Prometheus: Afterburn

"Frigid Cold"

Author's note: Prometheus: Afterburn2, chapter 25(twenty-five). Elizabeth Shaw examines her relationship with God. David8 attempts to do something good, that turns out not so, and the crew aboard the Gylor locate Greys Sparrow. There could be surprises ahead?

David 8, I entirely appreciate your comments!

*************************** Frigid Cold *******************************

Elizabeth Shaw sat up in her bunk and stretched her arms. She rubbed her fingers across her eyes in the hopes of dislodging any sleep that may have gathered in the corners, she also noticed a slight chill to the air in her cabin….that was something in which the scientist was not used to. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and rubbed, hoping to stimulate a little warmer blood flow through her body. The thought ran through her mind, what was David doing?

The idea came to her, once she dressed, and had breakfast, she'd head up to the bridge and find the android. There had to be an explanation, a reason why the Gylor's heating system wasn't working properly? She looked around the room, her mind then shifted to other things. She focused on her cabins décor…

Not much to see she thought, hardly any furniture, just a bunk to sleep in, also, a cabinet containing her cloths (or Meredith Vickers' rather) and four pale colored walls with nary a landscape painting or shelf of figurines to decorate them. There was a picture however, a photograph of her father. Small and framed it was mounted on the wall directly across from her. It showed him with a smile, and holding a religious artifact he's dug up in West Africa on a mission.

Elizabeth's eyes began to pool; memories began to flood into her conscious. Those were the days… she remembered, a time when a young girl believed that the most prominent man in her life, for the moment, knew the answers to everything. She studied the photograph for a while; she reached up and grasped the crucifix hanging around her neck.

"Dad, things were so much simpler then, why did you leave me at a time when I needed you most?"

She sat there waiting for a response, a feeling of something! Maybe a noticeable change of vibration in the ship's propulsion system, or creak in the Gylor's structure, a groan that spoke of the craft's metallic bulk flexing to the stresses of the cosmic void that surrounded it. Something to indicate that her father had heard her, that she wasn't just speaking words into a room full of nothingness…. Was that too much to ask of God? Was it so difficult for the divinity that she had worshiped all her life to allow her father to let her know that he was still there, that he was listening? Elizabeth released the crucifix and let it fall back to her chest. She arose and began dressing for the new day.

*********************** Cold Breakfast **************************

For the moment Elizabeth postponed breakfast. The rest of the ship was considerably colder than her cabin. She decided to investigate, she ventured up to the bridge found David8 in the cock-pit at the pilot controls, as usual. There were questions on her mind that….when the robot saw her, he knew she wanted answers to.

"Sorry my sleeping queen….," the android spoke, attempting to make light of the situation before the archeologist had a chance to rain down her discomfort, "….the heating system isn't up to full function ability."

Elizabeth, without speaking, tilted her head back and exhaled a breath of frosty air, "No kidding," she said, and then just looked at him.

"I got rid of the organic pods…." The robot sought to show something positive he'd done while she slept… something to compensate for the cold temperatures which were now found inside the vessel. This informed Elizabeth that he was responsible for the frigid air which now flowed through the ship. David continued…

"…Yes, I put them in a container and launched them towards Gliese 581, the Red Dwarf which is the dominant sun in this section of the cosmos. The container should burn up into a molten slag of nothingness well before it reaches the surface. There should be nothing left of the dark goo in those pods," he paused for a moment before owning up to his guilt….

"….but, I'm afraid that the launch hatches which were opened to ferry the container towards Gliese 581 did not return to their properly sealed positions. Both the outside launch hatch, and the inside seal-door as well, they are both jammed. They're allowing the frigid atmosphere of space to chill the oxygen return cavity and slowly cool the ship. I've streamed all the vent-gasses from the Ion drive to the O2 temperature reservoir in an attempt to heat the air up a bit, but I'm afraid the air in the craft will become increasingly colder until repairs can be made….and that may consist of repairs being made to both the outside hatch as well the inside. We may need to land on Greys Sparrow, for our own safely as well as the rescue of those persons who made the distress call."

The robot's attempt to avert Elizabeth's attention from his involvement in the deed worked. She looked down at the controls….

"Save the tech talk David, how far are we away from Greys Sparrow?"

"Less than a day," the android responded, "nine hours and we should have them sighted within our front panel."

"Any more communication with the moon, "she questioned.

