DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT ONLY MY SELF AND THE PLOT OF THIS FIC...I AM BROKE PEOPLE!
A/n: Oh my how people slowly but surely fav and follow. But still I thank you all for coming here and making it this far and to my awesome beta who is the only one who stuck with me for this long. You are the best!
For those of you who are just now following I apologize for the extra length of this chapter. But a lot needed to be covered before Martha reactivates the ship. There will be a lot of skipping around just to warn you as a lot of key events are taking place. I also lengthened the different scenes as the original kind of seemed choppy to me. The characters in this chapter seemed static and the atmosphere of the situation was not being felt. I also deleted a bunch of scenes as I felt they were unnecessary to the overall chapter. It took away the feel of abandonment and hopelessness for this story. I also added what the characters were feeling by lengthening what they were going through. It was rough and trying to write while your brain is drained from work. But again I thank my beta for his patience oh my God it was rough! But here you go folks the next chapter to...
Mass Effect The Immortal Series pt 1: Flight of the Normandy
Chapter 11: The Meaning of a Name
'When East fought West during a time of war, when three kings rose from depression's ashes - one from the East, one from the North and one from the South - the North declared that he is God, the East declared that he is Emperor, and the South declared that he is King. The North killed the first race, the East killed the oyster, and the South killed democracy, on the sixth day of the sixth month of the fifth year of the fourth cycle, the West rose from the sea to fight the three kings. The West fought the East and the West became victorious. Where am I?'
Martha stared at the drawing in her hand. It was an image of the same room as much as she could remember of it. Everything from the bed to the display is etched in detail on the tablet she held in her hand. She did not want a single detail to be missed, but she knew without a doubt that she would have forgotten some details. But the one detail she fought her hardest not to forget and not to misinterpret was the message in the dream. She now knew that after that second message, the ship was speaking to her.
She had drawn the image days ago, when she had awoken from her coma. She was surprised that she'd even survive such a traumatic ordeal as the explosion in the E.Z.C. and was even more shocked when she did not suffer from any sort of PTSD. But Dr. Zenger had said that PTSD will come long after they get off of the ship, emphasizing when they get off the ship.
Martha had just been released from the medical ward after getting a clean bill of health from both Dr. Shenoy and Dr. Amari. Both medical doctors were still in shock that Martha managed to survive and heal from being exposed to dangerous levels of element zero. What surprised them even more was the fact that she could function after such an exposure; it was phenomenal and requires much more research.
"When East fights west in a time of war? What kind of thing is that?" asked David as he sat down across from Martha in the same meeting room that he, Hilary, Ichigo, Lucas, and Jessica met just a few nights before. They, along with Martha, were back in the same room after asking Dr. Zenger for some privacy. The Psychologist was more than happy to grant such, if it meant that they could get to the bottom of Martha's latest revelation. As they poured over Martha's drawings, Martha herself was trying to discover more of her newfound powers. She was currently lifting books and passing them to the others without trying to worry people. But things had not gone well, so her abilities had to be put on hold. Her stomach began to growl yet again in protest of its emptiness.
The same could be said for everyone else in the room. Food had run out a while ago and fresh water was used sparingly. The area that was the bathroom was currently becoming very smelly, very fast, with the lack of water to pump out the systems. The air filtration system had finally died, and so the air was as thick as jelly with everyone struggling to breathe.
"What I wouldn't give for a chocolate bar," grumbled David as he stared at the image of Martha, following the shadows of her drawing. Looking at the now newly resurrected person in front of him, he could not help but feel a bit of fear coursing through him at the sight of this woman. But that fear quickly dissipated as soon as it came. Hunger came faster than fear, and so they were sitting there as if waiting for death to arrive.
"What is there to eat? Practically nothing, since we ran out of food three days ago," Lucas grumbled. His mind just staring at the image he held of the blurred-out room. Lately, everyone was feeling the pinch of their bellies begging to be fed. "You know, I feel like this picture here, my mind is nothing but a big mess." With that, he put the drawing tablet back down on the table.
