AWAKEN - HUMANITY: Book One

Chapter 6: Nuovo Mondo: Ground Base

The metallic outer frame, with square glass panels covering the dome, was the size of a small factory, sitting on the outer edge just inside the green island. The hot sands were close to the one edge of the dome, tendrils of heat distorted the ground as the dead soil stretched for miles into the horizon.

Inside the dome was split into four sections:

Section One: Sleep area which was just a line of beds and open wardrobes, a skin clean area with its vibrating sonic showers and small pray cubicle.

Section Two: Eating area, with relaxation chairs, entertainment cubicles and private communication booth.

Section Three: Storage area with food supplements, powder, tinned and basic replicators. Also storage for equipment and spares.

Section Four: Data and control room, all communications and general day to day routines are mapped and managed in the section including 3D graphic computers and map of the cave including measurements.

Captain Carmichael stood by the metallic metal door to the dome, known as Ground Base Section 5, staring out towards the high rock face leading up to the mouth of the cave, surrounded by tall, lush dark leaved trees. The view gave the perception of a small oasis, a tranquillity which you could easily get sucked into until you turned around and saw the starkness of the barren wasteland that stretched for miles.

Perspiration beaded across her forehead, as a sharp blue light exploded from the mouth of the cave, scattering its fragments of light across the pocket island, bathing its intense glow across her face. A sudden sonic boom sounded, the invisible force of the noise grabbed her slender body and threw her onto her back, her body skidding towards the edge of the hot sands, her face inches from the heated soil.

She could hear the cries of her fellow companions, the sound of glass shattering as braches torn from the high trees embed themselves into the glass of the dome. The ground shook violently like an earthquake, rocks could be heard rubbing against each other, rubble gathering and falling, trees twisting as their branches danced and swayed.

Slowly she forced herself up off the floor, dusted herself down wincing as her arms ached and her breathing laboured, that sonic boom packed a punch, she thought as she stared back up at the mouth of the cave. The blue light was still intense, two people were standing outside the entrance, she squinted to see who they were.

They turned around and looked down at her, she could see they wore basic helmets over their thin micro spacesuits, it was what they had to wear to keep the inside of the cave and surrounding area sterilised. A voice crackled in her ear, t was female, light yet she breathed heavily into the microphone of the helmet.

"Captain, the..." a slight pause and a short cough, "...the cave has sealed itself with a..." she breathed and sighed,

Another voice, male this time, deep in tone interrupted, "...some kind of force field, we are unable to get back inside and turn it off, Grimes is in there trapped!"

"Turn it off...?" The Captain looked upwards, "turn what off...wha..." She stopped. Grimes was in there, Natalie, her second in command, oh no, not Natalie, a tear formed in the corner of her eyes, she quickly wipe them away.

The woman continued. "...the machine or whatever, it started up, came to life after..." she trailed off as a huge earthquake rocked the ground, the Captain watched as rubble fell from the cave, swirls of dust plumes like mini clouds erupted around them followed by the sound of what she thought was thunder but it was another sonic boom. She watched in horror as the invisible force picked up the two people by the cave and threw them far into the air, she could hear their collective screams in her earpiece. "No!" she screamed watching as the small figures danced in the air their arms and legs flailing trying to hold onto nothing landing into the barren zones.

The Captain started to run along the edge of where the hot sands met the grassed soil, breathing heavily as she ran her earpiece picking up their screams then the silence, the eerie sound of sudden silence. She could see the two bodies, their lifeless bodies laid out in the hot sands.

"Get up, do you hear me..." the Captain shouted, "...get the fuck up." She skidded to a halt on the edge of the greenery, then jumped onto the hot sand running towards the bodies, she could see they did not move, no sound in her earpiece either just static silence.

Suddenly tendrils of smoke filtered up into the air around the two bodies, the Captain started to shake her head, no, no, no she screamed in her mind, no, the soles of her shoes started to smoulder, the heat from the sand rising into her face, she could feel the warmth on her skin.

Then one of the bodies stirred, the young woman started to panic as her suit caught fire, she sat up only to suddenly be consumed with long snake like orange and red flames. The scream filled the Captains ears, she stopped running skidding to a standstill. The second body burst into flames, exploding colour of orange and red smothering the torso completely, the heat from both burning figures made her stagger back. The soles of her shoes caught fire, she looked down and cursed, spinning around she started to run back towards the greenery of safety, the distance was short but long enough for her feet to potentially burn, she could feel the heat on the skin of her soles, she upped her speed and with one final push threw herself forward, twisting her torso in mid-air landing heavily on her side.

"Shit!" she pulled the shoe off her feet, the rubber soles completely melted to a slab of grey and her socks smouldering as she dampened them with the psalms of her hands. She sat there on the cool ground, her arms resting on the knees of her bent legs as she sat up, her face reddened by the heat, her forehead damp with sweat. She burst into tears.

A voice came from behind her, a male voice, she knew instantly it was her communications officer, Harry Childs, a young man on his first mission. "Captain we have lost connection with Galaxy One."

She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, breathed deeply then spun around on her backside. "Okay, reboot the system, that's the first thing we must do." She pulled herself up onto her feet. Harry stared down at her melted shoes. She followed his gaze the turned back to face him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder gently guiding him back towards the base. "Don't worry I have a fresh pair inside."

She touched her earpiece, "Contact Davina." She glanced back at the burning bodies and sighed with despair then looked up at the cave entrance the blue light faint but still fanning out like water from a running tap. She needed her security here and now, she needed back up before she attempted to enter the cave, whatever had or was happening she need to understand. The fear another sonic boom or a much more severe earthquake sent shivers down her spine, she needed answers and quickly especially as they were expecting the imminent arrival of the new additional team members.

"Davina speaking." The English educated voice spoke softly in her ear.

"Where are you?"

"Base section three, just finished the new security set ups and on our way back." The noise of external engines could be heard. "Why?"

"I need you back here we have a situation, a major one." She watched as the blue light started to spread outwards and...upwards piercing the clouds above. "Oh shit.'

"Okay...want to elaborate?"

"just get back here!" the Captain snapped she didn't have time to explain not right now as she entered the dome.

"Okay, okay...ETA in about fifteen minutes."

"Seriously Davina I need you here like right now!"