chasm of space to get to the mega structure. Hiroshi waited patiently, his eyes flitting up between the window and the data pad as he watched. As the ship approached the center of the structure suddenly there was a tiny flick of light and then a brilliant blaze of colors erupted in the center of the structure. Hiroshi was temporarily stunned by the brilliance of it, and then furiously began taking photographs as quickly as he could click.

  |

  At the mouth of the wormhole Raiden’s ship hovered, his thrusters in full reverse to fight being pulled in. He started up all of the scanning equipment, barely able to take his eyes away from the wormhole for more than a second at a time. The colors rippled, like light in a prism. Like a snake, the wormhole moved, as if to dance.

  “All systems go,” he spoke into the mic in his helmet.

  “Godspeed,” Takeo’s voice came back.

  Raiden swallowed hard. He took the reverse thrusters offline and was instantly was sucked in and swallowed by the worm hole. Inside the worm hole he could feel the intense turbulence of the ride. Sheering forces tugged at the ship. He checked his readings and was alarmed and nearly in disbelief at the extreme faster than light speeds he was travelling at.

  Time was seemingly suspended in this corridor of light and as suddenly as it had begun it abruptly ended. A darkness appeared at the end of the tunnel and Raiden found himself to be suddenly in open space again. He breathed heavy, his heart racing.

  Once Raiden had regained control of his faculties he began to look around. Behind him there was another mega-structure, however the gas giant wasn’t there next to it. He was somewhere else. It really worked, he thought, overwhelmed. The wormhole
had closed behind him.

  “Saisei, are you there? … Saisei, come in?” there was no reply, as was expected. He thought about going back immediately to relay that the flight had been a success, but his curiosity nagged at him.

  He’d arrived in a binary star system, bathed in brilliant light. Immediately he saw many other worm hole anchors. Amazing! This must be some sort of transportation hub, he thought. The limitless ability for the Saisei to acquire resources now had him nearly jumping out of his seat for joy. More than that, perhaps now they could finally find a planet to colonize and make their home.

  Off in the distance there was a stunning planet, massive in size, with lush greenery and the unmistakable deep blue of water. Several moons circled around it. In all his years in space he’d never seen anything quite so beautiful. Raiden set a course to the planet to take a better look, Might as well bring back some data on it, he justified.