AWAKEN - HUMANITY: Book One

Chapter Twelve: All Together Now

The majority of the debris falling from the sky, the remnants of Galaxy One had indeed reduced to embers but there was the occasional large section which refused to burn. These sections screamed as they descended, white plumes like tails behind them scarring the sky temporarily as they fell. Hitting the ground with a huge boom, clouds of dust exploding like a mushroom cloud into the air.

Luckily nothing was close to them as they ascended the small mountain structure of stone, they slowly climbed the man made path they painstakingly crafted when they arrived. The odd small pop can size fireball flew past them landing on the below with a faint thud and a whisper of smoke but nothing more.

Captain Carmichael was at the rear, in front of her was Davina and heading up the climb was Christian, all sweating within their protective suits. Davina stopped and looked to her left. "Look." She pointed at the oncoming shuttle.

The Captain watched as it landed at the rear of the base, "Harry have you had any luck with the communications yet?"

Harry broke into the sudden silence. "No, systems still down I can't get anything online, I think everything was linked to Galaxy one..." he sighed. "...so we will never have it back up."

"Well we have guests." The Captain announced.

Harry sound puzzled. "Guests?"

She watched as five orange clad figures appeared from the shuttle. The ground shook. "Quick get down." They quickly lay on the rocks as a burst of blue light shot out the mouth of the cave, heading over the open plains, its rays fanning out then pulsating as it started to dissipate.

Davina pulled herself up, "we need to get up there and turn that thing off."

The Captain breathed deeply, "you know as well as I do that's not going to be a simple task."

                                                                                   ••••

The shuttle landed behind Ground Base Section 5, it was a tight squeeze but there were two other shuttles already parked up in the main area. Communication of their imminent arrival was also met with static, all communication channels were down, they had to just arrive unannounced.

Captain Cade watched as the ground shook and the blue light skimmed overhead, fanning out then disappearing, he gave out a sigh of relief. A figure emerged from the base, it waved at them and walked over.

"Hi I'm Harry Childs, communications officer..." He stared at the black screened visors.

"I am Captain Cade West of Starlight One, this is Samantha Raven, Doctor Craig Ryker, Safron and your Senior Officer Shelly Kirby." He flicked his visor from black to clear.

Harry turned to look up at the cave. "Up there is Captain Carmichael, and Security details Davina and Christian."

"Christian..." Shelly repeated then realised how that sounded and went quiet.

Harry pulled up his tablet, and with gloved hands typed on the glass. "Captain if you enter this code on your communication settings you should be able to access their speech bubble."

Captain Cade quickly tapped into his wrist panel settings and linked up to their communication stream. "This is Captain Cade of Starlight One can you hear me?" he looked up at the cave and could just make out three people looking down at them.

A crackling voice came back. "This is Captain Carmichael, apologies for not being on the ground to meet you we did not know you were coming, our communications..." suddenly the ground shook violently forcing them to lay down on the rocks but this time the path they were on started to crack open.

Davina screamed. "Shit!" She felt her body move...downwards.

Christian grabbed her wrist pulling her towards him, she started to fall, her body swinging into the rock winding her, all the time Christian holding her wrist with both hands pulling her back towards him. The ground beneath disappearing below her feet, revealing a wide gash in the rocks, steam erupted from the open fissure just as she was pulled free, forcing them both to stagger backwards.

On the ground Captain West watched a she tried to remain standing as the ground violently shook. "Damn it!" He turned his full body around, "Shelly stay here and help Harry with the communications see if you can link up with Starlight One to recalibrate the satellites. Craig, Safron with me..."

"...and me?" Samantha asked.

"Stay here for now until we know what we are dealing with." Cade said starting to walk away.

Samantha stared at him. "No!" Her visor suddenly became clear. "I am sorry Captain but I am coming with you, I have not spent the last three years studying the signals, going through countless tedious briefings and painstakingly putting together a detailed synopsis of my duties to just stay back and wait." she wanted to pull her hair back, a habit of hers when she was agitated but the damn helmet was in the way. "Also I have studied the graphical dynamics of the equipment up there, every switch and light on those panels, every damn picture that is sent through every report written, I have to read, digest, form an opinion so no I will not be staying back." Samantha pushed past the Captain heading for the start of the path leading up to the cave.

"Well that told me." The Captain muttered turning his whole body and starting to follow the archaeologist.

                                                                                    ••••

Captain Carmichael slowly crawled around the edge of the newly opened fissure, sweat was beading on her forehead, her breathing slowly becoming laboured, she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. Disconcerting and making her feel nauseous she continued slowly to manoeuvre forward.

Another burst of blue light erupted this time from the roof of the cave shooting upwards into the sky, scattering clouds as it pierced the atmosphere.

They were getting closer to the cave, another couple of metres and they were there at the top. Christian was already at the foot of the path with Davina who was still shaking from the floor giving way underneath her. She shuddered at the thought of falling into an unknown abyss.

The Captain reached them both and stopped resting against the rocks. "We wait for the others to arrive."

Davina gave her Captain a stare. "Wait? Why?"

"We need the help Davina besides they have the expert with them." The Captain added.

Christian jumped in. "The expert...what expert?"

Davina tried to hide her resentment. "Sam Raven, an archaeologist who specialises in the artefact." She looked at Christian and added sarcastically. "Apparently."