Odyssey Rising (3 page)

On the computer screen, Theo saw rocks and sand as he moved the joystick. With each movement he made, down on the planet, the probe slowly rolled to a collection of large sandstone like rocks.

The images on the screen were fairly clear. The planet’s atmospheric disturbances, torrid windstorms and electro-magnetic swirls of dust and gas mostly had calmed to a navigable swirl. It was the planets early morning that was the most peaceful. Daytime was almost the opposite. It was filled with dust storms that often approached dirt devil category. Everyone thought the place looked like some kind of primitive beach, without any oceans.

When the probe reached a flat stretch, Theo noticed a unique reading on his screen. He paused the drone probe on a slight downward hill.

Flashing on the computer screen were two words in bold red:

UNIDENTIFED SUBSTANCE

The two words kept flashing and flashing. Subtlety was not a trait Tex Furman enjoyed, nor supported. Say it loud. Say it proud and in Texan! And do it in red was actually one of his personal mottos.

Next, Theo instructed the probe’s robotic arm to switch its utility silver claw to finer setting. Sprouting out of the claws three prongs were wisps of a fine brush.

“Enlarging image and now magnifying,” Theo said, “It’s does not appear to be soil based. It’s under the surface. Taking dimensions now.”

Theo switched to a secondary chemical composition sensor. Within two seconds, he saw another amazing two words flashing, also in red:

CALCIUM PHOSPHATE

“We’ll be taking over from here,” Yuri Makarov said.

“Eight and one third inches long,” Theo said as if he didn’t hear Yuri’s interruption.

“We’ve got it from here. You’ve done a great job,” Doctor Starling added.

Theo was defensive. “But this is my dig.”

“Initiating override 6-2-2,” Yuri said. “Wet Willy is under my control now.”

Theo cringed.

“But this is my dig, my Final Exam and I’ve found something very interesting,” Theo protested.

“And unidentified objects are extremely rare,” Ravi said. “In fact, Wet Willy can read and distinguish from over 5000 natural elements, minerals and natural gases with nearly a hundred percent accuracy. 94 elements on earth. 3800 minerals. All of the assorted gases.”

“Especially hot air,” Sam added.

Back at the Ark, across the galaxy, Yuri switched the protocol instructions he took control of the probe. Wet Willy’s robotic arm moved with precision in the sandy soil on the surface nine hundred miles below.

Once three big scoops of soil were cleared away from the area, the unidentified calcium phosphorous object became more visible. There were five distinct, though similar objects.

And then Ravi said what everyone was thinking, “That sure looks like a bunch of bones. Doesn’t it? Right Dad? I count five of them.”

“It’s really too early to say what they are,” Doctor Starling said with an optimistic rise to his voice.

Theo heard the unrestrained excitement in his father’s voice.

Doctor Starling had been everywhere, seen everything and hardly ever sounded surprised. He had taught every astronaut in the Furman Corporation’s stable of geniuses about argon-nuclear fission engines and about a hundred other topics that mostly put Theo to sleep.

“No exaggeration, but this could the greatest discovery in space travel,” Ravi said.

“Let’s not rush to judgment,” Doctor Starling said.

“But Dad, bones have never been found on a planet. As in nowhere, not even on Mars or the Moon or Titan or that hunk of carbon meteorite near Andorra,” Ravi said. “And let’s not go into the lack of any kind of alien life anywhere. Our journey has been nothing but false hopes and what might have beens. Right?”

“That’s enough chatter,” Doctor Starling said.

“But Dad, if those are a bunch of bones down there,” Ravi began to ask, “then that most likely means that something lives down on GidX7. Am I right or am I right?”

Neither Doctor Starling nor any of the other executive members of the panel answered the question. They were scientists first and foremost and they refused to provide a guess on such a potentially momentous discovery. Despite centuries of exploration and conjecture and the musings of poets, astronomers and biologists alike, life of any shape or size had never been found anywhere except on Earth.

And even though Theo’s Final Exam had been cut short, he figured he had passed with flying colors. The primary color just happened to be a surprising bone white.

Down on GidX7’s surface, the Wet Willy probe took off into the dust and debris of the planet’s atmosphere. In a little under an hour, if atmospheric conditions cooperated, the probe would return to the starboard docking area where the entire crew was ready to view perhaps the most anticipated discovery in space history.

Theo, Sam and Ravi made their way through the hallway to one of the starboard ladders that led down to the bottom floor of the shuttle.

“Do you know Wet Willy’s ability to return to Odyssey is one of its key next-gen features,” Ravi was saying, “and actually, it is its most distinguishing feature.”

“I know,” Theo said.

