Under a Starless Sky

He arrived on the Bridge and came away from the door. He was acknowledged and he motioned for people to continue. Officer on the deck came directly to him and asked if he was relieved.

“No,” Jon said. He looked at the man as if trying to remember and then it was there- “Lt. Armagost. Michael E. Sorry, I don’t remember your middle name.”

“Eugene,” Armagost filled in. “So, it’s true. You remember everyone’s name?” There was just the hint of Canadian accent.

“Pfft,” Jon said. “Not even. Don’t perpetuate myths. I just happen to like your last name, so it stuck. Probably doesn’t mean what I imbued it with, but I will keep my ideas about it, if you don’t mind.”

Someone announced the Away Team was prepared to beam down. Armagost looked to the Captain.

“Carry on, A,” Jon said, mean ‘eh.’ It was taken in the spirit he was offering it.

Armagost performed an eye survey all the command team stations and nodded towards one of the live cameras. “Away Team, be safe. You’re cleared for transport,” he affirmed.

Jon had come forwards, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn’t glass, but it allowed light to pass through. Eight beams came to a center point. A lifetime ago he had been sitting there, minding his own business, with an artifact rammed the ship just over head. It puncture the ship without loss of atmosphere. It was strategic. They knew. They knew!

“Sir?” Armagost asked.

“They fixed it pretty fast,” Jon said, recovering.

“Oh, hell yeah,” Armagost said. “The probe is presently being studied on the hangar deck. It’s a pretty sophisticated piece of tech.”

A Yeoman arrived with a cup of tea.

“I didn’t ask…”

highlights, denoting life science and or civilian track. Her collar held a distinction pip for merit in the line of service. The ‘Sophia’ she was

am sorry. I feel like I should know more…” Simultaneously, he was holding an internal conversation with Sophia- ‘if I want a drink, I will ask

apparent that Poviach had asked something. Sophia

no. No, thank you,” Jon

her business. Administration had

Team, and somewhere there was a War Room where ‘angels’ watched over individual Away Team members. Their reports flowed up to this station. Between angels and AI suits and AI on the ship, Away Teams had never been so safe. He compared to the days he grew up on origin, no seatbelts, laying in the rear window, riding bikes without helmets, no kneepads.

life. It also had an abundance of life forms that would not be compatible with

A cave in Romania that was discovered with pre-historic life-forms. Atmosphere heavy with sulfur? They thrive in a sunlight space, living off a floating mat of bacteria…”

“I am impressed that you know that,” Cundy

humans discovered that and managed to get in there and

and the fact they really didn’t understand what they had stumbled

“So, why is this strange?”

star and planet arrived, and there is no apparent loss of mass for this region- which means this planet was created. Why

Mystery. “Maybe the planet

“In an instant?”

my inner

or the amount of data a

have me. They had

said. “But

you want your guests

world is honeycombed with caverns. The planet is filled with life,”

a map of the world. A feature stood out. A crater, submerged under water. Three mountains at the center. Cundy stopped talking when

“Captain?” Cundy asked.