"Look, we can't give up; these pictures hold the answers. We... we just can't give up so soon!" Hilary said, her voice sounding desperate, as if trying to cling onto whatever hope they had left.
"How would you know?"Jessica said, getting up and walking till she was directly in Hilary's face. "We are stuck at the bottom of the ocean with no food, hardly any water, almost no air, and a whole bunch of alien tech. I know you science types love this sort of shit, but we real people need some sustenance to survive here you know!" With that, she stormed off towards her seat and sat down. No sense leaving, for there was hardly anywhere else to go that wasn't so miserable.
The only one not speaking was Martha, as she was too busy feeling the top of her hairless head. The burns were completely gone, leaving her head smooth and bare. Her entire body was completely hairless, down to the slightest trace. The fire from the E.Z.C. had done its damage, but the scars on both her mind and body still remain. The lack of hair, for starters, was one of them. But the doctors said that her hair will grow back in time, and from the itch and the dark coloration on the top of her head, she would have to agree.
Looking around, Martha noticed that the others were a bit off in a sense. The lack of food, water and clean air was a factor. But the lack of any sort of hope also brought things into perspective. Looking down at the drawing in her hand, Martha had not exactly let go of that concept. The only other person who silently agreed with her was Ichigo, who was listening to his iPod.
"You know," he said, taking his ear buds off, "this does not make sense. Why tell us to give it a name and then give us this riddle?" His Japanese accent was clearly coming out now.
"I don't know, maybe… maybe it had a hard time communicating with us?" said Lucas as he sat up from his spot on the couch.
"You make it sound as if the ship is trying to speak to us!" stated David.
"Um, news flash, dumbass: the dreams are an indication that the ship is, indeed, trying to speak to us," said Jessica. She glared daggers at David who returned the same amount of animosity to her.
"Really? How so?" asked Hilary trying to remain on task.
"Um, dreams, hello? Didn't you watch any scifi flicks in your home country?" asked Lucas.
"Shut up you mother fucker!"
Martha watched as an argument between the group started among who was right. She shook her head at the stupidity of it all, but at least it distracted them from the reality they're in. Without hope anything could go wrong, and she refused to believe there wasn't any.
COMMUNICATIONS ROOM, A FEW HOURS LATER
Dr. Alenkov was reading Aaron's latest report while Martha was talking to him on the communications channel. She burst into tears when she heard his voice again, and Alenkov's heart clenched at the sight. Alenkov missed her own husband who was currently in space, working on the space station M.I.R.A.. It was a multinational space station and the only one of its kind. Their mission was to do deep space surveillance of the solar system to find any more traces of alien technology.
She could just imagine what her husband would going through if he heard about her being trapped on the ocean floor with no food, no water, hardly any air and surviving day to day; she could see his face in her thoughts when she went to bed. Alenkov is not a fool: she knew that everyone on this ship was thinking the same thoughts; they all wanted to go home and they all wanted to see their loved ones again.
And she is determined to make sure that they do.
Alenkov felt empowered to do what she can to make sure that these people get home to their families, scientist and volunteer alike. Martha's resurrection gave her a sense of hope. She wanted to do the young woman right by giving her, her greatest dream. This small luxury of letting her talk to Aaron for some time was a small payment for the months they didn't allow her to have one call or go up to the surface.
Oh, she was well aware of why Martha didn't go the surface. It was not a matter of want to but why. Every time she was scheduled to return to the surface someone would change it forbidding her from ever getting out. After finding the bugs in the computer systems, Alenkov now knew their systems were hacked. But Martha was not the only victim; several others, including those who had died when the E.Z.C. blew, were on that list. Alenkov vowed to herself that if she were able to truly find Alexandria Wilcox, she was going to make the woman pay for her crimes against humanity a hundred times over. With her thoughts wandering, she turned towards Martha, their resident resurrectionist. The newest mystery that Martha discovered has brought up many new questions to the advancements of alien technology. The ability to heal from such life-threatening wounds now only brought more questions than answers.