“For its one thing to see probe images on a computer screen and it’s another to touch and feel those samples an hour later in the lab. Did you know it can make the return flight with up to ten pounds of samples?”

“Yeah, I know,” Theo said. “What do you think I’ve been studying for two years?”

“There’s plenty of room for some unidentified calcium phosphorous objects and a few ounces of the planet’s soil. It’s quite amazing, actually,” Ravi kept talking.

“I know.”

“Don’t you know what all of this means?” Ravi asked.

“Not yet,” Theo said.

“This might be some kind of false positive,” Sam said, “that’s what your father said.”

“You saw them. I saw them. Everyone saw them. They were bones,” Ravi said.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Theo said.

“Me too,” Sam added.

When Theo jumped off the last rung, Ellie Lloyd walked toward the prep room.

She was athletically fit and seventeen years old like her classmates in the summer program. She had her long raven hair pulled into a tight ponytail.

Sam smiled and held up his best mid-century ancient digital camera. “Pretty on up and smile those nice chompers, cause we got us a party going on. Yo-ho!”

“So Ellie, you heard the one about the asteroid and the green belt?” Ravi asked.

“No, and I don’t think I want to,” Ellie answered. “So what’s up? I hear you found something miraculous and surprising and it’s heading up here.”

“Five bones are on their way up to Odyssey,” Ravi said.

“Really? Cool. This is crazy wild,” Ellie said.

Theo smiled at Ellie. “So, I guess I told you so.”

“What?”

“Guys make all the important discoveries,” Theo said.

“I was going to say good job, but now I just want to punch you,” Ellie said.

“You really can’t take a joke,” Theo said.

“Maybe because you can’t tell one,” Ellie said.

“Your Dad will dissect and analyze and theorize,” Sam added.

“It’s what he does best,” Ravi added.

“Drive everyone crazy,” Theo said.

“Maybe, but just maybe he and the Big Brains will confirm that you really did find a bunch of bones,” Ravi said.

“And maybe he won’t,” Theo said.

“It is highly probable that something once lived down there on GidX7,” Ellie said.

“And maybe, just maybe it’s still down there. For thousands of years, human beings have looked up at the stars,” Ravi added. “We’ve always been thinking, wondering, hoping, praying”

And now we know. I hope they come in peace.”

Within about two minutes, all thirty of Odyssey’s crewmembers had heard the news. Most were already heading to the lower level.

As the four classmates turned the corner and headed to the far end of the hallway, they were greeted by the Siberian Husky. The dog ran straight for Theo and sniffed at Theo’s shoes, slithering his tongue all over it.

“Hi Harry. Hi there buddy. Hi,” Theo said as he ran his fingers through his dog’s fine gray coat of fur as the dog.

“Harry Wolf, you are a real son of a gun,” Ravi said as he bent down to the husky’s eye level and the dog nearly kissed him on the lips. Harry Wolf was an energetic, friendly pain in the rear and as much as Theo and Ravi tried to train the dog to be obedient to their commands, the dog did whatever he wanted.

Sam backed away from Harry Wolf as he tried to fend off the dog’s advances.

“Man, can’t you get this thing to stop being a slob?”

“He just likes you,” Ravi said. “Why, I really don’t know.”

Sam glared down at Ravi. “Mutant, I have the access codes to the waste expulsion system and I am strongly considering using them. Understand?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Ravi said.

“Sure, I would.”

“Okay, okay,” Theo said. “Will you two children focus on the important subject of the day?”

With Harry Wolf in tow, they walked toward the docking area.

At the doorway, there was a pale young man, a muscle bound blonde haired, crew cut Swede named Larson Jensen. He looked like he was standing guard. He was. There was a taser hanging from his belt.

Ravi and Theo were both anxious and Harry Wolf wagged his tail and sat on his rump at attention by Theo’s feet.

Theo took his security card and prepared to sweep it through the lock.

Larson Jensen placed his arm in a blocking position. “Sorry. No access for anyone except Captain Barton.”

“Seriously?” Theo asked.

“Nobody but Captain Barton,” commanded the guard.

“But, I made the find,” Theo said.

“Just following the Captain’s orders,” Larson said.

They waited in the hallway until Captain Barton, a bearded man, approached the group a few moments later. He was tall, with a little more gray than brown in his beard. He offered a handshake to Theo.

“Nice job, Startling. Very nice,” Captain Barton said.

Theo tried not to smile. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Captain Barton said. “Is Ed Lorre here yet?”

“No sir,” Larson Jensen answered.

“Then get him down here without delay,” Captain Barton ordered.

“Yes sir.”

Captain Barton looked at Sam. “Hey Suzuki, you have your camera?”

