Callisto

1.1

Time becomes a lucid concept in space. As trainees, the first thing we are taught as space recruits is only to trust your biological clock, as there will be no sunrises to wake you up, no sunsets to remind you to be prepared for the darkness about to fall. The statement itself is true, yes; But it is solely depending on the point of view of the observer. Where I last closed my eyes on earth before the mission initiated and then opened them today, not much time had passed but for my second in command standing in front of me, it was a whole different tale. According to her, The damage to my suit had affected me more than they had anticipated, but the medical team was successful in stabilizing my vitals for the time being. Thus I was moved off the ship and onto the first surface basecamp in hopes that I would gain consciousness soon and hold back my command. It had been over 5 years since then.

Five years I've been in that godforsaken sleep. Five years I've let Lieutenant Sybil hold the reins in my stead and bear the burden that comes with it. Why was I left useless for such a time when 9 of my men died instantly to the same fate? See, this is the paradox of space, where it had been mere moments since I last dismissed Sybil to her suit on the ship, when on Earth, meanwhile, it had been an eternity for her and my crew, who watched me afloat in suspended animation on an uncharted moon surface like some warning into the unknown.

Unknown. That was the whole reason we were there in the first place, wasn't it? The Foundation couldn't let something unknown roam above their heads, and it was the unknown that had scheduled and locked my fate to this planet. So close by distance, yet I was a couple of years late or lost to the same objective.

"What did we find out about the targeted structure we were designated to explore and observe?" I asked Sybil, the next direct question to break the cycle of regret from taking over my thinking process as a whole.

"Briefing you on that matter should have to hold for the time being, sir. You are still weak and phased by the entire ordeal, and it is better suggested that you take this time to rest and recover," Sybil said. "I need to take care of a few details down at the communication lab, and now that you are awake, our men would like to hear from you soon." Her comlink beeped as she excused herself from the room but stopped near the door. "Lieutenant Jeder will be here soon to help you get in gear," she added and left the room.

I wanted to ask when Jeder made it to Callisto, but then I realized one detail I'll have to digest soon - "five years." Lieutenant Jeder, or Crossbow as we knew him on the Foundation training grounds, was a ground associate of MTF Rho 19 but seems like he proved himself in the time I was sleeping. I gathered some strength and stood up from the bed, with my legs still shaky, but I managed to walk to the nearby window. Looking out, the scenario was not what I had planned for.

The close atmosphere dome was built around the entire site, and at the end of the facilities, a huge metal door was visible, clearly out of place between the rest of the things around it. It must be the entry point to the unspecified structure we were sent to study. There was not one, but four field generators in sight, pointing towards the huge power intake for the entire facility rather than just focusing on gravity augmentation.

The base was set up in the standard circular fashion following the dome walls, leaving plenty of open space in the middle for excavation and monitoring equipment. There were science personnel working around it with parameter radars in check, while MTF guards circled the compound; there seemed to be already more people than there were on our original run to this barren moon. Must be 3 to 4 companies with heavier equipment to build a dome of such a radius.

Looking at the ceiling of the dome, artificial lights were on the 'Sun setting,' meaning the moon's orbit was behind the planet when actual sunlight was scarce. My mind was observing and digesting the new environment I had woken up in when Lieutenant Jeder walked in and stood on alert upon seeing me already out of bed.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Captain," he said with a hint of relief in his voice. He seemed to have obtained some muscle mass in my absence, still, I stood taller than him.

"At ease, soldier. I'm glad to see you breathing and making it this far as well," I said, feeling the air in my lungs feeling heavy, "Maybe it would be wise to get me in my gear? If you will help me with that old friend?" I said, leaning against the window as my legs started to feel the tension in them fading.

Jeder moved to get me attired in my MTF Exo suit, which might make my physical movements a little bit easier, yet I was more worried about the challenges that awaited me once I walk out of the med bay. The expedition on Callisto had taken an unexpected turn, and I knew that my leadership and experience would be put to the test in unforeseen ways. Little did I know that the mysteries of Callisto and the unknown edifice would lead us to a journey that would challenge everything we knew about the universe and our place in it. Fate had a lot in store for me, and I was ready to face whatever lay ahead, even if it meant encountering the unknown and the enigmatic forces that waited for us on the distant moon.