Drift Effect

Chapter 01: Discovery

The shuttle doors slid open with an almost inaudible hiss, and a ramp extended toward the asteroid's surface. Mark Shepard stood still, taking in the sight before him. He had anticipated the near-complete darkness that engulfed the surroundings and horizon, given the distance from the system's star. It was intentional, allowing one to truly appreciate the beauty of the studded black sky in the current ambiance.

Despite his preparations, the vision of countless stars shining clearly through the void was truly mesmerizing. The person beside him likely shared the sentiment, evident in the soft gasp captured by her helmet's microphone.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" he asked, his gaze still fixed on the mesmerizing sight.

"Yes," came her hitched reply.

Grinning, Mark gently tapped her shoulder. "Come on. I'll secure the area; you prep the rover."

She gave him a nod and, almost hesitantly, retreated from his view as he walked forward toward the side. His left hand reached out to pick up one of the metallic spikes, the Graviton Pylons, hanging from a rack near the exit before stepping forward.

Walking down the ramp, his right hand brushed the butt of his blaster holstered on his thigh as he scanned the surface illuminated by the shuttle's lights. It was, as his AI, Eva, had said—relatively smooth, though with a peppering of fine particles that reflected only partially the harsh shuttle lights.

With every step, the blackness of his surroundings deepened. Despite the large star cluster in the sky, their light did little to stem the growing darkness. Even the shuttle's lights, as bright as they were, seemed visible only until the end of the ramp.

Mark unholstered his weapon, holding it steadily at the ready with just one hand. With his first step onto the rocky asteroid from the metallic surface, he could barely see anything in front of him.

The virtual display on his helmet came to life, suddenly illuminating everything as if a star had appeared nearby, its light chasing away the terrifying harshness of the void. The dull gray of the rocky surface now had new tones and splashes of color, with the sky painted like an Earth sunrise.

It was nothing but an illusion, something Eva had produced using data from his suit and the shuttle's scanners. This became more obvious with the data displayed on the edges of his vision—a mini-map at the upper left corner, a seismograph at the upper right, and visible yellow numbers at the bottom, presenting various data.

With the blaster readied, he checked his surroundings and found nothing threatening. Satisfied, he focused on the bottom of his view screen, and after a moment, the data enlarged into something easier to read.

The gravitational data remained consistent since his first visit—the asteroid's pull similar to Earth's moon. With careful consideration, he took a few gentle steps, adapting to the feeling of weightlessness. Hopping forward until he found a spot free of rock spikes or deep dents, he skidded from his last hop. Ready with the pylon in hand, he held it aloft, pointed end directed downwards, and said, "Standby."

The rod was encased in a gentle blue light, visibly pulsing at a very slow frequency. Carefully, Mark loosened his grip, and it stayed in place, suspended in space. With both hands free, he stabilized his hold on his weapon as he checked his surroundings once more before saying, "Deploy."

Then, as if weighed down by a hundred-ton weight, the spike slammed onto the surface of the asteroid, sinking deep into the ground. Mark could feel a slight shake; the seismograph in his display spiked once.

The entry was perfect, with just a few cracks around the impact area. A few seconds later, the ring atop the pylon separated from the rest, floating on the buried rod. It began to spin, oscillating faster until it became a complete blur. The blue light from the pylon expanded, forming a bubble that slowly grew until it covered a wide area, even reaching the shuttle.