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Rated: E · Short Story · Sci-fi · #1296782
A sci-fi tale, told in a series of transmissions and log entries.
Ask Navarra



This is not the truth. They say art is a lie that tells the truth. But this does not even do that. There is no real truth, after all. Our lives are built on blatant memories and false assumptions. Thank God or god or Science that our memories fade over time. Without that natural kindness, we might realize what monsters mankind really is. What monsters we have been. But this is not the truth remember. Read the following for whatever reasons you fabricate. But don’t accept it as fact. For if you were to accept it as fact… Well, I just don’t want to be held responsible.

         Transmission 2067091- signal coming from unexplored planetoid FE7790. Crew has begun referring to it as “Fezz”. Have opened all comm. frequencies. No response. Please advise. Classificati-

         Transmission 2067094- Surface probes recovered from planetoid. Still no communication established. Distress signal fades periodically at randomized intervals. No identifiable pattern. Probes reveal surface is habitable for Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Crew advises affirmatively on reconnaissance mission to surface. Please advise. Classifications: Captain Sawyer of type A9 scientific trawler. Designation: “Felicitous”. Mark: orange flagged urgency. End transmission

         Transmission 2067099- ploratory team returned. Major injuries sustained to one assistant astrogator Mullins. Assistant Astrogator continues in comatose-

Medical Log File Number 6//0003/83 (Authorization: Chief Medical Officer Samuel Cardi)

Mullins, Severin and Navarra came back today, from that fact-finding mission on Fezz. They didn’t find any facts, though they did find something that reacted unpleasantly with poor Mullins. The youngest member on crew, her first unidentified planet and she comes back comatose.  I’ve put her under surveillance, with the regular trappings for an unresponsive patient: I.V. drip, assisted nutrition, etc. Ran some tests, they were inconclusive – Navarra just came in. The distress signal suddenly stopped. There’s a mechanical sort of feedback coming from the ship’s speakers, I think. Navarra says it’s an attempt from the inhabitants of the planet to contact us. I asked if Mullins had any contact with the inhabitants or he or Severin. He had left by then, racing back to the bridge, itching to decode the “message”. It just sounds like squeaky static to me. But, what do I know? I’m just a-

         Transmission 2067101- Distress signal ceased for a span of 24 hours and has not recommenced. Seems to have been replaced with indecipherable feedback that continues without pause. Crewmember Lieutenant Navarra attempted and failed to discover meaning. Request Aid. Additional aid also requested in treating Assistant Astrogator Mullins. Symptoms have continued to worsen. In addition to comatose state, Mullins now experiences periodic violent seizures and hallu-

         Transmission 2067104-Have received aid. Crewmembers Engineer Cosman, Spatial Neophysicist Royder, Private Krups, Astrobiologist Severin and Medical Assistant Lionel departed with supply ship. Seven crewmembers including myself remain. Lieutenant Navarra failed in deciphering the feedback emanating from Planetoid FE7790 even with utilization of the specialized codeware received. Feedback is now constant and continues to echo throughout the hull including during comm. line shut down. Suggestion of returning to “Fezz” is respectively declined based on physical trauma incurred by Assistant Astrogator Mullins and psychological trauma sustained by remaining members of reconnaissance party: Astrobiologist Severin and Lieutenant Navarra. Also respectively disagree strongly with your order to continue surveillance on planetoid FE7790. Feel this endangers crew. Request permission to depart and rendezvous at nearest-

Medical Log File Number 6//0003/85 (Authorization: Chief Medical Officer Samuel Cardi)

-the medical supplies asked for by Captain Sawyer today from base. Thank God. We ran out of I.V. cartridges two days after Mullins came back. Gave her some heavy sedatives but that only suppresses the seizures and compounds the problem of her comatose states. Micah, my assistant, left with everyone else. It makes sense; he’s a pretty flighty boy anyhow. I don’t know why he’s in the medical profession in the first place. To make his parents happy, I suppose, like everyone else. I still haven’t managed to unravel the cause of Mullins’ symptoms… I wish Sawyer would just let me go to that rock and take biological samples I could prob-

         Transmission 2067107- Order acknowledged. Will remain in orbit of planetoid, continue to send out probes and retain open comm. systems. Please remain in contact. Classifications: Captain Sawyer of type A9 scientific trawler. Designation: “Felicitous”. Mark: oran-

         Transmission 206710- Contact with probes has been lost. Chief Medical Officer Cardi wishes to retrieve probes. Request authorization to decline proposed mission on grounds that returning to planetoid would endanger remaining crew.

Medical Log File Number 6//0003/89 (Authorization: Chief Medical Officer Samuel Cardi)

Sawyer is pretty irritated that base authorized another trip to Fezz. It’s faintly ridiculous that he’s so concerned about my safety. It’s just a planet. The cause of poor Mullins’ symptoms is obviously some sort of neurotoxin she was exposed to there. If proper precautions are taken, I can retrieve the probes, some samples and then come back and start developing an antitoxin. And if that damned feedback would just shut off, everything would be perfect. It’s making everyone batty.

              Transmission 2067114- Presumed dead. Have not received report from either Chief Medical Officer Cardi, Supply Officer Farran, or Chief Astrogator Noriyuki for over fifteen hours. Last received report reads as following:

Planet Side Report 4 Received: 1600 hours 45 minutes. Supply officer Zebidiah Farran reporting.
At 0900 hours probes were spotted on the horizon up to 40 standard cubits away at estimation. Chief Medical Officer Cardi led expedition in a North, Northeasterly direction toward probes. Chief Astrogator Noriyuki continued recording planetary position and environmental observations. These will be submitted for review at completion of mission. Have reached estimated position of probes without event. Cannot locate probes. Are not in previous position. Cardi believes they are being moved. I believe he has lost his sense of reality. Request communication. In frank confidence: I’m gettin’ weirded out, Cap. End Report.


Any attempt to communicate with party fails. All frequencies except this emit distorting static. Request a red flag urgency and classification of planetoid FE7790 as Rank 3 dangerous zone. Classifications: Captain Sawyer of type A9 scientific trawler. Designation: “Felicitous”. Mark: orange flagged urgency. End tran-

CORRUPTED FILE_CORRUPTED SOURCE
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Transmission 2067115- will withdraw from this orbit with or without authorization. Cannot continue to endanger remaining crew. Please reconsider marking this planetoid as dangerous. The proof is there. Ask Lieutenant Navarra for report upon arrival at base. Classifications: Captain Sawyer of type A9 scientific trawler. Designation: “Felici-

Pan-System News Feed- Alert
A Scientific Trawler “Felicitous” failed to dock at the expecting station Persephone 9 five days ago. The only confirmed crewmember, renowned Astrobiologist Felipe Severin, recently dismissed and on hiatus declined to comment on the possible location of the A9 trawler. If you have any information on the whereabouts of this ship or its captain and crew, please forward it immediately to the orbiting Rosear base, FE7790.
© Copyright 2007 A.M. Howe (a.howe at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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