Rift

By Elaine Waldron

After traveling through an anomalous funnel cloud, Captain John W. York of the Space Exploration Federation and his assistant, Edna, a very beautiful and sophisticated android, a creation of Captain York's friend, Doctor Reuben, have landed on an alien world in a planetary system previously unexplored by anyone from Earth. They leave their craft near a large crater that dwarfs Arizona's Meteor Crater, and it is here that they have chosen to explore, intending to stay only a few days, as they are on a ten year mission and have many more worlds to discover. Barely have they set out when Edna begins exhibiting some questionable behavior for what Captain York would expect from his android. He hopes she is not malfunctioning, for his very life depends on her. She is his crew, his pilot, and his only ticket back home. He cannot operate his ship without her.
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Elaine Waldron
• Release date: Feb 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458199850

Elaine Waldron

Elaine Waldron began her career as a novelist with Publish America, publishing her first two books with them. Aside from her novels, she has had numerous short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, such as Amazing Journeys and Trail of Indiscretion, winning best story based on cover art for issue #4. She was a newspaper journalist earlier on in her career, but shortly after leaving the newspaper, she began selling her short stories.Her favorite authors are: L.J. Smith, Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer, Jack Engelhard, and John W. Cassell. She enjoys Shakespeare and her favorite poet is Rainer Maria Rilke, and she mostly reads and listens to his works in German.She is an advocate for preserving our planet, believes in God, and recycles. Loves animals and has two cats.

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Rift

Elaine Waldron

Copyright 2010 by Sandra Elaine Waldron

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Prologue:

Miila Slew, an attractive female of slender build, yellow-green skin and long-flowing, auburn hair, stood on the crest of a high mesa, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, relishing the view across the vast expanse into the horizon where vivid pinks, rusty reds and streaks of maroon laced through the thin, lofty clouds where their golden sun was setting. Off to her right, were the two moons that adorned their sky. One was oblong and twice the size of its sister moon, being about a fourth the size of their world, which was the fifth planet in a solar system of twelve. The moon to the left was more round and half the size and mass.

Across the deep chasm beneath her on the far side was another precipice. Standing on that red-ochre crest facing her was the male that she so eagerly wanted to spend the rest of her life with and bear his offspring. His name was Niptoe Cassack. He was tall, lanky and had wonderfully dark eyes that she could so easily lose herself in. He waved enthusiastically and she waved back, wishing more than usual that they could be together this night. Only, she was uneasy. Had been all day.

For there were rumors, rumors that something was wrong with their planet, the world that they referred to as Katvokia.

"Tonight!" Niptoe shouted in their native tongue.

"I do hope so! She shouted as loud as she could, hoping not to strain her vocal chords, as she had once, leaving her without a voice for three full passes of their sun. She’d learned then to be careful with how much force she used when yelling. She glanced back at her home of glass exterior, perched up high on this flat mountain ridge, as most dwellings were on Katvokia, where the golden yellow of their sun reflected so brightly this late in the day that it was sheer blinding. Her gaze went to the flat, rusty-red, tiled roof where her mother often stood to look for her. She wondered if her mother had missed her yet. She turned back around, yelling again, But my mother says the elders have given strict orders for everyone to remain at home...Only they won’t say why exactly... just that we might have some bad storms coming. I know my father is in on to whatever it is! I have no doubts that yours in on it too, since they’re both science elders. My father’s not saying anything! Yet – Something’s not right!"

Though she was screaming what she felt was as loud as she dared and still observe some restraint, she was still concerned that he might not hear, and the echoes across the canyons didn’t exactly help. Also, a giant Tackbar bird with it plumage of purple and yellow was cawing loudly overhead. This particular one was Ocea, her pet. She had brought him out for his exercise, just in case her mother did miss her, hoping to use her bird as an excuse for leaving the safety of their home, should the occasion for an explanation arrive.

The large bird gracefully swooped down and landed on her outwardly-held wrist. He flapped his large wings and then settled down, cocking his regal head and looking at her keenly with one yellow, elliptical eye facing her. Good boy, Ocea! she said. Good boy!

Niptoe had heard her. Hands cupped at each side of his mouth, he called back, From what I understand the storm or storms, not sure which, has something to do with the magnetic field! According to my father and Borak, they seem to think they will have it under control before the sun rises again!

No sooner than he said it, a luminous wave of chartreuse light, accompanied by dancing lightning, rippled ostentatiously across the zenith almost blinding them and leaving in its wake echoes of crackling thunder.

The sudden burst of light and breaking thunder not only startled Miila but her pet as well. Ocea immediately began to shudder. She gasped, as she stroked her bird’s back attempting to calm him, then apprehensively yelled back, What was that?

