The Experiment

by Costanza, Christopher

  Long ago the ACI had decided to create its own military force, specially trained for “off-word” affairs. They would be the first ones sent down to any foreign planet to make sure it was safe for the science, archaeology, mining teams, and political representatives. It opened the door for people like me to become a part of the Sirius missions.

  They were also trained in the ways of diplomacy, as they would be the first to contact any other species encountered. Due to my personality profile and performance record at the academy, I was specifically assigned to be a first encounter specialist.

  My job was basically to befriend any potential new allies and represent the Aeris government in a peaceful and intelligent fashion. Once a safe environment had been confirmed, others with more qualifications and knowledge would be sent to take over.

  In a way it was like being a food tester for rulers in ancient times… it could get you killed… To me, it just sounded interesting and exciting.

  I don’t actually expect to encounter any intelligent life. Simply due to the fact that the Sirius missions have been taking place for decades and none has been found to date. And if we don’t, people like me will be reassigned to the mining operations in order increase production and get us all home at an even sooner date.

  I do believe it will eventually happen, just in the distant future. I have always thought about the question of intelligent life in the universe as a very simple one. I say, if we exist here on Aeris, it would have to be crazy to think intelligent life couldn’t form on other planets as well…

  I have no family, and no ties to this world. I was the perfect candidate for a life of searching for something that may never be found. People like me would most likely just help lay the foundation that will enable the future generations to answer all of life’s most important questions.

  I was fine with that… At least my life would mean something. I would be involved in helping billions of people, preventing more war, and furthering our knowledge of the universe. There was no doubt it my mind that I was doing the right thing…

  As I put on my official ACI uniform for the first time I could feel myself change. It was a strong, deep blue, lined with silver accents and red cuffs, embellished by a small, simplistic depiction of our solar system above the lettering “ACI” on the chest.

  When I walked over to the mirror and saw my reflection, the reality of everything that was about to happen came washing over me. I knew that my life was going to change forever, and that once I got on the ship headed to the Aurora, there’d be no going back.

  Chapter 2

  When I arrived at the ACI launch facility, it was ablaze with life. It was easy to tell they were preparing for our mission. Every few minutes transport ships were taking off for The Aurora, armies of supply trucks were passing by, and it was obvious that everyone was in a big rush.

  I was already ecstatic (and somewhat nervous) about going into space for the first time, and the atmosphere of the facility only added to what I was already feeling. I couldn’t wait to head up to the Aurora and be able look down on Aeris for the first time. I had always heard the sight of it will change your life forever…

  Someone once told me – “It would make you realize your insignificant place in what we have deemed the universe.”

  I walked for what seemed like forever. Every aspect of the facility was larger and more complex than I had ever imagined. I could truly feel that I was somewhere important. The impressiveness of the whole operation instantly put me at ease; these people definitely knew what they were doing.

  Any trepidation I may have had vanished and was immediately replaced with the same excitement and curiosity I felt in my youth while looking up at the night sky, wondering what might be out there…

  As I approached the launch section I came upon an ocean of people.

  Announcements were coming from all different directions – “Science division gate 1, engineering gate 2, health division gate 3, ACI officers and flight crew gate 4, All military personnel gate 5, mining operations gate 6, general maintenance gate 7.”

  I made my way over to the military loading gate and looked for familiar faces. I had made a few friends at the academy who felt the same way I did about this mission. I was hoping to see at least one or two of them here.

  After a few moments of searching, I spotted my friend, Kayin. He had trained alongside me as a military technician, so I could only assume he’d be responsible for equipment operations and repairs on the ship and in the field.

  I snuck up behind him and slapped him on the back, just hard enough to hurt a little and make a loud noise.

  “Tighten up soldier!”

  He jumped and turned around.

  When he saw me his eyes lit up and he starting laughing, then he said “I was wondering when you’d show up… Thought maybe you got cold feet.”

  We shook hands and I replied “No way… Plus I have to watch your back so you don’t do anything stupid.”

  We both laughed.

  Kayin and I were the same age; we even joined the academy the same month. In reality, he was bigger, stronger, faster, and even smarter than I was… If anything I needed him to look out for me.

  He always got near perfect scores in marksmanship and was a technical genius. Unfortunately we probably wouldn’t see too much of each other once the mission started. He’d be performing maintenance and responding to any mechanical malfunctions that might take place during the mining process.

  In reality, he was probably one of the most important people on the ship…

  We stood around and talked about our time at the academy for a while, laughing it up as we always have.

  I eventually changed the subject and said “So do you think X-451 will have intelligent life?”

  He laughed and replied “I don’t know, seems like there’s a pretty good chance… I guess we should hope there isn’t any… If it’s home to another civilization like us they might not want us to mine all of their chrysos.”

  He made a good point…

  Seconds later, a man came over and made an announcement.

