Artifact Chapter Two

Artifact
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content

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Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Densel surveyed the group. All twelve crowded in the third level living area. This level served as the dining, meeting, and recreational area. A large circular table was placed in the center. Multiple screens were aligned along the walls and three 80 cm monitors were secured at the center of the table forming a triangle. “It’s gonna probably take four years before we get help.” Densel said.
Steward, the ship’s secondary pilot nodded. He was a soft spoken male with brown hair, green eyes, and a fey built. He said, “Agreed. Earth will get the McCain’s mayday within the next 120 hours. It’ll probably take another three months if not more to re-allocate resources. It took five years to rescue the crew from the Romney, and they were 40 light-years closer to Earth.”
Gordon cleared her throat. She had blond hair and was by ship’s consensus the prettiest of all the female crew. She was also firm gay and probably going to be the most difficult. She loved pushing buttons and being aggressive during discussions. “But that was ten years ago. ComProp has since then streamlined rescue. Two years, tops.”
Steward shook his head. “I don’t think so. The McCain is not a line ship with no VIPs on board. We . . .”
“Please!” Gordon interrupted. “ComProp will push hard.”
“Ha! That’s right. The Fleet Admiral’s daughter.” Steward quipped.
“And, so? Maybe that’s a good thing for us.”
Densel watched in near panic.
Steward frowned. “Or, maybe the worse thing.”
“What do you mean?” Gordon asked.
“The Old Man may not want to be seen soft on his little princess.” He wiggled his little finger. “Three years, minimum and . . .”
Gordon shouted, “Let’s hope not! This boat is already too small.” She wheeled on Densel. “Okay, sir. What do you have to say?”
Densel swallowed hard. Three years he thought. Three goddamn years. “I say we eat first. Clearly we have a long wait. We’ll need to work out rotation, duties, and responsibilities.”
“But, sir. Do you think it’ll be three years or two?”
Densel stared into Gordon’s eyes. They started to tear up and he realized she was afraid. He looked at the others and most had the same look. Fear, some anger, some horror, some shutdown completely. Those he couldn’t read and that was scary. Honestly, Densel felt it would be closer to six. Steward hit the nail on the head. The Old Man would show concern, of course, but he would not divert trillions of dollars to rescue his daughter any faster than he would someone else’s daughter. No, he’d go by the book. He’d have ComProp send a ship already in space. It would be a miracle if a ship were on this side of Earth, mostly not. That ship would have to stop mid mission and work out the details to head for the McCain’s crew. That would add another five to ten years on their duty enlistment – whatever years it took to reach the pods and the time to return to Earth, if they did at all. ComProp may just order the ship to continue its original mission, which would add even more years to all crew involved. “It’ll take as long as it’ll take. Let’s wait until ComProp response before we lay bets.” He could tell it wasn’t good enough for some.
Steward nodded. “I’ll shut my mouth until word gets here.”
Gordon bit the bottom of her lip, but said nothing. She gave Steward the evil eye and found an empty seat and sat.
Densel made eye contact with Geb, one of the McCain’s navigator. He motioned her over.
“Yes, sir?” She said.
“Geb, help me pass out some rations, please.”
She nodded and made her way over to the galley.
Densel could hear fragmented conversations. He gathered a handful of food bags and walked them over to the table. Small groups had already started forming, which, Densel thought made it easier to decide who’s on any given rotation watch. He decided he’d gather all the pods around the medical, it was the largest with eight sections and twice as wide as the command pod. The Command pod would be attached on top and the Engineer pod attached at the bottom. He located several security pods, which was good. He’d have those link up with medical. While eating lunch he used the Table’s main monitors and top surface keypad to identify all the pods. There was a total of one hundred and two pods. Sixty were emergency crew pods – those had the most personnel. About thirty each. He located the Galley Pod, which was good. It had RationTabs for a thousand crew for ten years. All together fifteen hundred survived. Densel keyed in the override command code and instructed all the Pods’ main computer system to home in on his mark. He sent out a text broadcast requesting number of injured. Moments later responses started trickling in. Twelve pods had at least one person near critical, another two dozen with broken bones, three with none life-threatening, for the time being, cuts. He instructed those pods to dock with medical first. All other pods would be within three hundred meters of one another. He looked up to vacant stares. Denial was starting to settle in. “Any one up for some Grog?” He asked. All hands went up. Densel smiled and walked over to the Spirit locker. He pulled out twelve small boxes of Grog and handed them out. He sat down, pierced the top with his fingernail and raised the box up in a toast. Serious or not serious he wondered. “Guys, we have each other now. Let’s make this work. Up to our lips, passed the gums, look out stomach, salvation comes.”
