by J. N. Chaney
“Affirmative,” Iris said. “There are currently two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three survivors onboard the Orion.”
My body felt numb as I heard the number. We had left Earth transporting one hundred thousand new colonists, promising them a better world. Now, not even three thousand were on board.
“How—how can that be?” Arun sank to her knees as the weight of the number hit her. “How did we let this happen?”
“You didn’t,” Stacy said, leaning beside Arun. “The Disciples did this.”
Arun hung her head low. Her white hair hid her face like a curtain, but by the way her body trembled, I knew she was crying.
“That can’t be all of them,” Elon said from his prone position. “That’s only how many are currently on the Orion, not the total number of survivors across the planet. There must be thousands, maybe more that made it onto the escape pods. There’s more out there. We just have to find them.”
The room quieted again. Ricky went over to Stacy and Arun and gave them both a hug.
I looked over to Elon. He wasn’t sobbing, but he stared straight up into the ceiling as tears slid from his eyes. It was a quiet sadness, almost stoic in the way he grieved.
I really wasn’t the comforting type, but I understood in that moment exactly how much Elon and Arun cared for the Transients. They honestly believed they had failed them. I placed a firm hand on Elon’s right shoulder, looking down at him.
“You take this time to be sad or disappointed. You take whatever time you need, but you can’t change the past,” I told him. “That’s something I learned a long time ago. The only option now is to move forward or quit, and you’re not allowed to quit.”
“Dean’s right,” Arun said, standing up and composing herself. “We still have people here depending on us as well as those who are scattered across this planet waiting to be saved. We can help them.”
“Iris, is there a way to calculate how many escape pods and crafts disengaged from the Orion before it crashed? And then calculate how many survivors could have been in them?” Stacy asked, looking over to the Cognitive.
“There was a total of seven escape crafts that successfully detached from the Orion, as well as two hundred and thirty-nine escape pods,” Iris said in her matter-of-fact tone. “There is no way to know for certain how full each craft was, but if it were filled to capacity, there would be roughly another seventy-five hundred survivors that landed around the planet.”
“If they’re out there, we’ll find them,” Elon said through gritted teeth. “I swear, we’ll find them.”
“I’ve run through the rest of the ship diagnostics,” Iris said hesitantly. “Would you prefer the good or bad news first.”
“Bad news first,” I said. “Always the bad news first.”
“There is no way the Orion will ascend into space again. The complete lower section of the ship is gone, including the thrusters. The most notable sections lost are the four cargo holds with our supplies.”
“The cargo hold can’t be far off,” I said. “It had to land somewhere within a day or two of here.”
“How do you know that?” Arun asked.
“One of the dogs that was in the cargo hold found us,” I told her. “He had to land somewhere close to be able to find us that same day.”
“But what about the brig? Who knows where that section of the ship landed with that Disciple and Warlord thug?” Ricky asked.
“There’s no way they survived the landing.” Stacy shook her head. “No way.”
“Elon did a great job of leveling out the craft,” I said. “If there are survivors here, then maybe there are more on the other sections of the ship. We need to be careful.”
“All right, Iris,” Elon said. “I think we can use some good news. What do you have?”
“The food stocks on the upper levels of the ship need repairs but will be usable. The main navigation is still down, so I am unable to tell exactly where in the galaxy we are, but I have managed to get our short-range scanners up and running. I—”
Iris cut herself off from her next words. She held a blank stare with her mouth slightly open, and her eyes glazed over. This was not something the Cognitive had ever done before, as far as I was aware.
“Apologies,” the Cognitive said, finally moving again. “My processing power is limited at the moment. I’m detecting structures on the planet. Yes, the scans are showing buildings of some kind, and they are unrelated to the Orion.”
Epilogue
“Buildings?” Ricky was the first to find his voice. “Like, buildings, buildings?”
“Iris, please elaborate,” Arun said, knitting her brow in a thick line of concentration.
“My short-range scanners are working up to three kilometers in every direction of the Orion,” Iris explained. “Exactly two point four kilometers east of our current location.”
The bridge was so quiet, I could almost hear my own heartbeat.
“There can’t be buildings here,” Elon said from his prone position. “That would have to mean—”
“It would mean that we are not alone on this planet,” Stacy finished the thought.
“Aliens,” Ricky breathed, his legs shaking as he tried to steady himself. “I knew it. Oh God, I need to sit down.”
While Ricky took a seat, Arun picked up the line of questioning. “Iris, can you detect any alien lifeforms in or around the structure?”
“Negative,” Iris said. “Keep in mind, my scanners are only able to look three kilometers out. There may be additional lifeforms further removed.”
“Can you bring up a holo of what you’re seeing on the scanners?” Stacy asked.
“I can, but it will be difficult to make out,” Iris warned as she opened her right hand. “There is limited power at the moment.”
A light blue holo came to life above her hand. Just like Iris had said, there was a building resembling a church or a storefront. The image was full of static and unclear, but there was no denying this structure was made by an intelligent race. It held a roof, walls, and even doors.
