Star Gazing

Kala, a mutated human, lives on the remnants of Earth, wanting nothing more than to find the other humans. When opportunity reveals itself, is she brave enough?

Prologue

40th Century

The last 2.5 billion humans on Earth were desperate. They had no idea that their actions would end the world they so furiously tried to save. Carbon levels and global warming were at an all new high. Fossil fuels were no more and a series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes around the globe unleashed toxic gas into the air. The waste was indispensable and made up 23% of land mass. ' Clutter Cities ' were shanty towns made entirely of waste and mountains were formed from the litter of mankind. The Earth was reaching uninhabitable levels. The final remaining governments, China, the USA, Canada and Japan formed a coalition named the United International Ecosystem Crisis Organisation. The UIECO had one simple goal; To save mankind. To do this they combined the remaining workforce and started working on what was known as The Sentinel Initiation; a series of artificially intelligent robots, capable of building habitats across the globe for humans to live in. The major obstacle was an energy source. Fossil fuels had been wiped out, the thick green clouds had blocked most sunlight and wind was either still or radioactive. Artificial protein synthesis was the answer. Breaking down biomass and converting the amino acids into a form of energy; a breakthrough that could save them. The project started with amazing results: Toxic forests were broken down into energy, domes had begun construction and a ship capable of space travel was being devised as a last resort.

Everything was going to plan. Until it wasn't. A malfunction in the Sentinel Control Centre in Rio consequently lost control of the sentinels. Their coding began to delete and update without any means of control. Their main drive was to break down biomass and grow. The artificial intelligence was more advanced than expected. A sentinel developed the skills to download media and data, to rebuild itself, to repair, and to reproduce. Sentinels began building more of themselves and installing their own, faulty coding.

87% of forests were destroyed in the course of a month. Humans, mammals, plants, anything living was absorbed and in the space of four months, all living life on the surface was dead. The remaining 500,000 humans had been driven underground. A series of technological advances allowed humans to survive without natural oxygen. Artificial Respiratory Systems, ARS, meant the nitrogen rich air was breathable.

After 3 years of hiding underground and working on the last hope, the escape was ready. The last survivors boarded the spaceship in 4078 and fled the Earth, hoping to find other life forms in space or some form of a colony. Anything.

The Earth was abandoned. All that was left were the sentinels, any form of robotic life and an estimated 3000 humans.

Over time, these humans mutated and evolved. They were stronger, faster and were capable of handling the chemical-rich air. Their skin had developed a green tinge, the same colour as a leaf. However, the were still not safe. Sentinels hunted them to the brink of extinction. So they too had to hide. And so they did.

Chapter One

The Golden Arches

The earth was a desolate wasteland. Thick, murky green clouds covered the skies, any light capable of penetrating the layer came through pale green. The soil was toxic, water was poisoned and the air was deadly. But not for the Ashwari, the name given to mutated ancestors of the humans. Their way of life was simple. The Ashwari lived alone, or in clans. There was no monarch or government. Most were simple and primitive, lacking the skills to read or write.

A few miles from the river, between two great heaps or metal scrap, an ancient diner stood still, it's windows smashed and its walls cracked.

For young Kala, it's golden arches were a beacon. It was her home. Every morning at 6 am, she left and went in search of treasures. It was a long day.

As the sun set, Kala slipped through a hole in the wall and dumped her bag on the floor. Like an animal, she began rifling through her loot. Her eyes began to glow as she pulled out a silver circle. Kala darted to a table. A small turbine had been set up, with a handle connected. Taking a deep breath, she began to turn the handle rapidly, which thus turned the small turbine. Panting, she continued until a small blue light lit on the machine. A Cheshire smile appeared. Kala darted to a silver box and inserted the silver disk. After pressing a few buttons, she sat on a leather couch. At first, no sound. After nearly a minute of waiting, music began playing. The words ' all the single ladies ' began blurting out of the machine, causing Kala to jump out of her seat. She began twirling and dancing around the room. Around her, were her special treasures. In one corner she piled up more silver discs, titled ' Beyonce', ' Bruno Mars', words that meant nothing to her. All she knew was they contained beautiful music. She also found discs capable of videos. Her favourite was the disc titled ' Friends '. Kala had found these prizes in an old building, with the sign ' Thrift Store'. She had found many clothes around that area. Her boots, once orange, had been found neatly packed in a box titled Timberlands. They were her prized possession. They went perfectly with her thigh cut denim shorts and her white vest. Kala liked to wear her sandy blonde hair in a single braid down her back, a few loose strands at the front.

