Lost and Found
Ryan T. Shaw
|
"Lost and Found" Sequel to "Double Trouble" |
Unknown to everyone, Juno
has a sister. But who is her target? |
Darkness…
In the silent, cold, blackness of deep space…
A tiny light began to glimmer on an ancient control panel…
The ship was on its return voyage, and was only twenty-six Earth light years from home, when a signal was received. Traveling faster than the speed of light, her crew slept in the hibernation units and didn’t age. Should she awaken them early and inform them of the signal? Or should she wait?
The last data received, was the final battle had taken a turn for the worst. Their secret orders were to depart Pluto and make their way to the closest solar system and try to find a habitable planet.
The fighting was intense and at the time, none detected the Ark as it fell away from the escort. A communication was received but couldn’t be completely decoded, it was meant for the moon base only. She’d been pondering the message for the last thousand years and was only able to decipher small parts.
As her crew slept, she played and replayed the last events of the final battle in her memory banks. Over and over she watched them. She examined each ship closely and knew every detail of its demise. The larger cargo ship troubled her; something obscured some stars and fell away from it. It was only visible for a fraction of a second and following it to its final location on the planet below, it showed a fiery crash. But looking on the surface she could find no trace of it, just a large crater where impact hinted of complete destruction. Logic forced her to believe it to be the Ark, and its destruction was total.
The war had erupted once again. After many millennia, Juno slept in silence, and had now been awakened. She was instructed to watch for this and alert the Captain. It was time to begin breaking for the solar system entry so she decided to awaken him. The hibernation unit complied with the awakening procedures and two months later the Captain opened his eyes.
Captain Corey Thomas, was no stranger to the effects of hibernation. But still he just couldn’t get used to the flavor of dirty gym socks, which is exactly what he felt had been stuffed in his mouth for the last hundred years.
“Greetings Captain Thomas,” Lisa said as she checked her instruments that told of his coherence.
“Oh come-on Lisa… I’ve a headache and that old pair of gym socks you stuffed in my mouth is still giving me bad breath… Can you keep it down?” He asked mockingly and slowly placing his hands over his ears.
“My scanners detect no gym socks and as for your headache, it will clear when you take on some fluids.” she said, sliding out a tube of fluids for him to suck on.
“Oh man, do I hate this!” he was grumbling as he tried to work the stiffness out of his limbs.
“Drink your fluids” said Lisa.
“Tell you what, you drink it. And I’ll nag,” mumbled Corey.
“Since I am not a biologic, I can’t, and you’ll just have to put up with my nagging, now drink! Or shall I prepare a hypodermic? Or do you prefer an enema?”
“You would! Wouldn’t you?!” He grumbled taking a sip.
“Yes dear.” She said.
“Cough! Cough! Ugh! I don’t know what’s worse, the socks or this stuff!”
“If it makes you feel better, this is the last time you’ll have to do this.”
“Promise?!” grumbled Corey.
“Maybe,” Said Lisa.
Working his arms and legs slowly at first, then the rest of his muscles he was eventually able to rise from the hibernation unit and float along for a while. Lisa would increase the gravitational pull slowly, as his limbs could accept the challenge. Finally able to use his eye-hand coordination adequately he shaved off the beard and trimmed his hair. The blended nutrients reminded him of baby food; his system was slowly waking up and couldn’t handle solids at this point. And those solids consisted of a bland paste that Lisa called “food.”
After a few days he was able to function fully and was ready for duty, Lisa brought him up to date on her findings of the last battle and then dropped the bombshell.
“Are you ready for the recent findings?” she asked.
“What recent findings would that be?”
“I’ve detected robot activity,” she said.
“Where?” he asked with a small air of alarm.
“On the surface of the third planet, they haven’t ventured off of it, but there’ve been battles.”
“What kind of units?” he asked.
“Three humanoid, and many R C units. The battles have been between them.”
“Any signs of Juno?” he asked.
“Vague detections, she may be still around and she’s well hidden.”
“Have the battles been true to her manner?”
“The severity has been greatly subdued and not as vicious, but I would say yes.” Informed Lisa
“Did you record the battles?” he asked
“Of course, I knew you’d want to see them.”
“Good girl!” said Corey “how far out are we?”
“We should reach Earth in twenty-three years their time and just over one our time.”
“Better start waking the crew.” He said.
“I started that three weeks ago.”
“Well I don’t know why I’m needed, you seem to be doing just fine by yourself!” He teased.
“I got lonely, nobody to nag.” She returned.