Transition

Chapter 1 - Galapagos

The company supply ship Encounter arrived for its regular quarterly visit to the HEEP installation on the planet Galapagos, and established an orbit while a message was sent advising the research station to prepare.

After several attempts the video screen remained blank and Commander Hunter Lewis told his engineer to broadcast on all channels in case there was some atmospheric disruption on the surface.

"Nothing on any of them. Just dead air."

"Keep trying, meantime, Mr. Chesterton log the times and the situation as it stands."

"Wait a sec." The engineer played with the radio and settled on a faint blast of static. The screen lit but was just flashing lines.

"Hell of a lot of good that is, Miller."

"No! Wait! Listen." He handed the headset to Hunter.

A voice, shattered by static, screamed the word, help then broke off, blaring back suddenly so loud Hunter yanked the headset away and the crew could hear the panic jumble of words that followed, then silence.

"Can you get it back?"

Miller held the set to his ear and closed his eyes. "Nothing. Not a peep."

"Play it back."

Everyone crowded around, straining to hear anything on the recording that might make sense.

"It's everywhere, is all I could make out besides, help." One crew member stated.

"We need to get down there." Chesterton stared at his Commander.

"No way. Not until we have some idea of what we might face."

"They're in distress for God's sake - it's our duty!" The executive officer complained.

"I said no. I've got eighteen people and this ship that I'm responsible for and I'm not risking any of them until I have an idea of what we're up against."

Hunter turned to his engineer. "Send down a camera drone and do a focused sweep. Mr. Chesterton bring the ship down to operational altitude."

"Those people are in trouble, Hunter the longer we wait--"

"Look, you heard the same as the rest of us - it's everywhere! I'm not setting down until we can establish what the hell is happening."

"Drone's away, Skipper. I'll send the image to your console." A shaky picture of the planet surface came into view and once the drone passed through the atmosphere it steadied.

Galapagos appeared as a strange mix of biota on a fantasy tale landscape. Soil, rock, plants, fungi even expanses of yellow desert could be seen - everything except surface water; a creepy place everyone thought, but heaven to the HEEP scientists.

The drone approached the three large, connected structures of the station, slowing as it did a circuit of the site then dropped lower and began to track along the sides of the buildings.

"Nothing. I don't see a damn thing."

"I can see there are no lights in the buildings. That's not normal."

"Can you hover by that window in the sleeping quarters?"

"Black. Can't make out anything. Don't remember the windows being blacked out, even at night."

Hunter swore under his breath. "Try another one. Damn it, try them all!"

Fifteen minutes later the drone returned having revealed nothing that told them of the emergency. A quick pass over the surrounding territory showed nothing of concern. The team that was supposed to be out collecting samples, according to the schedule sent to the Encounter's log, was nowhere in sight.