John's perspective
I sat in my seat, staring at the display of the external cameras. My heart raced as I tried to see if any threat was approaching the doors. Nothing happened. Instead, as the calm chased the adrenalin away, a heaviness settled over me, growing more oppressive with each passing second.
I looked around at the eggheads; several of them had dropped their tablets at some point, faces flushed with effort, others lulled back and unconscious.
The feeling of being weighed down took some serious effort to breathe through. It felt exactly like the G-force training for this mission and the high-G training for fighter jets I had endured during my time in the service. Back then, I had been prepping for a mission that eventually got canceled.
Thank the heavens. I was supposed to get helecoptored in somewhere in the middle of the night...no thank you.
Zenthara came on the intercom. "We have touched down. Please prepare to disembark."
I lifted my hands to my faceplate, opened it, and scratched an itch that had been there since we got hit by debris.
Taking a deep breath, I held it for three seconds before exhaling slowly. My rib muscles hurt from the effort, but it didn't kill me. I unbuckled and pulled/pushed myself up. My muscles weren't used to working this hard after two-ish weeks of near-zero gravity. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to get the woozy and dizzy under control. When my head finally stopped swimming, I looked around and realized only the other military guys could move.
"Who needs help?" I asked, activating the local comms band.
"Me" and "I do" came back from multiple voices, their tones varying from sheepish to desperate. Before I could do anything, Zenthara's voice came on the intercom.
"Gabriel, do you need assistance? We are ready for you to disembark."
Mr. Torres responded for all of us. "Yes, Zenthara. It seems we lost a bit more muscle mass than we thought we did."
"Understood. Please stand by." Zenthara's said.
From the briefing, I expected humans to help us out of there. But we were on the Alien's ship.
I walked over to Mr. Torres, who was struggling to sit upright. His face was flushed, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. As I reached out a hand to him, he grabbed it and tried to pull himself up to his feet.
"Thank you," he wheezed, but despite my support, his legs buckled under him, and he slumped back into his seat, still managing a smile. "I think only you military guys worked out enough."
I glanced around, noting that the six security guys, myself included, were indeed the only ones moving with relative ease, trying to assist the other members of the crew.
"We're security, not military," I corrected him, keeping up the cover, not letting the costume slip. He scoffed, obviously not believing me.
We had all undergone rigorous training and conditioning for this mission. We were instructed to use the onboard gym for a minimum of 2 hours a day throughout the process. I think I only missed 2 days when we were on the moon itself. I found it strange that the equipment was mostly empty.
With the help of the security guys, some of the people I recognized as former astraunots were able to at least stand vertically.
"Please stand by," Zenthara said over the intercom. "We are going to come onto your ship to assist you."
My head snapped to the monitors, where I saw a group of robots, different from Zenthara in appearance, gathering at the door. My heart raced as the doors opened, without any of our inputs or permisions, and they swarmed up the ladders like ants on a mission.
"Easy, John," Mr Torres told me. "They're here to help, not harm." Loader, he added, "Thank you, Zenthara."
I moved to assist others, trying to keep my paranoia in check. When I reached the clubsie egghead's chair, he had his eyes closed, looking almost too peaceful. I tapped on his helmet, causing his eyes to flutter open.
"Hey, Nerd. Time to go," I said.
"Okay, Jock," he replied weakly, licked his lips and closing his eyes again.
The aliens didn't take long to reach the crew compartment. They spread out and approached a human struggling to get up one by one.
One of the alien robots, bipedal with four arms and towering over me, approached us cheerfully speaking. "Hello, my name is Nolivrex. I'll help you out."
I stepped out of his/her/its way and resisted my urge to take the strap off my sidearm.
"Is he okay?" Nolivrex asked, pointing two hands toward the egghead.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah. He does that a lot."
"Does he need immediate medical attention? I do not believe his biological functions have ceased. At least not yet." Nolivrex looked strange moving what i percieved as his head at a very extreme angle, its camera stocks swivvling to look both at me and at the barliey consious egg head.
"I'm not dead, just dying. JK. I'm fine. I just haven't worked out...enough...at all." The egghead stopped trying to open his eyes and just lay there.
I wasn't even passively acquainted with the Alien's psychological tells, if they had any, but Nolivrex looked twitchier than a crackhead being pulled over by an LEO.