  “All military personnel will begin boarding the transports in less than five minutes!”

  When I looked over at Kayin, I could tell he was even more ready to go than I was. As always, he was the inspiring type of guy. He was the one who would jump first and laugh at everyone else for hesitating. Just looking into his ice blue eyes would give anyone the impression they were dealing with a very intense and special person… There was just something about Kayin that drew people to him…

  I on the other hand was cautious and meticulous, which is most likely why I was assigned as a first encounter specialist.

  …Funny that I’m called a “specialist” because we’ve never made contact… Therefore such a thing can’t exist yet…

  As the line started to move, my excitement only grew and my stomach was in knots... It was strange to think I would be gone for many years, but at the same time it was fine because there was no one waiting for me... I honestly can’t think of one reason why I would miss Aeris while I’m gone…

  If anything, it would be interesting to see how much Aeris will change after such a long period of time. Especially since I’d be in stasis and wouldn’t age or experience time for 10 of the 14 years we would be gone. From my own perspective, you could almost say it would be like time travel.

  Kayin turned to me and said “So you were assigned as a first encounter specialist huh?.. Seems like a good fit for you.”

  “Yeah, I was a little surprised when I found out but I got used to the idea… I hope I actually get to do my job.”

  He laughed and said “Yeah you’d be great at it. Too bad you’re most likely gonna end up mining… Don’t worry though, I’ll come visit you every now and then so I can tell you how easy my job is…”

  I smiled. “Aah, don’t say that… Not that I won’t be happy to help… But you know how I feel.”

  It was finally getting to the point whe
re Kayin and I would be in the next group going up to the Aurora Station. Within minutes I would be boarding a transport ship for the first time.

  Just then the woman controlling the boarding process said “Next group!”

  As I walked through the doors out to the departure area, another transport ship shot into the sky. The shockwave it sent out almost made me lose my equilibrium and start to fall… I truly realized that from this moment on my life would definitely never be the same… It would be extraordinary…

  Kayin laughed and said “Don’t hurt yourself before you even make it on the ship man!”

  He must have noticed me lose my balance…

  When we boarded the transport ship, Kayin and I immediately began to struggle for a window seat. He of course won, so I just went to the back and found another one. There was no way I was missing out on the view of Aeris from space. Once we got to the Aurora, Aeris would barely be distinguishable. Nothing but a green speck in the distance.

  The Aurora was about ten times further away than the moon. It was a safety precaution in case something ever went wrong with the new technology the ACI was experimenting with.

  They had found a way to “draw immense amounts of energy directly from subspace”… Whatever that means…

  Their scientists considered it to be a backup plan of sorts. If the mission to X-451 was a failure, they believed this new technology could eventually lead to the ability to power protective fields around every city on Aeris. Unfortunately, they predicted many decades of research until a usable prototype could be safely tested.

  A rumor spread throughout The Capital, that if one of these experiments were to ever detonate, the explosion could quite possibly kill everyone on the planet. The ACI claims it isn’t true, but to silence the protestors they agreed to operate the Aurora at a “safe” distance…

  The anticipation made it seem like hours before the transport ship finally launched.

  It was quite a sight to watch the Capital fade away and the blue sky turn into a starlit background. The evidence of civilization slowly disappeared, revealing only the face of nature.

  I couldn’t help but be transfixed and I thought to myself, “This definitely won’t be the last time I do this.”

  The view of space was so incredible… I must have completely lost sense of time and slipped into some kind of a trance. It was supposed to take almost an hour to reach the Aurora… But next thing I know, I heard the com cut on.

  “We are now approaching The Aurora Station, should be docking in about 10 minutes.”

  Kayin got up and walked back to where I was sitting.

  “That was amazing wasn’t it!?”

  I replied “Yeah I just wish the ship wasn’t so fast so it all would have lasted a little longer.”

  “Oh for sure…I can’t wait see the inside of the Aurora, you know about the Asirium Hall right?”

  “Of course, it’s all anyone who’s been there talks about…”

  As The Aurora came into sight it was absolutely overwhelming. It was almost like an entire civilization floating above Aeris. The best way to describe it would be a city in the stars.

  When the transport ship began to dock, I could see the legendary Asirium Hall. Asirum is a clear, glass like substance that was found on D-217 and it just so happens to be one of the strongest materials we know of. It’s a perfect example of helpful discoveries that can be made from the Sirius missions.

  The ACI decided to make the outside walls of one entire floor from asirium. The Aurora was disc shaped and the Asirium Hall wrapped around the whole station. You could walk for close to twenty miles with an ever-changing view of space… It’s something I definitely planned on doing tonight since our ship wouldn’t be embarking until the morning.

  When the transport ship docked and Kayin and I boarded The Aurora, we were both speechless. All we could do is look at each other and point at everything.

  It became very apparent that the ACI was far more advanced than the public and our government. The Capital was an amazing example of our technology, ingenuity and creativity… but nothing like this.

