Quazum

DISCOVERY 53

When Pilot Jenkins began making the announcement over the speakers of the Solar Jet, Lacy was surprised. “The first day of exploration will be coming to an end in just a few minutes. Please document all video, audio recordings, and experimentation before returning to the Solar Jet. Vestibule doors will be opening for ten seconds. All scientists will have one minute.”

Lacy immediately grabbed her containers from experiments, sealed them, and began carefully walking back to the ship on the rugged surface. Lacy was again last to return to the Vestibule. Scientists looked on, and again were impatiently waiting.

Chris turned to Lacy as she climbed in, “Well, did you find anything? Anything we can experiment with?”

“I don’t know. I think I saw something unusual, but I don’t know.”

Impatient scientists all waited for Vestibule to cool off. “You can experiment all you want, but you’ve got to keep track of time,” said Dr. Oliver, the older scientist.

“You can’t keep the Solar Jet waiting like that,” said Terry, an older woman.

When doors finally opened to the Vestibule, scientists climbed into the Solar Jet, and temperatures began to quickly equal out. Scientists removed masks and helmets and immediately gathered at the conference table in the center of the jet.

Oliver spoke up first. “I saw nothing unexpected. A few piles of small orange colored rock... located under larger dark greener granite-shaped stone. And I broke off several bags of samples.”

Scientists continued commenting on the first day of exploration, “Possible new combination of elements were in one rock formation.”

“Computers did not recognize the substance I found and came up only with questions.”

“The temperatures from some rock surfaces were more extreme than air temperatures,” replied Oliver. “I hope these stones won’t add too much weight.”

Pilot Jenkins stepped in. “We can add a weight equal to the cactus plants that are being planted for the trip back. For now, just lay out discoveries, and we will document specifics.”

“I think this entire trip is going to be a rock hunt,” joked Oliver.

Lacy finally stepped up. “I believe I detected an unexplained motion.” Everyone looked up in confusion as Lacy opened the video from her personal computer. I found a c***k in hard rock along with close-ups and wide shots of the colored stone.

“Where was the unexplained motion?” asked Oliver.

“I didn’t get a recording of it. I just saw a slight movement atop the rock that scared me.”

“Movement? What did you see?” asked Chris.

“You saw movement but have no documentation?” asked Terry.

“No verification at all?” replied Jenkins in a confused voice. “Maybe your mind saw movement in the hundred thirty-eight-degree heat?” Scientists laughed, then continued examining their findings.

Lacy thought calmly before responding again, “I don’t know what the motion was, but I will study it more tomorrow.”

Jenkins then announced, “Computers saw no signs of anything but hardened lava and colored rock surfaces in the record setting temperatures.”

Terry answered with a laugh. “Life is not possible on Quazmopolis, and that is the only documentation I have.”

“The steam that burns off rocks in hundred fifty-degree heat can appear as motion to the human mind,” answered Dr. Oliver calmly. “But we have to step back and be realistic.”

“I believe her,” Chris then said. “Lacy’s got no motivation to lie about motion that she witnessed. We’ve got nine more days to investigate.”

“Thanks Chris,” said Lacy before turning and walking over to an empty computer desk.

Scientists sat at computers and moved around to private quarters. The small rock samples were laid out and examined. Pictures and video were downloaded and filed.

Lacy immediately began uploading information from her helmet and examined photos. Video clips began with wide shots taken from her helmet as she set up solar panels, then close up shots of conversations with Chris popped up.

Video moved quickly before Lacy walked over to study the individual rocks. In slow motion, she repeated replay of her actions, but no sign of motion could be detected. Tight shots of cracks between rocks also showed no motion or anything unusual.

Lacy continued her examination and was deep in thought when Pilot Jenkins began another announcement over the speaker, “Our first full day on the Quazmopolis moon is coming to an end. Please return to private quarters, turn off all lights, and just try to get as much sleep as possible. We have just enough power to supply heat through the night, and tomorrow’s investigation will begin two hours before sunrise. As temperatures rise above freezing, explorers will gather outside the Vestibule.”