The small group sat silent for a moment then the trickle of laughter filled the Pod. At least we have that Densel thought. Everyone was on their third rations of Grog when Densel felt the first bump. The Med pod had locked in. He got up and went over to the airlock. He entered the cycle code and peered through the small porthole. A minute later his airlock door hissed open with a small pop. He crossed the lock gang boot and waited. After another minute he entered the emergency door override code. The system blinked green for ‘all clear’ and the door hissed and a small pop told him the pressure matched. He opened the door, stepped in and saw no one. The first level was empty. He stepped up to the ladder and made his way down to the main patient area. No one. All beds were empty. Densel went down to the living area. Again, not a soul. He made his way up to the command deck and found the hatch door locked. He peered through the tiny porthole and took in a sharp breath. A dozen bodies sat motionless in their chairs.
Bermudez, one of the McCain’s navigators, walked up behind Densel. “Sir?”
Densel turned away, shaken. “The medical staff. Gone.” He stepped aside.
Bermudez looked through the window. It seemed unusually bright. He was able to make out the edge of a large rip in the top half of the pod. Decompressor was immediate, no one had a chance. “We’re screwed aren’t we, sir?” The first Officer’s stoic expression made the young man nervous. Sir?”
Densel said nothing. His mind raced through doomsday scenarios, of which this was one. “Not quite. You remember your Med Training?”
“Some?”
“You’re the new Med Chief until we find someone with more experience.”
“What?!?”
“Your luck in following me.” Densel turned to the now clearly frightened man and smiled. “The odds are good that your new title will last until the next pod docks in.”
Bermudez frowned. Not good he thought. ‘I’m screwed from here to hell.’
Densel turned and made his way back down the access way to the airlock. He crossed the threshold . . .
Turner, one of the McCain’s Engineers, spotted Densel first. “Not good.” He said.
Densel said, “You say that not as a question?”
Turner nodded, “I don’t see any Med staff behind you.”
Bermudez nodded.
Densel heard someone ask, “What happened?”
“Looks like it was a hull breach. Decompression took them out quickly.”
Gordon’s eyes welled up in tears. Several other Pod mates turned with face buried in hand.
“Anyone with Med Training?” Densel asked.
“Yes.” Gordon volunteered.
Densel turned to Bermudez, “You are relieved as Med Chief. You’re Med Second.” He looked Gordon in the eye, “Gordon, you are Med Chief. Most likely the entire Med Staff is gone. Hopefully, a few were off-duty and elsewhere when the order to abandon was announced.” He shook his head. “I really am hoping some of them did not make it to the pod.”
Bermudez amused, “Then some of them could be out with crew?”
Densel nodded. “You two are it for the moment. As Pods get near we’ll either add to staff or replace titles. Any problems?”
Both shook their heads.
“Good. How about another cup of Grog? It’ll be another four hours before one of the Security Pods docks. And another ten hours before any on the Emergency Personnel Pods reach us. We can get some sleep.” He surveyed the room. All scared. “People, we can do this. Once we’ve established a Connect and Secure with all the Pods we can think about Stasis Rotation.”
Some expressions eased from fear to anticipation.
McDonalds, from Environment, asked, “Do you really think we’ll be rescued anytime soon?”
Densel faced the small man. He had dark eyes and dark hair. His skin was mocha. “After hearing the McCain’s mayday message, ComProp just may speed things up.”
Steward said, “But we didn’t find any Alien artifacts.”
Densel shrugged, “Captain’s message. Not ours. But maybe that was what the Old Man was thinking. Instead of getting rescued in ten years it might be one or two.”
Gordon gave Steward a smirk.
Steward chose to ignore it.
“We got about a week before we get word and I’d like to have all pods positioned and set with Statis Rotation in place.”
A second later there was a bump.
“What the . . . ?” Densel quickly moved up the ladder to the Command Section. He sat in his chair and keyed through the computer system.
