Chapter 2- Somewhere out here

"What do you think is out there", Pilot Greg Bird asked Alan. He looked nervous Alan noted. It was like rewinding history, and starting the first steps into exploring their own galaxy. There had been times when some people had believed aliens dwelled on the moon, and on the other planets. Now they were the aliens. He hoped there was not other life out there that would object to their presence. All the other pilots were probably having similar thoughts. It was better if they just concentrated on finding supplies. "Space", he replied drolly, "the same as in our galaxy". "We all know and understand the science of space, and what life needs to exist." So don't start imagining all sorts of horrors". We have a job to do. Each Eagle will chose a direction. We will keep a navigational fix upon the moon. To begin with we will explore for a total of eight hours each. Continue to report your findings".

Alan thought that was all he needed to say. Nobody asked any questions. That was a good thing. He could feel the burden that weighed upon them all. If they did not find anything, would the 'blame game begin. When the resources on the Moonbase started to dwindle and stress rates grew even higher people might turn upon each other. They would probably start with him. Because he was one of the younger department heads. When Simmons had been in charge of the base, he'd told him quite bluntly, that a more senior officer would soon be replacing him. That fact was on record. Alan felt very vulnerable. He sighed heavily, "life is not fair old girl", he stated. He was talking to the Eagle.

Everyone had a different method of coping with being in space for long periods of time. There had been many people on Earth who thought that exploring in space was "super exciting". He was sure these were the type of people that believed all those Sci fi shows were real. Life in space was not like that. It could be tedious, and downright boring. He likened the effects to driving in the rain. It started to blur your eyes, then your mind. If some of the others could hear him now, talking to his ship, they'd really think he should be given desk duty for awhile. He was not going to stop conversing though because it felt completely normal. Besides there was no co pilot in his ship, so he had to talk to something." So old girl, do you think we are going to find anything out here", he said. He grinned to himself, "I'd like to find a roast dinner , and then some nice cake".

There was not much chance of finding either of those. In fact there seemed to be a whole lot of 'nothing' out here. None of the other pilots had detected any signs of planets, asteroids or anything else. It was going to be a long day.

Four hours later nothing had changed. He was beginning to feel fatigued. "Well old girl, there's no sign of a roast or cake". But I suppose I did not expect those. But I really wish I could find something out here". The Eagle of course said nothing. His communication system did though. It buzzed loudly, almost making him jump in fright.

"This is Eagle 5 reporting a problem", came the gravelly voice of Pilot Greer Newland. Alan felt his anxiety go back into overdrive. "What type of problem", he asked. "One of the engines keeps losing power", came the reply. "Head back to base immediately ", Alan ordered. "Affirmative", Greer stated nervously.

" I will set a rendezvous course with your ship Greer", Alan added. He would only be able to get into visual range of the craft. Thus he would not be able to offer any assistance. That was the dangerous part of their mission, they were letting 'safe practice slide so they could cover a wider range. An Eagle could fly on only one engine, but it made controlling the craft extremely difficult. He knew the pilot was perfectly capable of getting the ship back to the Moonbase. Yet he had to ask himself why the engine was malfunctioning. The Eagles were thoroughly checked before each launch with standards that were designed to detect even minute problems. So the error should not be a mechanical one.

What else did that leave? Alan did not like to speculate. He just hoped that this galaxy did not have a toxic effect upon Eagles. "Don't you develop any problems", he told his own ship seriously. Then he patted the console of his Eagle, just like it was a dog that needed soothing. "I am going to have to push you hard old girl", he remarked. Alan knew how to do this safely, and also in ways that would probably terrify other pilots. Today he was going with 'playing it safe.

It took him 90 minutes at full power to get Eagle 5 within his visual range. Even though the craft was just a small shape in the distance Alan was still aware of it's unusual flight pattern. The ship would almost freeze still at times, then suddenly catapult forward in a series of rapid jerks. Greer would no doubt be feeling very nauseous . "Report Eagle 5, he requested.

"According to my diagnostic there is nothing wrong with this ship. Yet the flaming engine is acting like it's sleeping one minute, and drunk the next. Ooh shit", Greer blurted out harshly.

