AWAKEN - HUMANITY: Book One

Chapter 16: The Key

Ground Base Station 5 was under repair, the cave now dormant with radiation levels slowly climbing below dangerous levels, they were no longer wearing the protection suits. Security officers Davina and Christian were strapped into hoists dangling from a small frame structure repairing the damaged roof with spray foam, the white substance instantly sealing them hardening as it filled the holes.

Inside, in the tiny sickbay, Doctor Craig Ryker was examining the tablet screen in his hand, the structural DNA sequence was unique. He glanced with puzzlement at the unconscious human form they struggled only a few hours ago to carry back down from the cave. The long naked body was now covered in a surgical white gown, a series of wires were attached to his forehead and wrist, the screen above displayed graphical waves of heartbeat and blood pressure.

The Communications Officer Harry Childs was busy with his head inside a cabinet full of wires and circuit boards trying to finalise the link up with the satellites and Starlight One. He cursed occasionally as he caught his finger on a live wire, the smell of burning flesh filling his senses. Safron was close by linked up to the systems providing data reboots and charging her own batteries at the same time.

Captain West and Senior officer Shelly Kirby were seated in the small eating area discussing their next move, Shelly with a mouthful of dried fruit as the Captain spoke. "We need to understand exactly what all this shit means." He popped a small piece of cake into his mouth. "Until that...whatever it is...wakes up I am at a loss..."

"He is human...I mean in form." Shelly added.

"The doc has scanned and re-scanned, some slight difference to size of heart and position, lung capacity is smaller and an unknown blood type but essentially yes...he is kind of human." The Captain grabbed another small amount of cake playing with it between his fingers, he sighed.

"Kind of?" She frowned.

"His DNA is different, doesn't match ours, its close but not close enough." He looked at his cake crumbling in his fingers.

"Wow..." she nearly choked on the dried apple, "...I get what you mean by almost human."

Cade looked at her as he popped some cake into his mouth. "The big question is," he mumbled with cake swirling around his tongue, "why was he locked in that canister and where is everyone else...?"

Captain Carmichael slowly walked into the room, she looked tired, her eyes dark and sunken, she coughed as she entered, smiling at the two sitting down.

Shelly got up and pulled up a chair, "you should be in your bed resting."

"This is not the time to rest." Captain Carmichael slowly sat herself down. "Now what are we to do with our new guest?"

                                                                                   ••••

Aboard Starlight One Tom Kane was standing over a console, the 3D image of the planet they were now orbiting spinning then stopped where a red flashing light was slowly pulsating. "So this signal just popped up out of nowhere?"

The officer nodded her head.

"Can we zoom in." He asked walking around the console.

The officer touched the image and with both hands pushing outwards expanded the picture, the pulsating red light now more centralised.

"That's the same location as the base...where the Captain is right now." He stared at the officer. "Check it's not a malfunction of any of their equipment, and run a standard diagnostic on ours."