“The bottom airlock.” He said as he hurried down the ladder to the fourth and last level. Steward, Gordon, McDonalds and others followed. He keyed in the door code and everyone entered. Stacks of alloyed boxes were against the wall in columns that went from floor to ceiling. The Airlock entry indicator remained red. Densel walked up to it and tapped at the touch screen next to the door. A single person escape pod had docked. The screen indicated that the occupant on the other side was alive and was ready to enter. Densel tapped out the entry cycle and stepped back. Moments later the door made a hiss pop sound.
Lt. Piper, holding what looked to be a medium sized stone box stepped out. There were four Security C –clamps on each of the long sides of the box.
“Piper!” Densel exclaimed! “Now I am surprised.”
“Hey, Commander. Didn’t think I was going to make it. Life-support failed after the McCain exploded.”
Densel nodded. The pod must have been hit with debris. “And the box?”
Piper sucked in both lips. “Something important.”
Densel nodded and gave the young man a squinted eye stare. “Later then.”
Relieved, Piper exhaled. “Permission to come aboard, sir?”
Seconds ticked by before Densel nodded. “Permission granted.” He stepped aside and let the lieutenant cross the threshold into the Command Escape Pod. He turned and said, “Follow us, lieutenant.”
Piper smiled and happily followed the others up the ladder to the Living Area. He found a spot at the round table and smelled Grog. “Any for me?”
Densel slowly sat back at his place and said, “Answers first.”
“Okay.” The young man slowly said. “Sure, anything.”
“The box.”
Piper had placed the stone box in front of him. “Yes?”
Densel asked, “One, why? Two, what is in it?”
Piper remained silent.
“I have a mind to put you back in your pod . . . it’s in the way, mister.”
“Sir, the box is the reason we’ll be rescued early.”
“Gordon said, “Come again? That thing?”
Piper nodded, “It’s the artifact the Skipper had me announce in the Mayday.”
“What’s inside?” Steward asked.
Piper placed his hand on top of the box. “Artifacts.”
“Open it!” Some said from the back.
Densel noticed Piper didn’t flinch. His hand rested firmly on the box.
“It’s locked.” Piper said emotionless.
Seconds ticked by.
Densel cleared his throat. “Do you know what is inside?”
“Artifacts.”
“Like knives, dolls, chipped stone, a comm device? Give lieutenant.”
“Artifacts.” He repeated.
“Open it.”
“I can’t.”
Densel didn’t buy it. “Open it.”
Piper swallowed hard. “I don’t know the codes.”
“So how’d you know to get it? The Old Man never said anything to me about this. . .” he pointed a finger at it, “. . . this box. Even just before abandoning ship he said nothing.”
Piper shrugged. “The Skipper had his reasons . . .”
“Bullshit. The Captain never kept secrets from me. I’ve known him for over fifteen years.”
“That can’t be helped, but the Skipper is not beholden to you to tell his secrets.”
“I married his only daughter!”
Piper paused for a moment. He hadn’t thought about that. “Commander. I don’t know the codes,” and he slide the box toward Densel, “but, I know we should not open it.”
“Have you seen the contents?”
He hesitated too long. “Some not all.” He lied.
“And?”
Piper sighed, “Ummm.”
“Lieutenant. What am I going to tell ComProp? They’re going to come to me first. Do I tell them that Captain Rogers had an alternate agenda? ‘Sorry, sirs. But Captain Rogers told me shit about a box that would change the way humans view the entire universe. The most important find in all of human kind is in a stone box I had no knowledge of until after the McCain exploded.’ Come on, Piper. “
“The Skipper . . . had his reasons. I just know . . .”
“Lieutenant. We’re going to be out here for a very long time.”
“Commander, I can’t. I promised the Skipper.”
“He’s dead now.”
Piper took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Photos and stone tiles with indecipherable writing, and . . .”
“Photos!” Densel exclaimed.
Piper looked down. “Yeah, just simple photos. Of a female . . . we think.”
Gordon said, “How can you say ‘simple’ photos. We know what they look like!”
Piper remained silent.
Steward said, “Dude! This is history and you’re downplaying the whole thing. What’s up?”
Densel cocked his head toward Piper. “Mister, something is not right here.”
Piper remained silent.
“Lieutenant. Within ten minutes we’re questioning you. What do you think ComProp is gonna give you?”
Piper looked up.
“It’s not fitting. Your reactions, gestures, answers, are all hinky. Think about that.”