“Where the hell did we land?” I asked. I knew no answer would come, but I couldn’t help myself. “And what do we do now? Go and knock? Ask if anyone’s home?”
“I don’t know,” Arun muttered.
“Two klicks,” Stacy said, and bit her lower lip. “We can make that before the suns set. At least get a look at what we’re dealing with.”
“Are you serious?” Ricky asked, wide-eyed. He looked at the rest of us. “Is she serious? Who knows what’s in there? I don’t want anything to do with any aliens. Don’t you people watch movies?”
“I’ll go with you,” I said.
“If Iris and Ricky will stay with Elon, so will I,” Arun said.
“Of course, someone should stay and take care of your brother,” Ricky piped up immediately. “I’ll protect him with my life, Arun. You can count on me.”
“Thank you,” Arun said, looking over to Iris. “Can you coordinate with the survivors on the ship and create a livable space here on the Orion, salvaging whatever you can for future use?”
“Immediately,” Iris said. “Do be careful. There is a maintenance hatch that will let you off just outside the elevator shaft. I’ll send the information to your holo card.”
“Thank you,” Arun said, checking her blaster at her hip.
“Dean,” Elon said, propping himself up on his elbows. He grimaced again before reaching to his left hip and handing me his own blaster. “You’ll need it before I do.”
“Thanks,” I said, accepting the weapon.
“Let’s go,” Arun said, heading for the doors. “I want to be back before nightfall.”
I agreed with her. I had no desire to be out in the open after the suns disappeared. Not with that mist and a freaking alien house two klicks from our location.
I headed out with Arun and Stacy. We covered the ground in silence, working quickly as Arun found the maintenance hatch in the elevator shaf
t and popped it open. A cool wind rushed inside the tunnel, echoing as it traveled down the lonely shaft.
Iris wasn’t kidding. The maintenance exit point was a good four-meter drop to the hill that the Orion had come to rest against. I went first, hanging from the ledge to shorten the drop before letting go. As soon as my feet touched the hill, I bent my knees to absorb the impact.
I had to catch my balance, but I was good. Stacy came next, and finally Arun.
“If we are not alone on this planet, we are better off trying to make allies of whoever or whatever is here,” Arun said, checking her blaster, then holstering it in her belt. “If we do see anything, keep that in mind.”
“Roger that,” I said as we climbed up the steep hill. “Try to make friends with the little green people instead of shooting them. You know, I have to say you’re both dealing with this pretty well. I’d imagine most people might freak out at the prospect of intelligent life on an alien planet.”
“I suppose with everything else that’s happened today, this is just another piece,” said Stacy. “What are we going to tell everyone else?” she asked as we made our way from the ship. “I mean, I want to believe the best about people, and I don’t want to lie, but adding this on top of what just happened?”
“I didn’t tell them about the Disciple on board, and look where that got us,” Arun said. “I’d rather tell them the entire truth in this case and let them do with it what they will.”
“And what exactly is the entire truth?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Arun said.
The twin suns were slowly making their descent. If I had to guess, we had maybe two hours of light left before the night took over. I wanted to be safely back inside the Orion by then.
It didn’t take us long to see the building in the distance. It looked like an entrance complete with walls, a pointed roof that came up like a steeple, and doors. It led into another small hill behind it.
“There,” Stacy said.
“I see it,” Arun answered.
The feeling in the pit of my stomach wasn’t exactly fear. There wasn’t anything to fear yet. It was a nervous warning. Like a little voice inside of my head was telling me that things were about to get a lot worse.
My blaster was tucked into my waistband. In two seconds, I could draw and have it pointed to anything that moved.
But nothing came.
We kept walking toward the doors until we stood right in front of it. My mouth was dry. Trying to wrap my head around aliens was something I never thought I’d have to do.
Standing in front of the doors, I could see how ancient they truly were. With cracks and carvings etched into the stone, it was like something from a history documentary.
“Iris, can you hear me?” Arun whispered into her holo card.
“Yes,” Iris said in a soft voice.
“I’m scanning the rock with my pad,” said Arun. “Can you detect any known substances? Is there a way for us to get an accurate age on this? Any details as to how long this entrance has been here?”
“Aside from normal rock, there are trace amounts of an unknown substance within,” Iris said. “Were I to postulate, I would say this structure has stood for at least a few hundred years, although I cannot be certain.”
“Hundreds of years,” Stacy repeated, walking closer to the massive doors towering an easy ten meters into the sky.
“We should go back,” Arun said, pointing to the sky. “It’ll be dark soon, and we have no idea what’s behind those doors. Better to face it in the light of day with a larger team.”
“Agreed,” I said. “We’ll return and figure this out. We have time.”
Stacy nodded along, lost for words.
“We will, my friends,” Arun agreed, an infectious determination on her face. “If not for ourselves, then for those we must protect. We are stronger together, are we not?” she asked, looking directly at me.
“That’s right,” I agreed, thumbing the blaster at my side. “And we’ll take on whatever comes next.”
