Star Missions - Book One - Part III

Chapter 24 - Beautiful Hydra

The next thing Victor Belter saw was a stunning view of Hydra's pristine oceans. For a brief moment, Sue appeared in the dream only to fade away as his subconscious memories took over. Victor was standing on a ridge, flanked by other explorers, members of his team, looking out over untouched forests to the endless sea below. The green of the trees was like a field of emeralds, and the blue of the ocean was so deep it looked more like a digital image than real life. Belter spent a long time just drinking in the view. The vista was cathartic, even more so now than when the events took place 25 years prior.

Victor, desperately wanting to relive a happier past, welcomed this dream world. It made him feel safe and grateful.

"I think I'll call this planet Hydra," Belter said.

The scientist standing to his left, he recognized as Caleb Gelin, an older man with a thick brown beard lining his jaw, cocked an eyebrow at him before turning his gaze back to the magnificent view. He mocked, "You mean like the constellation or the nine-headed serpent?"

Belter chuckled. "Neither. I've given it a lot of thought. It's like hydrate."

He remembered that he had to justify his choice. As the discoverer of the system and its planets, Belter got the honor of naming them. Before the discovery of Angel's Gate, Strolla was only a distant star.

"The planet is over 82% water." He gestured to the ocean, "Hydra."

"That is true." Caleb shrugged. "Still makes me think of the nine-headed serpent, though."

Belter let out a laugh. "Well, I like it."

The two men started walking down the hill. The rest of the crew were unloading supplies and busy setting up the temporary camp.

As he walked down the hill with Belter, Caleb, on his first trip to Hydra, asked, "Mr. Belter, Sir, you have been on every one of these expeditions, haven't you?"

It was true. Ever since the first landing on this new planet, Belter had made sure never to miss an expedition.

"Absolutely," Belter said without hesitation.

"Do you think it's worth it? All the travel, I mean," Caleb continued.

"It's the greatest job in the universe." He spread his arms to take in the landscape all around them. "Just look around. It's beautiful here. We're lightyears away from the pollution and rationing and starvation back home."

They continued down the rough path that was hacked-out on previous visits. There was a site already designated by scouts for them to set up camp near the beach.

"Fresh potable water is plentiful. It's desperately needed back home. What we're doing is going to save humanity."

"I can't argue with that," his companion said.

Once they reached the shore, Belter's mind brought him to the afternoon before returning home, six days later. He was still on Hydra, and his thoughts left Caleb and went to other members of the expedition. Belter and a few others were in casual clothes not wearing the austere brown TRC uniforms. For most of the crew, including Belter, they were playing a supporting role. The scientists and their assistants had the vital work to do. The rest of the men set up and disassembled the camp, maintained the equipment, and ran the mess tent. Belter was the Expedition leader. Some of the crew spent the rest of the evening discussing the Leadership Council's plans for Hydra, sprinkled in with some rugby. Caleb and his assistants were finishing up packing samples they had collected over the past five days.

Belter sat on a fold-out bench on the lush green grass between the camp and the sandy shore. That is where he made some of his closest friends, including David Soliski, who's wife six months earlier and named him Raymond. Technically, they were under his command, but he'd never thought of it that way.

"Once we colonize this planet," he mused out loud, "do you think we'll end up ruining it like Terra?"

The two men sitting with him didn't answer right away. After he appeared to ponder long and hard the question, David answered, "I don't think so. At least, I hope not."

Belter wanted to agree, but he wasn't sure. "They say Terra used to be just like this," he said. "What's to stop us from making the same mistakes all over again?"

"I think we should all leave Terra and move here," said the other man. Victor forgot his name.

Belter cocked his head. "I know that's what some on the council want to do." Then he added, "I just know I could never live with myself if this place got messed up like Terra."

They all fell silent after that and Belter felt himself slipping towards a brooding mood. After all, as the discoverer of Hydra, he felt responsible for keeping its beauty intact. Victor fought the tendency of feeling personally responsible for what happens to Hydra, that, it was somehow his planet. He sincerely hoped that the Leadership Council would be responsible caretakers of Hydra as well as Terra. He hoped that humankind had learned their lesson.

So when several of the guys started a pick-up rugby game on the beach, Belter jumped at the opportunity for distraction. The game stretched on until the sky began to turn red as the Strolla star set on the horizon. James, the chief scientist's assistant, got Belter's attention as the game was winding down.

"Victor, we've filled all the compartments, there's no more room for samples," he said. "We're all done here."

"What about Caleb?" Belter asked, referring to the lead hydrologist, as he was walking away from the game.

"He's got everything he needs."

Belter nodded. The purpose of this particular trip had been all about gathering samples, rather than mapping new territory. A team of scientists had been collecting soil, water, rocks, and plant life to take back to Terra for analysis. "Alright, tomorrow, first thing after breakfast, we pack it all up and head home."

There was a spattering of cheering at the announcement but Belter knew everyone there had mixed emotions about leaving. Sure, it was always great to go home, but there was something special about Hydra and the Strolla system. Few who came here were ever eager to leave. Those with families had other reasons to go home, but Belter was single then.

Belter settled down on the sand to watch the sun go down over the ocean and James sat next to him. This time though, Victor felt a little lonely.

"You don't see a sunset like this on Terra anymore," James said.

"We sure don't," Belter agreed.

The view was breathtaking. As Strolla sank into the sea, it cast a deep orange glow over the whole sky and reflected a crimson red from the water. If you looked hard right at the point where the blazing light met the water, there were even hints of green. Belter had heard it said that the pollution on Terra made the sunsets more beautiful. He was sure that whoever said that had never seen a sunset on Hydra.

"Terra will look like this again one day," Belter said with firm conviction. "Everything back home is going to change, my friend. Someone out there is looking out for us. The Angel's Gate led us to the promised land."