Alan could hear panic in that statement. "What?", he demanded. "Now the other engine is doing the same", Greer replied. "I hope I am going to make it back to base".

"You will make it back Greer. So don't talk like that", Alan told him firmly. He knew that thoughts of despair while flying were dangerous. They slowed your reaction time and could lead to even more issues. He kept his own voice calm and even as he instructed. "Reduce the power as much a possible." It was really the only thing he could advise. They could not make any repairs while in space.

Alan's eyes began to ache from the strain of being focused upon Eagle 5's every movement. "Please make it back to base", he willed the other Eagle. He felt a little bit like a referee watching a bad performance, and waiting desperately for the game to end. Luckily nothing terrible had happened, like the failure of both engines.

Slowly ,and painfully ,like an injured bird Eagle 5 limped back into range of Moonbase Alpha. Greer declared an emergency.

"Stand by for instructions Eagle 5 ", John replied.

John rubbed his hands together nervously. That there had been a problem on their very first day exploring this new galaxy was extremely worrying. There was at this stage nothing to tell him what was wrong with Eagle 5. He had to take precautions to ensure the continued safely of the base and the Eagles. So it was better that he went with an extreme reaction, rather than being complacent. "Greer, I am going to initiate an isolation procedure. You will land Eagle 5 in a secure landing bay, separate from all other craft. There it will be thoroughly screened". John paused. "We are going to have to isolate you as well Greer, just as a precaution. I'll send Doctor Russell down to you, outfitted in a hazard suit. She will give you a full medical".

"Very well sir", Greer replied nervously. He managed a bumpy landing, and then sat stiffly awaiting the medical personal.

They came on board about 15 minutes later. Outfitted in their hazard suits the doctors looked more like machines than human. Greer found himself almost verging on panic as he stared at them.

"It's alright Greer, just stay calm", Helena soothed. She noted that apart from his obvious anxiety, Greer looked healthy. Although that was a good sign, she knew that things could change rapidly. "Right we are going to get you onto a stretcher, then enclose you in the isolating screens. We will then transport you to medical ."

Helena took her time preparing him. The first part of this was the most discomforting, stripping him off. His uniform would need to be screened, and then incinerated. She had a special outfit all ready for him to wear. It was designed to allow them easy access to his body. All the monitors would be hooked up, and would take detailed readings throughout his period of isolation.

The Eagle would also be analysed.

She was sure they would find any issues quickly, and deal with them.

Greer tried hard to fight off the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. He was used to being staunch, and not letting any sign of emotion slip out. But everything they had endured was having a heavy toll. He had not reacted to the fact that he would not get to go home to his wife. For him the assignment to the moonbase had only been a temporary one, for six months. Then he was going to be relocated permanently to Earth. Everything he'd planned for the future, would now never happen.

He felt Helena Russell slip her gloved hand into his own. She must have seen the cracks appearing in his emotional shield. He clung to her hand and prepared himself for the medical onslaught that was about to commence.

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Alan had no idea what was happening back upon the Moonbase. They were too busy focused upon their analysis to give him updates. Though if the situation did become critical he would be notified. That was the call he did not want to receive. The journey back to base now seemed longer than normal.

There was at least some positive news, Eagle 5 had made it back to base and no other ships had reported any issues.

He was soon in range for landing and awaited his instructions. What they told him would also give him an indication about what had happened to Eagle 5 and Greer.

"Alan you are cleared for landing". "The Commander instructs that you can land as normal. No extra precautions are necessary", he was told. "Report to the Commander for debriefing".

Alan leapt put of the pilots seat as soon as he touched his Eagle down. He did not acknowledge anyone around him as he rushed to the Commanders office. He had decided that the news could not be too dire, as he had not been ordered into isolation. However when he found Doctor Russell sitting in the Commander's office, anxiety returned.

Alan sat in the chair closest to the Commander. He stared John in the face trying to read his expression. John had his professional mask on though. He decided not to wait for John to speak first, prompting a conversation with one word ."So?", he asked.

John noted that Alan's voice shook a little. He looked tired. "I'll let Doctor Russell give her report first", John replied.

