Page 16 of BuK
“That Mistress Dawn is the piece of a dead planet that apparently the Nebula did not like the taste of, and unfortunately, it spat it out directly at our location. We got lucky that it did not hit the planet directly, but it is still causing great grief planetside. Because the reflection of Etherium heats Ethra, this mass is blocking that warming light, causing the planet to fall into a frozen tundra instantly. Thankfully, most were safely inside the pods, but I know not the status of the guards, BuK, Briar, KyT, or Vedece. The pods have a failsafe of ‘shelter in place’protocols, which is triggered by imminent mass destruction and sets off their alarms. That order is something I cannot override with this mass blocking my signal, even though I have been trying nonstop. Lord of Light knows I would feel better if I could simply verify everyone’s whereabouts.”
“How long is this thing going to be in the way?”
“Another eighty-three of your hours if it keeps moving at this velocity.”
“That’s more than three days and if it’s as cold as you say, no one outside will ever survive that. We don’t even have any clothes down there available for zero temperatures. There was no need since it’s been a nice seventy-five degrees from day one. I thought you and that big shot SCOUT could foresee these types of things coming?”
“Normally, that would be the case, but SCOUT is on a mission of his own, as a Veil was found by my love, Destiny. This veil has been hiding a whole other section of our universe from us. SCOUT is very protective of his humans, as he calls you all, and when his alarms went off showing an illegal download in an unmapped sector, he turned all his resources in that direction. I do believe if he had not been preoccupied, we would have known about the mass sooner. My sensors flagged an anomaly, but it was here before I could take further action. It is negative twenty on the surface right now, and they have already been exposed to the cold for hours.”
“Shit ANDI, why didn’t you wake me up? Okay, let me grab as many coats as CIP can make, and I will head down. Do we have any extra heaters? God, my brain just scrambled with all the things they’re going to want and need.”
“Calm yourself, Dawn. Until HaL responds, there is nothing either of us can do. Because my signal is so weak, the moment the shuttle entered Ethra’s atmosphere, you would crash because I cannot remotely fly it from here, and you are not trained. That is an issue that I am going to bring up to the Commander the moment this crisis ends.”
“So, what, we’re just going to do nothing??”
“No, I have been sending signals out for hours. HaL is the only one close enough and physically able to help in real time. Hehas not responded yet, but once again I believe no signals can get past the mass. Wait a moment, I have a thought if you are willing. I could use your help.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to board a shuttle.”
“You just told me that if I did, I would crash.”
“You are not going planetside. I am going to fly you under the obstruction so it does not block my outgoing signals. Once on board, I will give you more instructions. I need to calibrate a few things while you are heading that direction.”
I run down the hall, grabbing the first lift that’ll take me to the shuttle bay. My heart is in my throat as I think about what my friends are going through right now. Just as the lift opens, one of the shuttles lifts off the floor. I head inside, but I’ve never been to the pilot’s area, so I’m not sure what to do.
“Dawn, head to the helm and I will get you out into open space.”
“Where is that?”
“Turn to your right, it is the last door on your left. Hopefully, from there, you will be able to send out a clear signal to let everyone know we need help.”
“Why haven’t you done that already?”
“The mass has its own gravitational pull and I was worried, due to my size, that if I left orbit above the settlement, I would not be able to return until after it passed. However, the shuttle is much smaller, so its mass will not have the same effect on it.”
“Okay, I’m here … show me what to do.”
“I am going to fly you out as far as my signal will hold, then because I am focusing on the mass and the planet below, you will have to send a message to all the coordinates I have already logged in. All you need to do is hit each one of them separately and my prerecorded communications will hopefully reach the others before it’s too late.”
“Question? What happens if something pushes me out of your signal?”
“You will float until we can relocate you. But don’t panic. Unless the shuttle loses all power, my onboard locators would activate and we could retrieve you in just a few hours. However, they would only be accessible the moment the mass cleared this part of the universe. So, be advised, in case of a power failure you would have to get inside one of the spacesuits to survive.”
“Great! What a wonderful plan, as the universe and I have gotten along so well in the past! Let’s do this. Things are not getting any warmer on Ethra.”
I barely get my butt in the seat before I’m being launched out of the shuttle bay, heading away from Ethra instead of toward it. Quicker than I realize, I find myself in open space, and when ANDI turns the shuttle, I’m able to look back at the massive rock twirling slowly right through the middle of all Etherium’s moons. You’d think it would be like a pinball machine, bouncing from one thing to another. Instead, it’s as if someone is driving it across the emptiness of space. A large shadow is sweeping beneath it as it passes between the suns and Etherium itself.
“This is as far as I feel like I can safely hold you, Dawn. Go ahead and begin the transmissions.” I start hitting the buttons one at a time, waiting until each one says received. I’m just about to tell ANDI they’re all done when suddenly a creature like I’ve neverseen before pops up on the screen. He’s not looking at the comm unit directly. He … it … is looking around, and all I can see past his thick white fur is a white and frozen wasteland as his arm swings around.
“ANDI, I am heading to the dock as we speak. I can be there in a few tics if the solar storms hold off in my area.”
Before I think about it, I speak up. “I beg you, please hurry, … many lives depend on your assistance!”
The creature who answered lifts his arm, tuning his white-furred face toward his comm unit. His eyes flash bright yellow as he looks me over like he’s never seen anything like me before. And I’ve never seen anything quite like him either. I don’t know if he’s a yeti or a sasquatch … maybe the abominable snowman, but one thing’s for sure … He sure as shit ain’t human. But the way he’s looking at me? It’s so intense!
“Little female, I will see you soon.” And the screen goes blank.
