SHF07: Gray Matters (543 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.53 on 18 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by skrapmetal (View user info) at 2007-08-06 08:49:47 EDT
FROM: DrogoRoch
THE PLACE: A little Known planet in the Newly Discovered Bulbous System known only as planet 'Y', because X was used by another one.
THE TIME: 2352
FEATURING: Palavian Space Midgets with mind control. They don't know they're midgets of course because they are all small.
------------------
GREY MATTERS
Lifting off from the surface of 2352-41-X, or "Planet X" as it was called aboard the ship, Captain Smith sat back in his command chair. This was the twenty-fourth and last planet and in the recently-detected Bulbous Star System that he and his crew had charted, investigated, landed on, tested, and found to be almost entirely useless for their purposes. It looked like a low-bonus trip for Ship 41 this run.
He went to the Berthing decks to check on the crew. They were usually found there when not on duty or working. Now they were all in their chambers, sleeping in hibernation, waiting until the next stop. Smith wondered if someone in Routing hated him, giving him low-probability planets to waste time on. He thought, "Who the hell named it the Bulbous System? Ah, well, at least we're on our way back home to Earth. Time for a nice long vacation." If the bonuses were good, he would have retired, albeit alone. Didn't look like that was a possibility this time. He had never remarried after his wife died fifteen years ago. Instead, he'd gone off on his own, ending up on a mining crew. He thought he'd be able to forget about the past in space, but the past was always there. Twelve years later, and it's still right there. Climbing into his own chamber, he verified their course and activated the hibernation controls. As consciousness faded, Smith's thoughts were of home, money, and his long-dead wife.
Smith awoke slowly. It took him quite some time to understand that he and his ship were nowhere near Earth, that they were still in the Bulbous System. The ship had not even started the trip home. Once he had left his rack he saw that the rest of the crew remained in hibernation. "Uh oh" , he said out loud, "this could be bad." He went to the Bridge and found a message awaiting him. It was from his boss. He played the message.
"Your ship was redirected so you can have a look at a planet we located near your last stop. Planet 2352-41-Y may offer you some chance of at least covering the cost of your joyride around the Bulbous System before you come home. Our indications are that it may be quite a plum. The coordinates have been programmed into your ship's computer and you'll be arriving there about two days from when you hear this. That will give you time to bring the rest of the crew around and make your sweeps before landing. Report back when you've had a look at the place."
"We'll see what we see", thought Captain Smith.
The ground of Planet Y was covered with a layer of gray-pink dust as far as Smith could see. Low mountains rimmed the wide basin where the ship had set down. It was probably an ancient impact crater. Such places often offer a good landing area. The initial reports of the composition of the planet, based first on Earth-orbit telescope observation and then ship's sensors, indicated a world about the size of Mars. It's gravity was about 1.5 times that of Earth's, which is why the ship had been diverted in it's trip home. High density can indicate an abundance of metals near the surface which can be extracted, processed, brought to Earth and sold for a profit.
The crew stood on the ramp, listening to the usual pre-survey pep talk. "You all know this, but we'll go though it anyway", Captain Smith said into his suit comset. "The atmosphere has some Oxygen but it's mostly Nitrogen and CO. You can't breathe it, so don't try. The higher gravity here means you weigh about half again what you're used to. Your muscles won't be able to work well in it, so minimize your movements, use the automated probes wherever you can, and stay in your workpairs. Be careful. If there's profit here, we need to get at it safely." The crew descended the landing ramp and walked slowly onto the surface of Planet Y.
Captain Smith walked around the outside of Ship 41 looking for anything out of place. The dust was all over the landing gear. He brushed some of it off and watched it settle rapidly in the thin atmosphere.
"Hey, look at this! A hole in the ground. It looks mighty deep." The voice was one of the crew doing ground-penetrating radar surveys. He was speaking on the general com circuit so everyone could hear. Captain Smith could see the man and his partner in the distance. They were looking at the ground. "Keep clear of it", said the Captain. "I'll check it out. You just keep on with your survey, but don't go far." He took the groundcar over to the area where they were working.
The hole was square. It looked like it had been laser-cut into the surface. The edges were visible but Smith' suit lights wouldn't show anything farther than a few meters down. Dust from the surface was trickling into the hole. A thought occurred to him just then. " Here's a mineshaft ready-made for extraction. He knew he'd have to explore the hole to get at the metals he was convinced were there waiting. He opened the general com circuit and said, "I'm going to explore this opening. If it's feasible, we can use it to extract all the profit we can carry. You two who found this thing, get back over here."
He went back to the ship for cables and set up his winch on the groundcar next to the the hole. Checking his attachment to the cables, Smith said, "I'll keep the com open. If you don't hear from me every 30 seconds, signal me. If I don't answer, pull me up." Two crewmembers stood by while Captain Smith flipped the switch on the winch and slowly dropped into the opening.
