Ixodia Escape

By T.A. Sankar

The date is 435.027. Year 435, Day Twenty-Seven. The semester ends tomorrow, and a three-week break for all schools in the System begins.

Xander Villanova, his sister Jelina, and friends Mondeus and Arielle eagerly set off for a vacation to the vivid world of 2884. In their Pelican 2

• Language: English
• Publisher: AnewPress
• Release date: Dec 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781970109795

T.A. Sankar

T.A. Sankar is an actively practicing physician in the Washington D.C. area. He is an Infectious Diseases specialist who has worked in Public Health and HIV/AIDS for twenty years. He was born in Guyana and graduated from Medical School at age twenty-two. His hobbies include astronomy, cricket, tennis, and bowling. He has written a series of young adult Sci-Fi books of which Ixodia Escape is the first of the series. Dr. Sankar lives in suburban Maryland with his family.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

The date is 435.027. Year 435, Day Twenty-Seven. The semester ends tomorrow, and a three-week break for all schools in the System begins.

The Calendar of the Originals, Earth’s old calendar, displayed January 27, 2884. The Lunites and Voyagers preferred the new calendar, which logged January 1, 2449, as Day One, or 000.001.

December 31, 2448, marked the end of the Weapons Age. It was the day the mass exodus from Earth took place. It was the day the population of the space stations, the moon, and Mars grew a hundredfold. It was the day ninety percent of Earth’s population perished.

The new era brought changes unthinkable in the Twenty-Fifth Century. Mars was populated by both Lunites and Voyagers. They live in relative peace and share resources based on formal agreements.

In the last century, children older than ten went to schools on Earth. Vast resources and optimal gravity made it ideal for school-aged children. For centuries, Lunites and Voyagers desired Earth-bound schools.

Classes were more diverse than ever. Two years ago, siblings Xander and Jelina met Arielle and Mondeus at the Plato Schools. Nestled in the Caribbean Islands, it was very prestigious. The siblings were Voyagers. Arielle was a Lunite, and Mondeus an Original.

The four often go on vacation together. The upcoming break made it difficult to focus on exams. Their planned trip to Ixodia took center stage. For the first time, they will be traveling outside the system without an adult.

Xander, at seventeen, had just earned his spaceship license. He was permitted five people aged fifteen or older if he piloted an approved spacecraft and logged periodic reports to Central Station. Jelina and Arielle were both sixteen, Mondeus fifteen. They planned to spend all three weeks in the Ixodia System.

PART 1

THE SYSTEM

I.

Her eyes glazed, her stare empty, Arielle didn’t recognize them.

Not moving, her breaths shallow, she laid immobile. Her face ashen, drained of color, she took tiny breaths. Her breaths came quicker now. She had no control over them.

Arielle? Jelina called.

No answer.

Arielle?

Arielle closed her eyes. Her chest moved up and down with regularity. Air rushed through her open mouth and nostrils. Each breath brought a whistling sound.

Jelina looked at Mondeus. She saw fear in his eyes. Like her, he knew they were losing Arielle.

Arielle?

Still no answer.

They stretched her out on a flat shelf in the cave. They placed her head on what was left of the sleeping bag. She appeared comfortable. She didn’t move except for her breathing.

Arielle? Mondeus said, much louder.

No answer.

Jelina knelt beside her. She touched Arielle’s forehead. It was hot. Her lips were cracked. A few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, glued on by perspiration and dirt.

Gently, Jelina rubbed Arielle’s forehead. She massaged Arielle’s temples.

We love you, Jelina whispered.

Arielle stirred. She moved her head ever so slightly.

Jelina and Mondeus exchanged glances.

Arielle!

Arielle parted her lips. No words came. She tried again. A dry, croaking sound escaped her lips.

Water, she whispered.

In an instant, Mondeus brought water. They raised her head and propped her up. They put the cup to her lips. She attempted a few sips. Most of it splashed onto her clothes. She closed her eyes again.

She didn’t answer when they called out to her again. They placed her back onto the makeshift bed. They desperately needed help.

Maybe the fever will break? Jelina offered.

Mondeus didn’t reply. He was exhausted from the night before. He nodded in agreement.

They sat in silence, staring at her. Mondeus pressed his knuckles against each other. Jelina bit the inside of her lip.

The water from the recesses of the cave gurgled.

Xander. . . .

The voice was barely audible. Faint but unmistakable, it came from Arielle’s lips. She spoke!

Mondeus and Jelina were ecstatic. It brought them new energy. She was still with them and aware. It revived their hopes, for the moment anyway.

Two weeks ago, Arielle had said goodbye to her parents. Two weeks she joined Xander, Jelina, and Mondeus on this fateful trip.

Two weeks was a long time.

Earth was far, far away.

II.

The low hum of the Pelican 25 was monotonously sedating. Like a cardiac rhythm, it was ever-present. Relegated to the background, it only mattered if absent.

Lights out in fifteen, Xander said.

It’s too early for bed, protested Arielle.

We have a long day ahead, Xander said.

Can I play one last game? Mondeus?

Baby boy is already under covers, Xander laughed.

