Chapter 11 #2
It was still true that alien creature encounters hadn’t happened before—all humanoid beings the SEA came across were human just as much as earthlings.
But who knew, maybe today was the day. Renn would have to put those compact skills to the test. He smiled, thinking back on that in the library with their friends.
It seemed like a far-off life he merely used to know.
But now he was living his dream, somewhere deep in the universe.
The science team was one of the largest on the ship—forty of the best and brightest in the field, researching in the ship’s labs and experts in observing and documenting alien planets.
They studied everything from cures to diseases, to tracing origins of species.
An overall mission of the association was to understand life in general.
Where did it all begin? Do humans originate from a singular planet?
Renn wondered if they would ever be able to answer that question fully.
Lieutenant Laughlin, the head of the science department, was a middle-aged woman, with a grey steak running though her near-black hair. She was known for not only her brilliance, but her feisty attitude.
“Vison crew, gather up!” she called out.
Everyone assembled in a cargo bay, suiting up and packing gear before the doors would soon open.
“According to our scanners, the terrain is relatively accessible. There’s about a five-mile hike into a dense forest before we arrive at some kind of water source.
Of course, we won’t know exactly what it is, but the plan is to hike in, spend roughly five-to-six hours on-site, and then hike back to Vision.
Based on what we find today, we will plan for our excursion tomorrow. Any questions?”
Some members of the science team spoke up about certain gear, but Renn wasn’t listening; he was watching the first officer.
Rogers was staring at Laughlin like a bitter ex-boyfriend—his arms crossed and unamused. But Renn didn’t like to look in his eye.
Could they be in a relationship? Or had?
Renn thought. They were around the same age, and had probably known each other in some capacity for years.
Intimate relationships weren’t necessarily frowned upon among leadership, but it could easily get complicated, and Renn wondered if he was witnessing that complication unfold in front of him.
“Okay, everyone, follow orders and stay vigilant. I know this is a first for many of you, so enjoy the moment, but don’t forget, we have a job to do,” Laughlin instructed. The group nodded and butterflies grew in Renn’s stomach. “Let’s go!”
The large doors began to roll open and Renn knew in an instant this was something he would never get used to—stepping onto an untouched, beautiful new world.
The group had been hiking for a couple hours through a dense rainforest, the ground muddy, causing them to move at a slower pace, but overall, they were making good time with their schedule.
It was protocol for them to keep their helmets on for the first two hours of entering new air—a safety precaution to be sure it was safe.
“Okay, crew! We’ve reached the two-hour mark,” Laughlin shouted from the front of the group. “Were going to stop here for a break. Feel free to remove your helmets and fuel up before we continue. You have a half hour.”
All at once, they each removed their helmets and then breathed in the crisp, clean, unpolluted air into their lungs. It was easy to forget how filtered air in the ship felt different than the real thing. No one moved for several seconds–quite literally—breathing in the moment.
Renn strapped his helmet to his pack before finding something to eat.
“Is this your first time on an ELP?” a male officer near him asked.
“It is. How about you?” Renn asked, genuinely curious.
“I’ve been with Lieutenant Laughlin for a few years, so no, but it still feels like the first time. Every planet feels . . . different, somehow.”
“I can see that,” Renn replied, glancing around. “What’s your name, by the way?”
“Tanner. Tanner Kingsley.” He held out a hand.
“Aldrenn Anton,” Renn said, taking his hand firmly and shaking.
“Oh, I know.” He smiled as he said it, indicating he wasn’t holding it against Renn, by any means, but it was obvious.
The two moved the conversation along until it was time to resume their journey.
“I don’t see Laughlin anywhere,” Tanner said, scanning the crowd. A pit sat in Renn’s stomach when he realized Rogers was nowhere to be seen either. The uneasy feeling grew, his intuition screaming at him that something was wrong.
“Did anyone see what direction Laughlin went?” an officer asked.
“I saw her go that way,” another said.
“Did she go alone?” Tanner asked, speaking up over the group, most of them turning to one other for confirmation. “I think Rogers is with her,” Renn said loud enough for them all to hear. If something bad was going to happen, he wanted witnesses.
“Should we go look for them?” someone else asked.