Alenkov pulled out her tablet. Typing in her password, she saw a picture that was recently taken of Martha. It showed her drawing the image that she also saw when she swiped her finger across the screen to reveal. The image is a drawing of Martha standing in the middle of the room with the image on a computer screen. The picture was a copy of Martha's latest drawing, showing that something or someone is trying to communicate with them. It was not much help to go on, but it does help in answering a few questions about the dreams. Alenkov wanted nothing more than to help the woman succeed in solving the mystery of the ship. If they did discover the means of this ship's function, they might be able to survive. Survival was of the utmost importance now and Alenkov wanted to make sure everyone on this ship made it out.
She looked up to see Martha laughing with Aaron. The smile on her face showed that the young woman was getting what she needed in this horrid time. Taking this as her cue to leave, Alenkov turned around on her heels and walked out. The image of the laughing couple was too much for her. Ivan has not called in several weeks because of the M.I.R.A.'s mission and simple timing of contact and free time. So Alenkov had resolved to doing recorded messages to her family and forwarding it to the Roscosmos Center in Moscow. If they could get those to them, then that is a different story. So far, there had been no messages back, meaning they either didn't send or reply to any messages. In any case, it made it hard to watch others speak to their loved ones. As long as they have power, then that is all that they needed.
Getting to her office, Alenkov sat down at her desk. She looked at the photograph of her husband Ivan and the rest of her family. Her three children smiled up at her from that photo. She sighed as she put the picture frame down and put her head in her hands. She felt a sob come to her as the first of her tears started to fall. She had to be strong for the others, but how? Her own inner strength was starting to fade and it was moments like these that she allowed herself to feel the despair that this place is giving to these people.
The tears really started to flow down her face as the sobs became stronger. Her chest hitched and she allowed herself a small moment to cry. Right now she is no longer Dr. Alenkov, the Head of Operations for the Challenger Deep Project. She is Elenna Alenkov, a Russian woman thousands of miles away from her homeland and her family. A woman who is lost and without family or anyone out there to help her. The sobs came full force as she buried her face in her arms. The feel of her constricting chest and aching heart was too much to bare. She allowed herself this luxury of privacy to let her heart bleed out.
It was some time later that she became aware of a presence in her office. Since there are no doors, there was no need for privacy. The only thing that separated Dr. Alenkov's office from everywhere else was a single curtain that hung just at the entrance to her area. She noticed that that she was in the same position that she was in when she started crying; Dr. Alenkov didn't realize she had fallen asleep, until the presence made itself known. Surprised, she looked towards the entrance to her small office/room and found Martha standing there at the door.
"What can I do for you Martha?" she asked curiously, her voice hoarse and raw.
Martha shuffled her feet as if nervous for what she was about to ask. Her bald head made Dr. Alenkov laugh as she saw the girl look quite adorable though a little plastic as her eyes were often times watery with lack of eyelashes to clear away bits of dust and irritants.
"I am sorry to disturb you at such a private moment ma'am but," she said, when Alenkov raised her hand to silence her. The smile on her face was one of relief, as the young woman was aware that she walked in on a private moment.
"It is alright Martha, I was just thinking about my family, is all," Alenkov replied as she indicated that Martha can enter. She quickly looked at her things and found that her reflection in the mirror was one that would frighten a lot of people. Her face was shallow with dark circles under her eyes and purple bruise marks appearing on her face.
"I was wanting to know if you could help me with solving the riddle ma'am," Martha blurted from behind her.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Alenkov replied as she was a bit distracted by her appearance. Turning her head, she saw Martha shuffle her feet a bit before repeating herself.
"I asked if you could help us in solving the riddle, ma'am?" Martha politely repeated.
"What riddle?" Dr. Alenkov asked, then remembered the image that Martha forwarded to her the day before she was released from the medical wing.
"The one that I forwarded to you yesterday; it was of my dream," Martha replied.
