Singularity_The Labours of Iktis_Book 1_A Space Opera begin Page 10

  If I were floating in space... How could I send a signal?

  Then, Farman typed in orders so that all of the shuttle's sensors would give him a 360-degree radar image in every direction, and then asked his incredible palmtop to analyse any anomaly or event within range. Despite his equipment's extended computing power, it took him several minutes to perform that analysis. At the end the screen showed no results with those parameters. The virtual sphere was empty. However, a few kilometres out of range, the radars had detected the small moon Hyperion, which was about three hundred kilometres in diameter. Farman had a hunch and asked for a rotation motions comparison of the little moon between his database and today. This analysis showed that its rotation axis had varied by three percent possibly due to the shockwave caused by the singularity's implosion. Farman proceeded to vocal orders.

  “Screen. Telescope on quadrant Delta 33.”

  The Hyperion moon was quite far away and the image only showed a small dot of bright light.

  Zoom two hundred percent.

  In the middle of the screen, Farman saw the spongy image of the beautiful Hyperion, cold and cavernous. And he smiled when he noticed that a huge column of steam was emerging from one of those icy craters. A kind of volcanic cloud that rose into space and froze as it grew and grew fed by an impossible fire in the heart of the small moon, where natural volcanism was impossible. He looked closely, and on the upper horizon he thought he saw small dots, like small frozen clouds.

  Quadrant, B eight to ten, zoom fifty percent.

  When the telescope focused on the top of the little moon, Farman couldn't contain his laughter and said out loud.

  “The boyfriend of death! A spatial S.O.S request… What a clever bastard!”

  What the screen was showing were small spherical clouds in groups of three, along with elongated ones also in groups of three, which orbited reluctantly a few hundred meters from the Hyperion's icy surface.

  Puntshó Blade must die.

  Puntshó's opened his eyes, startled. He was having some trouble focusing, but he could hear a familiar voice screaming in his absent mind. A powerful light bulb shone in his face and he found that it was a poor light in comparison to the warm maternal light he'd been in moments before.

  Little by little he understood that he was in the small space of the cargo area of some shuttle and that his head hurt a lot. His first word was a complaint.

  “Jesus! What a headache!”

  Farman smiled as he heard him, and spoke to him reassuringly as he removed the chest defibrillator pads off his chest.

  “What a bastard! You're so lucky! I thought I'd lost you. You're the luckiest son of a bitch in the galaxy, you know that?”

  “I'm sure I'm dead and you're the rudest angel in heaven...” Puntshó knew the voice but couldn't focus due to the shock, although he continued to tease and Farman smiled gratefully.

  “You're alive for now! And still among us.”

  “Farman...” said Puntshó when he finally recognized the voice

  “Yes, dear friend. You're safe in a dumpy shuttle, but the important thing is that you're not hurt.”

  “Farman.” Puntshó said again to make sure. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to rescue you, you braggart. What a smoke sign you made!”

  “Farman, I saw something... I lived something...”

  “You can tell me later. Now rest, recover a little.”

  “Of course thanks. Do you have any water?”

  “Here, have some.”

  “And aspirin, please. Lots of aspirin!”

  Farman helped Puntshó reach the cabin and lay down on one of the comfortable seats. He took out one of the coffee cups and pressed the bottom to warm it up. He shook it a little and handed it to Puntshó who had already fastened his seatbelts with difficulty, so he wouldn't keep floating due to the lack of gravity. He stared at Farman seriously and decided they needed to talk about what had happened without further delay.

  “I'm glad to see you again, Daves. I don't know how to thank you for coming for me.”

  “You would've done the same.”

  “The station commander thinks the matter is resolved, but I've seen something else... Well, I don't think it's solved just yet. They moved every string to do this experiment in this place and annulled all of the station's capabilities to detect or stop them.” Farman listened silently to each word, gesturing with his head and encouraging him to continue. “They didn't mind dying, but they weren't crazy or fanatics. They were sure they were working for a force… How to say it?”

  “Out of this world?”

  -”Yes! Exactly, out of this world. Now that you say it, I think that's the best definition. They were trying to let someone called Zuul in… It seems crazy but I think that's what Stingray told me before everything went to hell in the station... And I saw... I 'm not sure what I saw, Daves.”

  “Tell me what you saw, please.”

  “You'll need to have an open mind and keep my secret.”

  “You have the most dedicated listener.”

  “When I boarded the Dead Parrot, I immediately felt gravity, but the ship didn't have any built-in generators. So based on the research we'd done, I assumed they were activating an experiment similar to the one they did in Moscow's laboratory, but now on a spacecraft. I understood it was the first time they tried that, but they were receiving instructions from an external source and had all the information.”

  “How did the ship explode?”

  “I was surprised by some guy named Sanders, whom I hadn't seen before and managed to get shots fired inside the hold where the experiment was.”

  “So you were able to stop or damage it?”

