Chapter 2
2033 9:30 pm Standard Earth Time Europa Research Stations Jupiter Moon of Europa
"Twenty seconds to landing Professor," said the lab assistant. "Good, when the probe lands, make sure control has transferred operations to us and begin the drilling procedure," replied Professor Davidson. This mission was continuing without a problem. Davidson had been on the ERS for over a year, preparing for this mission; the first mission to drill under the ice sheets of Europa. Everyone on the mission hoped that the probe might find life in the waters under the ice. The possibility was exhilarating.
"Five seconds sir," the lab assistant said interrupting the Professors thoughts. "4...3...2...1...touchdown. The probe has landed safely and has anchored itself to the ice. All systems are green."
"Excellent," replied the Professor, "Now deploy the nuclear drill."
"Yes sir. Drill deployed. Estimated time till the drill breaks through the ice is eight hours."
"Perfect," answered Davidson. He walked up to the front of the control room and addressed everyone in the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations on a successful landing. You may now all take a break and get some sleep. Early in the morning everyone needs to be here so we may start the next phase of the mission.
**********************************************************************
Surface of Europa
The distant sun glinted off the smooth surface of the moon of ice. The planet Jupiter hanging on the horizon, its size dwarfing the small moon. The probe sat on one of the thinnest parts of the ice sheet. Claws deployed from the landing legs held it in place and kept it from sliding on the ice. The probe continued it's drilling for three hours, the nuclear core of the probe heating the drill and keeping the probes systems from freezing. The probe kept up the methodical job of drilling until the drill broke through the ice with a loud crack and a bright flash of light. At this unexpected thinness, the probe stopped the drill, sent a signal to the ERS and waited.
*********************************************************************
Europa Station
Professor Davidson's sleep was broken by the sound of alarms going of. Alarms that meant something happened with the probe. Davidson leaped from his bed, grabbing his robe as he left his quarters. As he went down the corridor he glanced up at a clock on the wall. It said 12:45. He had set the ETA time himself; there was no way that the probe could have broken through already. Coming into the control room he saw that almost everyone was up and rushing around trying to figure out what was going on.
"Does the probe camera show anything!?" shouted Davidson. "No, there was a bright flash and an energy spike just before the camera went out. Now there is just static," replied the probe's system engineer.
"Is the probe still functioning?" asked Davidson as he walked up to the engineer's station.
"As far as we know, yes, the probe is still functioning. The signal that came back was asking what to do now. Should I launch the minisub professor?"
Davidson thought for a moment. Maybe there was a mistake in the calculations of the ice thickness, or maybe it's density. "Launch the minisub. Lets just hope this was a good stroke of luck and not something bad. Send a message to Earth that the calculated thickness of the ice was wrong and we are starting phase two early. Also, check to make sure that the minisub's camera was unaffected."
"Yes sir, all minisub systems are operational. Beginning launch procedure." Down on the surface the probe began to retract the drill. When the drill was fully retracted a tube next to the drill port extended into the ice. When the tube entered the water, a small nuclear powered sub launched from within the probe, moving into the tube and coming out the open end into the water.
"The minisub is in the water, now powering up the camera. Getting visual now." The large collection of screens at the front of the control room all formed into the image a dark blue, planet wide, alien ocean. As the probe continued it's decent, the faint glow of volcanic activity could be seen. Every person in the control room had their eyes set on the large monitor. They were the first humans to set eyes on this alien ecosystem. All around the volcanic vents, animals swam about in vast schools. There were fishlike creatures that had lights running up and down their bodies. Weird looking tubes, similar to the tubeworms on Earth but covered in hard crustacean like shells sat near the vents taking in the toxic gases and bacteria. "This is the greatest moment of our careers. This proves there is other life in the solar system," said Davidson in a voice of awe.
"What was that?" said one of the assistants.
"What was what?" replied Davidson.
"I saw a large dark shape move into then quickly out of the sub's light."
"Look all the animals have vanished," observed another assistants, and indeed they had. Every animal had either darted into a hole of swam off.
"There, turn to the right and angle up a little," said Davidson. As the probe moved into position, the entire crew saw two, red, glowing volcanic vents.
"Sir all that's there is two volcanic vents," said a technician.
"No, if they were then they would make the rock around them glow. Here there is just pitch black. They look more like...eyes. Just as Davidson finished that realization, the eyes vanished and the minisub camera went out. "Sir the minisub is gone. All read outs show it has been destroyed," exclaimed the engineer.