Alenkov reached towards her desk and pulled up her tablet. Turning on the tablet she put in her password and the image appeared again clear as day. She read through the riddle that was presented in the image before turning towards the young woman before her. It was confusing to her as she was skimming through it. The scene of Martha in the bedroom was a lot to handle but it was something that was different to what people normally saw. But, sadly, she could not figure out the riddle herself, as it was as confusing as it was strange to her.
"There is not much to say, Martha. That riddle has me confused as well. It could be talking about Earth or it could be talking about other planets, we don't know for sure what it is talking about" she said shrugging.
Martha sighed as she looked at her drawing again.
"When East fought West during a time of war, when three kings rose from depressions ashes….." was the first line. It had Alenkov confused as she could think of a thousand things that could have that same meaning. War? What war? Is it on this planet? In this galaxy? Her thoughts were going rampant as she looked through her files at the different images.
Looking at it again she read the other clues, 'Password: what is my name?' It spawned something in her about possession and the supernatural. But the things happening here is pure science and speculation. How can it be possible for something like this to happen? Maybe she is looking at this wrong, she has no idea. But the images sparked an interest in her that she has no idea what to do with. So, reluctantly, she closed it and turned the tablet off. Looking up she spotted Martha near the bookshelf going through the various books that she owned. Most of them talked about strategy, war and history with another shelf dedicated to science and technology. Alenkov was very organized and kept her office that way. Out of all the rooms here on the ship hers was the cleanest. With such organizational skills, there was still not a speck of salt or dust in her area. Behind her was her living quarters with her own cot that served as a bed. She would get up to get something to drink from the small refrigerator on the side. Her office, which consisted of a small desk and a laptop computer with a printer and pen jar, was all that she had.
She nearly laughed at the childlike curiosity that Martha was showing as the young woman explored her office. Though she admitted that she never really took the time to explore it Alenkov let her explore.
MEANWHILE
Martha, in her curiosity, looked at the books that lined the shelves of Dr. Alenkov's office/room. They filled her with interest, as there were many aspects of history and many books she could not understand, but knew the content. She smirked as she recognized the language written on most of the covers to be in Russian, since that is where the director was from. As she inspected the shelves, something caught her eye. Coming closer, she spotted books with images that she recognized from movies she had seen on television.
"You like to study about war?" Martha asked, looking at the books on the shelf. At this Dr. Alenkov smiled as she looked at them with a sense of pride to her voice.
"I was an intelligence officer for the Russian Military before I became director for the Challenger Deep Project" was her reply to Martha. A smile formed on her face as she walked up to the young woman. Martha held something in her eyes that Alenkov rarely saw, admiration. Most of the time, when someone mentions that you are in the Russian Military, they are afraid and want nothing to do with you. Russia has not had the best reputation for their military prowess.
"Wow, I tried to get into the military, but I did not pass my physical and my psychological tests," Martha admitted sheepishly.
"ADHD am I correct?" Alenkov asked
Martha nodded her head, "Borderline asthmatic as well." Alenkov looked at the young lady and shook her head. Such innocence strikes her as odd, seeing as the words 'Russian Military' do not sit well with most Americans.
"Tell me, Martha, when most people hear that I was in the Russian Military, they would rather be somewhere else. Yet, here you are: admiring it as something to be cherished." Alenkov asked.
"Oh, don't get me wrong ma'am, I am well aware of where you are from. It is just that I see two sides to a coin. You know the good and the bad. Yes, the world does not like Russia very much, but I am a curious person. Even though curiosity killed the cat, I want to know both sides of the spectrum. So is there any way that you can make me understand your side of the story?" Martha asked Alenkov.
Now it was the Russian woman's turn to be surprised by the answer that this American woman gave her. No one onboard this station, much less the research facility, has openly told her that statement before. Though most people respect her for her position here, it was Martha - an American civilian - asking her, a former Russian Military Officer, an innocent question. Shaking her head, she leaned on her desk for a minute her mind deep in thought.
"What would you like to know about Russia, then, young Martha?" she asked with a smile.
"Well, maybe we can start with your family. I noticed that you have a photo on the desk there. Is that your husband and kids?" Martha asked.