  “No, it was surrounded by a very powerful magnetic field that diverted all of my weapon's pulses. And it generated gravity, but centralized. For a moment I was at the mercy of Sanders and his weapon. I was lucky that the ship got damaged due to the shooting and shook, if it hadn't been because of a jolt I would've gotten bit hole in me. A panel behind me detached itself and I shot out of the ship into empty space; pushed by the decompression I floated away from the Dead Parrot long enough to see it explode. But that's where everything turned weird.”

  “Yes, I detected a massive blast wave, the kind that produces very unusual reactions.”

  “When the ship exploded due to decompression, the experiment was still going on. It fed upon itself, I don't think anybody could've stopped it. And then a moment later, the strangest energy bubble emerged before my eyes. I was several hundred meters away, but I could see...”

  “What makes you so uneasy, my friend?”

  “Inside the bubble... I saw a planetary scene. Something from another place, I don't know how to explain it without sounding crazy. But I clearly saw a moon's brownish surface, and in the middle of its dark desert, a construction, a pyramid made of some dark and polished material. And a voice in my head...”

  Puntshó was silent and surprisingly it was Farman who finished the sentence.

  “Iktis, Ayen, Raploj...”

  “How can you know what I heard at that moment?” Puntshó looked up and locked eyes with his friend.

  “It's a long story, suffices to say that my job was to prevent this 'faction' from doing what it did. I didn't expect them to act so fast or so radically.”

  “Did the European conglomerate know that the Americans were plotting something? Is that why they put you as my second in command?”

  “This has nothing to do with conglomerates and old rivalries. As I told you before, the future of the human race can be very different if these people manage to contact… Well, what they want to contact.”

  Farman measured his words and Puntshó began to get angry.

  “Look, Daves; don't think I'm not thankful for the rescue, but this is making me nervous. I can see you know more than you're telling me. Much more. And I believe I've earned your trust enough for you to tell me what you're up to once and for all. Let's head back to th
e station, present a report and then you can tell me exactly what this is all about.”

  “Believe me when I tell you it's very hard to summarize, dear Puntshó. Just because you have all my trust, I'll propose something that may sound radical, but it's the only way you'll get all the answers you're looking for.”

  “What is this all about?”

  “We can't go back to the station.”

  “But...”

  “Listen!” Farman was sharp. “They think you died hours ago, and I almost had to steal this piece of junk to come get you.”

  “And we shouldn't...”

  “Listen, hardhead! Do you think you can go back to the station and work as chief after what happened?”

  “That was my intention, but I see there could be complications.”

  “There are. Surely other crew members are part of this... plot, of which I can't speak of yet. They think you're dead and it'll be better if they keep believing it. Will you help me stop this threat?”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “I'm looking for someone, Puntshó. A rather special person, who can put an end to this madness once and for all. A key piece to be able to stop what's coming. But I need help.”

  “Are you offering me a job?”

  “After what your research did to the Saturn station, I think you'll need one.”

  “It wasn't my fault!”

  “The Americans won't see it that way, my friend. If you're willing to help me, I need someone trustworthy.”

  “What for, exactly?”

  “It's a long, long story. I need to gather a group of very special people and find some key pieces that will lead us to the key that will open this door the right way. Otherwise we'll allow a force that's been contained for many years to become stronger and lead Earth to another dark age.”

  “Your speech sounds a lot like the one Stingray uttered a few hours ago.”

  “Yes I know. But with me you'll get all the answers to every question, I won't hide the truth of what's happening and with your help we can make a difference. Look, I've been looking for this key for many years; I've done it mostly alone, until now, but based on what we saw here, I need help, urgently.”

  “You're scaring me.”

  “You should be scared, I'll only tell you this: the moment when humanity understands they're not alone in the cosmos isn't far, and whether the future of the human race is bright or dark will depend on the forces that prevail in the coming years.”

  “Basically, 'Master Farman'” said Puntshó smiling again, “How could I refuse such a heroic task? Are you sure you don't need to see a shrink?”

  “I assure you, Puntshó. When I tell you all the information I have, you'll understand it's time act.”

  Puntshó became serious.

  “I owe you my life, Daves Farman. If you really need me, you can count on me. It's the least I can do to make up for it. We'll let everyone think I died, and I'll go back to Earth. But I won't go home in this hulk.”

  “No need. The San Francisco will leave the station and head to the Mars base in three days. I can arrange for you to travel incognito, if you think you can refrain yourself from drawing attention for a few weeks. The ship will be almost empty anyway.”

  “Ok, no problem. And once I'm on Mars?”

  “I can get you a cabin in the military ship that shuttles back to Earth every month. Once you're home, do you have anywhere to hide where they won't find you?”

  “My family in Bhutan, they'll hide me without trouble.”

  “It's a deal then. I'll head back to Earth in any of the ships that return in a few weeks. I'll claim that as part of your team, and because of your death, I don't wish to accept my assignment. There won't be any problem with my transfer. I'll see you on Earth in half a year.”