Scientists all got up and began making their way to private quarters. Lacy remained in deep concentration and was again the last to turn off the computer. Scientists each seemed annoyed seeing Lacy laying wide awake, thinking about the movement she saw and all the possibilities.

Although her personal computer continued flashing personal messages from Ben, Lacy closed the screen without noticing.

* * *

Ben was sitting alone at the desk in his office, reading from the long list of private messages he’d sent to Lacy with no response.

“I miss you.”

“I love you.”

“I can’t wait to see you.”

Alice walked by turning off lights before noticing Ben sitting alone. “Ben? What are you still doing here?”

“I’m just going through and filing some messages. No big deal.”

“Oh,” answered Alice. “You’ve just been sending messages back and forth to your fiancé’. I bet you both are just making plans for the big wedding day.”

“Yeah. I just have to be patient, and get that girl out of my mind.”

Alice looked confused as Ben began packing up personal items and finally shutting down his computer.

“Ben, you’ve really got nothing to worry about. It sounds so scary travelling across the universe, but Lacy is safe. And I know she’s partnering up with other explorers. I think Chris is protecting her. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Great...” answered Ben with a smirk as he turned the lights off and closed his door. The two then walked quietly down the long hallway.

* * *

Early morning, an hour before sunrise, the day began with another announcement from Pilot Jenkins. “Okay scientists, please get prepared for another big day! Drink some fresh SEA Vitamin-Aid, and gather tools for exploration. Then, make your way to Vestibule enclosure. When exterior doors open, temperatures will be in the low thirties, and those numbers will be rising to over one hundred in just the next few hours.”

The explorers immediately moved slowly around the open area of the Solar Jet, drinking from sealed vitamin packs and putting on full exploration outfits. Lacy continued studying information on her personal computer of video and photos she’d taken. There were no signs of motion recorded, but she had a strong curiosity where to begin the day’s search.

Pilot Jenkins continued making announcements from the cabin, “Please keep your suit temperatures around eighty degrees. Settings will adjust automatically when outside as the temperature changes. When we return to the ship, you will again have one minute to gather at the Vestibule. Doors will be closed for ten seconds as temperatures even out, and exterior doors will then open.”

Lacy again rushed back and forth putting on her suit and attaching her helmet. When she got to the Vestibule, she looked around for her personal computer. In a hurry, she sealed her helmet and rushed to join the Vestibule. The group of explorers again seemed annoyed as the doors began to close.

“All scientists are ready. This is the second day of investigation. Please be careful to shoot video and take photos of any unusual sightings... be it stones, or of course any ‘possible forms of life’.”

Scientists looked over at Lacy and smiled. The group of explorers were all wearing their white compressed suits and helmets as the Vestibule doors opened, revealing the unusual Quazmopolis surface. Temperatures were rising slowly into the forties, and scientists slowly began moving out.

“Hey! Be sure to catch some of those ‘life’ forms, Lacy. I want to bring some home!” quipped Oliver as he took slow steps onto the jagged surface.

“Maybe put ‘em in a jar,” said Terry.

Chris then walked over and said directly to Lacy, “Just get some video of the movement. That’ll shut these scientists up.”

“At least, that could give us something more interesting to study when we get done tonight,” replied Terry.

* * *

 “What are scientists exploring today?” asked Dr. Palmer as he walked up to Ben’s position in the Master Headquarters.

“Oh! Lots of things! A formal reading of the gravity level seems to be at a constant 173.7 percent. That’s up about .01 percent. Heavy scientists are making their way around the surface and conducting the same tests.”

“Do we have a readout of elements in the chemical nuclei of the rock?”

Ben immediately began searching through files on the computer before answering confidently. “No definite identification yet. But more tests are being performed today.”

“And the Arid Cacti?”

“A salt water natural to Quazmopolis is being refracted through a chemical reaction powered by small solar panels. The thirteen cacti plants have survived now for nearly twenty-three hours in spite of the temperature change,” replied Ben with an insincere smile.

“Maintain measurements of all life forms on the surface of Quazmopolis, and document all motion detected. Have you communicated with Miss Meaux this morning?”

 “She’s working hard. I’m just waiting for response to messages.”

“Oh, I’ve got long documented letters from all the scientists. You can read through those.”

