New Earth

Dust cloud 3958

Earth space explorer fleet 12 light years from home

It had only been ten months since the old crew of the Taurus had started retiring to teach the children who would be the future offices. In fact most of the crew had been only at their stations for a few months. That was the way on these DSE (Deep Space Explore) ships. The young officers would replace the old, who in turn would teach those who would replace them.

It was too important not to lose the wisdom experience had given them. Some crews would go their entire crew only flying through empty space. How could they teach how to explore a planet or asteroid field if they had never done it. It was only possible from the collective experiences of past crew.

“Commander, asteroid field off starboard!” The voice coming from the navigation officer showing her inexperience as it almost squealed the last word.

The commander had been first mate for years before his promotion. That time added to his natural claim. “Full stop, Lieutenant Orr I want a full scan of the field.”

“Yes, Commander Hulson.” Another young officer answered while keying the orders into his station command interface.

The ship had been traveling over 1600 years and this might be the first time it had stopped. The rest of the fleet quickly lite-up their communication boards.

“Taurus, this is Commander Hurtis of the Bolas, is there a problem?” A strong female voice spring from the speaker filled with authority. “Do you require assistants?” She was not someone to be trifled with.

“No Commander Hurtis, just scanning for raw materials. Our supplies can always use an addition.” The youngest Commander in the fleet but he had been trained by a leader who had never passed a chance for search for what they could use anywhere he could.

“We will slow to 70 present, try not to delay any longer then needed. Bolas out.” It was not just a statement but a warning.

With that they had been left on their own. If anything malfunctioned they would be on lost in space. The commander could only hope the gamble was worth it. They were still 3 light years from their destination and he had to think about those 100 and 200 years down the road. Almost 100 years ago his great great grandfather had mined an ice comet they had come across by chance. It had doubled their supply of reusable water, which had been dangerously low since a malfunction had cost the ship almost half its water 200 years before.

“Commander! There is a larger amount of iron ore and frozen water in the debris field around the asteroid.” The Lt. read off his scan report. “If I didn’t know better I would think I was scanning a planet.”

“Deploy collectors and then let’s catch up with the fleet. Might have some extra water for the next Mixing.” His eyes lighting up at the thought of it. His time to receive a mate from another ship had come. With the extra supplies they could even trade for another supplies they might be short on with limiting their levels.

Once the collectors had filled their holds they signaled the bridge with the take. “That was 20 tons iron ore and 32 tons ice commander. Allow with some other trace materials the hydroponics could use.” An even younger sounding voice cut off almost before finishing.

“Good, now increased the Ion flow to full diffusion.” Comm. Hulson directed the young officer at the engine controls. “We have to catch up with the fleet before the mixing begins in 8 months.”

Cameron 4667

It had been here after all. The snow had melted enough to see her. The greatest surprise was that she looked almost entirely intact. The ship was the size of a small settlement on Cameron. It had been built tens of centuries ago and an unknown distances away and yet it looked as if it had crashed recently. They would be the first humans inside her in over 200 years since she was lost. It looked to be three levels in some areas assuming each level was twelve feet in height. It was easily 400 feet wide in the middle tapering off at both ends to just over 100 feet. Adding that its length over 4500 feet and it must have been assembled if not built in space. Something that size would have never been able to escape a planets gravity if built on its surface in one piece.

“Professor, you should be able to land the shell is fully engaged.” The pilot of the shuttle sitting only fifty feet from the wreck relayed to the approaching ship. “I’ll open an airlock and connect it to the transport once you land.” The shuttle which could carry several people looked like a toy next to the mammoth ship.

“Thanks Timus, still uncomfortable with this thing.” Eric was a professor not a pilot by profession and anything going off world would be out of the question. He could not help but agree with the astonishment of his students and their ‘look at the size of that thing' comments that were flooding out of the back of the transport. He had vastly underestimated how many students to bring but they did not know for sure what they would find. They still were not sure it was stable.

“It gets easier Professor and you are doing fine.” Timus had been after Eric Wortison to learn to fly for years but it took budget cuts at the University to make him. Even if this was nothing but a scrap pile, it would pay for their trip here.

Once the ship had landed and the airlock was engaged Eric led his students to just outside the wrecked craft. He went over the plans for the day’s activities. First, he divided them into five teams of two. “No one goes anywhere alone for any reason.” He would repeat that line several times in the next two days. Once he assigned teams he gave each team two data pads and a tracker.

Nora Weshon had a question as soon as she saw the trackers. “Are these so you can find Connor if he gets lost?” She elbowed her partner Thomas Fkixs as she thought she was making a joke of it. She also thought it had been low enough the Professor would not hear her.