Helena reached over and gave Alan's hand a reassuring pat. She knew was he still recovering from seeing pilots die during the meta virus crisis and was hoping that the same thing was not going to happen again. She kept her hand upon his as she told him. "I have made my initial assessment of Greer ,and did not detect any issues. We are continuing to monitor him, and all his vital signs are remaining within normal parameters.

Alan , could still he feel the tension in his muscles. While the news was positive ,he knew that Greer could still suddenly deteriorate . "Things could change though", he said softly. Helena gave him a reassuring smile, 'this problem seems to move swiftly", she replied. "Thus I can assume we would already be seeing some changes in his vital signs". Alan frowned at that, "how'd you know this problem moves swiftly", he asked

His reply was Helena Russell taking a rather long assessing look at Commander John Koenig.

This time when John looked into his eyes he could see the worry. "What's happened?", Alan asked shakily.

John activated his screen. "We started out scanning Eagle 5's engine, he stated. "This is what we found". He showed Alan a picture of the inside of the engine.

Alan stared at the image, it looked blurred. He was about to complain about the quality of the picture, when he realized he was looking at the problem. The engine was covered with white blotches. "What is that?", he asked.

"We have no idea?", John stated. "Medical monitors do not detect any signs of life. "So we tried to take a sample and this is what happened to the tool", he showed Alan a picture of a melted instrument.

"But the engine does not look melted, so that white mass, must have a different effect upon the components", he remarked.

"Yes we did think of that as a possibility. However when we decided to take the direct approach and attach a medical monitor to the engine, that monitor was completely fried. So Victor believes the whatever it is has a defensive response triggered by being tampered with or removed. If that is the case, then it could cause serious damage to the Eagle if we continue to try to intervene", John told him.

That was not good news at all. "Then is it a life form of some sort. Surely you have tried other means of removing the thing" , Alan asked . He could feel tiredness settle upon him heavily.

John heard a little bit of anger creep into Alan's voice. He did not take offense. "Of course we have tried other things Alan. We tried all forms of communication that we know. But perhaps that's the problem. This whatever it is, does not correlate to any known thing in our galaxy. Thus we are dealing with an unknown."

"I have to be aware of the risk, posed by continuing to analyse this thing. So far only one Eagle is infected. This substance seems to only be attracted to Eagles. We do not want that to change and any of the machines or people on this base to become a target"." Thus I have decided to continue to isolate Eagle 5 and keep the ship under observation. We now have to avoid the same thing happening to the other ships".

Since we are not seeing any signs of the other ships being infected the problem might be related to the area of space Eagle 5 investigated. If we factor out that section, we may not encounter any other problems".

All that information washed over Alan. He recognised the precarious situation they were facing. The Commander was being cautious, and that was a wise thing to be. Yet he hated to lose even one Eagle. So his response was to almost snap "Are we going to give up trying to remove that whatever it is?, he challenged.

"No of course we won't give up. Further study of the Eagle may provide more answers. We can't afford to make the wrong decisions, and end up with a worse situation", John replied.

Alan felt himself flop forward, as fatigue hit harder. "I know", he told the Commander. "So what next?"

"We will continue to explore this Galaxy,", John continued. "Alan, go and have a meal, then get some sleep". You will not be flying another Eagle for 8 hours".

"Yes sir", Alan acknowledged . He slowly stood up and walked out of the office.

Helena watched him with an appraising glance. "He is like most of us, still processing the loss of Earth. Dealing with even more crisis so soon after that event is going to have a heavy toll".

"Yes, I agree. But we can't change the fact that problems will occur." I wish I could guarantee that further life won't be lost. But I can't because life in space has always been dangerous. We just believed we could predict, and then deal with anything that hit us. Now we are finding out that all of our knowledge and experience, does not always give us the answers." John sighed. "We just have to do the best we can".

Helena reached out and took his hand .She did not say anything further, just holding on to him and letting warmth wash over them. They could in this moment almost believe everything was normal.

"You should get some sleep as well John", Helena finally told him.