  Walking through the doors onto The Aurora was almost like stepping through a portal into the future. I couldn’t even identify most of what I was seeing… All I knew is if the cities outside the protected zone saw this, it would surely provoke another war…

  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t understand how something like this could even exist… The time, money, and manpower it must have taken was simply unbelievable. The mining of all the metals, the vast amount of asirium used for the hall and the idea that it was entirely constructed in space was simply beyond my comprehension…

  As followed the group to the north side of the Aurora, my eyes began to burn because I couldn’t bring myself to even blink... It was one of the most incredible things I had ever experienced… The asirium was so clear that it almost gave the effect of actually walking in space.

  I was lucky I didn’t bump into anyone or trip; I couldn’t keep my eyes forward as we made our way to the orientation area. The only way I could describe it was hypnotizing, and when I looked over at Kayin, I could tell he felt the same way.

  When we all made it to the orientation area there was already a man standing at the podium waiting to speak. He was obviously high in rank and probably pushing 60. He was noticeably tall, completely grey and looked almost frighteningly serious… like he had been through a lot…

  He cleared his throat and began to speak.

  “I am Commander Neros, and I would like to start by congratulating all of you, as you are now officially members of the Aeris Coalition of Intelligence… From the moment you entered this station, everything you see and hear must be considered as classified. From the moment you enter your assigned ship, the Sirius 7, everything you see and hear is classified. Does everyone understand?”

  We all replied “Yes Sir!”

  Commander Neros continued. “All the ships have been named Sirius because they are our greatest hope to once again find something that could change the world forever… This mission will be potentially deadly and quite possibly unsuccessful, but you’re all here because you know it’s worth the risk… We must no longer stand by and watch the rest of the world suffer, simply because we have the technology to help ourselves. Otherwise we are no better than the men who destroyed the atmosphere through industry so long ago… I have faith that all of us will return with ability to correct their mistakes - as the saviors of humanity.”

  After hearing his words I knew that I was in the right place, and that I really would never regret the decision to leave my life behind.

  Just as Commander Neros finished, another man stood up and proceeded to take the podium. He was younger and noticeably less… important looking… He seemed frail, and was wearing plain clothes.

  “Hello everyone, I am Director Orion. I’m basically in charge of The Aurora, once you board the ship, Commander Neros will be who you answer to… The Sirius 7 will be leaving tomorrow morning. Before then, please take the time to see what The Aurora has to offer… Best of luck to all of you, please know you have my utmost respect for your efforts and courage… Oh yes… All technicians report to area 13 in the west wing for technology orientation. I promise you will all be very intrigued by our new creations.”

  … Guess I was wrong…

  When I looked over at Kayin and I could tell he was excited.

  He said “Oh this is going to be great! I can only imagine what kind of classified tech these guys have been hiding from everyone! You know I drool over this stuff Atlas… I’m outta here; I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done.”

  He slapped the back of my head and took off running… I’d get him back…

  I immediately walked back out into the Asirium Hall and continued to gaze at the stars for quite some time… It’s all I could think about. For a while it was as if nothing else existed… Just like when we were on the way up to the Aurora.

  Suddenly, I n
oticed someone out of the corner of my eye.

  “Amazing isn’t it?”

  I was a bit surprised so I hesitated “…Yes it is… I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to stop looking.”

  “Oh, I was the same way when I first started working up here many years ago… I used to get in trouble for being late to the lab every morning. I’d spend so much time at night walking the hall I’d end up oversleeping.”

  He smiled, put out his hand and said “My name is Horus, I’m the head of the science division for The Sirius 7.”

  I turned and said “Science division? I think you’re in the wrong place; we’re all military in this section… Atlas, by the way.”

  He said “Well actually, before I go on any mission I always go around and look for an assistant from another division… Scientists can be arrogant, combative, and annoying. I just need a regular assistant.”

  I paused and said “Didn’t you just say you were a scientist?”

  He laughed “Yes I’m a scientist, and as a scientist it’s my duty to present reality.”

  I smiled “Hey, you said it.”

  He turned and faced me “Why are you here Atlas?”

  I thought for a moment “Well… you may not believe this but it’s because I’ve been thinking everything that Commander Neros said for a very long time… Just because we all live in safety, people seem to forget about the billions on the outside of the protective field. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ok with that and I want to do something about it.”

  He looked at me for a few seconds.

  “So you’re not here for money or a good time?.. Actually I already knew that, I was watching you while the Director gave his speech. I could see it on your face. That’s why I came over here to talk with you… Follow me.”

  I wasn’t quite sure what had just happened but I have a feeling it was a good thing…

  Horus looked to be at least 40, maybe even 50. He had an odd look in his eyes, almost as if he knew something the rest of us didn’t. I could almost describe it as unwavering confidence and wisdom.