Niptoe didn’t speak for a full minute, temporarily dumbfounded. He just stood there leering up, studying the sky as another massive wave, accompanied by the strange lightning and thunder, crossed over their heads. After it passed, he answered, but not sounding all that convincing, Don’t believe it’s anything to be concerned about, Miila. I truly believe that it is the same phenomenon that beautifies the night sky at our poles.

If she noticed his uncertainty, it didn’t show. I thought that was what it might be...Only I didn’t know there was lightning and thunder with it. And why is it happening here?

Not addressing the issue of the thunder and lightning, he waved his hand as though trying to assure her it wasn’t anything to alarm herself about. Whatever it is, I am sure it will straighten out soon...Borak knows what he’s doing!

"Borak knows what he’s doing!" were the words that would resonate in her memory for many years to come. For that very night there world as they knew it ceased to exist! And they found themselves suddenly thrust into an unknown world that physically resembled theirs, but they knew little about, and it was totally alien to their comfortable way of life: no technology other than what little of theirs that had been propelled through with them – whatever it was they went through. That wasn’t all – Their bodies had changed! Markedly! And there were no more birds or animals or vegetation of any kind from their home world, other than what they believed to possibly be a strange mutation of one of their own plants, a green, vine-like vegetation with tiny leaves that scuttled along the ground, and appeared to eat the minerals from the soil.

And then there were the weird, bluish, giant mushroom trees that lasted no longer than a night, rising out of the ground to several meters high at sun setting and then blackening, curling upon themselves and shriveling away at the light of dawn.

Her beloved Ocea was gone! She had had him since she was old enough to walk. He’d been just a young chick when her father had given him to her for her first birthday. And she had actually taken her first steps that day upon beholding her gift! The young bird had cocked his head slightly as though in approval of his young mistress, chirped loudly, and then had hopped right out of the small cage her father had brought him home in, and on over to where she stood in the middle of the front quarter floor. It had been love at first sight.

Even in her young adulthood, Miila and Ocea were almost constant companions, except when she was working with her father in the lab or studying her physics and math, and even then he wasn’t too far away, sitting on his high perch that was shoulder-length to her, beside her desk, patiently waiting for her to finish her studies. It was needless to say that she had been devastated in knowing she would never sport him on her shoulder again or see him soar high overhead amongst the low-lying clouds. She cried as hard over losing him, maybe even more so, than losing the rest of their entire world.

One:

Captain John W. York eagerly peered out the window of his helmet that was attached to his pristine white spacesuit, which bore a patch of the American flag on each shoulder. He feasted his eyes on the brilliant celestial array. Breathtaking! he exclaimed in awe. On this rusty-red planet that so much resembled Mars in his home galaxy, and away from any rudiments of civilization, the stars were so vivid, it was damn near indescribable. It almost took his thoughts away from the strange cloud-like funnel they had found themselves hurtling through just as they were making their approach to the rusty-red planet.

At first, the bizarre chartreuse cloud had not been visible at all, and there had been no readouts giving any clues of anything different going on. Then it was suddenly there, along with countless more – some violet and some a luminous, bright green – appearing out of seemingly nowhere. Before they could make any adjustments to their instruments for their advance, they found themselves hurtling through the highly charged cloud, with lighting snapping all about their ship, and he suffering from a strong nausea from which he almost upchucked all his rations of late.

However, once they made it through, all appeared normal, and still not even a hint on their instrument panel as to what the sudden anomaly had been, although some of the strange funnel clouds were still visible, whipping around in zigzag patterns up high overhead.

Since they had been so close to landing, they just continued on course and settled down safely on a reasonably flat terrain amidst all the rock formations, mesas and mountains, and by a nearby crater that greatly dwarfed Meteor Crater back home in Arizona.

Since no harm had been rendered to them or their ship, he just shrugged it off as one of those things you simply cannot explain, but his pilot had been certain they’d gone through some kind of never-before-encountered black hole or weird time-warp. Only their instruments – after going crazy while they were passing through the funnel – showed no differences in their dates or clocks afterwards. He was beginning to seriously wonder if their instruments were functioning properly, even though his pilot adamantly insisted that they were

He took a few moments just to let the multitude of bright orbs and sparkling distant specks above sink in, but what was equally if not more stunning was the colorful luminous greens, blues and reds of the aurora that passed over every minute or so, similar to the ones back on Earth near the polar regions, only this was accompanied by weird lightning and echoing thunder, which brought to mind stories his father used to tell of angels bowling during electrical storms. This really did have the sound of distant giant pins flying. But why was there this aurora at all? They weren’t anywhere close to the polar regions of this strange planet. Spectacular!

