Aubade: Chapter 6

Unraveling Secrets

You’re a woman who’s woken up out of stasis and you find yourself onboard the spaceship Aubade escaping Earth. Forever. Last thing you remember is going to bed. On Earth.

In this chapter of Aubade, a sci-fi serial:

Sara finds herself on a hostile and mysterious planet as part of the Aubade crew aiming to establish a permanent colony. While the planet poses various challenges, Sara's primary concerns lie within the secrets surrounding her presence on the mission and why she was selected against her will. Commander Stapleton recruits her to unravel a crucial situation within the defense database, and despite her lack of expertise, Sara agrees to help. As tensions rise and suspicions grow, Sara must confront her fears and navigate the complexities of the mission. 

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

OpenArt [prompt by author]

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Unraveling Secrets

It looked like a barren, rocky desert.  A dry environment.  That meant less likelihood of hostile life forms, right?  She tried to process what she saw and knew full well that nothing she saw meant anything at all.  This planet was inhabitable, that alone meant it could be hostile.  It also meant Aubade had chosen it because it was the only beacon of hope they had found in 100 years.  She was still alive.  She was still filled with a fear of dying.  Dying of something unknown was now her worst fear.

Stapleton sent out drones to inspect the closest 500 mile radius and came back with nothing of worry.  There was life, for sure, but it seemed to be limited to some form of lichen and plant-like organisms that were stationary.  Some free moving organisms were found in very shallow liquid deposits, and after analysis it seemed safest to stay away from all water deposits since they contained extreme levels of strong enzymes.  The med lab had to be sanitized after a small amount was spilled on the floor and one of the technicians needed emergency removal of a patch of skin on her hand after coming in accidental contact with the liquid.