Into The Void (21 page)

              The sheets of liquid were bouncing off the walls and moving in an unpredictable manner. They were moving up and down the sides of the cave and bouncing almost like a block of jelly.

              Captain Steele got a sample of it and decided to head back to the surface but not before dropping a camera and sensor down to the bottom of the cavern so they could continue to monitor the situation. His suit couldn't handle any more stress from the gravity or atmospheric pressure. It was starting to hurt him inside the suit. He climbed up through the cave system, making sure the samples were properly maintained as he made his way up and out.

              “Why was the liquid behaving like that?”

              “I have no idea John. It defies all known laws of science. This is bigger than anything we have even seen. Maybe the vibrations of the semi-solid degenerate matter have something to do with it. There still was the super dense matter from the surface of the black dwarf at the center of the black dwarf. I would imagine the violent nature of a star's creation and death would be so extreme that such a state of matter as what we saw could only exist inside a star. The gravity and the degenerate matter could cause many things to happen. Considering that we know the material properties of a white dwarf are truly astronomical, and that the life and death of a star is much bigger and much more violent than we can imagine, one can only wonder at why it was acting the way it was,” Jamie said.

              “So it's a possibility that somehow when the star collapsed under its own gravity it created an environment capable of creating such peculiar effects?” Captain Steele asked.

              “It's possible. The gravity itself is incredible and degenerate matter is incredible as well. The unbound electrons have a lot to do with it as well. Plus the violent death of such a large object as a star could make such things possible,” Jamie said.

              Captain Steele made it the cave with the gas in it and laid down.

              “What are you doing John?” Jamie asked.

              “Shhh!” Captain Steele said.

              “What?” 

              “I'm trying to sleep.”

              “What? Why in the world would you want to do that?” Jamie asked.

              “I've already walked on a star but I also want to say that I was the first person to fall asleep inside a star,” Captain Steele said.

              Jamie laughed.

              “Very well. Sleep tight. Just make sure you bring me back those samples and make sure you come back alive,” Jamie replied.

              “Very well,” Captain Steele replied

              When Captain Steele got back to the ship, he placed the tests in the lab, got a bite to eat, played a game with Jamie, worked to maintain the ships hull, then after several hours, went to bed in his comfortable bed.

              “Nothing beats a nice bed after a long day of work,” Captain Steele said as he fell asleep.

Chapter 17

Oscillation Devastation

              Captain Steele awoke slowly rolling out of bed, his body stiff with age, and headed toward the bridge.

              “Morning Jamie.”

              “Good morning John.”

              “How are you this wonderful morning?” Captain Steele asked.

              “I am doing pretty well. And yourself?”

              “Doing good.”

              “It always amazes me how you can just assume that it's morning when there is no natural light to tell you what time it is,” Jamie said.

              “Well, I just got up so regardless of the actual time it is my morning.”

              “Good point. Even if it is night in the United States of America on Earth, and it is daytime at mission control on the planet we started this journey from,” Jamie said.

              “Being out here is different than most space traveling. Normally there are lots of stars around you in close proximity, usually not more than three to four light years away, in all directions. Usually you're in the space between solar systems, between stars, but out here your between galaxies. Most veteran soldiers know how to cope in interstellar space, the space between solar systems. It's usually only two to five days tops before your back into a solar system. But when your in interstellar space it's still a little different than being in orbit around a planet. In interstellar space there is less light, less ways to orient yourself and the stars aren't in their normal spots. It changes because your moving around the galaxy. However, if you do it enough, it all kinda becomes normal. Out here in intergalactic space it's really different because whole galaxies are just a single dot twinkling way in the distance and their not as plentiful as the stars in the Milky Way. Anyways, you up for a game of chess?” Captain Steele asked as he grabbed a box of cereal.

              “I am up for it.”

              Captain Steele and Jamie played several games of chess.

              “Three to two. I win three times, you win twice. Not bad considering I'm playing against an artificial intelligence,” Captain Steele said, “You must be throwing games.”

              “Never! I would never. On my honor as an artificial intelligence.”

              “What honor? I'm pretty sure your lost that somewhere between the Galactic Edge and here.”

              Jamie laughed.