Every night, Kala listened to the last broadcast of the UIECO. Although it was hundreds of years ago, it made her feel connected. She had been born into a world left behind by these people. Kala felt like this was her only living connection. The disc clicked. The news reporter came on.

' Attention citizens of Earth. Our war with the sentinels is over. After meeting in the cabinet, chairmen voted to continue fighting or to evacuate. Head of State Leeza Dublin revealed the act of evacuation won by a majority of 3-1. All citizens are asked to make their way via the tube to sector 2. From here, you will board The Last Hope. Scientific research has arrived at the conclusion that there is a 100% chance there are intelligent life and colonisable planets. We shall start anew in distant stars. This has been sector 6 news. Goodnight and goodbye.'

The screen faded to darkness.

" KALA... ARE YOU WA... WA... watching those old world news report...port...port...ports again?"

The figure slowly entered through the same hole. It was humanoid in shape, however, entirely silver and reaching 7 foot. Parts of the body have torn away, revealing wires. The head was black and on the front a digital face.

Sighing, Kala grabbed her screwdriver and repaired one of its wires.

" Thank you, Kala. That was much appreciated. Have you completed your daily tasks? As a reminder-"

"Yes! Yes Mr Nice, I have. Thank you for the constant reminder."

Kala found Mr Nice in a nursery store, whose function was to educate and care for the children of working parents. Mr Nice carried out his role with Kala, raising her as his coding dictated.

" The weather outside is lovely, you should go play! Not a spot of rain, my lovely!"

" Yeaaah sure, I will just read my comics "

Kala was grateful for his guidance. He had taught her robotics, computing, mechanics, self-defence, English and mandarin, maths and so much more! He just did not understand. Mr Nice was not like the sentinels, he could not change his code and therefore could not adapt to the new world. Kala had powered him up about 7 years ago. His coding had not prepared him for this: caring for an 18-year-old Ashwari in the ruins of Earth. Mr Nice lived to care and educate. Kala lived to be free. Kala lived to fly.

Mr Nice prepared for the night. Methodically, it closed all the shutters on every window, turned off all machinery and began preparing Kala's bed.

"Come along young lady, it is time to sleep."

Rolling her eyes, Kala made her way to her mattress and ultimately collapsed into the blankets. As her eyes began to close, the room rattled. Then again. And again. Piles of loot began to topple, the shutters vibrated. Quickly, Kala scrambled to her feet. She was confused.

"Mr Nice? What is that? Mr Nice?!"

The ground rattled again. Mr Nice stood. The normally blue face turned into a green sonar. The blip echoed, turned red and changed into writing: 'Level 5 threat detected. Child welfare- endangered. Calling authorities.'

Kala found this useless and ran to the shutter, heaving it upwards. Slyly, she stuck her head outside; her heart stopped. Crawling through the heaps of rubbish was the devil itself.

The metal creature, resembling a spider, emitted a green laser across the landscape. Reaching the size of a 2 storey house, it had one large eye on its head. Wires poked out of the bulbous body and small turrets were inserted into its body.

Kala fell backwards into a pile of boxes.

"A sentinel... Mr Nice what do I do! It is making its way here! It is going to find me and... and-"

"Miss, calm down. Everything will be A-okay!" Mr Nice smiled and began preparing a cup of water for Kala. Anxiously, Kala scrambled to her feet. She knew she could not defeat the sentinel. She must escape. Mr Nice observed Kala darting around the room, grabbing her backpack. It was filled with food and bottled water. Suddenly she froze in her footsteps as the realisation she would have to leave everything behind. Years of work and collecting, all to lose.

