Part 3: Subterranean Homesick Alien (773 hits)
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Submitted by Redskieslookfake (View user info) at 2006-03-19 12:53:17 EST
Part 3: Subterranean Homesick Alien
Homesickness is such an antiquated idea. I have spend much of my life moving from place to place, and I have grown used to the idea that home is a luxury for others not working in shipping cargo from one ball of rock to the other.
The computer informs me that 54 days remain until we arrive at the base, but she has brought me a welcome diversion. The ship has moved into an area of low interference. Like the eye of a hurricane, these occasional oases in the maelstrom are merely a respite from greater troubles, never the less, they are welcome.
She has determined that there is just enough power to afford a quick burst of the communication system. Normally, ship procedure is for contact to be made every month, a few milliseconds are all that's needed to handshake to the network and to download all the latest information. Compression technologies have improved a lot since the Earth government nationalised all the old software companies.
The neural link that was in common use now came as a result of that merger. You sat in the chair and a green laser stimulated the optic nerve at an incredible rate. The flash heating and electrical impulses reacted with the neurotransmitters in the gloop of your brain and bang, instant memories!
The first uses of this technology were illegal of course. Quiz shows had become more and more lucrative, and the public appeal was still there for the Indian who could remember what he had for breakfast on Wednesday the fifteenth of June twenty years ago. Amidst all the scandal that erupted after that, the manufacturers hit upon education as the perfect way out. Our nation's richest youth, all of them proficient in calculus, date perfect in history and able to list the chief exports of Mars to the metric ton.
The first generation of smug know-it-alls were turned out, each one a nightmare for any public house wanting to do a friendly quiz. Sure they did not know what any of this information really meant, like the hand held calculators in the twentieth century, facts without understanding was meaningless, and so the programme was scrapped and the technology moved to the military and space industry, where understanding was secondary to being able to recite every safety regulation perfectly pleased the insurers.
The communication was dull, yes they had received our distress call, standard procedures applied, tragic deaths, compensation for additional work to be decided by the relevant committees upon arrival at a designated base. Corporate information was always dull, but it was reassuring to know that they knew the situation.
The personal stuff was uploaded next, all the trivia I had missed while I was frozen in my tank. New President, Chelsea Football Club still world number one and the Mini Girls had their tenth consecutive best selling album. Three months of Hello! gossip forced into your head, with no way of editing out the dross. It was a mercy the advertisers had not yet managed to get the legislation passed to usurp subliminal adverts as the most insidious sales technique ever.
Then it hit me. The little bit of personal info that stung your eyes fiercely, tears forming immediately, all without the opportunity for time to take some of the pain away. I had lost my little girl. Medical science had advanced a lot over the years, but not much could save you from an embolism.
Michelle had been six when I had taken this job, and the pay off would have been enough to pay her through college, albeit at the expense of leaving her in a company ran crèche for four and a half months. Do not judge me too quickly, I loved her enough to sacrifice my time with her watching her grow, hearing her laugh, and now she was gone.
I felt the light-years then; I was so far away and no one was there to bury my little girl with the honour she deserved. I raged, of course I raged. The plastic fascia of the bridge would never be the same again, and the display screens were marked with fist marks which discoloured the images of astro navigation or updated status reports. The equipment was built to last though, and all my frustration did was bruise my knuckles.
The communication brought with it a new batch of movies which I watched numbly over the next week whenever I had time off from tending the equipment.
45 days until base arrival.
I stared at the lights through the armoured glass, trying to work out which was Sol. The computer labelled it clearly on the viewscreens, but it was so tiny that I could not convince myself it was the right star.
User Reviews
Submitted by Shagabah_Jones (user info) at 2008-08-26 17:13:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Great post Jake. Dick.
Submitted by WhiteBearalicious (user info) at 2008-08-25 17:01:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
agree wit below
Submitted by dohnuts (user info) at 2008-08-25 15:35:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
terrible.
Submitted by Timberwolves_At_New_York (user info) at 2008-08-24 17:02:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
thisis trooly awfull riting.
Submitted by Titan_lad (user info) at 2008-08-24 17:01:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by bricekrispy (user info) at 2008-08-24 16:57:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by bubba69 (user info) at 2008-08-24 15:28:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by Judgement (user info) at 2008-08-21 09:13:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by stewie_GO_SAINTS (user info) at 2008-08-21 04:14:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by NewGuy08 (user info) at 2008-08-03 04:29:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
angry pasty boy below.