              “I am sure you lost yours, not the other way around,” Jamie replied.

              “No, I've always had mine. I don't know what your talking about.”

              “Let's face it John, it has been over 100 years since you left the galactic edge. Your telling me that you, a human, who makes mistakes, has kept some of his honor?”

              “Yes. And you don't make mistakes Jamie? Like destroying my ship by pushing it faster than it was ever meant to go? In fact, if I remember correctly, it was so bad that you lost the lab AND the ship was held together by a thread. You messed up so much that you almost let down everyone in the Milky Way,” Captain Steele said.

              “Granted, but it was a cost analysis. You needed help, and I had to get here. Plus, the Instant Teleportation Device would be better built with human hands.”

              “That doesn't change the fact that you could still build it without me.”

              “That's true. However, I am here to keep you safe and make sure you complete the mission.”

              “That is true.”

              “And I did save your life.”

              “Yeah, you did,” Captain Steele said smiling.

              Captain Steele walked over to the lab to check on the samples of the black dwarf and saw they were still processing. He figured it may take years if not decades for them to be properly analyzed.

              Captain Steele then walked over to the rec room so he could work out and then relax. He turned on a movie, watched it, then went to the lab. He had to send a log of what's happened.

              “I got to go do another crappy log. I don't even know why we do these anymore. It's not like anyone in the Milky Way will get these anytime soon. It'll probably take decades.”

              “Yes, but with a steady stream of them they should be getting them every two weeks,” Jamie said.

              “Yeah, but most of the time there is nothing to report. It's literally, I worked out, I slept, I ate, and then I repeated. The only time these are any good is when we come across something. Which, most of the time, there's not crap out here. I guess it's just another reason they call it 'the great void'.”

              Captain Steele cleared his throat before starting.

              “Captain John Steele, Date, year 4120, month 10, week 4, standard Milky Way year. Log number 5,932.”

              “I've spent a long time out here. After 120 years I still don't get use to the cold, lack of light, and silence. I know I've recommended it before, but next time you retards back in the lab send someone out here make sure it's with a group of people. Jamie, the artificial intelligence, is great at a lot of things, and she pretty much covers it all, but she's just not human. It's weird really... there is almost a psychological disconnect here. Humans need other humans to function properly. We were not made to do life alone. We need friends, other humans to talk to, to interact with. Jamie covers all this, and I am very, very, very grateful for her, however there is something about seeing another human being in the flesh that is important. Her holographic form isn't the same thing.

              “I know that humans back when the internet first came out suffered from a lack of social interaction while still having social interaction with other individuals over the internet. They failed to develop the necessary skills and failed to have other chemicals in their brain develop right or act correctly. People who communicated purely over the internet actually felt more lonely. They felt less good. The simple fact of the matter was that face to face interaction is needed. However, even though Jamie is as human as an AI can get, she is still not human.

              “We came across a black dwarf. I walked on the surface, went inside it, and slept inside it for a bit just for experimental purposes. We came across several interesting properties. As I walked along the surface of it I found a cave. The star had collapsed but it still had caverns in it. I am sending all my findings to you on it. I assume that the material had collapsed in such a violent matter that the entire star wasn't compressed. I also think that due to the Pauli Exclusion Principle that the material vibrated because of the electrons not having a place to stay and that they caused the caves by moving the material as it collapsed. I am sending you video from the suit and the scans of the material will be sent to you when their done.

              “Captain Steele out.”

              Captain Steele ended the log and looked up to see Jamie glaring at him.

              “Alright alright... who, or what, did I piss off, screw up, or annoy now?” he asked.

              “You called them retards. I do not think they will like that,” Jamie said.

              “I've done almost 6,000 of these things. Can't I be unprofessional once? Can't I have some fun once?” Captain Steele asked.

              “No. The entire galaxy is going to see those.”

              “This, Jamie, is why I keep you around. It's all the lovely little reminders you give me when I mess up,” Captain Steele said.

              “I also can't believe you also said 'felt less good.' Such terrible grammar and sentence structure.”

              “I was having fun! Come on Jamie. You act like one log out of 6,000 is going to forever ruin our mission.”

              “Also, you slept inside the star 'for experimental purposes'?” Jamie said suspiciously.

