Crowley looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry Captain, but the short-range sensor arrays, while intact, are far from reliable. I’ve rigged rudimentary sonar by hijacking the short-range transmitters and, although it does give some initial peace of mind regarding landmasses, it isn’t terribly reliable when it comes to moving objects, at least underwater. There appears to be some form of bird life, although they don’t come near the lake. Perhaps that’s due to our presence.”
Or perhaps, considered Malory, there’s something else in the lake that they’re avoiding. “Okay. Waite, we’ll need handguns and exo-suits if you wouldn’t mind sorting that out for me?”
“Not at all Captain. My pleasure.”
Sanctimonious twat, thought Malory, choosing instead to say “Thanks. Okay everyone, we’ll assign tasks after a quick break. Waite, you have your task, would you break out firearms ASAP please?”
With a curt nod, the Security Officer made his way to the small armoury at the rear of the ship.
Crowley, while by no means the best swimmer, had been enthusiastic about joining the exploratory underwater team. Something on his makeshift radar had attracted his attention. Malory had assigned Waite to the team, knowing she could rely on his swimming ability and instinct for danger to keep Crowley safe. The third member of the team was DeMain, as it would afford her a perfect opportunity to examine the damaged hull. As expected, Faraday was pacing nervously, having insisted on joining the team and being turned down by his captain. The sixman team configuration had been designed for efficiency, with each member specialising in a particular field but all of them being trained in the rudiments of the others’ roles. This allowed for shift rotations during normal flight and exploratory periods and kept costs down. In situations like this, though, it made things harder as she had to make certain she still had sufficient numbers on board the Wainwright for safe operation. Keeping Doctor Faraday on board was an obvious choice as, should the shit hit the fan, she really wanted him in one piece.
The water was dark and seemed thicker, more viscous, than that of the Earth. This latter quality aided Crowley and reminded him of a fortnight he had spent swimming and diving in the Dead Sea. His confidence as buoyed as his body, he found himself swimming beside Waite, who had knifed through the water with an effortless skill. DeMain, too, had found the nature of the water helpful and, despite carrying the most equipment, easily kept up with the two men.
Crowley had reached the rock face first, Waite hanging back to survey the area around them. “Oh my God, it’s… it’s unbelievable! Captain, there’s some kind of… what? What d’you think Teri?”
Waite noted the use of open comms but felt it didn’t warrant reproach in the circumstances.
DeMain’s voice broke in. “It looks to be some kind of… seal? A huge circular stone slab, intricately carved…”
Crowley reached a gloved hand out to touch the slab itself. He was visibly shaking as he ran his fingers over the design. Despite the thick fabric between his hand and the stone, he felt an immediate connection, like running a hand over a favourite armchair.
The slab had been divided into two huge semi circles of rock. The design was hard to take in so near to it, but Crowley could make out curved lines which suggested at least three concentric circles. There were straight lines that seemed to describe a deformed pentagram. He shook his head in disgust at himself. “Supposition,” he muttered. And yet his excitement grew, especially at their next discovery.
“Yes. Yes, a seal, a huge door of some sort with an expansive cavern beyond. But the slab is broken Captain, broken into three pieces.”
Waite finally spoke, still sounding matter-of-fact. “It was us. The Wainwright broke it. With the speed of our decent, the ship dived below the surface of the water, broke the seal and the buoyancy brought her back up.”
On board the Wainwright, Malory swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. “How can you be sure?”
“There are some elements from the forward sensor array embedded in the sand below the structure. Also, there are no algae present on the broken edges of the seal, although the surface itself is covered. This suggests the
damage is very recent. Crowley?”
Barely having absorbed the enormity of the initial discovery, Crowley had swum around the supposed seal into an open space beyond. “Sorry Waite, but there
appears to be some kind of structure beyond the seal.”
The three explorers swam through the doorway, as by now they were all convinced that that was exactly what the huge stone slab represented.
“Crowley, hang back.”
“Waite, there is no reason to assume any hostile life exists within. Especially as it’s been sealed for who knows how long!”
Waite, against his better judgement, agreed. He allowed DeMain and Crowley to go ahead of him, choosing to protect the rear of the small expedition.
As they entered the cavernous space, they were all stuck by the similarity to numerous historical Earth structures. Enormous intricately carved columns rose from the floor to the roof, roughly sixty metres above them. The surface of the water was lower than outside, and all three simultaneously made for the space above, breaking the surface together.
Crowley made a series of rapid checks on his sleevemounted computer. Nodding imperceptibly to himself, he suddenly lifted both hands to his helmet, operating a number of switches and clasps, allowing the visor of his suit to slide up into the body of the helmet. Waite went to stop him, but was just too late, his gloved hand resting on the Science Officer’s arm just as the visor hissed upwards and Crowley took a deep breath of surprisingly fresh air.
Waite was furious. “You bloody idiot!” It was only at that point that the security officer realised they had had no communication from the ship. Surely Malory would have reacted to his outburst?
DeMain must have been thinking the same thing, quickly making her own series of checks on her computer.
Crowley, oblivious, waded to the nearest column.
Waite cast a glance at the man’s back as he made his way to examine the carved pillar and looked back to
DeMain. “I think we may have lost comms.”
Astonished at her colleague’s calm, DeMain nodded.
“Yeah, some element or other in here is blocking our
signals. The computer can’t identify it.”
Waite could only imagine the conversations on the Wainwright’s Bridge at this point. “One of us has to go back to open water, keep the Captain informed.”
DeMain agreed, asked for Waite to go. Waite was hesitant but relented, as there did not seem to be any imminent threat.
Alone in the flooded structure, DeMain and Crowley examined the markings on the nearest column together, the engineer finally raising her own visor. “The air is great in here.”