Continue reading for ORION UNCHARTED.
For Jonathan,
And the many adventures to come.
-J.N. Chaney
To everyone who’s gotten knocked down following their dreams.
You get back up. You don’t give up. That’s not who we are.
-Jonathan Yanez
1
The Orion crashed. Like the ancient ship of old, the Titanic, the impossible had happened. Those of us who survived the crash were deposited on a strange planet that grew stranger and stranger every day.
This last bit rang truer than even I could have imagined. Boss Creed and I led a team north from the Orion. The idea was to get a decent perimeter set up around the ship in order to get a proper read of the land.
Turned out the planet’s ecosystem allowed for a variety of habitats to coexist in a relatively small area. Not more than five kilometers from the Orion, a vast jungle lay before us.
“Are we going to go in there?” Ira asked. He was one of the few suits aboard the Orion to make it out alive after the crash. He was a good kid but a little whiny if you asked me.
I was surprised when he directed the question at me.
“Don’t look at me,” I said before motioning over to Boss Creed. “Ask him.”
Boss Creed’s hard eyes roved over the perimeter of the jungle. The leaves were so green they looked fake, like something from a painting, while the bark of the trees had gone black. A variety of foliage greeted us in all directions as if the land were trying its best to hide its true face.
“We should probably go in. I mean, at least a few meters,” Meenaz, the last human member of our scouting party, suggested. She was average height with short curly hair, a grim look settling in her eyes. A familiar look, I recognized. Oh, yes. She’d lost someone in the crash. I would have bet my life on it. She turned to look at me. “That’s why we came here, right?” she asked, and I sensed a coldness in her voice, as though all the emotion in her had gone out.
Mutt trotted over to the jungle and growled. The wolf-like dog wasn’t really the needy kind. He came and went as he pleased. He never left my side too long, as if he were worried about me doing something stupid and came to check in on me from time to time. When we geared up for this mission, he decided to grace us with his presence.
Boss Creed looked down at the dark grey blaster he carried in his hands. He turned the safety off before motioning us to do the same.
“Let’s go take a look,” Boss Creed said, taking time to look at us each in turn. “Safety’s off.”
I looked down at the blaster I held in my hand. The weapon still felt unfamiliar, even awkward. I’d used a blaster only a handful of times in my life before my journey with the Orion. To be honest, I’d always felt better about using my hands than a gun, but I also couldn’t deny the benefit of having one. No matter how talented a fighter I might have been, there was just no comparison. If there really were alien creatures roaming around the planet, I’d need more than my bare-knuckle fists to protect myself.
Boss Creed took the lead with me on his right, Ira and Meenaz following behind.
One of the weirdest parts of the planet—and that was already saying a lot because the place was like something out of a dream—was the lack of noise up until this point.
Both in the woods where Ricky and I crashed and at the Orion crash site itself, there were no birds, no insects, nothing living beside us. For some unknown reason, this all changed once we entered the jungle.
As soon as we crested the line of trees marking the entrance to the jungle, a cacophony of noise hit our ears, from the chirping and squawks of birds overhead to the clicks and ticks of insects on the ground.
“Did you see that? There!” Ira shouted, pointing his rifle into the air above us.
The thick foliage blocked out the suns at certain points of the jungle interior. The spot Ira indicated sat a few meters to our left in a thickly shaded portion where two tree
s met.
What looked like a fat monkey with three eyes stared at us as if we were the strange ones. It just sat there unmoving with its three weird eyes, judging us. It cocked its fuzzy head to the side as if it were discerning our intent.
Mutt sniffed the air, noticing the creature too, and wagged his tail.
“Hold your fire,” Boss Creed warned. “This is its home. Live and let live.”
Instinct told me to raise my own blaster at the animal. I lowered it to my side slowly.
“He’s not that bad,” I said. “If he were bigger, he’d remind me of a crime boss I knew back on Earth.”
Boss Creed looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Trust me, it’s a long story,” I told him.
He seemed content with that as our small party moved deeper into the jungle. Mutt padded along with me, sniffing anything and everything he could get his nose on.
A few minutes later, Ira stopped us again.
“I don’t think we should go any deeper.” Ira was looking down at the smart pad in his left hand. “We’ll risk losing communication with the Orion if we do. We might be out of range already.”
“Report in to Iris,” Boss Creed said, wiping a line of sweat from his brow. “Let’s see how far we are.”
“Orion, this is Expeditionary Force One,” Ira said into the device. “We’ve discovered a jungle, and we’re checking in to test our range of communication. Do you copy?”
“Expeditionary Force One,” Iris’ familiar voice came through the opposite end. “This is Orion. We can hear you, but you’re on the outer limits of our range at the moment. I would advise that you don’t travel much farther.”
While the conversation was going on, I looked at the fourth member of our group. Meenaz was looking up at the jungle canopy above us. Motion at her feet caught my eye at the same time a low rumble came from Mutt.
Something long and black slithered just behind her boots. Whatever it was, it was nearly the same color as the jungle ground itself.