That had not been the case for no sooner had she spoke Professor Wortison replied, “Actually that is one reason, it would be easy to get lost inside a vessel this size if we know what we were facing. Another reason being to trace your paths through the ship to map its insides, so we can know where we are.” Eric’s voice was without his usual humorous tone. “Make no mistake there maybe dangers inside, we have no idea how well the internal structure has held up.” He carefully explained the rest of the plan to the small group as well as safety procedures.

From that exchange the rest of the group knew who was in charge and what would be expected from them. This was just like in his classroom, he would control the tone and he would not tolerate disruptions or not following his instructions. They were instructed to explore no more than 70 feet inside the open the first trip inside. This was to ensure the structure was sound and to limit how far apart they would be if a quick exit was needed. They would explore for one hour then unload the data to check the mapping function. If all processed as planned they would explore further, if not then they would revamp their plans accordingly.

The first day was over long before they were ready for it to end. After the mapping was calibrated to each data pad it would update the movements of each group as they explored a new area. By adding them to the collective map, a layout of the ship could be made using the hole in the hull as a reference point. In total they had only explored a 150 feet circle from the opening the first day. However in the small area, they had seen enough to make the trip worth it. At evening meal they all sat in a center just inside the airlock and discussed what each had seen inside the massive ship.

They had determined that the area just inside the opening was a dining room. From its size it would have seated 200 to 250 people at a time. Once they had managed to get one of the three doors leading out of the room open they found what must have been a main corridor. Several rooms branched off it at different interval, most not obvious what it’s purpose had been. The corridor ended at a landing for a spiral stair case leading both up and down one level. Their exploring was limited to only the second level which had the opening. The ship had dug in enough that the first level was now underground. Yet surprising it was structurally sound that led Eric to think it was more erosion of the mountain burying it then digging in from the crash.

There had still been plenty to find one the single level. They had found what must have been an hydroponics lab across the corridor from the first dining room. “It was easy to envision row of different plants lined up in the rows of planter boxes.” Gail had almost screamed into her data pad. She then went into detail of tools left behind and the recycling watering system. The top of the hydroponic was clearly into the floor above and she thought she had seen a door in the upper area. She had even stated she intended to study this area to see if she could discover what their diets would have been comprised of.

Several of the rooms had held promise based on what was still in them. Those still holding a computer station pecked the most interest for Eric. Not only could the purpose of the room be easier to discover but maybe a link to main computer network. If only they could find a way to connect a power source and see if any of them still worked. They could truly discover the ship’s secrets then. He would have to tell with Timus about it first thing in the morning.

The second day had started early as no one could total sleep. Some chose to explore more closely room they had found the day before, but two pairs had other plans for the day. Thomas and Nora were on the hunt for any medical labs or treatment centers that might be found. While the engineering students, Zentor Uckist and Travis Xigtus, wanted to find the engine room or even a secondary control room. Both groups knew a ship this large would have several of these rooms.

Eric watched the flashing dots move across his monitor. They would often make circle before stopping and then going off in another direction. As the ships inner structure started to layout before him a voice started whispering in his ear. It was telling him that he should be in there with them exploring its mysteries. Instead the Professor was doing what he always did, looking out for his student. He told himself that if he was inside the ship when one of them needed him, he might be too far away to be of any help. The next mission would be longer and he would do his exploring then.

There was no doubt now there would be a next expedition. This was too important a find and the discoverer would be the natural choice to lead it. He allowed himself another few seconds to think on that before refocusing on the task at hand. There would be time for planning once they returned to the college. Yes, the next trip would be his turn, but for now back to his students and their discoveries. With that Eric stood up from his computer and walked out to the wreckage to do visually check on them.

Climbing out of the wreckage of the ancient star ship, a young green-eyed man calls over to Eric. “The main systems are still functional sir. It seems just the engines and communications were damaged.” Finishing his escape Connor headed for the professor to fill him in on the progress they had made.

“Great Connor, so you and Timus were able to link the power-trans.” Eric had been afraid the craft had been abandoned so long that nothing inside would be useful. It now looked like his research would pay off. “Can the interface be read or is it in the old language?”

“Timus is in the shuttle checking the readings.” Connor was almost out of breath from excitement, “The lights in the corridors, some of them flickered.”

Several more of his students flowed out of the hole. The shock and excitement of the day showing on their faces as they talked among themselves. Zentor and Travis going about how they both thought it could be salvaged based on how well the system seemed to be. While Lisa and Theresa wondered about how it would be to live your entire life on a ship like this.

“If it’s the old words that would prove this was one of the mother ships, right? It is what we have been looking for?” The oldest of his students yelled as he overheard the conversation. The excitement shown across the man’s face took ten years off him.