How was this happening? And though this strange world could pass for a twin of Mars, it had a very strong magnetic field which Mars did not.

It had been his almost obsessive fascination with the stars, his deep love of space – despite his mothers efforts to dissuade him (she wanted him to be a doctor) – that had brought him here, after many, many years, to this very-far-away-from-home and totally alien world. He was an only child, and his father basically gave him anything within their monetary means that he could. John had been just a little spoiled, according to his mother.

As a small but very curious boy back in Fontana, California, he had often borrowed his dad’s telescope and peered up at the moon or Mars or Jupiter for hours at a time, until his mother would practically have to drag him inside by the collar of his pajamas to get him to bed. Then he’d lay there for another hour or so – his bed was conveniently by a window – and dream of exploring those beckoning worlds. Were there humanoids out there? Or were there those mysterious gray aliens with huge black eyes that had been the talk of people for centuries? Were there any kinds of life-forms at all? He felt he had the answer to that question. In his mind, the only one to him that could be was a resounding – yes!

Now, here he was some twenty-five years or so later, the first man to ever leave the confines of Earth’s planetary neighbors and step foot on an unheard of alien world in a new and unexplored solar system. Only, he wasn’t totally alone. Edna was with him. He turned and glanced back at the bronze saucer fashioned ship with some expectation. His android companion should be showing her lovely face anytime.

Sure enough, just as he was about to check in with her, a round portal suddenly appeared and opened about midsection of the ship, and then a silver ramp slid down with ease and Edna’s impressive tall and sleek frame appeared at the top.

By all outward appearances, Edna was human: Her skin had a warm glow, soft and pleasing to the eyes. Her creator, Professor William Reuben, who worked for NASA back in Houston, Texas, who was also better known as Doctor Reuben or simply Bill to Edna and Captain York. (He did not like being called professor, and never fully explained why to anyone.) He just simply stated that he preferred to be either Bill or Doctor Reuben. The scientist was a strange but brilliant man with white hair that comically stood out at his temples, reminding one of a bird’s wings. And he was constantly whistling Dixie, much to the annoyance of many.

However, he was tolerated the minor irritation because of his brilliance and obvious contribution to science, space exploration, and the SEF – He was their most distinguished scientist.

Doctor Reuben had chosen to give Edna a dark olive complexion with large limpid blue eyes and flaxen hair for contrast. The results were striking to say the least. John wasn’t entirely sure if he’d ever seen a real Earth woman so beautiful. Only, he argued with himself, that there had to be. He was just very lonely and very far away from home, which made his not-quite-human companion appear more stunning than ever.

Why John had not been joined by a real, flesh-and-blood female? He wasn’t entirely sure. But he suspected that it was because the SEF (Space Exploration Federation) did not want any complications with such an important and historic but very long journey.

By sending a very attractive android who could comply with all his needs – intelligent conversation, untiring in assisting in duties, educated in all the systems and mechanics of the spacecraft and even – sex – there would be no problems with any feelings or rather emotions a biological woman might develop, thus complicating the mission. He had to chuckle as the graceful android descended the ramp. The SEF had overlooked one thing. He was human! And though he’d told himself time and time again through their long voyage together, especially in the weeks prior to going into the necessary deep-space hibernation for over a year, that Edna was not human, he realized that he had, indeed, developed what some might classify as real feelings for her.

To him, she was a living, breathing, human by all his senses, for they had given her the realistic feature of appearing to respire, but it wasn’t just for looks; it served as an added method – aside from internal safety switches that would shut down unneeded programs to minimal capacity when overheating was imminent – of cooling and maintaining safe temperatures for her delicate systems, greatly decreasing the chances that she might overheat and burn up her circuits when under great stress.

She could even bleed a dark red fluid that looked just like human blood if cut! Only the loss of the fluid wouldn’t kill her, but it would weaken her somewhat until her body had had a chance to rebuild its count of very unique blood cells that were somehow infused with nanobites. He didn’t quite understand the scientific explanations for how all of her systems worked, and figured he never would, but she did function – and function she did, very well. Chauvinistic morons, he muttered quietly inside his helmet.

However, he did realize that the lovely creature approaching him did not love him. She couldn’t, for she was simply a machine, albeit a very sophisticated and beautiful one.

She merely played the part of a loving and attentive woman, when not performing her other duties. A smile framed his lips then. He knew full well that not too many human females could be as acrobatically pliable as she. He supposed that there might be some, but they would have to be in extraordinarily good shape. He realized that if and when they ever did return to Earth (something he was beginning to doubt, not really sure why, just a deep-gut feeling he had), he would want to keep her as his companion, even though he sometimes dreamed of having a family of his own. That she could not provide.