“Will do, sir.”

Dr. Palmer then turned and walked down to another scientist reading from his computer, and Ben reached down quietly to open files on his private phone and began checking personal messages again. There was still no response to the loads of messages, and the computer screen continued showing close-up shots of Chris and Lacy.

Ben seemed to be getting angry again as he zoomed in and followed the video of them talking and laughing.

* * *

Chris and Lacy were testing small samples from a variety of colored rocks, when Chris turned to Lacy and quietly asked. “Have you checked the possible moving rocks you saw yesterday?”

“I will,” Lacy mumbled. “I just don’t want to make a scene.” Lacy continued carrying the heavy bag of small rocks to a labelled pile next to the Solar Jet.

“Why don’t you go find us that monster?” commented Oliver with a smirk. “Just one life form could justify this entire mission.”

“You find just a tiny living cell, and you’ll be the star of this whole mission,” added Terry with a laugh.

Lacy looked down ignoring the comments and continued sorting the small rocks.

Chris then reached out to Lacy’s hand. “You’ve got my support, and I’m your partner. Just go out and explore. Do it.”

* * *

The group inside the Space Exploration Master Headquarters were all getting readings and documenting discoveries on their personal computers while a large video was playing live over the walls of monitors.

Ben’s computer was locked on a new shot of Chris and Lacy holding hands and whispering with the beautiful sunrise behind them. Ben looked around before zooming in and examining the smiles on their faces as they looked each other in the eye.

After a few seconds, Ben got up. He reached out and turned off his computer screen, then shoved his chair out of the way and began heading out.

Dr. Palmer noticed Ben leaving and looked confused, “Ben, did you document temperature changes inside the roots of the various cacti from the first day?”

Ben didn’t answer but continued walking.

When Alice noticed Ben’s unnatural silence, she politely asked, “Do you think those cactus plants can survive?”

When Ben got to his office, he began putting papers and files into his briefcase. Alice looked confused, then got up and walked over. “Ben, where are you going?”

“I’m just not feeling well. I’m going to have to take some sick time.”

“Oh, I’ll fill out the forms and let personnel know,” replied Alice. “Hope you feel better!”

Ben continued down the hall and slammed the door as he walked out. Dr. Palmer shook his head, then walked over to study numbers on Ben’s computer.

* * *

Lacy began to slowly walk away from scientists around the Solar Jet and carefully stepped across the hard rock surface. She saw the same area of rock alongside a hill and wanted to search again to verify any possible motion. As she approached the colored rock where she believed to have witnessed motion, she saw nothing unusual and began speaking into the mic.

 “Motion was detected in several places yesterday. First, I noticed a distant wave of unexplained movement which might have simply been a dust in the wind.. And second was a closer movement between two large rocks. Neither sighting was recorded, and neither could be explained.”

While checking her small monitor, Lacy saw temperature variations around certain rocks. Her personal computer screen showed numbers closing in on an unusual one hundred degrees for a single colored rock. Lacy looked around to see a full view in the distance of active scientists around the jet, drilling into the large stones.

Surrounded by the sharp rocks and the colorful land mass, Lacy made her way around the jagged stone hill and continued taking photos and videos while speaking softly. “I have seen no motion today and am circling around the large mound of rock, which seems to vary greatly in temperature readings. The added weight makes walking more difficult, and more dangerous, but I must continue checking temperature readings. I am climbing up the side of this granite mountain side to examine a possible opening. And oh!”

Lacy fell back against the rock wall, regained her balance and continued. She moved carefully along the sharp rocks making her way up the hillside when she noticed a possible small hole in one protruding rock. Looking around again, she noticed the ship and crew were now out of sight. She pushed the button to continue recording, “I see a possible opening in the stone mountain side, and I’m going to carefully climb over to document this sighting.”

With the next step on the jagged edge, plus the added weight, Lacy began sliding. She regained control by planting a foot and grabbing the side of the large green and red boulder. She continued climbing slowly and gripping the sharp, heavy stones moving closer to the possible rock opening.

“Climbing up the side of this sharp mound of colored rock is difficult and dangerous, but I want to examine the possible opening in the rock formation before... Oh!”