“Almost definitely, Mr. Fartus, all the other ships were recycled into the first settlements or transports for between moons.” The history of their race was already beginning to become diluted and it was Eric’s mission to clarify it. “The oldest data bases we have list one ship which was left in orbit once the settlement was built.”

“There was never a reason for it losing orbit listed in the archives, was there Professor?” Another student calling out, as she escaped the carcass of the wreck. “I even wrote a paper on this ship last term,” excitement filling her face as she spoke. “To actually touch it and to explore its secrets” Gail’s voice trailing off into wordless euphoria, as she continued walking with Flora and Hugo towards the shuttle.

“Yes Miss Tolsence, it is a wondrous find and is sure hold a vast treasure of answers about our true past.” Eric said the last as much to himself as his students who continued to file out of the wreckage each nearly glowing as they talked among themselves about what they had found.

“Professor Wortison,” An older well-dressed man walked toward them from the shuttle they were using as a makeshift base camp. “The Region’s office is on the comm-link for you. I think they want a progress report.” He pulled his coat tight to block the cold emanating from the ground under their feet. The dome protected them from the toxic air but the freeze temperatures still got through even as the winds off the hills whirled across the outer shell.

It had been those hill that had hidden the wreckage so long. Most of the orbit, this area was buried by as much as 10 meters of snow. Only during the annual shinning, a time of week long sun exposure for the area, could the ground be seen. Cameron orbited the planet faster than it rotated so long points of both sun and dark occurred across the moon. Land nearer the poles experienced wilder swings, which was why almost all settlements are still near center-mass.

“Thanks Timus, can you make sure all the students find their way into the transport and back to Campus. I think Mrs. Weshon is still in the wreck.” The last pair stepping though the hole as he spoke. “And Mr. Fkixs is with her bringing up the rear as usual, I see.” Directing his attention back to Timus, glad the old man had insisted on bringing two ships. “I’ll take the shuttle back after I talk with the Regions.” His voice relayed that it was not just a progress report and that he was not asking about the students.

“No problem Professor would be my pleasure.” Turning toward the young ones behind him, “OK you all heard Professor Wortison into the transport, and don’t even think of trying to stay behind the dome lifts when the shuttle lifts off. Now off to the airlock.” Not looking back towards where Eric had been knowing he would already be inside the shuttle hailing the school.

Eric had known he had put everything he had on the line with this site. If it was half what it seemed to be it would be all worth it. Turning the commlink to his private channel he called the Admins knowing who would be in the office. “Region Ughad this is Eric Wortison returning your call, how might I be of service to you, Region.” Eric was careful to use as much protocol as he could handle to show due respect to the regions.

“Professor Wortison, We, the Regions, wish to know if you have indeed found what you sought after?” The question hung in the air as if as solid as a blade and just as dangerous for Eric. “If so, is it in a salvageable shape?” Straight and to the point, it was how the regions addressed those they felt beneath them.

“I have indeed region Ughad and its databases maybe accessible.” Just a bit of pride in his voice as he expanded on their discovery. “We were able to power up the systems and once we hook up a translator we should be able to upload most if not all its data.” His pride was short lived as the next words came out of the commlink.

“Good, we will inform Cameron Primuis that it is ready for them. We will be glad to see you back in lecture hall tomorrow Professor. Have a safe trip back. Regions out.” With that the commlink went dead as did the excitement Eric had been feeling.

There would be no next trip for Eric. How could they take this from him? He had worked his entire career towards this, researched all the old reports and legends concerning the ship. Tracing it to the hills of shadows had been as much a lucky break and a gut feelings as anything else. Stories that there were still crew aboard when it crashed or that it was a prison of sorts would finally be answered. Yet the man who discovered the wreck would not even be allowed to take part in their search.

Deciding that if this was going to be the only time he was allowed to explore the crashed vessel he was going to make the most of it. He would not be missed until his first lecture at 600 hours, and that was 12 hours away. The shuttle had more than that much fuel stores left no reason to waste time heading back right now, even if he was alone.

There were good reasons it was against protocol to operate a domed area without the controls being manned at all times. If something went wrong and cause a power outage those inside would have no warning that after the five minute dissolving had completed they would be exposed the toxic atmosphere of the moon. Even after almost 3 centuries of terraforming the air of the moon was still unbreathable for more than a few seconds and even that cause damage to the lungs. For Eric, all he had to gain made the risk worth it, even more so once he again walked through the hole in the side of the ship.

