by Andrew Gates
Damien, the poor guy.
Sara had to admit, Damien Saljov was not her favorite person to work with. He was cocky, prone to cursing and did not know the right time to joke from the wrong. But despite everything, he never lost sight of their priorities and held up under pressure, in some ways, better than Sara. He was a good soldier. That much was to be commended. Now he was just a memory, wiped clean from this brutal world. Sara could not help but feel responsible for this innocent man's death.
Days were lonely on this platform. Sara had a lot of time to reflect on the events that brought her here. Whenever the thought of Damien came to mind, which was often, she could not help but tear up slightly.
When not thinking of the past, Sara thought of her future. She wondered if anyone would ever find her up here. She wondered if she would ever even see another human again. She wondered if she would ever meet the people who built and maintained this place. After all, someone had to be maintaining it.
On her first day here, only moments after her first bite of pepper, Sara fell asleep almost immediately and slept the whole night. When she awoke the next day, the bright ball of light above her head arose on the opposite side of the horizon, while the triangular object seemed to remain where it was. This movement disoriented her at first, but then she remembered back to her childhood science class: the sun would rise in the east and set in the west.
The good news was, now she had her bearings.
On her second day, Sara awoke feeling as stiff as a beam. Her legs dared not move, her arms felt heavy and her back practically screamed. Despite her own body's discomfort, she gorged herself all day on disgusting vegetables and fresh steam water. Later in the day, she decided to take a stroll around the platform. It was not as large as she initially presumed, though it was still quite large. She was able to walk the perimeter of it in no time.
She discovered that there were other creatures which resided on this island, small creatures with wings and pointy mouths. Whatever they were, most of them seemed frightened by the steam. Many would not dare fly near it or land on the platform. The brave few that did venture close would reward themselves by feasting on the plants. They paid Sara no mind and would simply fly away if she got too close. Being the first non-fish animals she'd ever seen, the pilot was fascinated by them. She enjoyed watching them from afar.
That evening, Sara stayed awake to witness the ball of light fade past the horizon. It glowed, splashing an array of bright reds and oranges across the dark sky. It looked beautiful, like nothing she ever believed possible. Even in the darkness, Sara felt warm. The steam heated the floor beneath her feet and the moist air that covered her.
On her third day, Sara awoke in a world of darkness. Bright dots decorated the sea above like an array of gorgeous lights. Another glowing ball, smaller and duller, lit up the sky amidst the dots. It passed behind the triangular object, casting an ominous silhouette.
Sara could not help but cough uncontrollably until the sun arose. When it did, the eastern horizon danced in red and orange. The light's presence brought her a strange comfort. Within a few hours, it felt warmer and the sea above the water was full of color once again.
The lonely pilot spent the day trying each type of plant available on the float. In the end, she tried a total of 17 different vegetables and 10 different fruits. Her favorite was a fruit with red skin and a tan interior that reminded her of green probars from the station. It looked almost like an apple, but was smaller and much less sweet.
That night, she stayed up to watch the great ball of light settle past the horizon. Once the dots of light decorated the dark vista, Sara thought it was about time to fall back asleep.
Those had been the last three days.
Now here she was, ready to begin yet another day of solitude here on her new home. She stood on the platform's edge and gazed out onto the ocean. There must not have been another human around for kilometers. The feeling of isolation was both strangely comforting and frightening at the same time.
Sara took a deep breath, wondering how she would spend her day today.
She sniffed her grey tank top. It smelled damp and sweaty. She then looked down at her pants and boots. They were covered in soil. Perhaps, on this day, it was time wash her clothes. Sara chuckled to herself. She had no idea how to do that out here.
A sight suddenly caught her eye. Surprised, Sara quickly looked out over the ocean as some sort of flying machine approached on the horizon. Whatever it was, it looked like a boxy submarine, almost four times the size of the Cassidy X20. It soared through the sea above faster than any of the small winged creatures.
The flying machine was coming in from the west and Sara stood on the west side of the platform. She instinctively crouched down and traversed through the greenery, trying to keep herself concealed from the inbound object. The last time she encountered a mysterious machine like this, it had nearly resulted in her death. She was not about to take any chances today.
Sara continued to make her way through the plants until she was on the opposite side of the platform. She turned to look at the incoming object. It was nearly here and approaching fast, but luckily there was no indication that she had been spotted. She watched intently as it got closer and closer. It started to slow down. That's when Sara realized, this thing, whatever it was, was going to land on the platform.
It was not safe here. Even on the east side, Sara knew she could not hide if this machine was going to land. She had to do something else and she had to act fast.
Doing the only thing she could think of, Sara jumped over the edge, back into the ocean. She straightened her body as she broke the waterline, trying to create the smallest splash possible. Before she knew it, she sunk down below the platform.
Once submerged, visions of the Cassidy attack immediately entered her mind. The glowing orb was in front of her, firing off salvos of superheated plasma. She held her hands before her face, trying to protect herself. But suddenly everything disappeared, reminding her that the attack was nothing more than a memory. She sighed in relief.