              “A little embellishment... 'for experimental purposes'.”

              “You really shouldn't lie on your logs John.”

              “See? This is why I keep you around Jamie. It's all the lovely little reminders you give me when I mess up.”

              “Even after 120 years I still can't figure you out. Are you joking or are you serious?”

              “Well, you up for another game of chess? The stakes will be high-”

              “Let me guess... they'll be high 'for experiential purposes?'” Jamie said interrupted him.

              “Nope, because I'm going to embellish this to hell and back!”

              Captain John Steele awoke when the ship started to shake.

              “Jamie what's going on?” Captain Steele asked.

              “Seems to be some kind of electrical storm,” Jamie replied.

              “Aaaaaannnnd how exactly does that happen when were out in the middle of fricken nowhere?” Captain Steele asked.

              “It seems there is a large-”

              “I changed my mind, I don't really care. I just want to know is the ship going to be alright? It's rocking pretty bad,” Captain Steele said.

              “Yes John.”
              “I just know that its taken more abuse than it was ever designed to take.”

              “It should be fine John.”

              “As long as its okay from space lightning then I'll go back to sleep. Because, you know, turbulence shouldn't happen in the vacuum of space,” Captain Steele said as he turned to go to bed.

              “I'll let you know if anything else changes,” Jamie said.

              “Thank you Jamie.”

              Captain Steele went back to bed when there was a large explosion causing the ship to decompress.

              “What the hell was that? Jamie? Jamie! Fix that!” Captain Steele yelled.

              Captain Steele ran towards the air lock to start putting on his DSSM suit. He could feel the effects of vacuum on his skin, causing the water to rise to the surface and evaporate. He could also feel the liquid in his body start to boil causing bubbles. He felt the pull of the breach in the hull of the ship as the air started to leave the ship. The ship started to loose gravity and he started to float off the ground. He would need to pull and push himself across the ship to a secure location.

              “Shut the bulkhead Jamie!”

              “It won't respond! Nothing is responding!”

              “Give me some help here. Help me get to the airlock to change.”

              Jamie sent some droids to help Captain Steele get to the airlock as the ship decompressed. She also had some of the droids try to block the hole in the hull of the ship. This caused one of the droids to get pulled out.

              Captain Steele could feel the hair on his skin start to lift up and his skin started to tingle. He knew what was coming. He reached his hand out and quickly touched the ship then pulled it back. Right as he pulled his hand off the metal in the ship he could feel the hair on his skin start to lift up and his skin started to tingle again. He tried to touch the metal of the ship again but when he did the ship was struck with lightning again. The current ran throughout the ship and reached out and struck him. The lightning was so strong it was some how going through the insulation of the ship.

              Captain Steele felt an intense heat run throughout his body before coming to consciousness again. He noticed he was further away from his suit than he was a second ago. He pushed and pulled himself toward his DSSM suits. He felt the hair raise on his skin again and braced for another strike of lightning. He saw the lighting bolts arc throughout the ship and strike him. He again felt an intense amount of heat before coming to. He knew he must be temporarily passing out.

              Captain Steele pushed and pulled himself closer to the airlock where his DSSM suits were. He knew with the effects of vacuum creeping its way through the ship he only had a couple minutes tops. He could feel the lightning about to strike again and he pushed himself as far as possible. Another burst of intense heat and then he came to. Another burst quickly followed with him coming to shortly after. He could feel the effects of vacuuming causing his skin to bloat.

              “Jamie get that damned bulkhead shut!” Captain Steele yelled.

              Captain Steele could feel the water on his skin evaporating. He could feel his skin swelling up all around him. He felt his skin start to tingle again and he braced himself. He saw the lightning strike bouncing from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, all throughout the ship, jumping around inside the ship. He felt an intense heat then an intense pain in his leg as it blew off. He came to and notice that his leg was missing just above the knee. The electricity had blown it off with enough force to propel him forward towards the door with his DSSM suit while simultaneously searing his wound shut from the heat. He grabbed the doorway and pulled himself in. He grabbed the suit and started to put it on as the hair on his skin started to raise up and the tingling sensation started again. He wasn't sure how long this could go on.