Aubade: Chapter 5
Touchdown
Aubade is a serial novel for all you sci-fi lovers who love Ripley and Sarah Connor and all the strong women in action movies as much as I do. I wrote it as a sort of ‘love proclamation’ of all the exciting, scary, fun, romantic and silly sci-fi movies and books I have seen and read. This has a bit of everything, and of course, a female lead! I think you’ll like her!
Sara wakes up onboard the interstellar spaceship Aubade and realizes she’s lost everyone and everything she’s ever loved back on Earth. Forever. As she begins to adapt to her new life as the Historian onboard Aubade, she is determined to find out who selected her against her will.
Touchdown
"You do realize that I have no tech support training for this mission and that I have never held such a position in my entire life?"
She didn't want to sound like a whining toddler, but the prospect of the upcoming situation had led her into a state of panic.
"You're the closest to what we have as a tech support person." Captain Meadows was leaning against his desk looking troubled. His words were still ringing in her ears. Each syllable he spoke always sounded crisp and well thought out. He emitted the air a captain should have. He made people feel safe. She noticed a hint of body odor in the room. No, it wasn't body odor, it was something else. Cedar?
"With all respect expressed, why isn't there a tech support staff on this mission?" She couldn't look him in the eyes so she chose a spot on his chest where the third button from the top was reflecting a very polished light.
Meadows didn't blink or pause before he responded:
"Not everyone on this difficult mission survived. Everything possible was done to ensure a 100% survival rate. Unfortunately our medical staff and the equipment could not rescue two of our crew members. As Captain it is my job to reassign the missing positions, and you will be sharing that position with another of our crew. I realize your hesitation, but I assure you, you will have my fullest support. Should there arise any problems due to your lack of experience we will be more understanding toward you than if it were the originally intended staff. You will begin training immediately. Any questions?"
"Are there any immediate tech support needs?" She wanted to find out if Jack was right.
"None that need immediate attention, no." The answer was short and to the point. Captain Meadows stood up and opened the door for her. It was cedar. It was such an unusual scent, barely detectable, but it came from him. She nodded and said thank you and walked back to her room.
The other tech support sub was a young med technician she had seen working with Evelydia. His name was Paulon. The first thing he said when they met was:
"Hi, I'm Paulon. I have been on suppressants for ten years now and I admit I am powerless without them and my life has become unmanageable."
They spent the two last weeks before touchdown in intensive programming. It was exhausting. Sara had little recollection of what occurred each day during programming, and at nights when trying to sleep fragments of coding and instructions would cloud her thoughts. Paulon said he experienced similar interruptions of thoughts but that he rather enjoyed them.
"It makes me feel as if I am gaining a new dimension to my persona. I think this is beautiful!" Paulon had a habit of rubbing his hands together very vigorously whenever he was especially happy about something. It made Sara smile. He looked like a caricature out of a story. Extremely gaunt with hair follicles that emitted too much oil. His creator must either have been careless, she thought to herself, or some kind of genius.
A few days before touchdown Sara convinced Paulon to go to the gym with her.
"I have heard touching down is going to be rough," she said, trying to emphasize the importance of being in shape.
"Yeah, yeah, I have already thought it out. I am going to take two doses of tranquilizers and muscle relaxants before we suit up and I have already asked Dr. Renni for extra padding and homeostasis boosters." He saw her shaking her head.
"But, I guess a few minutes of physical exhaustion wouldn't hurt."
"That's better!" Why did she always end up with odd friends? He was 15 years younger than her and what seemed to her a completely fully programmed med technician with not much space for social skills.
When Paulon realized they could watch holo-shows while working out he burst into a squeal and rubbed his hands together several times while struggling to maintain his balance on the machinery. Every now and then he would emit happy grunts while sweat poured down his narrow face and collected on the moving belt. A few gym visitors seemed to have trouble hiding a smile or a look of nuisance, but they were much too polite to complain. Sara did her usual routine. On their way out Paulon remarked on her lack of exhaustion:
"Muscular endurance gene jacked up?" He got right to the point, being a med tech.