"A little, but its sporadic," the robot responded, "seems they're having trouble with their transponder code."

"Keep trying to raise them," the scientist told the robot, "…and notify me if they respond, or if we arrive before I return, whichever comes first. I'm going to the galley to get a little breakfast, a cold one."

*********************** Greys Sparrow**************************

Seven hours, they had made better time reaching the orbit of Greys Sparrow then Elizabeth had hoped for. Maybe the talk she'd had with David8 earlier had given him a little incentive to increase their speed and get to the moon to make repairs. Actually she couldn't put full blame on the robot, sending out the container filled with the bio-goo had been part of their plan. He had only been trying to accomplish an important part of their mission, one that would benefit the safety of the human race, even if humanity was not aware of it. Still, the fact was that she would freeze to death before he would, androids were built to function in extreme environments, and it's what led to their more involved use in space in the first place.

Keeping the bio-pods away from Weyland, and the military, so close in proximity to Earth had been a good thing. However, killing themselves in the process would not be. David had been trying to communicate with the moon which now appeared in the pilot's window, but there had been no response to his broadcast.

"There it is Commander…," the android spoke to the woman standing next to his chair, "Greys Sparrow. Lifeless looking hunk of rock isn't it. There seems to be no atmosphere on the surface, and no sign of a base or colony. The sunlit side of the moon could reach temperatures up to 200 degrees-Fahrenheit, while the dark side could get as low as minus, 250-F. Looks as if our pilgrims have chosen the frigid cold side, rather than the sipping martinis on a beach side," David smiled at his Commander.

Elizabeth was glad to have had David8 with her on her adventure to LV-223. Sure she had saved him, but he had also saved her, in more ways than one. Elizabeth thought about her journey, in her estimation it had been five years or better since Prometheus had exited Earth's atmosphere, and it seemed that it would take longer before they could return. Thinking of that was depressing, but Elizabeth also knew that there was not an abundance of family and friends waiting for her on earth. Charlie Holloway and a rather small intimate group of individuals had been her buddies, her comrades. More than likely some of those folk were now in some deep, damp hole in the ground or some ancient cave still looking at our ancestors' wall drawing. Elizabeth desired to tell them that they were wasting their time; the engineers on LV-223 were no less barbaric than the ancient sons of earth. She looked over at the robot, maybe he was the future of the cosmos? Maybe his desire to become more human, like her, should be replaced with her desire to become more like him? Maybe that was the secret to Weyland's success, although he presented a good front, he was actually an emotionless beast without a heart? David continued with his analysis of the small moon….

"Let's hope there's something in the temperate-zone," the robot said, Elizabeth agreed. She told him..,

"I'll do a more complete scan over at the gravity detector, while you try another transmission."

"Roger that Commander," David said, he again began to transmit another signal down to the little world, then in a matter of ten seconds they were both nearly knocked over when they received a response.

"Yes! We're here, we need assistance!"

David signaled back…

"Affirm that Sparrow, this is the Gylor, Sergeant Thorn speaking (he remained in character) what is your emergency and position?"

The return signal was broken and choppy, but the couple of the Gylor were able to understand that the group on the small world was losing O2, they were low on medical supplies, and also, and there were individuals in their crew that may need extended attention.

"Roger that," David replied, "boost your signal and transmit a laser beacon so that we may track you. Then we'll await docking instruction, we're here to help."

In no time there was a beam of light which emitted from the moon's surface just opposite a hill range in the increasing darkness of the little world, yet still within the glow of the sunlit side. David8 made for that signal. When the Gylor arrived they found two enormous shafts, each protected by two gigantic doors. The signal beam was coming from a shaft with open doors. The robot was instructed that this was where he was to dock.

The android positioned the craft over the hole, and as the Gylor hovered, David and Elizabeth could see the interior of a vast chamber, large enough to hold the entirety of the craft they were in. This was the landing portal; David was instructed to lower the vessel inside. The android preformed this task with no difficulty. Once hard-dock was made the crew of the Gylor were quested to remain inside while the chamber pressurized. This took thirteen minutes, at the end of which two men emerged from a side portal. Elizabeth David and Sergeant Thorn went out to meet them.

"Hello and thank you. I am Lieutenant Commander Anthony Fish, and this is my Security Chief, Sergeant Becker Hardt, welcome to Greys Sparrow."

END PART 25