“Yes sir,” Sam answered.

“Then why don’t you suit up?”

“Yes sir,” Sam answered.

Despite his role in the discovery, Theo still was just a common grunt. He didn’t have any kind of seniority aboard Odyssey, nor did he have the top-level security.

Sam shrugged. “Captain’s orders. Sorry buddy.”

“No problem,” Theo said. Clearly, he was a little disappointed about his exclusion form the greeting party.

Captain Barton and Sam went into the docking area prep room. The probe hadn’t arrived yet. At least there was a window by the door where Theo and Ravi watched as Captain Barton put a gray hazmat suit over his uniform.

Thirty-two year old Ed Lorre jogged down the hallway toward the young classmates. He was huffing and puffing and still retained a paunch of a beer belly.

“There’s the man of the hour! You lucky son of a gun! Too bad your Dad isn’t here in person,” Ed said to the brothers.

“He’ll be on screen,” Ravi said.

“Definitely. Well, gotta suit up,” Ed said. “And congratulations, man. This is history, my friend. Seriously.”

“Thanks,” Theo said with a sheepish, humble smile and nod of his head. He really wasn’t used to all the attention. Frankly, he had always been in his father’s shadow.

News of Theo’s discovery still spread like the common cold. Though most of the crew had been asleep and were still yawning, there was an excitement brewing in the room. This moment was a long time in the making.

Through an observation window, all had a clear view of the probe approaching the shuttle with the backdrop of a billion stars. In flight Wet Willy was a thin silver speck against limitless blackness. It looked like a half moon motorcycle with four wheels in retracted flight mode. A plasma tail of argon white heat burned against the blackness.

“That probe is a thing a beauty,” Ravi said.

“It’s just a machine,” Theo said.

“Yeah, but without it we wouldn’t have found the skeleton,” Ravi said.

“Dork, there is no
we
in
my
discovery,” Theo said.

“Well, we were both in the probe room,” Ravi said.

“Just stop talking,” Theo said.

“Sorry. I just…you know…”

“…can’t shut up when you’re excited.”

“Now is a very exciting time,” Ravi said.

“Just try to chill,” Theo said.

“Hey! There’s Willy! “Right on time,” Ravi commented.

“It’s quite a piece of machinery,” Ellie said.

“Yes, it is,” Theo commented.

Ellie smiled. She had set her verbal trap.

“But hey, didn’t Marisa Markov design it all by herself?”

“Maybe,” Theo said with a tentative shrug.

Moments later, Sam was in the prep room with Captain Barton and Ed Lorre. Just looking at the yellow hazmat suit made Sam sweat.

Wet Willy made a safe and fairly gentle return to Odyssey’s docking bay where the drone probe and its calcium phosphate contents were met by the anxious four in yellow. With a slow whine, the docking door closed tightly. The drone probe was the size of a motorcycle.

The arrival team was comprised of Captain Barton, Ed Lorre, Sam Suzuki and Larson Jensen.

“Let’s see what’s arrived,” Captain Barton said.

With Wet Willy safely in the docking bay, Ed Lorre approached the probe. There was an interior compartment where the planetary samples had been in safekeeping.

“Detaching,” Ed Lorre announced.

Ed Lorre double-checked the scan stats. Nothing had changed. The objects still weighed four pounds and ten ounces and its resting temperature had not changed. There were five of them in the probe’s storage compartment.

“Any change?”

“None.”

“Any little green men in there?”

“None,” Ed Lorre said with a slight, though nervous chuckle.

There was no unusual radiation, no movement, no unusual heat source. Everything was as they had expected and so they were ready for the next step, which was transporting the detachable sample case to the lab.

Theo, Ellie and Ravi followed with Harry Wolf as did a small group of crewmembers.

Once in the lab, Ed Lorre placed the ivory white objects onto an examining table. Doctor Starling had a great view of the examination on his Ark computer. While this kind of discovery had never happened, there still were a set series of basic protocols and Captain Barton was following them to the letter.

“I’m ready,” Larsen said with both his hands wrapped around his taser gun.

“We see that,” Captain Barton added. “Just don’t nuke the thing or anyone else accidentally.”

“No sir. Definitely not sir,” Larson said, “I’m just ready…for anything.”

“Larson, seriously, you can take your finger off the trigger now,” Captain Barton said.

“Okay sir. Yes sir,” Larson said as he lowered his taser to his side.

Even Harry Wolf sat up and tried to catch a glimpse of what was going on in the lab room, though Theo doubted the dog even knew what was happening. Even in space, the dog could only think of food, slobbering and sleep. Everyone else could only think about what looked like a bunch of bones.