Stars Planets and Us (Ongoing)

Chapter 6 : Unknown territory

4 weeks later

I was unable to sleep, but I know I should since I only have one hour to rest, then I have to head back to work until the 23 hours.

I hate Mondays, especially when I share the shift with the ship's captain who apparently hates me for no reason.

I didn't mentioned this before but on Mondays I do tasks that are not related to biology research, These could be guarding the space perimeter we're in while main command officers rest etc. But I will not be able to know that until first Officer or captain assigns my duty.

I wake up and go outside of my cabin, the corridor is empty and lights are off, but as soon as I step out they turn on to a very low intensity led. I try not to fall asleep as I walk through, Last night I didn't sleep because I stayed awake studying some notes I took on some mushrooms we found on moonk29. We have arrived to the new system some days ago and everyone has been busy between finishing research and fulfilling Captains orders.

It's been a really busy week.

After brushing my teeth and bathing, I go to the command room for receiving today's non bio related duties. The door automatically opens as it identifies it's me.

-Good morning.-I greet everyone at the room, getting only nods as replies, everyone is just as exhausted as I am right now.

-Should I have orders, Captain?-I ask Meyer, whose back is facing me.

-Yes, today you will be joining me on an expedition on Arek.

I was stunned.

This would be the first expedition I will ever go to, far from exited I'm thrilling with the idea. This will be such a career boost.

-Okay sir!         

I say a letting excitement filter in my voice tone.

-Fine, you will have to take all your instruments, the time limit is 3 hours, I want a complete report in my office by tomorrow night.

Well there's the but.

-Sir but three hours is just not enough time, may I take someone from my team as well, perhaps one or two more officers?-I plead.

-No, you should do fine with the resources provided.

- But sir, it's too little...

-You are dismissed.-He declares and gets up from his chair to go to his office.

Fine then, I will have to find a way to investigate a planet twice earth's size in just three hours.

Three hours later

I was ready to go, the transportation and equipment were all set, I was just waiting for Meyer to come, he's 10 minutes late which is very odd from the captain.

I waited for 20 more minutes until I decided to go look for Meyer instead.

However an officer enters the area before I can get out.

-Captain Meyer will not be able to attend so he sent me instead-He says.

I have never seen this guy before, He's 26 probably 30, skinny and pale as milk. I have never seen him around before, maybe he's new.

-Okay let's go then.

The ride was not silent at all since he wouldn't stop talking until we got to the planet.

-Well we are here.-I tried to hide my excitement.

The fact that I'm he first human to set foot on this planets results unbelievable to me. Is what I have ever dreamed of since I was a little girl.

-Bob will you help me to get this boxes down please?

Bob realizes his overtaking and hands me the instruments boxes with the material.

I start my job examining the ground roughness followed by some other staring protocol procedures. I try to do everything fast since I only have 3 hours to investigate an entire planet .

Time flies by quickly and before I realize, it has already been two hours after arriving.

-So it's 2,9 of oxigen density.

-Yeap, that's what the machine says.

-Kay.

I countinue analyzing the water until the  beeper in my pocket rings.

-Yes-I answer.

-Zimmerman and Jolton return now to the ship, there is a storm approaching and we are unable to identify its intensity.

-But I haven't even finished the water analysis!-I scream frustrated because I won't even get to analyze water.

-If you want to be killed in a storm go ahead and stay, but do not get your partner involved.

-Well fine!-I say knowing that he's right, I can't risk mine's a bobs lives, I will come back tomorrow if Meyer allows it.

It takes some time to pack correctly the instruments, if I put them wrong they could break.

-Well I don't know what's the fuss all about, the sensor doesn't detect any storms nearby.

-That's odd- I say however I would not be surprised to know Meyer did all this just to bother me.

Suddenly, the ground starts to shake, which makes the hairs of my body frozen up.

-What the hell....

I didn't had any time to respond as suddenly the ground suddenly starts to break apart making me almost fall inside the big crack.

-HOLLY SHIT! -I say as I get on my knees, this is beyond my bio knowledge.

Even If that crack didn't killed me the ground was still shaking which meant another crack could happen any moment now.

I take my beeper and dial the command room- Command room do you copy? Command room do you copy? - I repeat as I don't get any answer.

We ran to our transportation however the engine seemed not to be working.

-FUCK!

-Now what do we do?-bob asks with frightened face.

-We will go to the caves.

I mention the caves the GPS indicated there were. The ground there is too rough to be breakable by a storm.

-Hurry!

Ten minutes running for our lives I don't even look back because a crack could take me off guard.

Once I get to the caves entrances I stop, here I might be safe. However I notice that bob is nowhere to be seen. I worry.

He might have taken other entrance perhaps...but that's impossible, this one is the nearest by and the only one we know...what if he fell in a crack?

I dial the beeper once more with hope I get some signal from the ship. I'm very scared.

-Do you copy? I repeat, do you copy? -I say in the border of tears.

I sit down in a corner, exhausted. Then I keep beeping until I began to fall asleep suddenly, I'm so tired right now...