John nodded in agreement. "You as well", he told her. He paused for a minute, "perhaps some time we could have dinner together", he asked. John gaped at his own words. Why had he just said that. Doctor Helena Russell was probably going to laugh at him,

Helena was surprised. She found warm flooding her. Was she blushing? She hoped not. All he is asking for is dinner, she told herself firmly. The base Commander and the head of medical could have dinner together. It was just part of the job.

But when she studied his gaze further, she decided it was more than just two colleagues having a meal.

"Umm", now that was really not the response she intended.

John looked down. He mentally kicked himself for making a silly move at a totally inappropriate time. It had happened because he was attracted, to not only her warmth, empathy, and strength but also her physical appearance. He should just put those feelings aside. "Sorry", he said rapidly. He awaited her rebuke.

Helena should just accept his apology and forget this moment ever happened. Why?, another part of her demanded. Admit that you are intrigued by him. Get to know him as more than just a colleague. She had to make a decision about what she would say next. It should be no because any relationship with the Commander was bound to be difficult. So she made ready to deny him. Yet, "yes I would like to have dinner with you some time", slipped out of her mouth. She gave his hand another squeeze.

Then she got to see a truly beautiful smile light up John Koenig's face. "Good", he told her. "Now let's both get some rest".

Helena was smiling as she exited his office.

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John had taken another 30 minutes to finish up his remaining tasks before he left the base in the capable hands of the next shift. He retired to his cabin, where he fell into a restless sleep.

In his dreams all he was doing was running. He could not see anything chasing him. Yet he felt terror and darkness all around him, When he stopped for breath, dark shadows closed in on him, and he felt all his breath being sucked away. "John", "John, the darkness taunted him. He began to run again, faster than before. The shadows kept coming, and their voices got louder, '"John, John, Commander Koenig, Commander Koenig. Answer us. Answer us now!"

He snapped awake. His body was covering in sweat. All his bedding was slightly damp and clammy. He was still panting. That had been an awful nightmare. "Commander Koenig", he actually gave a small yell of fright and looked for the shadows. "Commander Koenig", the shadows sounded like Paul Morrow, he realised. The voices he'd heard in the dream were actually just the communication system.

He hurried to answer the call. "What is it Paul?"

"Sir, three more Eagles are experiencing difficulties, Paul responded.

John felt a sudden chill. "I'll be right there", he stated. He hurriedly dressed and raced to central operations.

There was a heavy feeling of trepidation in all the people around him. "What issues are the Eagles reporting", he asked.

"Eagle's eleven and seven have engine difficulties, just like Eagle 5. They are experiencing unpredictable changes in engine power. Both those Eagles should make it back to base within 3 hours", Paul stated.

John had a feeling something worse was coming. "You said there were three Eagles in trouble", he prompted.

"The third Eagle, just had every system lose power. It's now drifting. We will have to retrieve that Eagle before the oxygen supply runs out", Alan Carter told him gruffly.

Alan did not look refreshed. He'd obviously also been awakened from his sleep.

"Alright, so what are our options", John asked.

"Eagle 2 is the closest. So I have ordered the pilot to assist", Alan reported.

He felt very helpless. Normally he could bring the Eagle back by using the remote control function, that could be operated from the base. However that would only work if the engines were functional.

Alan had every fact about Eagles stored in his brain. This information had been used many times in emergency situations to help save pilots and ships. However now all those facts were telling him that Eagle 2 only had an a small chance of rescuing Eagle three.

He did not have to tell the Commander the odds either. Because he knew. But he would have to tell him the other piece of news.

"We've also had an update on Eagle five", Alan said gravely. His tone would have told the Commander that this was not good news. He activated the large screen.

John stared. There was no sign of Eagle Five. Instead all he saw was what looked like a giant white cocoon.

"We have tried cutting through that with the same tools we use for rock. The blade shattered as soon as it hit that casing. It did not even make a small dent", Paul reported. "So we decided to try fire." He swallowed. "It was not a good idea. The fire hit the surface of that casing and bounced off. We were lucky that our protective gear saved us from serious injury".

"Commander I am sorry to say this. But I don't think we can save Eagle 5', Paul stated.

Now that statement carried with it ,something even worse than the loss of one Eagle. Because if the others were also infected by the same thing, then they too were going to end up the same way.

As yet they had no way of stopping that process.