I reassured him, "It will be fine. He just needs a candy bar." That didn't help. "Alright, Nolivrex. So what now?" I asked, trying to sound more relaxed than I felt.
"Um... I guess I should help you out of your ship and to the ground?" Nolivrex suggested, a hint of uncertainty in his voice, as he reached for me with his lower two arms.
"Actually, I can manage that on my own," I replied, flexing my leg muscles in preparation to run. "Help this big guy instead; he's not gonna make it without some assistance." I pointed at Miles, struggling to rise from his seat again.
"Okay!" Nolivrex agreed cheerfully. He walked over to Miles and gently picked him up, cradling him like a kitten. At some point, he must have lost consciousness again because his head lulled helplessly to one side. That was impressive enough, considering the egghead was taller than my 6-foot 2-inch height. As he approached the stairs, he waited for his turn before Nolivrex effortlessly gripped the rungs with his feet and upper arms, making the descent look easy.
As the astronaut captain laboriously climbed down to where Mr. Torres was, I approached them, ready to lend a hand if needed. The captain shook his head. Determination etched on his face. "No, I can make it to the ground. If I don't, my fellow captains will never let me live it down."
Mr. Torres didn't share the captain's stubbornness. "I'll need help," he admitted. "I can't stand on my own."
"Please wait," another alien, identical to Nolivrex, called from above. "I'll be there in a second."
His voice made me twitch to my gun. Again. I was still not comfortable with the aliens.
I was one of the last to climb down the stairs, following Mr. Torres as he was carried by the Alien. Despite my initial confidence, I found myself struggling to maintain my footing more than once. Each time, the Alien was there to steady me with an arm not holding Mr. Torres, never missing a step.
"Thank you," I called down to my unexpected helper, trying to push away the lingering unease.
"You're welcome," the Alien replied, catching my foot and placing it back on a rung again.
Sarah's perspective
I couldn't move out of my seat. My limbs felt like they were made of concrete, and I had to wait for assistance. Thankfully, Zenthara had sent help, but I wasn't sure why I trusted the aliens so much. It's not like they'd done anything to threaten us, right?
So when the tall, bi-pedal creatures with two sets of arms entered and asked who needed help, I was comfortable accepting their offer without much hesitation. They didn't have wings like Zenthara, but their presence still felt otherworldly.
"Here," one of them said, its voice surprisingly soft. It reached down and gently scooped me up, cradling me under the armpits while my feet dangled in the air. I wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. It was hard to breathe being suspended that way. I was grateful that as they carried me down the stairs, they didn't bang me against any walls or obstacles.
When we reached the ground level of the alien ship, I got a good look around. The bright light from the door limited how much I could see, but it looked like our massive rocket was standing in a silo or hangar with various things on the walls and several layers of walkways. The alien holding me shifted slightly and asked, "Are you ready to move outside?"
I weakly replied, "Yes." They carried me to the line that was heading out the door. I tried to lift my hand to open my visor, but my arm felt too heavy.
The Alien seemed to sense my struggle and asked, "Can I help you with something?"
"I need to open my visor," I whispered. With impressive dexterity, the Alien opened the latch of my visor and slid it open gently using one pair of its hands while the other pair still held onto me.
I breathed deeply, savoring the first breath of fresh air in over two weeks, and said, "Thank you."
"You are welcome," the Alien replied in a monotone voice.
Squinting against the sunlight as it came our turn to step out of the alien ship. I could see ambulances and trucks stationed nearby. People in full decontamination clothing bustled around, preparing to receive the humans from our expedition. As we neared an open gurney, the Alien carrying me carefully set me down, following the instructions given by the two attendants.
"Thank you," I said, "What's your name?"
"You are welcome. I do not have a name," replied the Alien. With no further words, it turned and headed back towards the ship. Just before disappearing inside, it paused and looked up at the sky. "Your sky is very pretty. It reminds me of home."
I looked up and thought about the Alien's words. Our sky was beautiful. My thoughts were interrupted as Zenthara approached Mr. Torres' gurney. The attendants, clad in their bunny suits, quickly focused their attention on me.
"What do you feel?" one asked, commanding my suit to perform a biological diagnostic. My vitals appeared on my wrist controller.
"Feels like I'm breathing through smoke...or my lungs are filled with water," I croaked. "And my limbs are heavy."