"Professor, the probe is reading another energy spike. It's rising," yelled an assistant." Davidson rushed to the probe's monitoring station. "Is the probe's video working again?"
"No, but we can power up the stations cameras"
"Do it."
"Yes Professor." The technician engaged the ERS's external camera system and trained it on the probe down on the surface.
"Sir the probe, i...it...it's gone."
"What, that can't be" Davidson replied. On the surface the remains of the probe were swallowed up in a sea of blackness. The evil essence spewed out of the small hole made by the drill. Three black heads rose up on writhing necks and looked up at the station with evil, red eyes. Dark Ghidorah sensed the power of the fusion reactor and leaped from the moon's surface toward the space station, its gaseous form elongating like an uncoiled snake. The monster crashed into the space station causing it to shudder. The control room shook violently throwing everyone to the floor. "Damage report," yelled Davidson.
"Professor, we're loosing power. That thing seems to be feeding on fusion energy."
"Bring the Masers online. Shoot the blasted thing off." The stations 10 maser cannons activated and locked onto the dark mass of Dark Ghidorah. Blue-white beams of energy hit the beast but it did not relent. It continued to suck the plasma from the fusion reactor. "Sir we're out of power. All reserves have been drained." The station grew dark and groans of protest from numerous bulkheads could be heard.
"Do we have enough power to send a message to Earth?" asked the Porfesser.
"Yes we do but it's only enough for one message."
"Send to them that the mission has been aborted due to kaiju interference. Also tell them it feeds on energy especially fusion energy. Warn them."
"Yes sir. Sending message now." At that moment the station shuddered again. Looking out the window, Davidson was greeted by the menacing face of the monster. Dark Ghidorah had let go and was now hovering just off the station's port side. It's heads let out loud cackles of glee for it had had its first meal in millions of years. The three heads reared back and bolts of dark energy erupted from its maws. The dark gravity light arced across the hull of the station, rupturing the hull. The station groaned in protest before it was grabbed by the massive gravity of Jupiter. It moved past Europa and entered the atmosphere of Jupiter. The intense gravity crushed the station and all of its occupants into a small ball and it continued to fall. Dark Ghidorah cackled again. It could now complete what it had started millions of years ago, the destruction of Earth.
2033 9:30 pm Standard Earth Time Europa Research Stations Jupiter Moon of Europa
"Twenty seconds to landing Professor," said the lab assistant. "Good, when the probe lands, make sure control has transferred operations to us and begin the drilling procedure," replied Professor Davidson. This mission was continuing without a problem. Davidson had been on the ERS for over a year, preparing for this mission; the first mission to drill under the ice sheets of Europa. Everyone on the mission hoped that the probe might find life in the waters under the ice. The possibility was exhilarating.
"Five seconds sir," the lab assistant said interrupting the Professors thoughts. "4...3...2...1...touchdown. The probe has landed safely and has anchored itself to the ice. All systems are green."
"Excellent," replied the Professor, "Now deploy the nuclear drill."
"Yes sir. Drill deployed. Estimated time till the drill breaks through the ice is eight hours."
"Perfect," answered Davidson. He walked up to the front of the control room and addressed everyone in the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations on a successful landing. You may now all take a break and get some sleep. Early in the morning everyone needs to be here so we may start the next phase of the mission.
**********************************************************************
Surface of Europa
The distant sun glinted off the smooth surface of the moon of ice. The planet Jupiter hanging on the horizon, its size dwarfing the small moon. The probe sat on one of the thinnest parts of the ice sheet. Claws deployed from the landing legs held it in place and kept it from sliding on the ice. The probe continued it's drilling for three hours, the nuclear core of the probe heating the drill and keeping the probes systems from freezing. The probe kept up the methodical job of drilling until the drill broke through the ice with a loud crack and a bright flash of light. At this unexpected thinness, the probe stopped the drill, sent a signal to the ERS and waited.
*********************************************************************
Europa Station
Professor Davidson's sleep was broken by the sound of alarms going of. Alarms that meant something happened with the probe. Davidson leaped from his bed, grabbing his robe as he left his quarters. As he went down the corridor he glanced up at a clock on the wall. It said 12:45. He had set the ETA time himself; there was no way that the probe could have broken through already. Coming into the control room he saw that almost everyone was up and rushing around trying to figure out what was going on.
"Does the probe camera show anything!?" shouted Davidson. "No, there was a bright flash and an energy spike just before the camera went out. Now there is just static," replied the probe's system engineer.
