The Macrocosm: Centauri

A Forgotten World

The wind continued to roar and scream all throughout the night, its speed like that of a hurricane at times. But everything was locked into the ground securely, with no way of it coming unbolted.

Aims sat against a wall on the far side of the shuttle. He looked out over the sleeping bodies of his crew, still trying to uncover who would do such a thing. This type of setback could leave them here for months as they try to create another beacon with spare parts.

 ***************

The days on this planet were shorter than that of Earth or Mars. It was shy of a couple hours more than Earth, so the dawn quickly came upon them as they all slept.

The wind had ceased its brutality and was calm now, gently blowing across the plains of Iris. The mountain loomed in the distance, overshadowing the ground below it, yet providing it protection from the three suns.

The crew was waking up now. They began to continue the work they had left the day before, but Aims summoned them all outside to the beacon. Many of them looked on in horror at the scene. Mouths stood gaping and eyes stared at their only good chance to escape this place.

Aims studied their eyes meticulously, hoping he may find one who looked indifferent, maybe even someone who held malice in their expression.

But he found neither.

"Someone destroyed the beacon as we slept last night. This was in no way caused by anything else, other than someone here."

The captain's eyes swept across each one of them, examining their looks eyes, their body language.

"We will continue with the mission as usual. But I will find who caused this. And they will be treated as a traitor to the Alliance. Continue on with your work."

They began to fan out, each one's minds trying to figure out in their own way how to escape this world; which to them was quickly becoming Hell.

"How do you expect to find out who it is, Sir?"

Aims turned around and Caling was next to him, he said this while gazing at the beacon. Aims sighed and looked around and at the three suns above.

"By watching closely. Eventually, someone will screw up. They'll accidentally reveal who they are. It's a matter of time."

Caling nodded and glanced at the other crew members.

"I'll help watch then, it'll be easier with both of us checking.

Aims nodded and ordered someone to start cleaning up the mess from the beacon.

"I found...something, Sir. A ways away from here. There is a strange hole...it's unlike anything I've ever come across. Can I lead a few men into the hole to discover what lays there? If we are to colonize this area, we need to know the surroundings."

The captain thought on this for a moment, then agreed.

"Be careful though, Caling. We don't know anything about this area."

 ***************

Jamie worked in silence on a new way to construct a beacon. This setback was almost too much to bear for her, all the work she had already put into the beacon in the first place; gone. She fitted different components together, knowing this job would at least take a week to finish.

She worked in the back of the shuttle in silence, only hearing the soft clang of metal on occasion.

"How's it coming along?"