My Universe (mxm)

Chapter 10. Dragon Eye

   I've been sitting in the enormous captain's chair and sipping high protein, strawberry flavored smoothies the whole day. Not the most entertaining thing to do, but there are no other alternatives at this point. I sigh deeply and squint at the atomic clock, mounted on the armrest. It's eight p.m. I was supposed to be home long time ago. Who would have thought that an alien invasion would be the most boring thing in the world? I pout and spitefully slurp through the straw.

   It was exciting in the beginning. I was only gazing with gaping mouth out of the windshield's five panes of thick, metallic glass at first, waiting for something to happen. It would be an understatement to say that I got chills every few seconds. I am trained to suppress fear effectively and remain calm even in the most dangerous situations, but just couldn't stop wondering what they might be. God knows what is hiding behind the shiny, black surface. There is no guarantee these things are well-intentioned. What if this is the first stage of a planned conquest of Earth and the other planetary colonies? What if the creatures behind it are vicious and terrifying? I stopped this train of thoughts pretty quickly. It was highly unprofessional. I couldn't allow myself to panic. I had to simply do my job.

   I started with detailed research and measurements, scanned every single sphere and looked from all sides under the highest possible magnification. I found absolutely nothing besides the fact that they were completely identical, sixteen feet in diameter each, same onyx color and as smooth as an icicle. I found no dents, cracks, discolorations, traces of hatches, engines or devices of any kind. I detected no communication signals of any type being emitted, no temperature fluctuation or radiation, no shifting in position against the ship or change of speed. Nothing.

   The weirdest thing is that the spheres do not even bend spacetime. With the sophisticated, modern technology which made intergalactic flights possible, the mass-energy, momentum, pressure and stress, created by the spacecrafts are redirected in such a way that they barely curve the matter. Still, there is a minor distortion, leading to few hours loss per year. The curvature I calculated in this case was zero. If I didn't see those objects, I'd say they weren't there, space ghosts, existing beyond reality. 

   When I did everything I could think of, I finally had to give up and found myself in my current position. Well, I might have stuck my tongue out at the bastards and showed a few friendly gestures from Earth, involving one or more fingers. Couldn't help it. I reported everything to Admiral Mbabazi, except that last part. I know he won't miss it on the recordings and I'm sure he won't approve it either, but I can handle a little scolding for the sake of my equanimity.

   And now I'm bored.

   "Captain," Aurora's voice breaks the silence. "Incoming call from the Commander-in-chief."

   "Are you holding on, my boy?" he asks cheerfully. "I have a good news for you. A slight change in plans."

   I am not thrilled. Schedule changes during long interstellar flights are rarely for better.

   "Why?" I mutter suspiciously. "You don't like having my new friends anywhere near Dragon Eye Bay?"

   Despite my general unwillingness to socialize, I want to be there on time. It is my favorite harbor, the oldest human colony outside Earth, built on a small exoplanet, in a triple star systems, and one of the most stunning places in existence. 

   Its enormous moon is visible in the sky all the time, resembling the eye of a huge beast, overlooking the steep cliffs and rugged planes, surrounded by the endless, raging ocean. Dragon Eye is a hostile world, with no oxygen in the poisonous atmosphere, hot as hell, unable and unwilling to sustain life, but that does not make it less beautiful. Half of the planet's surface is occupied by turbulent water and the other half consists of a rocky desert, scorched by the three merciless suns.