"That's expected," the attendant reassured me. "Your vitals are stable and positive. You're ready to be transferred to isolation."
"Thank you," I murmured, feeling relief wash over me. "Do you know when we'll get access to our possessions?"
"No, ma'am. We're just doing transport," the attendant answered.
"Okay," I sighed, leaning back on the gurney. As they wheeled me towards the ambulance, all I could think about was how desperately I wanted to hold my kids and husband again.
Miles' perspective
I felt like I was being stretched out by the chiropractor, my feet dangling helplessly in the air. Something pinched my armpits, and it was uncomfortable, to say the least. My brain raced, remembering the Alien standing next to the military guy earlier, and panic surged through me. I screamed and flailed my arms wildly.
"Hey, hey, calm down," a muffled voice said. My eyes snapped open, revealing that the robot's face was just inches away from mine. I felt something gripping my wrists, and I screamed again, my heart pounding in my chest.
"My name is Nolivrex. Please calm down. You are fine. See, we are almost out." The grip on my wrists tightened ever so slightly, forcing my mouth to snap shut. My eyes darted around, taking in my surroundings. I was hanging in front of the rocket inside the Alien's ship. As curiosity took over my fear, I began to study the space around me, trying to make sense of it all.
"That's better," Nolivrex said, its voice steady and playful. "I'm Nolivrex. What's yours?"
"Dr. Miles Abraham Nelson," I replied absentmindedly, still looking around and trying to take everything in.
"Oh, that's wonderful! I read some of your published papers." My attention immediately snapped back to the robot's face, surprise washing over me.
"Really?" I asked, taken aback by this revelation.
"Yes. Some of your work is on the right track. For example, your work with Issac Shepherd on developing mathematics to correct lens aberration in compound telescopes was intriguing. It was wrong, but it was nice. You need to use a different set of math, but you are working in the right direction."
"Wrong?" I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, from embarrassment to curiosity. If what we'd done wasn't correct, then what was the right approach? And how did Nolivrex know this?
"Unfortunately, yes," Nolivrex explained further. "But don't worry, you're not alone in your mistakes. It's simply a matter of applying a different set of math – one that your species hasn't discovered yet."
My brain raced with questions and possibilities, my fear forgotten. I wondered what other insights Nolivrex might have to offer and if our collaboration could lead to new discoveries. The thought was both exciting and terrifying.
"Thank you," I said, realizing that despite the strange circumstances, I had stumbled upon an incredible opportunity. "I look forward to learning more from you."
"Likewise, Dr. Nelson." Nolivrex's voice seemed to sparkle with excitement. "You are quite clever in realizing the problem and postulating a solution without knowing all the underlying...you call it math and physics."
"Thank you for the compliment, I think," I said hesitantly, realizing that Nolivrex was still holding my wrists. "Um, you can let go of my arms now. I'm done flailing around. Sorry about that."
"Oops, sorry," Nolivrex replied as they dropped my arms. My arms smacked hard against my side, and I realized I still didn't have much strength.
"Thank you. So, what math should we have used?" I inquired, eager to learn more.
Nolivrex looked around pensively before answering, "I'm not sure how to explain it to you. Your species hasn't discovered that math yet." Just then, Zenthara walked behind Nolivrex from a door at the far end of the space.
"I'll ask for permission to show it to you at some point," Nolivrex continued. "Are you into the study of the stars?"
I nodded, "Not as much as Isaac. I'm not willing to hike up a mountain with a telescope, but I enjoy it."
"Ah," Nolivrex said, seemingly pleased. "We don't need to do that. We have access to large arrays that we can rearrange remotely. I petitioned to have them left on the edge of what you call the Oort cloud. I was shot down, unfortunatly. These arrays are useful for many things." Nolivrex didn't seem to have an off or even a slow-down switch.
Nolivrex carried me out of the ship's doors and placed me on a gurney. "I will miss those arrays the most. I doubt we will prioritize rebuilding them anytime soon."
I looked up at the bunny-suited EMTs and asked, "Why are you in full hazmat gear?"
They exchanged a long look with Nolivrex, who said, "I don't have diseases."
"Protocol, ma-si-person? I'm sorry," one of the EMTs replied, unsure of the proper address.
"I do not have a gender," Nolivrex clarified. "I am a robot by your standards. My mind is based on the synthetic intelligence prototype, which didn't have a gender either."