The damage to the hull and scorch marks from its uncontrolled crash through the atmosphere didn’t hint at how well preserved the interior was. It could have easily been last month the ship crashed instead of the 250 years it had been here. The first room the hole exposed seemed to be dining area for a large number of the crew seating upward of 500, of a crew numbering as high as 2000 on some ships. The power-trans once again supplying life for the craft Eric could open the door in the corridor. To his surprise it seemed several of the lights still functioned enough that he could see where he was going. He had to catch himself as he half expected to see the crew going about its duty in lite rooms he passed.

Finally he find what he was sure had been the control room following the stairs up. He was taken aback by the sight of all the computer screens lite up awaiting commands. He could almost hear the operators calling out readings to the Captain and his answering orders to adjust or leave as they were. Using what he knew of the ancient language he found what he believed to be the navigational control terminal. He pulled his data pad out and linked it up to the interface to begin downloading the flight path of the craft as far back as his data pad could load. It was here he would find some of the secrets he was searching for.

The discoveries here could destroy many cult followings and secure others. The mother ships were believed to be many things by different groups. Some believe they were created by the maker of all things in the beginning of the universe and that humans had wondered though galaxies until we landed here. Still other held that they were simply vessel built by humans long ago to travel the stars. There are numerous ideas laying somewhere in between those each more or less believed by its followers as the true history and path of mankind. One thing that cannot be solved is wither we are the only intelligent life at least not from where the ship had been or even how long it had been.

Leaving the data pad to finish downloading, Eric picked up his pack with the two remaining smaller data pad meant for his students to record their findings on. He was using one to record everything he was seeing while exploring the ship. It was large for a space vehicle which why he had downloaded on the second data pad a map of the ship, based on the travels of his students earlier. It had almost filling its small capacity, complete with a locator flasher to locate the control room as a point of reference.

First he encountered a long hallway with uniform doorways every 16 feet on both sides of it. His map added the hallway as he walked down it. Counting doors as he walked finding there was 25 on each side. Another hallway was perpendicular to that hallway with two identical corridors one on each side of it. He figured there were three other clusters like this one in other areas of the ship. He had counted 600 housing units large enough to house 4. Each seemed to have two small sleeping area 8 by 8 and a connecting area of about 10 by 16 based on the few he opened each being the same.

He continued to explore the wreckage finding numerous rooms each with its only purpose Eric assigned to them based on what was still in them and their shape. He find what had to have been a medical lab due to a row of metal tables. They were still attached to the wall and would have served as examination tables. Exiting the lab through another door he found a short hall into a large open space, that he first listed as a warehouse or storage. It was not till he stumbled onto a cash of gardening tools he decided this must have been an hydroponics lab. It would be the second one that had been found once he with through his students notes later. The cold would have killed any plants that had survived the re-entry and crash.

It so hit them that this had truly been the home for families when he find what he called the classrooms wing. It had several room filled with what looked to be chairs and desk of different sizes. Those rooms encircled a playground area based on what looked to be a slide laying on its side. For the first time it was real to him. How many generations had never left this ship, from birth to death. Even as big as the ship was to only see these walls and the people would always be the same, only numbering around 2400 at any time based on the living quarters he found. Surely the other ships had been similar so even with their numbers that was only 20 thousand people. Hard to find someone you didn’t know or who knew someone you knew.

He had not fully realized how large the ship truly was until he saw he had been wondering around 4 hours and still had three quarters of the map to go. He had not even crossed a path one of his students had followed as of yet. Sadly it seemed to him that there was no way he could truly explore in 12 months let alone 12 hours of which he only had 4 left. Holding up the pad with the map he started his trip back to the control room to disconnect from the ship and get a few hours sleep before heading for his lecture.
Reaching the control room he had indeed filled his data pad’s memory and the best he could figure everything usable had fit with only megabytes to spare. All the secrets stored in this ship and all he truly was taking back with him was this travel log and his crude map of the ship to show its size. It was not what he thought he would be unlocking when they landed early yesterday morning.

As a last minute thought to learn as much from the ship as he could, Eric took a look into a side room off the control room figuring it would be the captain’s office. He found a desk smashed against the wall from the crash he assumed. Among the pile of what was once an elegant desk he found several data stick that seemed to fit into the older data slots in the smaller data pads. He placed all he could find in his pack to look into later. Then he reluctantly left the ship and climbed in the shuttle turning off the dome as the hanger doors closed to keep himself from changing his mind. Once it completely dissolved he took off for his office to sleep a little. That is where his assistant Clair would find him asleep, if he missed his first class. Something almost expected of Professors after such a trip.

He looked back down at the crash as he lifted up. It was the find of a lifetime and those few hours where all he would get to explore its secrets. Tapping the pack beside him, as he headed for home. He come only hope he had found enough to unlock some of the mysteries and that the rest were not lost after the Primuis got done with it.