What?

You know he loves his sleep, Jelina added.

The Originals calendar registered January 30, 2884, Year 435.030 by the calendar of the Lunites and Voyagers. For weeks they had been dreaming of this day. The four of them, in a spacecraft, headed for the Ixodia System. It hadn’t fully sunk in yet.

I’m not sleepy, Arielle said.

Why?

I’m too excited.

Arielle was fishing for company to stay up. She felt she might miss something if she went to sleep. Jelina didn’t need much persuasion.

Jelina, adjust the settings before you retire.

Sure.

Decrease gravity by forty percent, lights by sixty, and radiation shields remain the same.

Jelina nodded. Her brother’s voice sounded official. He took his responsibility very seriously.

Get some rest, Jelina said.

You too.

Jelina was more nervous than Xander. This was his first trip as a pilot outside the system. Xander didn’t seem too perturbed. On the contrary, he appeared relaxed.

Jelina knew he had been a co-pilot before. It was a short trip, but it was outside the system. She knew he was a wiz in flight pre-trip simulations. Yet this was unchartered territory. It was no simulation.

Arielle’s giggles floated across the hallway. It was pleasing to the ear. Xander knew that they weren’t going to make it to bed anytime soon. The programmed mode will kick in long before.

He tapped the control panel at the head of his bed. His door closed soundlessly. The cabin lights faded. Mondeus was already asleep.

The drone of the Pelican 25 lulled Xander to sleep. It was the last sound he heard before descending into sleep. He slipped easily into REM sleep.

* * *

The Pelican 25 shuddered.

Startled, Xander sat up. For a second, he didn’t know where he was. The staccato movement was unexpected. Level-One emergency lights came on. No alarm sounded.

What’s happening? Jelina asked. Over the intercom, her tone was sharp, her concern evident.

Xander jumped out of bed. Not sure.

Wormhole already? Mondeus asked, still half-asleep.

No, Xander said.

What then?

We are still in the system.

Okay?

The spacecraft rocked with newfound turbulence. Xander knew the cause was pressure variance, magnified by rapid travel. He stroked his brow.

Seconds passed, and Xander still had no explanation. The instability got worse. Still, the alarm from the Pelican 25 wasn’t triggered.

The Pelican series of spacecraft had excellent safety records. Among the safest in the history of space travel, they were easily programmed. Often used by junior pilots, they needed minimal human input.

The spaceship vibrated. The girls rushed over to Xander’s quarters. They were greeted by a sober Xander, staring at the ship controls.

Xander accessed the secondary controls located at the upper level. He scanned the panels. Nothing appeared amiss.

Arielle feigned calmness. Her voice betrayed her worry. What’s wrong?

Are we off course? Jelina asked.

I don’t think so, Xander said.

What then?

Our closest body is Saturn. You can see it on the video panel, Xander said.

The staccato movement got worse. Xander’s words were hurried. Arielle knew he spoke quickly when he was anxious. That didn’t help her concern.

I got it! Mondeus exclaimed.

Fully awake now, Mondeus piped up. His clear voice projected eerily from the corner of the room. Just as he spoke, the spacecraft slowed, and the turbulence stopped.

What is it? Xander asked.

Mondeus sat poker-faced at one of the terminals. He pored over the travel plans and zoned in on their location.

Adjust light and set windows to telescopic settings, Mondeus said.

Xander tapped a few buttons. The interior lights dimmed, and the windows became transparent. The view outside lurched toward them.

Eureka!

Mondeus nodded in agreement.

They stared. There it was. They could almost touch it.

The rings of Saturn!

They were surrounded by countless rings. They gaped at the incredible sight. Viewed from inside the rings, there was nothing comparable in their memories.

Xander’s father had plotted the course, with this sightseeing stop in mind. He had discussed this with Xander. Xander was so focused on his piloting duties that it had slipped him.

The inner rings of Saturn possessed large magnetic fields. They often caused turbulence to passing craft. It was an expected event and the reason emergency alarms weren’t triggered.

Xander grinned sheepishly. He quickly regained his composure. We caught the field in our sleep cycle.

Correct, Mondeus said.

We made good time, Xander said.

Mondeus nodded.

We used the drag of Jupiter and to increase velocity. Now, we have time to enjoy the view!

Xander tapped another button. He decreased their gravity to fifty percent, giving them a nice billowy feeling. He knew that Arielle loved these settings. The Lunites preferred less gravity.

Voyagers didn’t mind. They adjusted their gravity as frequently as their temperatures. Mondeus preferred normal G. He liked keeping his feet on the ground.

Xander turned off the interior lights. He upped the telescopic settings.

There was a collective gasp. The view outside was stunningly beautiful. They gaped, transfixed.

Thousands upon thousands of rings surrounded them. Tightly woven and made of every shade and color, it was enchanting.

An unusual calm descended on them—tranquility with an inexplicable feeling of reverence, such a rare feeling of cosmic harmony they experienced.

Magnified a thousandfold, they could almost touch the rings. The more they gazed, the more captivated they became, engrossed and enveloped by it.