Piper did. He sighed heavily, reached for the box and tapped in the code for each Security C-Clamp. Each snapped open. He carefully moved the clamps out of the way and gently lifted the lid.
Densel, Gordon, Steward and the others moved in close to peer inside the box.
Gordon said, “That’s it?” She reached in to grab a small stone tile.
Piper’s hand reached out to stop her but Densel stopped him.
Gordon reached in and pulled out a small translucent metal plate. It had the image of a humanoid woman on it embedded in the center. She looked it over several times. “Impressive, but total fake.”
Someone in the back said, “Fake? Seriously?”
Piper said, “Age analysis sets everything to about 1,000 years ago. We carbon dated everything.”
Gordon snouted. “That may be so, but the image is fake. Come on. Couldn’t you use an original image? Like create your own 3D model?”
Piper’s mind raced. They hadn’t really worked out the details. Everything in the box were prototypes and proof of concepts. They would have had another three years to work out the details and tweak the artifacts. “It’s not what you think?”
Densel frowned. “Not what we think? You were gonna pawn off some junk to ComProp!”
“Of course not! The pics were experimental. The stone tiles were important . . .”
Steward exclaimed, “And I can’t believe the Captain was in on this!”
“He wasn’t,” Piper said after a sigh. “He found out maybe a month before the emergency. We told him . . .”
Densel interrupted, “We . . . ?”
Piper inhaled and whispered into himself, ‘fuck.’
“Well? We?”
“It started out as a joke. You know. Three years to get here and plenty of time for hobbies . . .”
“Go on.”
“A few of us sat around one cycle and joked about finding a box of old junk and how ComProp would go ape-shit on how great of a discovery it was.”
“Who were the others?” Densel asked.
“I’d rather not say.”
“I think you should say, Lieutenant. ComProp doesn’t take kindly to fraud.”
“It’s was joke. We seriously had no intention of pushing this off on anyone. We just wanted to see how far we could push the envelope.” “How did the Old Man find out?”
“Remember that surprise Dog watch inspection?”
Densel nodded.
“He walked in on one of the guys working the Electronic Scope. It was the picture. We figured if we could measure isotopes in objects why couldn’t we add isotopes. Make it seem a lot younger than what it really is. Or, remove isotopes . . .”
Steward finished, “. . . to make it seem older.”
Piper nodded. “The Skipper had mixed feelings. He told Bli . . . the other person to ‘carry-on’ but send him regular reports on progress.”
Densel shook his head. “I had the conn during that watch. He came back in a good mood. Damn! I never saw this coming.”
“No one saw it coming. We had no specific aim. We never discussed officially presenting our results. We just did what people do when they are bored stupid – for years. I should have left the box on the ship.”
Gordon said, “Why didn’t you?”
“Because it’s my box. Look, we wouldn’t be having this talk if the Skipper hadn’t sent that Mayday. And I kind of freaked. So, I went to get it.” Piper shook his head slowly and shrugged, “I have issues. I should have left the damn thing on the ship.”
Densel nodded, “but you didn’t.”
The two stared at one another.
Piper blinked first and looked away. “I kept this thing because I didn’t want to lose it. We . . . I spent pretty much of three years working out the details. I didn’t do it to trick everyone, but to show I could do it.”
“There’s an ‘and’ in there.”
Piper nodded. He looked around and noticed everyone staring at him. “And, by the off chance someone ‘discovered’ some of the items years from now and it got them to probe further then that would be . . .” He paused and took a deep breath. “You know, kind of exciting. Of course, I would hope to be on my deathbed when that happened.”
Steward said, “Wait, what? You planned on leaving that box on the planet?”
Piper nodded, “Leaning toward that. Twenty, forty, eighty, maybe hundreds of years from now some exo-archaeologist would stumble upon the box and try to uncover its secrets.” He started laughing but cut it off short when no one else joined him.
Gordon said, “Sick. Just sick.”
Piper scrunched his face up. “I never actually said I was going to do it. It was a thought.”
“The Captain sent out a Mayday with false information. ComProp is not going to look kindly on wasting several trillion dollars for a hoax.”
Piper sat quietly staring at the box. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. The Skipper had no reason to lie. It just so happens I have a box that was made to look old.” He softly said
They felt a bump.
The room went silent.
“Another one?” Densel said. He tapped at the table’s surface interface. It read, ‘Engineering Pod’.

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