Smith disappeared into the blackness, and the only thing visible for a few minutes were the lights on his helmet. As the cable played out, they too faded. Like clockwork, Captain Smith would say "Can't see anything", "Nothing yet", or "Still nothing" every half minute. 400 meters of cable spun out before there was any change. The signal from his comset was weak but still audible. "I've touched down on a surface. There's... it's everywhere down here. I'm sending the cable back up. Send down a testpak. This could be huge." He disconnected the cable and moved away from the shaft.
"Looks like copper here, gold there... it couldn't be this easy, could it?" Smith thought as he waited for the testpak. He used his hammer on a couple of outcroppings. The heavy steel hammer dented them both. Elated, he called to his two crewmen, "And one of you two come down with a drill. I want to see how wide this deposit is before we set up the extraction equipment." In a short time, the crewman above said, "We're sending down the cable with the drill and testpak. I'll be down next trip to run the drill." "Acknowledged", said the Captain. He began to notice other aspects of his surroundings. The floor was almost perfectly flat. There seemed to be a small amount of illumination although it was unclear where it originated. He shut off his suit lights and let his eyes adjust. After a few seconds, he was sure he could see the walls and floor. Just then, he noticed the cable appear with the drill and sample testing equipment. He went over and detached the cable, and moved the apparatus away from the landing.
Hefting the drill, he placed the emitter against the surface of one of the outcroppings and activated the pulsed laser. He removed a heavy piece of metal and placed the newly-cut surface on the testpak sensor pad. 99% copper, it read. "Bo-ho-nus!" Smith thought. He said, "Take up the cable and get down here. All of you. Everyone. We have a haul to make." As his order was acknowledged, the cable began snaking up the shaft. As soon as it disappeared from view, the slight illumination Smith had been using to see also disappeared.
Flipping on his suit lights, Smith found himself surrounded by pale creatures. He frantically tried to find the shaft down which he had dropped to get here, but the opening was gone. Regaining his composure, he thought, "The only way out of this is to gain control of the situation." In his most authoritative voice, he said, "I am Captain Smith. I have come here to explore and to profit. Who are you, and why do you interfere?"
One of the group surrounding the Captain moved forward. Smith studied the creature. Roughly humanoid, two arms, two legs, head atop arms, torso between arms and legs, about the half his height. Two largish eyes on the head, grayish skin. He thought to himself, "They look about like me, if I was a midget. "Yes, we do look like you." The thought had simply appeared in his mind. He said, "Can you...", and then he only thought, "Can you read my thoughts?" "Yes, when we choose to." "What do you want?" " We wish you to transport us back to our home. We have been trapped here for some time."
At the surface of Planet Y, the crew was readying the extraction equipment when a couple of them noticed that the hole had vanished. Shouting into the coms on every channel provided no contact with Captain Smith. It wasn't long before they started to wonder what had become of him, and how they'd be able to get at the load he'd found. They broke out the tunneling lasers and started charging the power cells. They knew how deep he was and they knew it was straight down. They'd just dig him up.
"The others are trying to come for you. We have closed the passage." "They will tunnel to find me. Who are you?" "We Palavians are travelers and explorers, much as are you. We were exploring this region when our ship failed. When we crashed, we lost any means to communicate off the planet. Your arrival means that we can leave here at last." The speaker for the Palavians paused. "Your crew is starting to dig. There is little time. Will you return us to our planet?"
"Palavians, you say? Well, then we will palaver. If you ask me to take you back to your planet, you must believe that it is within the capabilities of my ship to make the trip. There are two problems with that, however: The ship's flight path is programmed from Earth, and our supplies will not support extra personnel." "You possess the knowledge to override the ship's controls. We will help you to do that. We are able to adapt to our surroundings very quickly. As you see, we do not require breathing apparatus here, and we have enough nourishment for the journey." "Where is your planet? What about the extra time it will take?" "From this planet, our world is no farther away than is yours. It would add some extra time to your trip, but you will be in hibernation so you will not notice." "You seem to have an answer ready for all my questions." Captain Smith did not notice that he was no longer talking, but thinking to communicate. "And so we come to the big one. I came to this planet to profit. How will I profit by taking you home?" "Our world will provide you with what profit you desire when we arrive. You seek metals. We will provide you full holds for your return trip." Smith considered the currently barren holds and all they represented to him and his crew, and responded in thought. " I think we may have a deal."
The slight glow reappeared in the chamber. The Captain saw a shaft at one side. "That passage surfaces near your ship. We will make ready to go." . Smith looked at the opening, and turned back to the Palavians. They had disappeared. Into his comset, he said, "This is the Captain. Do you read?" "We hear you. Are you all right?" "I'm fine. Secure the digging equipment and get back to the ship. We'll be taking on guests." He started walking up the passage toward the ship.