Lacy started to fall again smacking her helmet on to the rocks, but again regained her grip. “Thanks to the Space Exploration helmet, I’ve avoided the possible brain injury suffered by Pilot Gordon.”

While carefully stepping up on each rock again, Lacy peeked through the narrow opening. “There appears to be a possible cave... I believe I can possibly fit through the hole and use the grip on the solid rock to keep my balance...”

Lacy shined her light in but while awkwardly peeking through the hole, she saw nothing unusual.  Slowly, she got a part of her foot into the opening and lowered down her leg. “I am moving inside an enclosed area. Lights attached to the Space Exploration suit are showing nothing unusual, but the camera will continue recording as I climb in.”

As Lacy slid her body into the hole, she could feel temperatures rapidly falling lower than temperatures outside the rock surface. When her arms freed, she reached for the light and shined around the empty cave before finally pulling her back leg through the hole able to stand independently.

“All is dark inside the rock formation... I am using the umber flashlight now, but I detect no movement and no forms other than the same rock as the surface. I will continue documenting computer readings before I return to the solar jet.”

“Temperatures inside the cave have now dropped down to less than one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. And the atmosphere is the same nitrogen and oxygen base.”

Lacy made her way farther and began opening the mask on her helmet and taking small breaths. “The fresh air in this cave is breathable, and the smell is pleasant. I am comfortable removing my helmet and walking on the flat surface.”

Moving closer to the wall, Lacy shined light on a small canal of dripping water and walked over reading from her computer. “Water seems to be draining through tunnels under the granite. Looks like it might possibly be coming from a salt water source underground... But the computer is showing a reading that is not drinkable for humans.”

“Oh!” Lacy suddenly jumped in fear, then quickly spun around and shined the light around various parts of the cave. “I believe I may have seen motion inside the cave... It appeared as just a small moving shadow, but it has now disappeared.”

More motion and shadows then began to flash causing her to spin around again. “The moving shadows seem to be appearing and disappearing at the rear of the cave. I am sure they are not being caused by wind or dust.”

Lacy nervously watched around for anything unusual before noticing another hole. “I am making my way towards another opening in the rock. This hole is a little bigger... Not sure what colors might be visible inside, but I will try to get this shot on video.”

“Temperatures are continuing to drop, now into the low eighties... Again, quick motion and shadows seem to be flashing all around as I shine my light... Not sure if any of this can be seen on video, but there is definitely unexplained motion inside this cave... It may be an unseen form of light that is casting shadows... Or... Maybe a new form of life?”

As Lacy moved closer to a unique rock formation in the various colors, she continued. “I’m looking at an unusual formation of rock following a colorful pattern... This does not appear to be natural. It’s on an unusual flat surface and is truly beautiful to the human eye.”

Another unexplained motion then appeared in the distance. “Unsure of the source of the motion, but it is definitely invisible to the human eye... I’ve witnessed enough. The entire crew must begin an investigation of this cave and perform a major exploration.”

Lacy put her helmet back on, then turned and headed for the opening from where she entered. When she poked her head out and felt the heat, Lacy spun around and shined her light at the possible hole in the wall. She then turned around and headed back slowly.

“There is an unexplained light source I must examine before I leave. Looks like this light may lead to another possible enclosed area. Must confirm. I’m moving towards the opening to just get an idea... A possible clue... Stand by.”

As Lacy walked up to the small opening again, she struggled to just peak in before stopping and dropping her light in amazement.

“Oh my God!” Through the hole appeared a big city, with moving vehicles and large buildings. Lacy looked on in amazement. “I don’t believe it!”

While reaching for her phone and camera, Lacy mumbled, “Inner granite cave appears to contain an opening to an entire city with state-of-the-art technology... Oh my God... I have not only discovered moving shadows... This is true intelligent life!”

“Bam!”

Lacy was suddenly pounded on the back of the head with a strong force. As she fell to the ground, Lacy could see unexplainable shadows of colors and figures moving around in all directions. She struggled to remain conscious, gripping the hi-tech hand-held computer and the earpiece before falling to the ground.

Lacy was unconscious.