"Yes, but I still need to maintain muscular strength, it doesn't come for free."
"Right, right. Well, see you in the morning then!"
"Well done Paulon! In the morning!"
A week after half of the defense team had landed and set up the two main structures, the rest of the crew descended. Aubade was left orbiting the planet. A few crew members and the Captain were left onboard to close up and prepare the giant lady for her long sleep.
It had surprised many that the Captain would not descend with the main group, but he assured everyone that Second in Command Tanaka Sitra and Defense Commander Vincent Stapleton would be excellent and very capable leaders during his own short absence. Besides, he would be in daily, if not hourly communication with the headquarters and he would be aware of everything that needed attention and action. Still, the crew seemed puzzled, but everyone was too polite to inquire any further.
The thought of the landing made her nauseous. She had never been suited up before and it made her feel claustrophobic. Everything was run smoothly. Planning and attention to detail was obvious. But as she was looking around at the quiet faces that were trapped inside their own personal enclosures, she wondered who else, if any, felt that way she did. She was filled with a fear of dying. It would be quick if it came, and yet she could not stand the thought of the moment, her life, ending now this way. She tried her best to breathe slow and deep breaths.
With her eyes closed she held on to what was most dear to her. Pandora was smiling with her beautiful green eyes and the pale face surrounded by wild black curls of hair. It became too much to bear and Sara opened her eyes. She could feel a tear make its way down toward her nose. Darn it! She glanced around.
Everyone was busy adjusting their suits and notebooks. Everyone except Commander Stapleton, who was giving orders and now was staring right at her. He must have seen it because he kept his eyes on her for a few more moments while continuing to give instructions. She only managed a slight nod toward him, hoping he would interpret it as a sign that she was OK. She continued to focus on her breathing. Ten more minutes now before total lockdown.
He stood right in front of her, bent down and began going over all connecting elements on her suit. She could distinguish his face behind the shield, and she noticed that his breathing was completely calm. His chest was rising and sinking with absolute normalcy even in this moment. She felt the tugs as he continued his minute check. He knew something about her. This man, Stapleton, knew that she was not a volunteer. If she survived this landing she was going to find out how he knew that, and if he also knew who had hand picked her and why.
Stapleton's hands stopped moving.
"Is this the correct oxygen saturation for you?"
No one else seemed to react to his voice so she assumed she was on a private channel.
"Yes, I usually take a bit more when under stress." She was not going to delve into her endurance gene right now.
"All right, everything else seems fine. Hang in there, this will be over in no time." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and she could detect a quick smile before he moved on to the next person.
She lost consciousness for a few seconds a few minutes into the descent but knew it was due to hyperventilation. After great efforts she was able to calm herself down and even focus to such an extent that she could observe the other crew members nearby. She couldn't hear anyone else, but everyone was connected to the general communication channel and they were all listening to the short and calm remarks of the pilot and his communication with the ground team.
They had to be helped out of their seats and out of the shuttle. Few had ever been suited up or been in zero gravity before. They were dizzy, disoriented, nauseous and tired. They were led through an airlock through a sealed tent-like hallway and then to a land-shuttle. And it was then Sara caught a first glimpse of her new home.
Who’s your favorite character so far? And what about those muscular endurance genes? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you to all new subscribers! I am thrilled and grateful that you choose to spend your time here in the Cabinet of Curiosities! Obviously you have a refined taste in your Substack choices, and you belong here. This place is growing and I’m glad you've joined me on this cockeyed caravan! Here you can read more about me. Follow me on Instagram.
What can you do to support me? Well, since you asked, you can buy No End Code, my sci-fi anthology and leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. You can also subscribe to this newsletter and spread the word about me in Notes. Please press the heart button and leave a comment! I always respond!
