Predicting the Storm

4: Malfunctions

I logged in once again with Williams' user info. An enormous amount of data showed up on the control panel's main hard drive. The files were neatly titled and sorted into folders yet the sidebar lacked any information of dates.

"How did he have the time to record all of this?" Erin shouted and moved closer to the screen which reflected fluorescent blue light on her face. With a few clicks I used the Ypi-tool to bring up the first file.

"How could they have been so stupid, so incredibly idiotic and short sighted."

A video of Williams appeared on the big Cor-screen in front of us. He was glancing into the ceiling with empty eyes, avoiding the camera lens. His face was as I remembered it. I uttered his name in resentful whispers as he spoke.

"I told them. I screamed at them that it was too early and I don't think it would have been a success even if everything had gone as planned." He took a deep breath and finally directly looked into the camera.

"I am Joseph Williams, engineer from CF. Tellus date, year 2450, May the third."

"This is ridiculous!" Erin screamed as she ran her fingers violently through her silvery blonde hair. "It's Tellus year 2610! This ... can't be."

My fingers clutched the fabric of my overall. Was this a wicked joke? No, Joseph wouldn't do that. Why would he?

"I'm suppose to be asleep right now, to be far away in a cryo-pod with the rest. Some part of me wishes I was." The video suddenly cut before cutting back, this time he had dark eye sockets and pale skin.

"The ship's course was changed ever so slightly because of a gravitational force the autopilot failed in detecting. We had been going off course for over 200 years. I ... woke up because of my ability to predict. Yet I still don't know what..." He rubbed his eyes and frowned before continuing.

"The ship's autopilot has used up 60% trying to get to the right course again. At exactly 60% I had planned to wake up.

I suggested that a similar program would be installed on all the pods, but that suggestion was rejected. Of course it was... I've been awake for 23 hours. There's been too much to think about. I was right, how amazing is that?" He picked up a grey tube and started sipping on the straw.

"There is no solution. My option is only to decide if I should wake the others or not, but there is nothing left to hope for.

There is an option of sending out a distress signal. But that signal would reach the rest of humanity after a couple of years, and then they would have to construct an entirely new ship and then travel for centuries. It sounds like a hassle for sure.

Strange that I'm in control of Apog's future now...

I won't go to sleep again and ... I think this is my destiny. 'Destiny' huh... such a stupid concept.

In this moment I am 30 years old, which means I have a lot of time to be alone.

Precious time, none the less." The video cut one final time and the screen returned to show the structured list. Dead silence followed. Joseph ... you fool, what have you done?