The EMTs didn't respond and continued working on me. As they measured my vitals through the suit onboard sensors, I felt my arm squeezed, and I looked at Nolivrex. "I'm sure we're going to use some of your knowledge to build a telescope or two."
"Oh, that would be wonderful. Do you mind if I visit you?" Nolivrex asked.
"I don't see why not," I replied. "Please run it through the appropriate channels." I didn't want to break any rules I didn't know about
As they wheeled me away, Nolivrex twitched nervously. "Oh, I will. As soon as I can. I'm looking forward to you more." Nolivrex waved with all four of his arms before turning and walking back into the ship.
Zenthara's Perspective.
Once we landed, I immediately contacted the humans waiting on Earth. "This is Zenthara," I said, feeling a bit of excitement. "We have safely touched down."
"Understood, Zenthara," came the reply. "We're sending a support crew to help transport the humans on your ship."
I frowned, exchanging puzzled glances with my second-in-command. The Mind chimed in, "The humans mostly aren't getting up."
Worried, I hastily connected to the human ship's communication system. "Gabriel, do you need assistance? We are ready for you to disembark." I asked, hoping their condition wasn't too severe.
"Yes, Zenthara. It seems we lost a bit more muscle mass than we thought we did," he replied, his voice strained. Glancing at the dimensions of the human corridors, I realized I wouldn't fit inside.
I said, "Understood." disconnecting and looking around.
"Allow me to help," Nolivrex volunteered, practically jumping at the chance. I nodded, knowing that the humans didn't possess any heavy artillery to pose a threat. Nolivrex almost ran into the wall in his hurry out of the command center.
I called for anyone willing to assist. Around 40 acknowledgments came through before I deemed it sufficient.
As my second and I walked through our ship's corridors, I worried about the humans' wellbeing. We descended to the lowest level, where the human ship was parked. By the time we arrived, most of the humans had exited their ship, and half were already transferred to ground transport. To my surprise, they had to be carried like frail children rather than the strong beings I knew them to be.
Stepping through the doors, I looked around and found Gabriel sitting on a gurney, his visor open as humans in biological isolation suits tended to him. I approached cautiously, not wanting to startle them.
"Why do your people wear biological isolation suits? We are sterile," I questioned, genuinely curious.
Gabriel chuckled weakly. "My friend, you and I know we're safe, but the higher-ups don't trust it. Plus, our weakened state requires extra care for now." The humans in isolation suits turned, fear evident on their faces through their masks as they nearly tripped over Gabriel's gurney. I rushed forward, steadying the gurney with a firm grip.
"Zenthara," Gabriel said, catching my attention. "I need to be taken to isolation, but rest assured I'll maintain communication as soon as I have more information."
"Understood," I replied, stepping back and out of everyone's way.
A new group of vehicles arrived, and more humans in biological isolation suits approached us. One of them spoke loudly and slowly, as if unsure whether I could understand their language. "Do you understand English?"
"Yes," I responded, not showing my amusement. The human exhaled with relief.
"Good. We are with the logistics and coordination team. Do you need anything, sir?" they asked, their eyes scanning me from head to toe, as if trying to gauge my intentions.
My second, Nolivrex, gripped his swords with his inner arms. In our private coms, I told him, "Don't worry, they're not a threat. Calm down." He moved his hands away without saying a word.
I turned back to the humans. "No, we are self-sufficient. Our lines of communication are through Gabriel. We are waiting on coordination of meetings."
"Are you sure? You don't need power, water, food, or resources? Do you want us to organize lodging or anything?" one of the humans asked, concern in their voice.
"Absolutely sure," I reiterated, trying to assuage the humans' concerns. "We're fine in our home. We can satisfy all of our needs on our own."
"Understood," one of the humans replied. They exchanged glances with their companions before continuing. "Our second point of action is to establish lines of communication. How do we get a hold of you? And third, we need a list of potential biological, environmental, and radiological contamination to watch out for the expedition crew."
"Start by communicating through Gabriel," I suggested. "But if you need something else, you can come here, and I'll come out to talk. Eventually, we'll establish more efficient lines of communication. As for a list of possible risks, only those which you know of. We are sterile, and so is our environment. Our shielding prevents any radiological or any other form of contamination."
The humans seemed relieved by my response and looked at each other again. "Can we give you a communication device?" one asked. "It would be easier for the higher-ups."
