Across the border

By Phil Revok

From behind the windowpane, I admire once again the reason that led me to sacrifice my life as a common mortal to become a cosmonaut. That’s right, a cosmonaut, not simply an astronaut: to travel in exploration beyond our star, the Sun; to have for the first time ever, the opportunity to meet intelligent beings from other planets, other civilisations with whom to communicate and establish a dialogue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Youcanprint
• Release date: Mar 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9788891137852

Book preview

Augustine

I

THE MAGELLAN MISSION

From behind the windowpane, I admire once again the reason that led me to sacrifice my life as a common mortal to become a cosmonaut. That’s right, a cosmonaut, not simply an astronaut: to travel in exploration beyond our star, the Sun; to have for the first time ever, the opportunity to meet intelligent beings from other planets, other civilisations with whom to communicate and establish a dialogue. From my quarters, I can see the launch pad from where rockets put satellites into orbit. Although I work at the base, I often don't have time to watch the take-off, so I watch recordings from the digital archive. It's always a great thrill for someone who's focused their ambitions on deep space. The sound of a bell ringing brings me back to reality, and I realise that someone is at my door waiting to talk to me. I go to the door and press the button to open it: there's a man in military uniform who I've never seen here at the base before. I remember from my days at the academy that his insignia is that of a lieutenant.

He salutes me, and with a martial air, he hands me a sealed envelope saying, I am Lieutenant Thomas Telemann. I have brought you a message from the commission in charge of the Magellan mission: you have been selected three times by the central computer to take part in the experimental voyage with the rank of commander... Congratulations! And the best of luck in the mission.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

It didn’t surprise me; rumours had already been going round for a week, but not with me as mission commander! And why had an Air Force officer come to bring me the news?

The Lieutenant departed and I watched him move away down the partly lit hallway. He had left me holding a letter summoning me to the Commission of Interplanetary Travel; I had to appear before them at 16:00 that afternoon. So they had made me wait in my quarters all morning just to inform me officially that I was to take part in the interplanetary exploration mission! I thought of a few things to ask the Lieutenant about the afternoon’s meeting, but when I came out of my quarters, he was already far away and turning right down the corridor. Silence in the corridors is a law as universally respected as making sure your helmet is on tight before heading out for a space walk. But I think I see someone else coming out of the corridor from the left and following the Lieutenant down the corridor to the right... It's true; someone in a long black coat with the hood up was following the Lieutenant at a distance down the corridor, with absolutely none of the bobbing up and down typical of walking, but as if he were levitating just above the floor...

With a quick dash, I rush to where the corridors cross, and turn to look at the shadowy figure, but he's gone.

I can only see the Lieutenant in the distance turning down the next corridor to the left, and there are no open doors that are closing, only a lamp shining vertically down from the ceiling illuminating the central part of the corridor. It doesn’t work very well anymore; the bulb is probably about to blow, and sure enough, it soon goes out.

I go back to my quarters and connect by computer to the video-surveillance centre. I choose section B, staff quarters for the base, odd numbers, corridor seven, where my flat is: number B7-229. I select corridor nine, where I saw someone going after the Lieutenant. In the camera recording from five minutes ago, I can only see the Lieutenant moving away and a lamp in the corridor that starts to flicker, decreases in intensity and then goes out. There’s no point in talking to anyone about it: no one will believe me.

So I notify the maintenance department about the broken lamp...

* * *

In the mess, I am one of the last to be served. There is a small queue and I calmly take the tray and bowls. At the cash desk, they scan my magnetic card; from a distance I see a colleague who waves at me to come over to his table; it’s Ray, the one who came first