Dr. Alenkov reached over and grabbed the photograph from where it was resting. Lifting it up, she studied the images there before answering: "Yes, that is my husband Ivan Alenkov, he is a Cosmonaut onboard the space station M.I.R.A."
"And your kids?" Martha asked.
"My eldest son, right there on the right of my husband, is Gannady. My daughters – the one next to me is Anna, and to the right of my son is Vladlena, my youngest – they made me proud when they decided to live ordinary lives. My son is an engineer for an agricultural research facility in North Eastern Siberia near the Bering Straight. He wants to see if he could find ways to produce crops that can grow in the permafrost of the high arctic. I admire him for his courage. Anna is a researcher for tropical diseases for the United Nations. She studies illness such as E. coli and Malaria. My youngest works for an animal rehabilitation center on the border to North Korea. She studies Siberian Tigers there," Alenkov replied, thinking fondly of her children. She turned to see Martha still looking at the books on the wall.
Standing next to Martha, she looked at each and every title there listed on the shelf. Reaching out, she stroked one with her hand.
"Do you like history Martha?" she asked with a smile at the younger woman's fascination.
"I do, my dad and I, we love to watch historical movies such as old samurai flicks and history channel when I used to live with them on Molokai. Now though, getting to watch a good movie is like a privilege especially, between work and play. I only get time when I am not working or with Aaron. Other than that, it is hard these days." Martha replied.
Nodding in understanding, Alenkov reached up towards the top where a few books in English are written. Taking them down, she handed them to Martha, "Since you are now stuck here with hardly anything to do, why don't you catch up on your reading then," she suggested.
Martha's eyes grew wide with glee, "You really mean it ma'am? I mean, these are your private collection after all?"
Alenkov nodded, "I've read them already several times; they are my favorites. Documents on the two world wars and accounts by soldiers such as some of the men who fought in Russia. I even read several accounts by civilians themselves before these books were written. Why don't you borrow them and tell me what you think?" Alenkov said.
"Thank you ma'am! I will take care of them, I swear it!" Martha said as she rushed out of the room with her new books. Alenkov smiled at such a girl who takes delight in such simple things. Closing the curtain, she decided that it was time for bed since sleep seems to be the best medicine for her at this moment.
ELSEWHERE
Hilary and Ichigo had just spent the past few hours or so having sex in Ichigo's quarters. The curtain that separates them from the outside of their room allowed them to have their privacy. It was also not as close to the quarters of others, which, to them, was a good thing. This allows them a bit more private time together. This leads to hours of fun for both of them. Also on the ground were some of the last of Ichigo's condoms.
But at the moment both of them were lying naked in Ichigo's makeshift bed of bedrolls and blankets. Hilary was laying just to the right of Ichigo with nothing but a thick blanket separating them from the outside. The chill of the air helps in setting the mood. But as time wore on the couple laid there on the mats with Ichigo stroking Hilary's naked stomach with his hand.
"I am worried Hilary," Ichigo said as he raised himself up to look down on the woman below him.
"How so," Hilary asked sleepily.
"What if the governments are not able to find a way down here? I mean, why didn't they have a backup plan in the first place, in case something like this happens?" he asked.
"They are just cheap assholes, Even Dr. Alenkov said so herself when she was denied the funds for further submersible equipment," Hilary replied.
"Wait, she was denied a request for more equipment?" Ichigo asked, looking bewildered.
Hilary sighed from below him, "Dr. Alenkov requested to have an additional ship be given to us to allow supplies to keep coming, in case something happens to the Ocean Odyssey, but she was denied because it would cost millions to build such a ship. One submersible alone is nearly a billion dollars to make. Even with all the governments combined, the U.N. is not going to spend that amount of money to get us another submersible." Hilary said to him.
"When did this happen?" Ichigo asked looking at her with disbelief.
"About three years ago. I had been with the project for about five before you came, remember?" Hilary said to him.