Did she take Mr Nice? The sentinel would leave him alone, he had no biomass. Kala jumped onto him and hugged him, before darting out of the shutter.

The sentinel was half a mile away, scanning and searching for life to crush. It was a race against the clock. She turned and ran without any location in mind, leaving those golden arches behind her.

Chapter Two

The Eye

Frames of steel skyscrapers scattered the remnant city, some stood stall and others collapsed. Kala pushed on down the street, mustering all her strength. The sentinel was gone, she had escaped. According to a map, her current surroundings were the remains of Chicago. Surely, an appropriate home could be found here. Maybe another golden arch? Carefully, Kala analysed nearby buildings, searching for somewhere to stay. That one was too unstable, that one too tall. They were unsafe and that one had fallen down. As the sun began to set, so did fear. With limited resources and nowhere to stay, Kala knew she was vulnerable.

Night had set, and the air was still. The smell of a fire was drifting on the wind. It immediately peaked Kala's interest; it could be food. Maybe a group cooking food? They might share.

Kala stuck close to the building, tracking the scent. Slowly, her green head and sandy hair crept around the corner. A large metallic blue tower stood undamaged but dirty. The steel doors at the base had 5 stairs leading up. On the stairs, trinkets had been scattered, candles were lit and a pile of bodies was being burnt. In a line. 5 green men were knelt down, their palms and knees on the floor. Kala listened carefully to their chants.

"Draga zarcos, Zido, Draga zarcos, Zido!"

They chanted over and over again. Kala understood little, Zido meant eye? Or did it mean stone? Either way, she recognised a worshipping when she saw one. Different clans of Ashwari had different gods. Some believed the rays of sun to be holy, some the radioactive storms. But these worshipped... a door? Although they did look stupid, they looked healthy; they had food.

Slowly, with her hands raised, Kala stepped around the corner and began walking forward.

"Erm, excuse me? I'm just passing through... so yeah...I need some food, may I look around?"

A scramble occurred as they blew out their candles, grabbing their spears and facing Kala. About 6 foot, they were slightly muscular, dark green and wore rags around their waist. Exchanging glances, they spoke in a language Kala knew little of. Were they friendly, or were they dangerous?

"Alari Imerio? Druff paarslax mirggh cah?"

The central man spoke roughly and slowly, but put his spear down and took a single step forward. His hand outstretched, he smiled. They turned and began waddling down the street. Admittedly, Kala was fearful. However, hostile bands tend to attack immediately. An educated guess led to the conclusion these men were pretty simple. If need be, Kala could easily take them down and escape.

She followed, leaving a few meters between her and the group. Hopefully, they had food and a water distillery. Drinking clean water was not necessary, but it sure tasted better.

They arrived at a clearing in the street. This would have been roundabout. Small mucky tents were set up around the edges, with a large pointed tent in the centre. 16 in total, Kala counted. 16 Ashwari in the clan. A few women, more men. Children were playing together around the camp. Surely one of them spoke English. Two 7 foot, henchmen came to Kala's side and clutched her arms. At first, she tried to resist, but being only 5"7, when she was lifted off her feet, she realised they out powered her.

The group entered the large tent. Kala was propped on a cushion and the two left. Candles illuminated the room, but their smoke clouded the air.

Slowly, a small woman emerged and perched herself on a cushion in front. Her long grey hair touched the floor and her wrinkly green skin sagged on her face. She wore a brown rag dress and stared intently at Kala.

"Welcome. This tribe Numanji. I am elder. I am the power one."

Her voice was wispy and old, straining every letter. Around her neck, she wore bones, bird bones. On top of her head, she had fashioned a crown to show her power as the head of the tribe. It was made of pieces of metal tied together with wire.

"Hi... my name is Kala. A sentinel drove me out from my home, I just need some food, madam."

"Sen-sentinel?"

"You know, the giant metal beast?"

Kala gestured with her hands the enormity.

"You mean the shiny death bringer. Zido sent them. Zido sees all. Draga zarcos, Zido."

Her stiff hands touched her chest and her eyes closed for a brief second.