"Sure," I said, seeing no harm in it. "But your device won't work inside my ship. We have shielding to prevent hacking. Your signals are weaker than what we've been built to defend against."
"We weren't trying to hack or anything," the human quickly clarified, clearly worried about offending me. They pulled out a case and asked, "Do you need instruction on how to use it?"
I felt amused as I took the device from them. "I think I'll manage."
The humans nodded, satisfied with my answer, and began to make their way back to their vehicles.
"Come on," I said to my second-in-command and the rest of my unit, motioning for them to follow me back into our ship. "Let's prepare for the next steps."
Issac's perspective
The kids pressed their faces against the glass, binoculars in hand, scanning the chaos unfolding before us. Ethan and I exchanged a nostalgic smile, remembering our own childhood fascination with space and technology.
"This is as cool as I imagined it as a kid," Ethan said. "You and I always fought over who read the latest issue of Space Magazine first."
I was about to respond when Aurora's high-pitched squeal stole my attention. "MOMMY!" Leo's eyes widened as he echoed his sister's excitement. "Where?" Aurora pointed with her tiny hand towards a group of people being wheeled on gurneys. Leo swiveled and screamed, too, "Mommy!"
My heart pounded in my chest. "Can I have one of those, please?" Aurora handed me her binoculars without hesitation. I raised them to my eyes, quickly scanning each face on the gurneys until I found her – my Sarah.
"Thanks, sweetie." I handed the binoculars back to Aurora, who immediately resumed her watch out the window. Turning to Ethan, I spoke quietly, "I really want to sneak into the isolation dorms and see Sarah."
Ethan frowned, concern etched on his face. "I don't think you need a felony. Or to lose your job. Or something...worse."
The kids must have understood what I said because they chimed in unison, "We want to see Mommy too!"
Ethan chuckled through his frown. "You two don't need to get into big trouble even before you get to grade school." Ryan just looked amused at the kids not taking sides.
I scanned the scene outside, everyone running around like ants in a disturbed nest. The ambulances were lined up, ready to transport the patients to the isolation dorms next to the office building where Miles and I had our offices. I knew the layout of both buildings' layout well enough, and a plan started forming in my brain.
"Maybe we could find a way without getting caught," I said thoughtfully. "I know that building like the back of my hand."
Ethan shook his head, clearly not thrilled with my idea but understanding the depth of my emotions. "Just be careful, okay?"
I smirked at Ethan. "I think we will be fine. Worst case scenario, I pretend I got lost."
Ethan's eyebrows shot up in protest. "That didn't work in the Smithsonian; that didn't work in Cape Canaveral. That didn't work at this facility when we were teens. Why would it work now?"
I shrugged, hugging the kids close to me. "Fourth time's the charm?"
"Actually," Ethan corrected, shaking his head, "the fourth time was in the UN building when you actually got lost looking for Sarah at her award ceremony."
"Hey," Ryan interjected with a grin, "that's a funny list of things you can remember so easily. Should I expect that level of memory in our life, too?"
"Only when it comes to embarrassing moments," Ethan replied, rolling his eyes.
"Alright," I said, deciding that it was now or never. "Whatever time this is by count, it may or may not work. Please wait for me." With that, I scooped the kids up and moved toward the side door.
"Good luck," Ryan called after me as Ethan shook his head.
As soon as we were on the other side of the door, I sprinted, the kids giggling with excitement. We were a bit over a mile away from where we needed to be, but seeing Sarah was all I could think about. Bittersweet thoughts of her leaving me flooded my brain – an annoying and undesired mental invasion.
"Are we going to surprise Mommy?" Leo asked, his voice full of anticipation.
"Sort of," I replied, trying to catch my breath. "But we have to be very quiet and sneaky, like secret agents."
"Secret agents!" Aurora whispered excitedly, making a shushing gesture. "We'll be so quiet, Daddy!"
"Good," I said, smiling at their enthusiasm. "Now, we need to find a way in without being seen."
We approached the building, and I scanned the area for any guards or workers who might have spotted us. The coast seemed clear, so I led the kids towards a service entrance I knew about from my years working there.
"Stay quire," I instructed them as we slipped inside, our footsteps muffled by the echoing hallway. "And remember, not a word."
Their little faces were serious, nodding with determination.