One of Laughlin’s lead scientists, most likely her second, responded, “A few of you pair up and go in opposite directions. I’m sure they’re fine.”
Tanner and Renn looked at each other, and without saying a word, knew what they needed to do.
“That way?” Renn asked, nodding his head toward the forest. Tanner agreed and ventured into the thick foliage.
Right away, Renn could see signs that someone had been through this section of the forest–leaves and branches that had been moved and bent unnaturally.
They didn’t go far until they heard the voices.
“I told you. I’m not interested in continuing anything further.” It was Laughlin speaking.
Renn and Tanner stopped in their tracks, they moved closer until they could spot her without giving themselves away. She was clearly upset and he already knew who she was angry with before he spoke.
“Really, Hannah? Because it didn’t seem that way the other night,” Rogers responded.
Tanner’s cheeks flushed. They obviously stumbled upon something private.
“Let’s go,” Tanner mouthed.
Renn nodded, carefully following Tanner, stepping where he stepped, but then they heard Laughlin again, louder this time.
“Get your hands off me!” she seethed and there was rustling of twigs and leaves, like she was trying to push her way through aggressively.
Renn swallowed. Would he have to intervene?
“Hannah, stop,” Rogers growled. There was a thud and a groan. “You bitch!”
“When we get back to the ship, I’m reporting you to Grey.” Laughlin was breathing hard. “You sick, sadistic asshole. I hope you’ve enjoyed your career with the SEA, because I will be sure to end it.”
“You think anyone will believe you?” Rogers said darkly.
No one moved or made a sound for several seconds.
“Grey will. And if he does then everyone will,” she said with such conviction that Renn could feel the goose bumps appear on his arms. He took that as a sign they needed to get going.
“Go go go,” Renn whispered and he and Tanner ran back to the group, hoping neither of the lieutenants would see them.
A couple minutes after they made it back to the group, Laughlin and Rogers returned, each appearing as if nothing happened.
“Sorry, to keep everyone waiting. Do we have everyone?” Hannah, somehow completely calm and collected, scanned the group, verifying everyone was accounted for.
The crew continued on, Tanner and Renn exchanging nervous looks every so often, and Renn would soon realize it was wishful thinking, hoping that what they had witnessed was the end of it.
The water source turned out to be a gully with a small waterfall providing the steady flow of moisture.
After the team verified that the water was indeed H20, the real science work began.
Renn shadowed several of the science officers closely, learning their process of taking samples and helping where he could, knowing some of the basics to assist them.
Behind the waterfall, there appeared to be a small opening to a cave.
Laughlin and her second, Officer Carson, had gone inside to investigate.
It had been a couple hours since they reappeared, but no one seemed worried.
They probably did this all the time, Renn thought.
But when it was time to return to Vison, everyone began to worry.
“They should have been back by now. They are way past the safety window,” Renn said to Tanner, checking his wrist comp for the time. “Has this happened before?”
“No. Never.” His eyes were wide with worry. Lieutenant Rogers was talking to a few members of the science team, all of them distraught. Renn walked over to see what the first officer was planning to do.
“What if something terrible has happened?” one of them was saying.
“I can’t pick up any data from their devices either,” a comps officer added, checking his tablet.
“Perhaps they are too far in the cave.”
“It should be working,” the comps officer said, tapping at his screen aggressively.
As the conversation unfolded, Rogers remained silent, looking toward the cave entrance. Renn watched and waited for him to step in, as it was his job to do so.
“Sir, do we need to assemble a rescue team?” Renn asked, when he still did nothing.
“No.”
Renn froze.
“Mark the time. Lieutenant Laughlin and Officer Carson are deceased.”
Everyone in the group paused what they were doing, looking to one another to see if they truly heard him correctly.
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Deceased,” he said, sounding out every letter, glaring at Renn the entire time.
“But, sir . . . ”
“You heard me, Anton!”
Renn stood in shock and suddenly everyone was looking at the two of them with the outburst of rage.
“Sir,” Renn started calmly, “we don’t know what happened to them. You can’t leave them there. What if someone is injured or worse?”
Rogers walked right up to him, almost grazing his nose with his own. The aggression didn’t phase Renn in the slightest; he stood his ground as the man practically spat in his face.
“And who the fuck are you to think you can question my authority?”