"We speak to Zido, Zido listens." The elderly lady's voice was gentle when speaking about this Zido. Who was he?

"Sorry, but who the hell is Zido? He sounds helpful, can I speak to him please?"

"Ahahaha, all can speak to Zido. Hahahaha, he gets mad sometimes. We give gifts!"

A chill went down Kala's spine. Zido may be another Ashwari, posing as some kind of God.

After tedious arguing, the elder was persuaded. Kala would be allowed to speak with Zido.

The elder, accompanied by the entire tribe, followed Kala carefully back to the shrine. Neatly, the Ashwari clan lined up in front of the set of stairs, with the elder in front of them. Hesitantly, she guided Kala to the top step and hobbled back to the queue.

"Mmh. a door. Do I just knock or?" Carefully, Kala analysed the surroundings until she spotted a small panel next to the door. Randomly, Kala typed four digits, triggering a loud siren. It rang once and flashed read, speaking in an automated voice,

"ACCESS DENIED!"

At first, she was surprised. That was until she realised this was Zido. a small chuckle escaped her lips as she realised the clan was worshipping an automated door. However, it had peaked her curiosity. How was the building still powered? Private generators? If that was the case, the building had to be important. There would be some seriously cool tech, Kala thought. If there was no technology to discover, it would make a great home. It was defended, powered! She could make clean water, cook food, watch movies!

Kala bust open the panel, immediately rewiring the circuit. Logic was running through her mind; the building would be running on low power reserves for the last god knows how many years. The defence system would have been shut down, this would be easy. A small click, as two wires fused together. The lights went green.

"ACCESS GRANTED. WELCOME TO UIECO RESEARCH FACILITY, CHICAGO! PLEASE REPORT TO THE MAIN CONTROL CENTRE! ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN CALLED TO A MEETING! YOU ARE LATE!"

Slowly and mechanically, the tall steel door began to slide upwards, air hissing outwards as it did so. The line of Ashwari was awe-struck and instantly fell to their hands and knees. At first, Kala felt sympathy. Not for long. The door to excitement had opened. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she tentatively entered the research facility.

Carefully, she made her way through the desolate, dark and cold corridors, struggling to see. The occasional light flickered, revealing steel walls.

Signs lit with small LED lights guided Kala to the control room. A large circular table was in the centre, with 10 seats all around. Slowly, she paced the outside until a sight she never wanted to see was before her as broad as daylight. In the large seat, a single skeleton sat slouched in the chair. Panic and dread filled Kala. She began breathing deep and heavy, bringing the courage to look.

After mentally preparing herself, she opened her eyes. The slouching skeleton wore a white polo, a pearl necklace, a black skirt and the shoes had fallen off onto the floor. On the wrist, however, was a square watch. A thin white band and paper thin black square. Tech, Kala smiled intently. Carefully, with her eyes closed, she took the watch from the body and took a step back. Hesitating, she tapped the screen. It illuminated with a horizontal orange line, emitted a laser onto Kala and revealed there was ' 0% match ' in orange letters. Kala thought long and hard, before coming to a conclusion. She held the watch in front of the skeleton, tapped the screen and watched the laser scan the skull. A bar appeared on the screen and began slowly filling with a blue colour. It stopped around ¾ of the way.

' 100% Match. Welcome, Doctor Leeza Dublin. '

The screen unlocked, revealing a horizontal blue line.

"Doctor Dublin, welcome back. You have five hundred and seventy-two voice messages in your inbox. Would you like me to play them?" As the device spoke in it's soft, feminine and robotic voice, the line wobbled.

Quietly, Kala gasped. It was the Leeza Dublin, chairperson of the UIECO. Sadness overwhelmed Kala as the realisation that Leeza never left Earth, she died alone in this room.

"Doctor?"

"Erm yeah, play the erm voice mails."

Hundreds and hundreds of voices filled the room immediately, sending Kala cold. Pleas, cries, screams and begs filled her head. People begging to be allowed on board, for their children or their wives and husbands, for a chance. Kala fell to the floor, tears filling her eyes as people begged Leeza for their life. Voices died out, one after the other. Until one final message continued. A woman.