Sara swam up until her head was out of the sea. She welcomed the opportunity to inhale.
A humming sound echoed through the air. Sara kicked quietly in the water. There was no sight of the flying craft. She assumed it must have been landing.
Suddenly there was a loud thud and the humming went away. Sara held her breath and tried to stay as quiet as she could. Within a few seconds, she could hear loud stomping atop the platform.
People!
Sara wanted to see, but she also feared the worst. She could not help but have bad feeling about this. Going with her gut instinct, the tired pilot decided to stay where she was for now.
A strange, deep voice began to speak in a language she did not understand. Sara listened carefully as another deep voice responded. Whoever was up there, there were definitely more than one of them and they did not seem to speak English. Who doesn't speak English? Everyone speaks English. Nobody had spoken anything else in generations.
The dialog stopped. For a moment, the sound of splashing waves was the only thing to be heard. But then the people atop the platform began to walk again. Their footsteps were as loud as drums. Whoever they were, they must have been heavy. Sara imagined a couple of obese men wearing thick boots with metal heels.
Sara remained in the water for what felt like a half hour as the people continued their walk across the platform. At times, Sara grew worried that they would never leave and she would be stuck, once again, treading water for hours. But then the humming sound returned. Before she knew it, the flying machine rose up off the platform and flew back to the west.
What if it's a trick? What if they're still here? Sara could not be too sure. She gave it a few more minutes. All the while, it was silent. Eventually she decided there was no more need to wait. She went down under the water and, like last time, jumped up onto the edge. She pulled herself up and over.
Nothing. Nobody was there.
Sa
ra sat up and took a deep breath, glad to know that her mysterious visitors were now gone.
She could not help but wonder about them. What if they were the same people who attacked us? What if they were the same people who killed Damien?
ZOZAK SIGHED AND CLOSED HIS eyes. Today was another boring day on the boat, a day just like any other.
Practically his entire life was set on boats like this one. They called it the Golden, though Zozak never quite understood why. The boat was not made of gold, nor did it even look remotely gold in color. This was an oceanic activity monitor vessel, large enough to hold a crew of no more than 20. There were many boats like this across the Atlantic, one per region. Zozak had operated on vessels like this ever since leaving the Behemoth.
He grew tired of this office, of the numbers on his screen, of the dim lighting and crammed conditions. After the excitement of discovering a mysterious life form, the normal monotony of the day felt impossible to endure. He longed for another adventure, anything, even just an excuse to pilot a drone again. But alas, no excitement came. Zozak's life was just more numbers and data.
Beep!
Someone was trying to contact him through the boat's internal communications network. Zozak turned to a monitor on his left and tapped the screen. The face of his superior, Captain Kal Tyko, filled the screen. As always, she appeared stern.
"Kal Tyko, to what do I owe this honor?"
"We are holding a meeting, Kho Zozak. The crew is gathering in the assembly hall. We have need of your attendance," she explained.
"Understood, Captain. When should I expect us to gather?"
"Now, Kho Zozak. We are meeting now." Her face disappeared from screen as she cut off the communication. If Tyko was known for anything, it was her bluntness.
Zozak was not typically fond of being surprised with sudden meetings, but in this case, he welcomed anything that would disrupt the monotony. He smiled and stood up from his chair, realizing just how long it had been since he had extended his legs. Finally, it seemed it was time to get moving.
The door made a beeping noise as he left the small room. The hall was more crowded than he had ever seen. Others were exiting their offices all around him. Zozak paused for a moment to give others a chance to clear out. After a few seconds, the hall was slightly emptier. He sighed and proceeded on through.
Despite the crowd, it did not take long for him to reach the assembly hall. This room felt just as crowded, though it was the largest open space they had aboard the boat (aside from the deck). It could fit all 20 of the ship's passengers at once. The faded grey walls were not the most welcoming, but then again, nothing here really was.
Tyko stood at the far end of the room. A sea of chairs had been set up, facing her. Most seats were already taken, but a few spots were still open in the back. Zozak found an available place in the back and sat down.
Kho Mukho, the boat's chief engineer, sat directly to his right. As always, he smelled of seawater and piss.
"Do you know why we have been gathered here?" Zozak asked, leaning over to him.
Mukho turned to face him.
"I do not, but I would presume it would pertain to the impending storm," he replied.
"Storm?"
Mukho nodded.
"Surely you must have seen the signs. Wind speed velocity is increasing, temperature is dropping, humidity levels-"
"Thank you all for coming," Tyko said from the front of the room, cutting Mukho off in the midst of his sentence.
Zozak instinctively looked her way, as did everyone else. Her voice was powerful enough to silence the entire room.
"I called this meeting today to discuss several things with you," Tyko began as she paced left and right. "First and foremost, our weather analysis team is predicting the arrival of a hurricane in the coming days. They have assured me that it will likely be very powerful, perhaps strong enough to disrupt some of our equipment. Submerged devices such as steam generators or drones will likely go unaffected, but for all other equipment, operators should prepare for the worst, potently a total system failure."