Distractedly, Crowley grunted. “Hm, yes it is. Surprising really.” He slapped a panel on the column with his right hand and beckoned DeMain with his other. “Come and see this.”
DeMain joined her colleague and followed his direction. At first the panel seemed innocuous enough – simple carved images – but when she looked more closely, she suddenly realised what Crowley had seen in the picture.
“They can’t be what they appear to be surely?”
The Science Officer turned his excited face towards her. “I think so, I think they are humans, certainly humanoid which is remarkable enough.”
“But what’s that?”
As her eyes focussed on the image in question, the huge space around the two explorers seemed to shrink in on her. She had felt something similar visiting one of the last remaining Cathedrals in England as a child. There was a stillness and a feeling of great power.
“I don’t know, I wondered the same thing. Some sort of god-image I would imagine.”
“It doesn’t look terribly benevolent.” DeMain shivered, trying to imagine the creature alive. If the scale were correct, it would be almost as tall as the pillars themselves. And the tentacles surrounding it … She tried in vain to shake the image from her mind.
Crowley’s face became grim again. “Not all gods are.”
DeMain turned away but, on closing her eyes, the image returned to her unbidden. This time, though, the tentacles writhed almost sensuously, the malevolent eyes fixed themselves on her, burning with sheer energy.
Unaware of his colleague’s predicament, Crowley continued to examine the column. A series of images showed the humanoids standing, lying and then standing once more, except that they seemed somehow different. There was something different about the heads and the limbs. The posture too seemed altered in some way.
As DeMain fell to her knees, Crowley thought he heard her muttering something incomprehensible. Before he could check on her, a low rumbling sent waves from the centre of the chamber, causing Crowley to lose his footing and stumble against the great column of stone.
Back on the Wainwright, the crashing sound came through from both Waite’s microphone and outside the ship. A cry of alarm from the security officer indicated that at least one of the crew had come to harm. Then that cry was itself cut short.
Faraday had bolted from the bridge even before Malory had had time to register the consequences. “God
damn it! Waite, come in! Crowley? Teri?”
Had they all been caught in the structure’s collapse?
The Log of the Wainwright, planetary exploration vessel PE-1608-ISD, location unchanged. Planetfall plus one. Captain Kate Malory recording.
It is with great sadness that I have to report the deaths of Science Officer Brian Crowley and Engineering Officer Teri DeMain. Please convey my condolences to their families and assure them that they died bravely and in the line of duty.
Security Officer Simeon Waite was able to escape the collapse of what appeared to be a large underwater structure resembling, according to him, a temple, the door to which was broken during planetfall. He was unable to retrieve the bodies of our fallen comrades as they were buried under the rubble. We have held the standard service for them both. Doctor Faraday has not left his quarters for several hours now and I have chosen to leave him to his grief.
Teri’s father was a personal friend of mine and I have known her since her childhood. My own mourning however, will have to wait but I fear it will only add to my sleepless nights.
Unfortunately, the work of survival continues. I intend to send Stark and Waite on a reconnaissance mission
beyond the bounds of the lake. I expect this mission will not be accepted lightly.
The large pale sun looked like an over-easy egg yolk in the lower part of the alien sky. Its eerie light revealed the altered landscape to the northwest of the Wainwright’s position.
Stark sat cross-legged on the lowered gangplank facing the site of the “temple”, his flask of entirely nonregulation whiskey clutched in his left hand, an electronic cigarette clenched between his teeth. Waite arrived silently and sat on his haunches beside the older man.
“Morning.”
“Glad you left off the ‘good’ Waite.”
The Security Officer smiled tightly. “I almost wish I had died too. I’ve never been in a situation like this… tried to keep my head, to reach one of them at least, but…”
The helmsman offered his flask to Simeon, who took it gratefully. Stark was silent for a handful of heavy moments. This was the first time Waite had ever shown a human side as far as Stark was aware. He was humbled, and struggled with what to say, what comfort to offer. “Lad, you did your best. Of all of us on this ship, you are the one least likely to fail in your duty, but even you are human. Even you must face failure at least once.” A pause.
“Not that I ever have obviously, I’m perfect!”
Waite laughed, took a second mouthful of harsh whiskey, and returned the flask. “Thank you. By the way, tell anyone else I have a human side and I’ll kill you!”
Stark nodded. “I believe you.”
“We should prepare for our day trip. I can’t imagine what we may find out there.”
“You see lad, that’s where you and I differ. Never worry about what we may find, worry about what we have found.”
“I admire the sentiment, although I prefer to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.”
“A human being and a philosopher? Will wonders never cease?”
“Come on Stark, let’s get to the armoury.”
With that he stood and helped the older man to his feet. Stark grunted a thank you and replaced his flask in his trouser utility pocket.
The Log of the Wainwright, planetary exploration vessel PE-1608-ISD, location unchanged. Planetfall plus two. Captain Kate Malory recording.
Officers Stark and Waite have been away for some 2 hours now. Contact has been constant if not consistent.
Nothing of note has thus far been reported.
“It’s weird to think we’re walking on the roof of an ancient structure.”
“I’d call it unsettling.” Replied Waite.
“Preparing for the worst again Simeon?” The older man laughed.
Waite slowed his pace a little, allowing Stark to catch up with him. “You weren’t down there. I’d count our chances as nil if the roof collapses like the entrance did. It would be a hell of a drop.”
Stark put his hand on the security officer’s shoulder as he caught up with the younger officer, finally managing to match his pace. “I’m sorry lad, didn’t mean any disrespect.”
Simeon Waite, a man who most of the crew would swear had been voted “least likely to smile” at school, produced a genuine, almost affectionate smile for the helmsman.
“If I thought you had, I’d have knocked you off your feet.”
They both laughed at that, just two ramblers, rambling.