Like afterthoughts from an artist’s brush, adding specks on a giant painting, they were unsure if they intruded. Like an extinguished sun from a billion years ago, it mattered not if they disappeared.

Xander’s father knew this had to be experienced. Words did it no justice. How does one describe multicolored methane seas? Standing on a ledge under a waterfall? The spectacle from inside the rings of Saturn was truly magnificent.

III.

Ten minutes to connect, Mondeus said.

I’ll take over now, Xander said.

I can do it, Mondeus said.

You can’t risk demerit points.

What?

Bad marks.

Really?

Yes. They store it for life.

So?

It can affect future travel.

Mondeus gave up. He took a good vantage point and focused on Xander’s every movement.

We’re approaching Central Station, Xander announced.

His voice carried throughout the ship. It got Jelina’s and Arielle’s attention. It was his no-nonsense voice.

The Pelican 25 closed in on Central Station. Still fifty thousand miles away, the Station’s tentacles were long. Orbiting Neptune, it was the last major city before leaving the Earth System. It was the crossroads to everywhere. It was the Earth System’s proudest outpost.

Business predominated at Central Station, but tourism was not forgotten. For many visitors, it was their sole contact with the Earth System, their relay station. A significant minority used it as a meeting place.

Ships detected hundreds of thousands of miles away were channeled to ports. Powerful computers locked signals with ships and ferried them in.

Magnetic channels made it impossible for ships to cross lanes. Accidents were rare, collisions a thing of the past. As traffic got heavier, magnetic fields intensified, and lanes tightened.

We’re fully locked in, said Xander.

He hadn’t touched a button nor issued a command. Their small craft entered a dedicated channel as it moved closer. Xander monitored it on the display.

Nothing to it, Xander said.

I see, Mondeus replied.

Look.

They looked up at the main display. Surrounded by massive spacecraft, the Pelican 25, tiny in comparison, glided unobtrusively.

Xander flicked a switch to transparent settings, giving them a direct view. Gigantic spacecraft with multicolored designs littered their exterior. Mind-boggling designs stretched their imaginations. The organized chaos was astonishing.

What’s our turnaround time? Arielle asked.

Two hours.

Enough for shopping? inquired Arielle.

Depends on how long they take to process us, Xander replied.

I was hoping to get souvenirs, Arielle said.

No worries, lots of places in Ixodia, Jelina offered.

As they closed in, the Station got larger and larger. What a grinning monstrosity!

The Station was humongous. Countless arms protruded in all directions. Shorter arms attached to the longer ones multiplied the number of docking ports. Some of the longest arms faded into the horizon.

It was a maze and a marvel at the same time. An enormous, intricate structure engineered with functionality as its objective. Yet it wasn’t an eyesore. Its description as gargantuan, lower on the glamour scale than colossal, was fitting. There wasn’t a single comparable structure in the entire system.

The VIPs got preference to inner ports. Despite being a small craft, the Pelican 25 got a manned dock, courtesy of Xander’s father. He had filed the flight plans early. He knew the Station well because he passed through here frequently.

Only the inner ports were manned. Robots performed most of the duties, with humans supervising. Most of the employees were Voyagers. The lesser gravity and artificial lighting didn’t bother them as much.

Look at that! Mondeus exclaimed. He pointed to an enormous, spherical-shaped ship.

My goodness, Jelina exclaimed.

I’ve never seen so many monsters in one place, Xander muttered.

They advanced up their lane with clockwork-like precision. Large ships glided by outside their window. As they got closer, the density of ships increased, and the lighting improved.

Without warning, the Pelican 25 stopped. Moments later came a ninety-degree movement, humming sounds, and they were latched in.

We are here! Xander announced.

Yes, captain, Arielle teased.

That’s it? A half-question, half-statement from Mondeus.

He was disappointed. He thought the docking would be more exciting.

I could’ve been sleeping, Mondeus grumbled.

Doors open in two minutes, Xander said.

Can’t wait to get in the wormholes, Mondeus persisted.

You’ll be hibernating.

Yes?

You won’t know a thing, Xander said.

Mondeus was aware of that fact. He hadn’t gotten over the mundane docking.

Xander couldn’t help but grin. He would be the only one awake through the Oort Cloud. Only after exiting the Cloud would he join them in chilled sleep.

Wormholes? What an odd name, Xander thought. Except for astronomers, the Pathways were still referred to as wormholes. Looping space conduits were more like it.

IV.

The Pelican 25 doors slid open. Seconds later, the door of the docking gallery mirrored it.

They stared at the processing room, one of thousands at Central Station. Unfamiliar equipment stared right back at them. The machines seemed oddly out of place.

Welcome.

A human voice greeted them. The source wasn’t immediately apparent.

Captain Xander Rael Villanova?

Yes.

You and your crew may disembark.

It was the first time Xander heard his name officially as Captain. It sounded unfamiliar. His full name was spelled out. That caused some subconscious apprehension. His father usually did that when he was in trouble.

Thank you, Xander said, finding his voice.

Xander stepped forward. Jelina, Mondeus, and Arielle followed. Tentative at first, they took in