"Doctor, please, please! They are coming, your f*****g sentinels are coming! You made the, you killed us all! And now you are leaving us? What the hell! Listen, I have a baby, a girl, okay she is only 7. Just take her yeah? Let her board The Last Hope, let her leave this rock! F**k, I can't let her die that way okay? If they come, hell I will have to end it for her. Jason, let go, what? Are they here? F**k, get the bag! Sweetie, it is okay, listen to mommy yeah, it is all gonna..." The message ended. She wiped the tears and got to her feet, staring at Leeza's skeleton. Her finger traced the hole on the side of her skull. It seems, after everything, she ended it all. Was the stress too much? Or was it guilt? Guilt that she had created a beast so unstoppable it wiped out the population. Wasn't her escape for the survivors a redeeming achievement? Or had the blood stained her hands. But surely this was not a fitting death for the chairperson. She saved what she could, she tried. Playing God for the entire human race obviously had its strains.

"Doctor, The Last Hope successfully left the Earth's atmosphere 609 years ago. We received transmissions until the evac zone, outside the orbit of Jupiter. It is assumed, as planned, The Last Hope entered lightspeed 612 years ago. Transmissions ended as the ship left the milky way. It is unknown whether the vessel reached a location. The whereabouts of the survivors is also an unknown. Your shuttle is waiting for you at the Springfield facility."

"Wait, there is a shuttle? It can take me to the humans?!"

Excitement filled Kala, her dream. She could finally meet them.

"Yes Doctor, that was the original plan."

"Wait, the shuttle has power? How?"

"Using sentinel technology, a similar device was made. Your shuttle is powered by the biomass of Brazilian tropics."

"Yeah of course, of course. How do I exactly get to... Springfield?"

"All the American facilities are connected via the light tube system. It will take approximately 1 hours via the magnetic railway Doctor. The station is located on floor minus 5. Have a good day, the weather is 98 degrees. Enjoy."

Following the signs, Kala made her way to an elevator, which took her to floor minus five. There was a single tram, long, white and slick. The door lifted upwards and she casually entered.

"This is... insane."

The girl was awe-struck. An entire infrastructure with AI and even electricity. She had small hope for the shuttle working, but getting there was worth a try.

"Erm I do not know how this works, but it seems voice automated. So, take me to the Springfield facility?"

"Yes, Doctor. At Once. And as for your lack of understanding, I am CAI. Your cybernetic artificial intelligence. I have the ability to hack nearby software at the sound of your voice."

Exhausted, Kala sat in the soft, white, plush seat of the tram, alone. The soft thrum sounded at the back, a buzz spread throughout and they were off. Although the speed could not be felt, a screen of the USA showed just how fast she was moving. Kala did not know how to feel. Was she going to find the humans? Would she leave this place like they did? So many questions, not enough answers. Kala questioned herself, was she willing to go the distance?

Chapter Three

A message from beyond

" You have arrived at your destination. Welcome to the Springfield facility. "

To Kala, the building was exactly the same as Chicago. Metallic and clean. Once again, Kala found herself following the signs to the shuttle, each corridor identical to the next.

After travelling through countless doors and rooms, she arrived at the entrance to the hangar. A large space previously used to store vehicles. Tunnels around the hangar led to various locations, however, it was the tunnel above them she was interested in. At the moment it was covered by a metal plank, but Kala knew it was her way out of here. To one side, was the only vehicle in the room; the shuttle. Long and thin, the shuttle resembled a jet. Like a child, Kala ran towards the shuttle, which was propped several meters in the air by metal poles.

"Hey, how do I erm, get up?"

"Your shuttle, the Freelancer is currently being powered up. The Freelancer consists of three compartments. The cockpit, the lounge and storage. The autopilot will be available. There are a few things you need to know. The journey to the other ships will take approximately 400 years. You will be awake until we leave Earth's orbit. From there, you shall be entered into a coma and frozen. I will be in full control. You will not age or release time has passed. For you, it will be like a 5-minute nap, even though it is around 400 years. Before we board, a message was left in your shuttle's systems from a Commander Zackary. Begin transmission?"

