Arkology Reports 2

Sub dossier of file C-08

Read Part 1 here

The shrieking of metal vibrated through the cabin as the hull ground against the metallic surface of Elysium. The high pitched whistles and the deep creaking of the bulkhead were so horrid, the screams of the crew were soothing in comparison. While the safety belts struggled to keep me inside the chair, as I got knocked about, my reptile brain contemplated the choice between clutching the arms rests or slapping my gloved hands to the side of my helmet for protection against the hellish noise. Meanwhile, the viewports cracked as the rocket glided across the machines exterior and dust obstructed our view. Not that it mattered. We were completely at the mercy of the forces that had pulled us toward the massive object. Not that we could process the cause for our demise. At that moment, I thought I was about to die with all these strangers. Not that I am choosy about my manner of death.

As an Associate, you kind of expect to die suddenly. I had brushes with death. But those moments, were over before I could process what had happened. A projectile missing me by a hair. A carnivorous Outsider who's jaws got in an arms-length of me. Afterwards, I had taken a deep breath thinking. 'that was a close one', and moved on.

But this time I was trapped and not even able to get up. Before long I just wanted it to end, even if it killed me. And then that moment came. I could feel The Comet tilt forward as it came to a sudden standstill with a loud thump. Safety straps of our chairs snapped as we were propelled forward. And after the aft of the Rocket keeled down again, the engines petered out.

An awkward silence followed. No one dared to break the tranquillity after all that. We lived, but now we're left to ponder what to do with our remaining life. We had just a few days of food, no plans and no sense of direction. The only bright side was that, apart from being shaken and bruised, we were all healthy.

After I freed my self of the restrains, I peered between the cracks inside one of the portholes. All I could determine was that we were lodged inside a crater of sorts. Without any alternatives, it was quickly decided to open the entrance hatch. As the Chairman exited the craft I overheard him muttering something about us being the first humans on another astral body since the moon landing in 1855. He was correct, yet the entire experience of putting your first step on a world of legend felt rather underwhelming compared to cheating death. We left deep prints in the dust on the blue metallic surface. I looked at the horizon that bent in either direction with geometrically shaped spires and other structures broke up the skyline. An explorer's dream. But there I stood, still shaking and hoping that I would wake at any moment.

The Chairman figured, finding a way into the interior of the machine shouldn’t prove to be too difficult. Gravity was low but strong enough for us not go adrift. I was kind of used to it as I explored the Void Breach at ████████, but for half of us, it was a new type of experience. We feared Associate 111 would break her neck when she tried to jump down the ladder. Instead, she propelled herself upward waving her limps about a toddler. Before we knew it she was about to hit the ground head first, be it in slow motion, if Associate 205 wasn’t there to grab her. Lucky boy.

Gathered in front of the wreckage we decided to explore the surface. Each of us would travel in a different direction for about fifteen minutes and regroup back at the Comet. The Chairman would stay behind to guard the ship. Not that there was anything worth guarding. At this point, it was nothing but a container filled with enough oxygen to keep us alive for, maybe a week, if he could plug all the holes. Food and water would be gone before then.
Now the exterior was not at all what I expected. There were strange towers up ahead, but I couldn’t make them out through my visor. The reflections of the pale metallic surface were straining my eyes, something fierce indeed. I could only speculate these structures might have something to do with with the Von Straub-field.
That is when I looked up. The debris floated overhead like a scattered flotilla, but it was mostly centred in a neat orbit; just like the ring of Jupiter I imagine. Curious, I went looking for the planet Earth, and after squirting hard enough I noticed a bright blue ball hidden behind the debris. I expected it to be closer but seemed smaller than the moon as seen from earth. But then I noticed another one and another one. Finally, I could at least count fifteen planets than seemed eerily similar to our blue planet. Maybe a reflection created by the Von Straub Field; which would also explain why these looked so small.

My wristwatch rang, announcing I should head back. As a bit of a game, I thread my left-behind footsteps in the dust. It was then when I noticed the sickly-blue material beneath. These were obviously slabs put in place, but their surface and edges were rough like a rock as if these were straight from a quarry and had been put in place. Maybe it was corrosion, but at least the distant structures seemed intact. If time was responsible for this wear and tear on these slabs, it seemed unlikely those structures would still be standing. Then I reminded myself of the massive damage I saw from up high. Something else went on here, but what did it matter if we would be dead within in the week. It dawned on me, that every discovery we made would be of no consequence, and nihilism started to cloud my thoughts. While approaching the Comet I didn’t even notice the others conversing. 205 was making wild gestures at the Chairman as the others stood idly by. Whatever he was talked about, they ignored me completely. Then they told me.