"Is the probe still functioning?" asked Davidson as he walked up to the engineer's station.
"As far as we know, yes, the probe is still functioning. The signal that came back was asking what to do now. Should I launch the minisub professor?"
Davidson thought for a moment. Maybe there was a mistake in the calculations of the ice thickness, or maybe it's density. "Launch the minisub. Lets just hope this was a good stroke of luck and not something bad. Send a message to Earth that the calculated thickness of the ice was wrong and we are starting phase two early. Also, check to make sure that the minisub's camera was unaffected."
"Yes sir, all minisub systems are operational. Beginning launch procedure." Down on the surface the probe began to retract the drill. When the drill was fully retracted a tube next to the drill port extended into the ice. When the tube entered the water, a small nuclear powered sub launched from within the probe, moving into the tube and coming out the open end into the water.
"The minisub is in the water, now powering up the camera. Getting visual now." The large collection of screens at the front of the control room all formed into the image a dark blue, planet wide, alien ocean. As the probe continued it's decent, the faint glow of volcanic activity could be seen. Every person in the control room had their eyes set on the large monitor. They were the first humans to set eyes on this alien ecosystem. All around the volcanic vents, animals swam about in vast schools. There were fishlike creatures that had lights running up and down their bodies. Weird looking tubes, similar to the tubeworms on Earth but covered in hard crustacean like shells sat near the vents taking in the toxic gases and bacteria. "This is the greatest moment of our careers. This proves there is other life in the solar system," said Davidson in a voice of awe.
"What was that?" said one of the assistants.
"What was what?" replied Davidson.
"I saw a large dark shape move into then quickly out of the sub's light."
"Look all the animals have vanished," observed another assistants, and indeed they had. Every animal had either darted into a hole of swam off.
"There, turn to the right and angle up a little," said Davidson. As the probe moved into position, the entire crew saw two, red, glowing volcanic vents.
"Sir all that's there is two volcanic vents," said a technician.
"No, if they were then they would make the rock around them glow. Here there is just pitch black. They look more like...eyes. Just as Davidson finished that realization, the eyes vanished and the minisub camera went out. "Sir the minisub is gone. All read outs show it has been destroyed," exclaimed the engineer.
"Professor, the probe is reading another energy spike. It's rising," yelled an assistant." Davidson rushed to the probe's monitoring station. "Is the probe's video working again?"
"No, but we can power up the stations cameras"
"Do it."
"Yes Professor." The technician engaged the ERS's external camera system and trained it on the probe down on the surface.
"Sir the probe, i...it...it's gone."
"What, that can't be" Davidson replied. On the surface the remains of the probe were swallowed up in a sea of blackness. The evil essence spewed out of the small hole made by the drill. Three black heads rose up on writhing necks and looked up at the station with evil, red eyes. Dark Ghidorah sensed the power of the fusion reactor and leaped from the moon's surface toward the space station, its gaseous form elongating like an uncoiled snake. The monster crashed into the space station causing it to shudder. The control room shook violently throwing everyone to the floor. "Damage report," yelled Davidson.
"Professor, we're loosing power. That thing seems to be feeding on fusion energy."
"Bring the Masers online. Shoot the blasted thing off." The stations 10 maser cannons activated and locked onto the dark mass of Dark Ghidorah. Blue-white beams of energy hit the beast but it did not relent. It continued to suck the plasma from the fusion reactor. "Sir we're out of power. All reserves have been drained." The station grew dark and groans of protest from numerous bulkheads could be heard.
"Do we have enough power to send a message to Earth?" asked the Porfesser.
"Yes we do but it's only enough for one message."
"Send to them that the mission has been aborted due to kaiju interference. Also tell them it feeds on energy especially fusion energy. Warn them."
"Yes sir. Sending message now." At that moment the station shuddered again. Looking out the window, Davidson was greeted by the menacing face of the monster. Dark Ghidorah had let go and was now hovering just off the station's port side. It's heads let out loud cackles of glee for it had had its first meal in millions of years. The three heads reared back and bolts of dark energy erupted from its maws. The dark gravity light arced across the hull of the station, rupturing the hull. The station groaned in protest before it was grabbed by the massive gravity of Jupiter. It moved past Europa and entered the atmosphere of Jupiter. The intense gravity crushed the station and all of its occupants into a small ball and it continued to fall. Dark Ghidorah cackled again. It could now complete what it had started millions of years ago, the destruction of Earth.