It felt like a stone was wedged in Kala's throat. Frozen for 400 years, in the hands of a computer. What if something went wrong? She could be frozen forever. A hundred variables were running through her mind, but they all came down to one alternative. Turn back, go home. Forget everything she had heard. Could she live amongst trash when she had a way to leave? Hissing disturbed her thoughts as the door of the jet opened, letting down a set of white stairs, positioning themselves at her feet. Carefully, one foot found its way to the bottom step. Then another, all the way to the top. A deep breath as she took the first step inside. Stood in the lounge, there was a pale blue carpet throughout, clean ivory walls, a few sofas positioned around the room. The storage room was cold and grey, containing a few storage crates and a machine. The cryo machine. A metal circle on the floor with many wires connected to it, on top another metal circle. Quickly, Kala backed out and made her way to the cockpit. Two seats positioned in an array of buttons, levers and controls. She sat down, slumped on the red chair.

"Ready for the transmission?"

"Yeah, go ahead and play the message already."

A whir sounded from the console in front of her, a click and then the message over the speaker.

"Leeza, holy s**t. We made it. We are, where are we? Right, we are currently orbiting Mars. We had to turn back, the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter was too strong. We lost a shuttle, supplies and food, stuff like that. We will be fine I guess. We will wait here a few weeks, then try again. We have erm 500,000 people in cryosleep, around 7000 workers on The Last Hope and a few thousand spread between the companion shuttles caring for supplies etc. Once we pass the asteroid belt and make it to Jupiter it is free flying. The rest of us enter cryo-sleep and enter dark space for a few hundred years, then bob's your uncle. 400 years later we all wake up in a new galaxy wahey. You won't be too far behind right? Not long at all right? Won't even realise that yanno 400 years passed hahaha. Erm, I love you Leeza. I will see you soon, okay. Bye babe."

Poor man, she thought. His wife killed herself.

"So Cai. If The Last Hope entered dark space 612 years ago, it takes 400 years to get to the new galaxy, that means the humans have been awake for 212 years. Jeez. By the time I get there, another 400 years, that will be 612 years they have been living there. Cai, I am ready. Tell me what to do."

Any hesitance had been removed, Kala was ready to go.

As instructed, she pressed the appropriate buttons, pulled the necessary levers and attached the required wires. With her seat belt fastened, Kala initiated take off. Slowly, the shuttle rotated until the nose was facing upwards. Although Kala felt little of the movement, facing the ceiling gave it away. She breathed deep and hard, holding the arms of the chair as if someone was trying to take them. A violent shudder forced a squeal from Kala, then a scream as the shuttle rocketed towards the ceiling. It seemed as if they were going to pummel into the surface, that was until a circular entrance opened to a dark tunnel. Further and further the flew, her body being pressed against the chair. Light pierced her soft blue eyes as the Freelancer emerged. Over decaying cities and heaps of junk, it flew with a single passenger. The view was astounding, rendering Kala speechless. Elaborate steel frames reaching the impossible heights Kala was now surpassing.

The Freelancer violently pushed into the thick layer of swampy green clouds. Kala was engulfed by darkness. Violent lightning strikes began attacking the shuttle, sending shakes throughout the vessel. Fear and dread filled Kala.

“Shields operating at 87%. Sulphur dioxide and frequent electrical discharge are damaging the shielding. 46% is the danger zone. Please hold tight.”

As Kala attempted to speak, she found herself too frightened to even move. As the Freelancer jolted side to side, continuing its ascent upwards through the atmosphere with its shielding continuing to drop, she ran scenarios through her mind. What could happen? They could explode, crash, crash and then explode, be ripped apart, be boiled by the toxic gasses. All extremely painful and bloody. Strong and extensive, the layer of clouds filled the entire atmosphere. As the Freelancer pushed through the final layer, emerging into space, a powerful streak of lightning laid waste to the rear of the ship. Like a viper, it emerged with the ship from the clouds and struck the side. Abruptly, red lights began flashing.