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2008-07-29 19:01:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
That's the problem Beano. When I read your precious series, what was it called? erm - despair? diarrhoea? dickless? I thought it was utter utter shite.
But then, you're nothing but piss and wind.
At least you're putting comments in now, along with registered and/or stealing hundreds of alters. Seriously man, don't you have a life?
And can't you at least -2 everything all at once instead of doing your petty little attacks with whatever alter you are driving on that day? It's really really gay.
And I'll leave you with one more thought, next time you post yet another stupid animated gif, I'll -2 that and let you know that I consider you nothing more than flotsam.
Now off you fuck pin dick.
Submitted by NewGuy08 (user info) at 2008-07-29 16:23:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I shouldn't bother
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2007-01-18 07:45:55 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-06-10 00:59:14 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:35:48 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:32:37 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:25:55 (#)
Ranking: 2
Where is the next bit?
CUNT.
-Dave
===========
YEAH!
Where?
HMMMM????
---
I've got to do my post about the way women walk first.
=======
HI, LIAR.
Make with the next installment.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-06-10 00:59:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:35:48 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:32:37 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:25:55 (#)
Ranking: 2
Where is the next bit?
CUNT.
-Dave
===========
YEAH!
Where?
HMMMM????
---
I've got to do my post about the way women walk first.
=======
HI, LIAR.
Make with the next installment.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:42:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:37:36 (#)
Ranking: 0
Did Davros just call me a cunt?
Dave, after I got you drunkish in Durham too!
Next time you're up I'll buy you a drink for your upcoming whatsit. You know what I'm talking about.
----------------
CUNT.
-Dave
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:37:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Did Davros just call me a cunt?
Dave, after I got you drunkish in Durham too!
Next time you're up I'll buy you a drink for your upcoming whatsit. You know what I'm talking about.
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:35:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:32:37 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:25:55 (#)
Ranking: 2
Where is the next bit?
CUNT.
-Dave
===========
YEAH!
Where?
HMMMM????
---
I've got to do my post about the way women walk first.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:32:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:25:55 (#)
Ranking: 2
Where is the next bit?
CUNT.
-Dave
===========
YEAH!
Where?
HMMMM????
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-04-11 19:25:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Where is the next bit?
CUNT.
-Dave
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-04 04:28:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ah - but will Peaches be playing. I'd love to see one of her shows. Shame she's a bit of a ming mong really.
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-04-04 04:21:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice. There's some music festival I plan to attend while in Germania. Forget what it's called though. My brother will know.
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-04-04 04:07:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
WHO GOT LEEDS FESTIVAL TICKETS?
RED GOT LEEDS FESTIVAL TICKETS
WOOO HOOO
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2006-03-20 08:53:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Veddy good.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-03-20 02:50:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I like the tone of this.
Your charecter is beginning to develop nicely and it was nice to see a little humour to go against the tradgedy.
-Dave
Submitted by Benny (user info) at 2006-03-19 22:03:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very cool.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2006-03-19 21:42:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"Johnny's in the basement, mixin' up the medicine..."
Submitted by icarus1987 (user info) at 2006-03-19 20:50:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
With the level of detail you put into this you must be a fellow IT/computer geek. World creation (or even revision) isn't easy. You have something here.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-03-19 19:40:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies...
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-03-19 16:44:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
nice.
you should link the other parts.
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-03-19 14:38:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by earth_collapse (user info) at 2006-03-19 14:34:23 (#)
Ranking: 1
Radiohead rocked the fuck out of that song.
---
Yes, yes they did.
Submitted by earth_collapse (user info) at 2006-03-19 14:34:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Radiohead rocked the fuck out of that song.
Submitted by Lil_Darlin (user info) at 2006-03-19 13:29:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Great!
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2006-03-19 13:21:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff!
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-03-19 13:13:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I've begun to connect with your character for the first time here- the memories and the human emotion juxtaposed against the technology and sterility of the environment is exactly what I imagine to be so eerie about space travel. I enjoyed this immensely.
"I live in a town where you can't smell a thing.."
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-03-19 13:04:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good continuation.