  “And when will I get my answers?”

  “I can tell you what our enemies found, and what progress they've made to unravel their secrets. If that convinces you, I'd like to ask you to take the time until we meet again to assemble a group of former officers.”

  “You want your own force?”

  “We'd work under the tutelage of the European internal security department.”

  “With that French guy? The one with the bottle-rimmed glasses?”

  “Yes, Ridenour. He knows part of the plot, although he won't want to know who's in my unit.”

  “Okay, I think I know where to start.” said Puntshó pensively. “Do you know Erik Larsen?”

  “I don't think so, but I'm sure your contacts in Norway could be of great help.”

  Puntshó was silent for several seconds, until at last, changing his tone, he spoke hesitantly.

  “There was something else… Something I felt right before you rescued me.”

  “Does it have to do with the experiment?”

  “I don't think so, it was just a feeling. I think I died, Daves… But even though 'I' was dead, there was 'something' deeper that was still there. I can't explain it any better, but I'm as sure of that experience as I am of talking to you right now.”

  “I found you when the breathable air mix in your suit was already pure poison, no heartbeat and no pulse. It took me three tries to revive you.”

  “Well... Maybe it was that.” Puntshó understood it wasn't the time to share that experience. “Surely it's something I can meditate on in the upcoming months. What do you think I saw?”

  “I don't know my friend. I think you witnessed the emergence of one of the living forces of this universe; one whose existence hasn't been discovered by mankind yet. I'm just glad that I found you in time. Now rest and eat something from the pantry. I'll prepare our return to the San Francisco and the sad news of your tragic death.”

  Results

  The former Captain of the Dead Parrot, which was now gone, spoke through his tablet in the privacy of his room. His palmtop had 'hacked' the communicator of the ship that was now returning to Earth, and without anyone on board noticing it, it was emitting in codified 'Ray + Light' mode.

  This report was important, as it'd surely be seen by the Director himself. An opportunity to be recognized and advance within the organization's structure. But he needed to be careful with how he shared the information. Many things hadn't gone as expected and he was ready to blame anyone who couldn't defend himself. He began to record his message:

  Coded report four beta fourteen. Operation two, seven, two, five. Final report of the Singularity mission in Saturn's space.

  The experiment was a success and I received confirmation from the rescue ship's pilot. He was able to locate the probe sent and was already has the device on board. He's heading to Earth, anticipating arrival in one hundred and thirteen days, will keep radio silence until he's outside the controlled information corridors and will establish contact with the Luna base seven in thirty days.

  Transportation in both directions is confirmed, although this last point won't be confirmed until effective communication is established.

  There were several setbacks: The Dead Parrot, was much damaged and couldn't execute penetration within the singularity. I've received a report from the Charon Base confirming that the ship was deposited in that moon's orbit and that there are no survivors. The generator melted and requires complete rebuilding.

  As I said in my previous report, the messenger suffered some kind of space delirium or trauma, and although I sent one of my men to protect him, Chief Blade killed them both. In an unpredicted move, Chief Blade boarded the Dead Parrot and was responsible for the ship's destruction. We also assume that Dr. Sanders died. The news I have are that Chief Blade himself was killed in the Dead Parrot's explosion, based on what my contacts within the station's command informed me. It was a personal act and a sense of duty as head of security, which prompted Chief Blade to risk his life to prevent another possible attack involving a spaceship. I haven't discovered any connections with secret groups or research agencies and therefore state that the incident is closed.

  As for my pers
onal situation, I haven't been discovered. They thought I was lost with my ship. As soon as I was sure they thought I was dead, I send orders to the rescue ship, adopted a new identity, and immediately boarded one of the ships returning to Earth. I don't think they suspect.

  I'll reach Luna in a hundred and fifty days and report on Luna 7 for reassignment. Two, two, seven, two, five. Over and out.

  As the director finished listening to the message, he closed the projected video window on his desk, and looked up at the person sitting across from him, on the other side of the desk. Senator Baker, one of his main supporters in the Brussels world congress, was resting his elbows on the old armchair and his hands were together, his fingertips touching his lips. He was a young senator and yet he had managed to position himself firmly within the world power structure. He was also a patriot and the director knew he'd do anything to defend the planet. He trusted him to some extent; and had given him access to a lot of information on the current situation... To a certain extent.

  “What do you think, Senator?”

  “I think we can be reasonably satisfied with the outcome of the Saturn mission. We have the device and we've confirmed that transportation is possible.”

  “We knew it was possible since we detected that the door in Charon had transported that ship several years ago.”

  “But until now we hadn't been able to use that door by ourselves. Now with the device our ally sent us, we can use the door whenever we like.”

  “I'm afraid it could be a greater setback than we think, senator.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Now that our 'ally' knows that we can transport, it'll begin demanding for us to send the stone. That's his only objective. But that stone is our only basis to negotiate if he decides to attack Earth. I won't give it up.”