“A hole has been created in the lounge. Air pressure dropping. Please remain seated, repairs are automatically beginning.”

As the shuttle flew in space from the green Earth, the door behind Kala began to creak as air hissed. Kala had seen films where a hole in a rocket would suck everything out. Was this happening now? Another low creak from the cockpit door, followed by a blood-chilling screech as it was ripped from its hinges. Her heart dropped as she felt the chair lean backwards. With all her strength she held onto the joystick in front of her. As her hands got their grip, her chair was suddenly ripped from under her. Air hissed, and the sound of metal groaning filled the ship. Kala’s body was now horizontal, her body being pulled. But she refused to loosen her grip on the joystick: her life depended on it.

“Two Minutes until the breach is repaired. Please stand by.”

F**k, Kala thought. F**k. Fire spread through her muscles. They ached immensely. A scream barely audible over the sound of air emerged from her as her hands slipped, flying backwards. Desperately, she clasped the frame of the absent door, half her body still in the cockpit, her legs dangling in the lounge. The pain was unbearable. It burnt, air pulling her flesh. As the air was being sucked from the tin coffin, Kala's hair, skin and clothes were being battered. The metal door frame dug into her stomach as she tried to pull herself back into the cockpit. She felt like she was swimming upstream, one wrong move and she would be ripped backwards. That was just what she did. Like a rag doll, she flew from the cockpit. She grabbed a chair, another chair, slipping from each until she finally met the table. All her remaining strength went into holding on. About four meters in length, the crater on the side of the ship was tearing the inside to pieces. Anything that was not glued down was gone, chairs and tables joined to the floor were coming loose. Although Kala did not solely rely on oxygen, she still relied on air, something there was little of.

“30 seconds. Please standby.”

“I AM STANDING BY. WAIT NO, I AM FLYING!”

She had made it this far, she was not going to die this way. Or so she believed, as her final ounce of strength was lost. Like a dolphin in reverse, she flew backwards, hands outstretched, an inaudible shout for help. Buzz, an electric field covered the hole, like a blue net. Her back collided with the force field, she slid down and thumped onto the floor. With her hair down her face, she slowly and painfully crawled to the nearest chair and sat in the fetal position. Tears streamed down her face.

“Damage Assessment. Oxygen reserves down to 20%. Electrical storage down to 67%. Extensive damage to mains console and lounge. Doctor, the Freelancer can not sustain the trip with life aboard. The only solution is to enter cryosleep immediately and divert all power to the engine systems and navigation. Please proceed to the storage room.”

Carefully, avoiding the metal debris, Kala made her way to the storage room where the circular platform was waiting. One foot, then the other. Attempting to remain calm, she breathed slowly.

“You will be frozen, Doctor. When you thaw, your body will be exactly the same as it is now, as if you have been frozen in time.”

All she achieved was a nod. A glass casing rose swiftly. Almost instantly, the contents of the tube turned to ice. The glass was frosty, Kala was barely visible.

As Kala blacked out, so did the Freelancer as it began its journey across the universe, its destination unknown. With the extensive damage and low power, there was no guarantee the Freelancer, Cai and Kala would make it.

Chapter Four

Payday

“Danek, Hey! Did you eat my last energy bar? Danek i’m talking to you!”

“Teega, stop shouting! My head is banging, alright, jeez. I didn’t eat your stinking bars alright. Go and ask Garl, the fat piece of slime will eat anything, even those.”

Teega, like a desperate animal, trifled through the cupboards in a futile search for her energy bars. Once the feeling of hopelessness set in, she pulled herself out of the cupboard and stood upright, hands on hips, reaching 5 foot 9. Her skin was porcelain white, her lips a soft shade of red and her eyes a gentle brown. Puzzled, she itched her bald head, looking around the small metallic kitchen. She could have sworn they had a crate of energy bars left. Wisely, Teega always wore her armour, unless she was sleeping. It was burgundy, with splotches of paint on the chest and arms. She was slim, and wore slim armour to accommodate. Danek bobbed under the door frame, leaning against the tall fridge, smirking at Teega. He reached 6 foot 6, and was covered in mud green scales. Through his green lizard eyes, he watched Teega’s frustration. Danek was a bulky man,spending the majority of his spare time in the small gym. Being the self absorbed creature he was, Danek refused to wear a shirt when not necessary, which to him was most of the time. Swiftly, Teega kicked him in the stomach, knowing full well he had eaten her food.