With all the equipment stored, the crew set about making the zoological hold ready to house the Palavians during the trip to their world. There were only five of the creatures. It did not take long to complete the preparations. In discussing the trip with the Palavian 'leader', they agreed that it would be best that the crew not meet their passengers. The Captain was surprised to learn that he did in fact know how to override the ships navigation system lockouts. He entered the coordinates with the guidance of his guest.
After making sure the Palavians were secured in their hold, Smith announced to the ship, "This trip will add some time to our return home, but it will be very worthwhile. Crew to launch stations." He strapped himself into the command chair.
Once the ship had cleared the atmosphere of Planet Y and was into space proper, Smith went through the Berthing decks to make sure the crewmembers were preparing for hibernation. Each one in their chamber, just like so many times before. The computer could do this, but he preferred to see for himself. Once all of the crew were sleeping, he verified the ship's course and climbed into his own chamber. He spoke to the Palavians; "I'm entering hibernation for the trip to your planet. The computer will wake me before we arrive." "We will be ready when you awake."
Smith awoke slowly. His disjointed thoughts coalesced into the realization that his ship must be nearing the Palavian's planet. Sliding back the chamber's lid, he sat up. He put on his comlink and said, "Where are we?" The ship did not respond. "Computer." Again, no response. The thoughts of the Palavian entered his mind again. "We are approaching our planet." "Good." He moved towards the other hibernation chambers. "I will wake the crew." The closest hibernation chamber was empty. Smith opened the shipwide com channel. "This is the Captain. Report." No response was heard from the crew or computer. He looked at the other hibernation chambers. All but five were empty. The lids on the remaining chambers had gone opaque gray. The life sign monitors were blank. Apprehensively, Smith pressed the control on one of the chambers, opening the lid.
The crewman inside was partially dissolved. Bones could be seen where his chest had been. Intact legs, hands, and part of the skull were revealed . Something moved in the dead man's ribcage. "We are grateful to you for bringing us home." As Smith turned to get a weapon, the mass inside the body of the crewman formed an appendage and grabbed his arm. "We have not yet arrived. We will need to be strong." He knew then that he had been under the control of the Palavians from the time he'd gotten close to Planet Y. The gray substance of the Palavian crept up the Captain's arm. He could feel his skin begin to burn where it contacted the creature. He shook and tugged on his arm but there was no escaping the grip. It was now covering is arm to the shoulder. Falling, he caught a glimpse of the viewscreen. It showed a very recognizable image of the new Palavian planet - Earth.
User Reviews
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2007-08-07 21:43:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-08-07 10:56:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great read Skrap. SOrry I had nothing to put up to compete with, sadly it turned into a bummer of a weekend.
Next time. Maybe?
-------
<braggadoccio>
Ha! Drogo was greeaat afeared and dasn't post nuh word agin meh! Yon spalp surely...
</braggadoccio>
<slight disappointment>
...ahh, fuck it. Next time then. Good luck with the leaky roofies. Roof. Whatever.
</slight disappointment>
<beer>
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2007-08-07 18:31:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-08-07 10:56:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great read Skrap. SOrry I had nothing to put up to compete with, sadly it turned into a bummer of a weekend.
Next time. Maybe?
Submitted by 8track (user info) at 2007-08-07 06:55:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by beer-turtle (user info) at 2007-08-07 00:36:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Kinda like sentient mini-versions of the classic horror monster The Blob
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2007-08-06 21:12:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2007-08-06 19:07:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Are you two Uber dorks, like, gay and stuff?
-------
What's this!? I dropped the name (albeit in jest) and I still get a zilch? Crestfallen and disheartened am I.
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-08-06 21:01:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2007-08-06 19:28:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm not a sci-fi or horror junkie, so I got 3/4 of the way through this and thought "Where is the horror?"
good read.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2007-08-06 19:07:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Are you two Uber dorks, like, gay and stuff?
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2007-08-06 18:19:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
nice. hope there's more to come. you should talk to jack mac about taking the bad ass protagonist's name from his Smith stories.
Submitted by Yozz (user info) at 2007-08-06 15:08:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent
Submitted by gonefiguring (user info) at 2007-08-06 11:53:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by creep_firebombing (user info) at 2007-08-06 09:19:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Not exactly unpredictable, but entertaining nonetheless.
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2007-08-06 10:37:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by supadupapupa (user info) at 2007-08-06 10:19:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
cool, excellent for an engineer
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2007-08-06 10:10:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by creep_firebombing (user info) at 2007-08-06 09:19:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Not exactly unpredictable, but entertaining nonetheless.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-08-06 08:59:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A few gramatical errors and minor such stuff, but not enough to detract from an overall excellent tale...
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2007-08-06 08:51:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
My muse was apparently in the studio laying down bass lines while drinking a lot as I wrote this. I'm an engineer and much better at math than writing, so I did what engineers do: I applied a formula.