He could adopt, though. With her programming, she could become just as equally an impressive mother as she could a lover, but there was the question of it being really fair to any future children. Would or could the fact that she wasn’t a real human be harmful to them? Even if her programmed love seemed genuine from all outward appearances, would the children sense the difference? And should they be told? She wouldn’t age. Any children would eventually notice that. All considerations were something he’d have to seriously take into account, even if he could get such a marriage okayed, but getting the SEF to agree to it would be highly improbable and next to impossible.

He sighed as she approached him with long smooth strides, smiling warmly. No space suit for her. Though she could breathe – that cooling mechanism – she didn’t have to if the temperatures weren’t extreme. She just wore a white, perfectly fit, one piece suit that cut off at the knees, and equally white hip boots built for exploring rugged terrain, even mountain climbing. And there appeared to be plenty of mountains and rocks around.

Ready? she inquired with a demure smile, though there was nothing modest about her.

Smiling back, he replied, And then some.

She noted that he’d been looking up at the heavens, and he expressed his wonder at the brilliant but somewhat noisy aurora. She explained that the aurora had to do with the planet’s magnetic field meeting up with this star system’s solar flares, but she didn’t have sufficient data, as yet, as to why this phenomenon was occurring so far from the poles. In fact, according to their instruments on the ship, it appeared the phenomenon was happening around the entire planet. As far as the pealing thunder and lightning that was with it, she didn’t have full data on as yet. However, she felt certain it was relative to the snapping sounds of highly charged electricity, only on a very grand scale. In this case, it was a more thunderous timbre. He thanked her for the information and expressed his desire to eventually learn more about this occurrence when she did have sufficient data.

At Edna’s suggestion, they were going to explore the giant crater that was twice the size of Arizona’s Meteor Crater. He grasped hold of the hook she handed over that was attached to an aluminum cable which was secured to her belt. He quickly fastened it to his, as he was to descend ahead of her just in case anything went wrong, as she was the strongest by far, and would be able to pull him up with more than relative ease should he slip.

The ground was an orange-red (he was sure it was full of iron like Mars), and the entire terrain a rugged desert, no remotely familiar vegetation in sight. There were deep grooves, rifts and ravines, among steep slopes, salted with loose gravel and sand, making any descent dangerously slippery in most areas.

About a third of the way down, John stopped to rest a moment, looking up at that beautiful smiling face at the top of the ridge.

She gave him a quick nod, letting him know that she had him covered. He took a deep breath and then continued down, jump-skipping as much as he could, cautiously not wanting to get too much momentum going. There was a plateau about halfway down. He stopped there and waited for her to descend. He expected her to make the drop in several bounds, but to his amazement, she jumped once, alighting like a graceful white bird, knees bent, and then springing up to a stand. He just stood there, mouth agape, while she smirked. (She wasn’t supposed to do that, was she?) He shook his head. I’ll be dipped in shit! You never cease to amaze me.

I will take that as a compliment, sir, she replied. Now, if you’re ready, we’re only halfway down. And it’s going to take us some time to cross that. She indicated with a long forefinger to the deep and wide valley that was the middle of the crater below.

Okay...Okay! He began his descent again, wondering why he couldn’t have been an android. This was damn hard work!

Three quarters of the way down the wall, he was exhausted again. He motioned to Edna on the ledge above that he needed to rest. With another graceful leap, she landed beside him and joined him in sitting on the somewhat smooth surface of the small ledge. He focused his eyes out on the horizon; the sun to this barren world was cresting. There was a thin atmosphere with some oxygen, but not a sufficient enough supply to keep a human going for more than a few minutes (at least that’s what he thought). He figured thirty at the max. It would be a slow and probably painful suffocation. But there was no reason for him to dwell on that. He didn’t plan on being here more than a few days – his suit could support him for a maximum of six – as there were several planets in this system that looked promising, possibly inhabitable.

This one had just taken his attention because it so strongly resembled Mars. He let out a hopeful sigh as he studied the brightening horizon, the sky becoming a wonderful butterscotch tint, also like Mars. There was going to be good daylight now, which would be a big aid in their exploration.

It had been night where they had landed, although it hadn’t been all that dark because of the radiance from the two moons and the aurora. It had been the location, outside of the crater, that offered the smoothest surface they could find, enabling them to land easily. Edna had suggested they land in the crater, but for reasons that he wasn’t even sure of – call it a gut-feeling – he decided to leave the ship above.

Are you ready? Edna asked after a bit. We’ve been here for twenty minutes. She stood, as though she had already made the decision to continue.

Already? Seems like we just got here. But...might as well, he replied, forcing himself to stand. Had it been twenty minutes? With a nod from her, he began his final descent. She