Someone's claw rose to the ceiling. The captain pointed to the questioner.
"What is the likelihood of a total system failure?" the voice asked. Zozak recognized this speaker as Kho Rokhtal, Chief Overseer to all buoys in the region.
"As far as buoys are concerned, I would imagine the likelihood is slim. But there is no way to know for sure and we are still a few days away from the storm's arrival. We will have more details regarding the power of the storm as we come closer to that day," the captain explained.
Another claw rose to the ceiling. Once again, Tyko motioned to the questioner.
"What of the boat?" this voice inquired. Zozak recognized this speaker as Kal Ytkkta, Chief Overseer to staff operations.
"Business will continue as usual aboard this ship unless told otherwise. To be frank, Kal Ytkkta, I see no reason why the weather should halt our work. In fact, given the issues that tend to arise from these types of storms, our continued work will be more valuable than ever." Tyko paused for a moment. She faced down to the floor, as if thinking. Then she returned her gaze to the room. "Should I change my mind in this decision, you shall be the first to know."
"Understood," Ytkkta replied.
"The storm is projected to arrive within three days, though this could certainly change," the captain continued. "I have instructed the weather analysis team to keep us thoroughly updated throughout the coming days."
Zozak sighed. All of his work was deep underwater. This news did not affect him.
"Are there any additional questions?"
No one responded.
"Then we shall move on. The next order of business pertains to the creature discovered by Kho Zozak."
Upon hearing his name, Zozak straightened his back and looked up. He saw a few in the room turn to glance his way.
Zozak was eager to hear more. Since handing the mysterious creature off to the medical team, he had heard absolutely nothing. It had already been a few weeks. He expected to have heard something by now, but as a good Kholvari, he did not pry for more information.
Word of the discovery had spread across the ship. His colleagues all knew. He could tell they had been itching to ask him more about it since it happened, but as good Kholvari, they did not pry either.
"The Chiefdom wishes to keep many details secret, but here is what I am permitted to say," she began. "Kho Zozak's subject is the first discovered specimen of this species. It was on the brink of death when it reached the med-bay, but our doctors were able to keep the creature alive. This is being regarded as a miraculous medical achievement by the hierarchy."
It survived. Zozak was relieved to hear this news. He felt a special bond to this creature, one he did not quite understand. He tried to imagine what it must have been like for the medical team. He envisioned the body on an operating table, surrounded by Kholvari doctors. They cut open his lungs, draining the water so that he could breathe.
"Its biology appears to be similar to that of the ruors, the largest difference being their apparent mortality. The body does not possess advanced regenerative properties. Unlike the ruors, this species can age and eventually die of natural causes."
A mortal ruor. This was unheard of.
"Based on the technological capabilities of the submarine where this creature was discovered, the Chiefdom has also come to conclude that this being is far smarter than any ruor. In fact, its intelligence may be closely matched to our own," Tyko continued. "The hierarchy has taken a great interest in this specimen and has sent out search parties to uncover more. They believe this creature may belong to some sort of hive." The captain paused momentarily to gather her thoughts. All the while, the room remained quiet. "This information pertains to us in two ways. Firstly, those of you dealing with underwater activity may encounter one of the search party vessels. This should be regarded as normal. These vessels are doing the Chiefdom's work. Secondly, should any of you find anyt
hing suspicious that may involve this new creature, you are to report it directly to me."
Zozak tried to think over everything that had happened during the last few weeks. He could not think of anything particularly suspicious or out of the ordinary.
A claw rose to the air almost immediately. The captain motioned to it.
"Captain, this may be nothing, but it may be something," a voice said. Zozak recognized this speaker as Kho Dkhozer, Chief Overseer to all agro-platforms in the area.
"I shall hear it, Kho Dkhozer," Tyko said, welcoming his news.
Dkhozer stood up from his seat and paused for a moment, as if hesitant.
"A few weeks ago, I discovered a weight imbalance on one of my platforms. The imbalance persisted for a series of days, so I sent in a team to inspect it. The team found nothing, yet the imbalance remains. Until now, I simply assumed the system was malfunctioning."
"You believe this imbalance may be caused by a creature?" Tyko questioned. There was a hint of skepticism in her voice.
"I know nothing for certain, but a substantial amount of produce was missing upon the team's inspection. It would stand to reason that whatever caused the imbalance may also be partaking in the gifts of the farm."
"What type of farm is this? Corn? Wheat?"
"It is a multi-crop farm, Captain. We use it to produce a variety of fruits and vegetables," Dkhozer responded.
"Are you certain this disturbance is not simply a bird?"
"Birds always interfere with our crops. We account for it. But this is different. Something does not add up."
"Hmm," the captain said. She paused, as if she were thinking. "I shall entertain this notion, Kho Dkhozer. It may prove that you were wise to bring this information forward. Let us discuss this further after the meeting is over."
"Understood, Captain," Dkhozer said, bowing. He sat back down.
Tyko looked out at the faces before her.
"Should anyone else encounter similar disturbances, report it to me, as Kho Dkhozer has," she reaffirmed. "Is that understood?"
