The Ark

Chapter 1

Chapter One

DAY 1075

The ceiling must have been twenty feet high, and the square room had walls that were all about fifty feet in length. One wall was completely covered with computer equipment and medical monitors. On the opposite wall was a large steel door, which resembled a giant airlock. There were no windows in the room, but there were twelve video cameras suspended from the ceiling that together covered every inch.

Through the dim glow of red auxiliary lights, one could just make out the shapes of the dozen coffin-sized capsules lined up in four neat rows. The capsules were black, their sides rounded and smooth. Topping each capsule were two transparent sections, surrounded by a black frame, a lid assembly that fit perfectly on top of the capsules. It was almost impossible to see where the sides ended, and the top began. Each capsule was numbered with a three-inch-high red adhesive label on the front. There were also several rows of indicator lights and LED displays at the end of each capsule.

At one end of each row was a console of complex computer equipment. The capsules had several small monitor screens, displaying what appeared to be an EKG readout. Anyone with medical knowledge would have been concerned by the extremely slow heart rate visible on the screens. Ten of the capsules had multiple rows of green lights, some flashing and others glowing continuously. On the capsule numbered 'Ten', two lights weren't green. One was yellow, and the second glowed an ominous red. On capsule Three, there were no lights at all.

Through the transparent lid of each capsule, the form of a nude human was visible. The people were a mixture of males and females from several different races. They all looked to be in good physical condition and appeared to be between twenty and forty years old.

An unusual mask covered the mouth and nose of each person. It resembled a standard oxygen mask but was constructed of heavier material, off-white in color. The masks fastened behind the head and two tubes connected to them. The ends of the tubes connected to ports attached to the wall of each capsule. The masks, along with an odd mix of tubes and wires running in and out of different orifices, made the occupants of each capsule appear almost mechanical. In the available light, it wasn't possible to tell if the people were dead or alive.

Without warning, six banks of overhead fluorescent lights snapped on. Though the change in lighting was extreme, no apparent reaction came from the occupants of the capsules. Seconds later, a bright yellow strobe light began flashing above the long-sealed door, and the activity on several of the computer panels increased.

Following a brief pause, a barely audible hissing sound was heard, and the eleven-hundred-pound door slowly began to open. Four people in yellow biohazard suits walked into the spacious chamber. They'd been packed tightly into the tiny space the airlock afforded and struggled to get out. Their movements were slow, and they glanced from one side of the room to the other. From the way they moved it was evident there was a high level of uncertainty being experienced by them all. As soon as they'd walked into the room, the door behind them swung shut, and within thirty seconds, the yellow strobe stopped flashing.

The four new arrivals each moved to one of the rows of capsules and started assessing the terminals. Each team member glanced up briefly when the strobe light began flashing again, before returning to their assessments. Three similarly dressed people joined them, and these three went directly across the chamber to the wall of monitoring equipment, inputting commands into the futuristic-looking systems.

A curse erupted from the person who'd started examining the row of capsules to the far right. “Major system failure, Capsule Three,” an agitated female voice announced. There was a slightly mechanical tone to her voice, the result of the positive pressure breathing devices in the masks of each team member.

Another voice stated, “Capsule Three – that would've been Miller.”

“Any idea when it occurred?” a third voice asked. This voice sounded different, coming over the headsets, but without echo. Whoever was speaking was not wearing a facemask.

The female had moved to the third capsule in her row and was peering in through the top. The person inside's skin had dried out, and the face was leathery and shrunken, although the mask was still in place. The long blond hair indicated it had been a woman.

“It looks like it was a long time ago, Sir.” A slight quiver was evident in the technician's voice.

Before anyone could comment another female voice, this one with a slight New England accent, called out. “Sir, we also have a minor system failure in Capsule Ten.”

“How minor?” The natural sounding voice rapidly asked.

From the area with wall-mounted systems, a male voice called out, “All vital signs, core temp, and EKG are within normal limits. It seems the primary cooling system failed, but backup systems are at one hundred percent efficiency.”

“Okay,” growled the voice from the headset, “give me a report on the rest of the capsules.”

“Group A, no additional failures.”

“Group B, no failures.”

“Group C, no failures.”

“Group D, no additional failures.”

“Okay, activate the data link so you can get out of there. Then start the bio-contamination scanners. I want a full report in an hour.”

Within ten minutes, the room was again empty. Two minutes later, the lights went out.