205 had seen human shapes moving about? I was sceptical. It could have been anything from his imagination to shadows cast by floating debris. Or Shadow people, which wouldn’t surprise me either. This place could be infested with Outsiders, for as far as we knew. It just never came up in conversations.
But 205 insisted, claiming he could make out their suits, which were attached to large cables or hoses.
After some deliberation, we went back inside the Comet to discuss our next course of action. It was quickly decided that we needed to enter the structure of C-08 because If there were people here, they were probably out looking for whatever hit Elysium. If we found a viable shelter, we could figure out how to make first contact. We didn’t have any weapons, so any display of force was out of the question.
It was then when one of the pilots cried out (I never got their names. One was Slavic. The other, I have no clue.) ‘There is something out there! Right there, upon the ridge,’ he warned pointing at the crater's edge just above the ship's bow.  We leaned towards the front window and observed the ledge.
‘There is somethin’ there, I swear!’ he insisted.
I didn't want to believe him. What could be alive up here? Then I remembered the fifteen bright blue planets. What if other civilisations were lured here just like us? Or what if this place was never abandoned, to begin with, and the Von Straub field was intended to hide their presence?
My breath grew heavy as I stared at our surroundings.

‘I think he is right,’ 111 whispered nervously with her visor pressed against the porthole within the exit hatch.

I told her to move aside as I was compelled to confirm this for myself. And then I saw the round shape of a helmet, just smaller than ours, stick out above the surrounding debris. It's mirrored visor was facing me directly. Even when I could make out my own reflection on its surface, the stranger didn’t hide.

‘What is it doing?’ the Chairman asked.

I shook my head. ‘Nothing. It just looks at me.’

‘You sure it sees you?'

‘What does it matter, man?’ I snapped at my superior.

Now the other pilot got up. ‘There are more of them. They are up to something!’

We looked back at the ledge. Two of them were moving objects, gesturing at someone out of sight.

‘Oh no, another-. No two!’ 111 cried and pressed her back opposite of the door against the consoles. ‘They are coming towards the door! They have weapons.’

‘What kind?’

She shook her head. 111 was a mathematician with a fondness for botany and the works of Pythagoras, so of course she was completely out of her element.

Again I glanced through the porthole. Two, big fellows this time. Their suits looked more like armour than any hazard equipment I have ever seen. Their helmets were elongated and all they could see through was a porthole for a visor. And they brought mechanical tool. I don’t blame 111 assuming these were weapons. One carried something that looked like a combination of a jackhammer and a drill, the other a type of circular saw. Both drew power from batteries I assumed they carried on their backs and from the ways they moved I could see they were not shy in wielding them.

‘Open the door!’ the Chairman commanded.

I looked at the old man. ‘What?’

I could see his pale cheeks turn red inside his helmet. ‘Open it!’

Actually intimidated, I grabbed the wheel and released the lock. Without hesitation, the Chairman climbed out, as nimble like a young man, stood in the opening and raised his arms. ‘We come in peace!’ he cried over his speaker with his hands in the air.
111 and I stared past the chairman's ankles at the armoured cosmonauts who had stopped dead in their tracks and then looked at each other. ‘We mean you no harm,’ he announced unironically. ‘We crash-landed,’ he continued over-emphasizing every word. ‘We were testing out our rocketship and something went horribly wrong.’

The cosmonaut with the buzzsaw turned around and reached out to his fellows. I could barely hear a word, but the other ‘aliens’ came out of hiding and started gathering in front of the chairman like a curious crowd before a snake-oil-salesman. It was then I noticed the white noise and beeps of their radios, enclosed into their suits. I inspected their peculiar gear. It looked manmade, but these seemed alien in an unexpected way. Exotic almost, with parts of plating and seemed crudely made surrounded by decorations of various origins. One of them had a yellow button of some kind with a smiling stick-figure-esque face.

‘That is right. We are in need of your help,’ the chairman went on. ‘Could you take us somewhere, safe?’

The strange group deliberated in their alien languages, which included a lot of hand gestures it seemed. Finally, a man of small stature stepped forward and saluted us awkward. ‘Hello?’ he exclaimed through a speaker of questionable quality. ‘Wert thou from?’ he asked in an odd accent.

The Chairman looked in our direction, uncertain how to respond and then addressed the man. ‘Earth!’

A snicker escaped the stranger's helmet and he repeated the answer in jest to his colleagues who started to laugh.

'Maybe we should be more specific with which one,’ 111 whispered.

‘I am sorry, apologized the Chairman. 'But back home, we were not aware that there were people alive up here.’

The small stranger responded. ‘Ye got my ear. We don’t receive many Downers Upside. Now, If thou promise to behave we can take dee downstairs. But understand this. We lads don’t risk life and limb because we enjoy jumping them incomers. However, if thou grant us the salvage rights on ye' ship then we’ll guide yea downside, all safe and snug.’

‘Downstairs, where exactly?’ the chairman asked cautiously.

I lay my hand on his shoulder to grab his attention. ‘Are we seriously considering this?’

‘Shut up!’ he snapped back and then friendly asked the scavenger. ‘Where will you bring us?’

The small man straightened himself theatrically and place one hand in his side. ‘The little place we call home,’ he replied while pointing upward. ‘Arkology!’