“Dude! Those are mine! You are so gonna regret touching my staff!”

Childlike, they brawled; Teega taking nimble and educated hits and dodges whereas Danek charged and swung. Plates and cups fell as the made through the kitchen like a hurricane, until they were interrupted by a low gurgling voice,

“Teega, Danek, get in here you two, we got something on the radar.”

Immediately, they stopped and made their way through the interior of the ship, finally emerging into the cockpit, littered with bottles and wrappers. In the captain's seat, sat Garl. Although he was human in shape, his translucent, slimy blue skin set him apart. Teega and Danek stood behind him, analysing the scanner in front of the trio. A single blip on the energy chart could be seen.

“Get us some light Garl, let us see what is out there?” Teega enquired, hoping finally they found something of worth. As his arm moved, the squelching and prodding sounded wet. Garl pressed a few buttons, finally activating the lights. Drifting in front of them was the wreckage of no ship they had seen before. The vessel had been torn in two, held together by a few wires.

“Holy s**t, what happened to it? And what is it?” Danek’s voice was rough and slightly australian.

Gurgling, Garl told them that the ship was not registered in the database, but must have something of worth. Teega suited up, putting her space helmet on, connecting her cable to the ship and ejecting herself into space. Garl remained in the cockpit while Danek stood by the exit with a helmet of his own, ready to reel her in. The helmets were metallic around, with a screen of transparent material on the front.

Gracefully, Teega drifted towards the wreckage, Danek loosening the wire as she went.

“Aaand touchdown. I’m on the ship Garl. It’s a mess. It’s been through hell and back. The cockpit has been ripped apart, well hey, everything has been. I am heading towards the energy source, nothing but scrap so far. Hey, i got something, pinging vaguely on the energy meter. What is this? It’s a big cylinder, looks frozen inside. What the… i don’t believe it… there’s someone in here! I don’t know if they’re dead or alive. Danek, my gloves have connected to it, pull me in!”

Danek began frantically pulling the wire in until Teega and the ice coffin were inside. Teega threw her helmet aside, panting, and rolled the cylinder to a large empty room. The trio stood around the mysterious object, until Danek effortlessly put it upright. Vaguely, the faint silhouette of a body, suspended in ice could be seen. Teega paced around it, eventually asking,

“Garl, what is it? Does it come in the database?”

“Nah, it’s unregistered. Nothing we have ever seen before, nothing anyone has seen before. ZBo get in here, we need you to check this.”

A small creature passed through the door, a cat made of metal. Slowly, it’s glowing blue eyes analysed the object in the room.

It beeped and booped as it strut, casually, until it reached a small panel. A few buttons and plug holes were available. Quickly, a single wire jettisoned from it’s back and into the plug socket.

With a whir and a violent hiss, the glass slid down, letting the body fall the floor, thudding as it did so. They waited for the smoke to clear. Danek, Garl and Teega simultaneously gasped. Lifelessly, it laid there, a species of unknown origin. No movement, no breathing.

“Garl, is it dead?”

Teega asked cautiously, keeping her distance. Whatever was in front of her, it was something new. Garl prodded it a few times, rolled it on it’s front, which revealed it was a her.

“NO!”

Almost instantly, the corpse reanimated, desperate for air, panting and deeply inhaling. Teega pulled out a pistol, Danek his fists and Garl a knife. The body curled over, clutching it’s stomach, screaming. It was chilling. No one knew how to respond, that was, until she passed out.

After thirteen hours of sleeping, the new passenger woke up to see Teega sat on a nearby seat, a pistol aimed right at her. Teega spoke firmly.

“No sudden moves. Tell me your name.”

“My… my name is… Kala. I made it.”