Chapter 1

The post-landing exploration protocol meeting came to a close a few hours past nightfall on the second day after our arrival on Tegra 7, the smallest of eight moons orbiting the planet Achilles. I knew already that this moon was unlike any habitable world I had ever seen. And after 14 years exploring the Omega Galaxy’s vast expanse of planets and moons, this would be my final assignment with the Intergalactic Exploration Institute. The century old corporation enforced strict regulations concerning the mental and physical health of its scientists, space pilots, medics, engineers and guardians. As a guardian, responsible for the safety of the “brains” dedicated to each mission, I had extensive physical and mental requirements that were continuously monitored by medical personnel. Despite my outstanding physical performance and flawless mental state, I was required to retire by the age of 35 due to the increased likelihood of health complications. According to the regulations, I would no longer be fit to protect my crewmates from the dangers of our universe.

I sighed heavily as I recollected past memories of space travel, the strange creatures I had encountered and the unique worlds I had left behind. But at no point did I dwell on memories of previous crewmates. Since leaving Earth for my first IEI assignment at the age of 20, I largely remained independent and solitary. Interactions with others were mostly formal, like discussing protocol. All business. To the scientists and engineers I was merely the muscle, nothing more.

I didn’t mind though. The pay cheques themselves were more than worth it. And I could never attempt to quantify the value behind my experiences. I lived for adventure, and the Omega Galaxy never provided me with an ounce of disappointment.

“Williams. Your heliospore pills,” a soft voice awakened my trance. I looked up at Dr. Jennings, noticing we were the last two remaining, and nodded as she turned and left the room. I reached across the table, grabbed the pill pack and followed her out the door.

“So it’s your last assignment with the company I hear?” she said without turning around. I lengthened my strides to catch up to her as she walked down the hallway towards the living quarters.

“Uh yeah, I guess so,” I replied, caught off guard by her interest in me.

“And what’s next for you?” she asked bluntly, this time turning towards me to pose the question. Her blue eyes locked with mine but I couldn’t read her intentions.

“I haven’t given it much thought I guess.” It was true, I was always focused on each assignment at the time and looked forward to the next one during the brief breaks in between.

“I see. Goodnight Williams. Remember to take your first pill tonight. Can’t risk exposure without proper precautions.” And with that Jennings quickly disappeared into her pod, leaving me motionless outside her door for a few seconds.

Instead of retiring to my room for the night, I continued walking past the pods, beyond the armory, and up to the small lookout post. From the outpost I couldn’t see very far away from our command station settlement, especially at night. Trees and creatures alike were hidden by the purple haze that hung in the air. It was called Death Mist, aptly named for the poison properties of the heliospores. The mist was secreted by thick blue vines that wrapped themselves around trees and rocks. Insects lingering less than ten feet from the ground after midnight would succumb to the toxic spores, falling lifeless to the ground. The vines would then sweep across the forest floor, gathering their daily meal. At dawn, the heat of sunlight caused the vines and mist to retreat to their shady hiding spots.

I was fascinated by the fact that humans were susceptible to the poisons, like the insects, but not any of the other animals on Tegra 7 seemed to be affected. The eight-legged lizards, no larger than my index finger, survived all night in the purple air. Scientists on the previous expedition, the first Tegra 7 expedition, focused their efforts on the mists. Their discovery was all mumbo jumbo to me, I could barely remember the periodic table of elements from junior school. It came down to the complexity of our genetic makeup. We were as simple and primitive as the insects here.

With that thought I turned away from the window returned to my own pod to sort some my belongings. It was 36 hours since landing, most of which was spent in meetings and post space-hibernation medical examinations. Now I had the chance to organize my pod and prepare my gear for the next day’s excursion. I fiddled with my ray gun, setting it to parastun for the safety of the crew while ensuring that the native life remained free from lethal harm. Next my utility belt and chameleon gravity boots equipped with a layer of super impact absorbent shocks that would protect my legs and ankles from a 10 metre fall despite the fact that the gravity here was twice as strong as Earth’s. Something about the density of Tegra 7’s core, I remembered one of the scientists saying during the briefing. My fingers tightened over the heel to ensure that the gas chambers maintained adequate pressure. These boots had accompanied me to four different planets and nine different moons, each time adjusted in accordance with the varying atmospheres. They would perform just fine here as well.

Finally I grabbed a protein fluid capsule from the storage cabinet next to the door to wash down the first clear pill in my pack of one hundred. Ninety-nine later and I would be retired, an IEI Alumni. I raised the capsule towards the mirror, toasting myself and the journey at hand that would begin in the morning.

Reviews

[Kuandio]

Great stuff! I liked your prose right from the beginning; clear, concise, with rhythm. Throughout the entire piece there are very few wasted words, if any, and no needless description! What a relief!
I found the main intrigue, aside from this being outer space, is that this is the guy's last mission.
- when you say - "And with that Jennings quickly disappeared into her pod,..." - do you mean her room or a little spaceship that detaches?
- awesome description of the environment he is looking at.
- Only thing I think you could improve an ever so tiny bit would be to ease off of the explanations about so many things that the main character is giving. After a few paragraphs of this it starts to feel a little dense.
- Overall though, this is one of the best things I've read on the site. It was very refreshing to read it. I gave you a 95 rating

[Susan McCaskill]

To be perfectly honest, Sc-Fi is not my favourite genre. Having said that, this promises to be a riveting story. Do proof read, though! A word has been left out, and "not any" should be "none" I think once you have edited, it will be a good first chapter; keep it up!

[fwvalidus]

Yes I still have some editing to do for sure! I'm glad to have captured your interest

[K.T.S]

I'm really interested in learning what Williams plans to do once he/she retires. Though it works to say the character hasn't really given it much thought, the fact that they mention they are well paid to me indicates they have some idea of what they want to do in future, some goal or passion to move towards, which is why they've chosen this particular career.

[fwvalidus]

You'll find out that money isn't the reason he has chosen this career. I hope to develop his character quickly as I include more chapters on this site. I have actually put up the second chapter which I would love for you to take a look at as well. Thanks for stopping by and reviewing!

[Ashley Mangual]

I hope to read more of this in the future, because this caught my attention the moment I read the title. The Death Mist, to me, sounds like there are probably more effects it can do, but that could be a mystery behind it... I'd certainly want to know more in future reading! Nice job! :)

Also, this might be just me, but when you said "The pay cheques" did you mean pay "checks"? I could be wrong, but I don't know if it was a typo, or not.

[fwvalidus]

Wow thanks Ashley! What a great comment! There will definitely be more mystery throughout as a good adventure story should! I will let you know when I post more of the story :)

And pay cheques and pay checks seem to be interchangeable.. as far as I know... if I'm wrong don't hesitate to let me know. I appreciate all feedback.

[fwvalidus]

I have posted a second chapter, I hope you are able to enjoy it as well :)

[Ashley Mangual]

I'll get to reading! :D

[Susan McCaskill]

Canadians and Brits spell it "cheque"; Americans spell it "check"! Personally, as an editor, I deplore American spellings!