"I wish they had made a backup ship so that we wouldn't be in this mess," Ichigo said as he laid his head beside hers. His stroking stopped as he placed his hand on her stomach and gently pulled her towards him with her back facing his front. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close to him. Her body warmth adding to his as the room started to drop in temperature once again due to their inactivity. The cold icy temperatures of the ocean outside of the ship penetrated the interior which makes keeping warm almost impossible. But simple things like sex and the surrounding rock and coral temporarily insulates the interior of the ship. Warming the air to be a bit more comfortable even if it is only temporary.
Hilary turned around so she could face Ichigo. Her face held a mischievous smirk, "You think after the billions invested into this project, that they would spend the money on another submarine to give us needed supplies? Those bastards don't even care about anything, but the money they make off this 325 million year old piece of shit."
Catching on, Ichigo grabbed Hilary's sides and flipped her onto her back once more, so he was on top.
"And what are you were going to do about it, hmm Dr. Ballard? Last I recall you knew nothing about politics and warfare, you study fish remember?" Ichigo joked, his voice low and rough.
Hilary grabbed his face and placed her forehead to his, "Ok if you say it that way, how about we forget our worries for now and let me I lecture you on how dolphins fuck," she said and pulled him in for a kiss and another round of sex.
DREAM SEQUENCE
Martha once again found herself in the room with the same aquarium and fish swimming inside. She walked around the room, exploring the artifacts on the desk and on the wall. She found the same photograph sitting down on the desk, but she could not make out the face. It was blurry, as if the ship does not want her to find it. The same bathroom and empty cage was still there along with the well-kept bed and luxury couches. Even the glass case with the alien vessels were still there. The message was still scrolling on the alien computer screen before her. Leaning in, Martha read the message that was played there clear as day.
'When East fought West during a time of war, when three kings rose from depression's ashes; one from the East, one from the North and one from the South, the North declared that he is God, the East declared that he is Emperor, and the South declared that he is King. The North killed the first race, the East killed the oyster, and the South killed democracy, on the sixth day of the sixth month of the fifth year of the fourth cycle, the West rose from the sea to fight the three kings. The West fought the East and the West became victorious. Where am I?', Martha was frustrated with the entire sequence, her mind was tired and sore. The dreams had become far more intense since she woke up and started communing with the ship. The migraine that was forming was intense. She rubbed her temples, trying to sooth the ache behind her eyes.
She needed a break.
Turning around, she walked towards the door to the room. It was large with a big circle on it just like the front entrance. When she approached it opened into a small hallway which ended at another door not five feet from where she was standing. Curious, she walked towards that door and it opened to reveal an empty closet of some sort with controls. Looking at the controls, Martha realized that it was an elevator. Pushing a random button, she jumped when she felt the elevator drop down from where she was standing. Looking in amazement, she allowed it to take her down a level. When the door in front of her opened, she was amazed at the shades around her. The lights from the roof and the amount of technology.
The very center of the room has what appears to be a blurred diagram of a ship. A hologram? Martha thought as she walked around. The room was expansive, with only the center holding the hologram. Blue lights were going around it, as if telling you what each part was. The lettering was hard to see, since the lighting was a bit bright. Strangely, though, Martha found the image in front of her to be part of the truly expansive part of the ship.
Walking around the hologram, she saw the many controls of the ship. She even spotted some stations around them, where holographic displays were shown. Fascinated, she approached one and saw that it had strange readouts.
The scientists would be jealous when I tells them this! She thought as she walked around the first controls.
She climbed up a platform just to the back of the ship, where she could see from another angle. Two more of the computers that she had seen in the room could be shown. Just as she had gotten to the top of the platform, the image in front of her suddenly changed. Instead of an image of the ship, the lights changed to that of a galaxy. Startled, she nearly fell over at the sudden change. What shocked her even more was the random dots that littered the galaxy.
"Whoa!" she said out loud.
When she walked down the short stairs the image of the galaxy reverted back to that of the ship. Martha suspected it might be some sort of navigation device. Martha continued to look around the room, curiosity getting to her. She explored the rest of the rooms next to the door that lead to the elevator. The first leads to a laboratory of sorts, and the second to a communications room. Then the image changes to that of another room, this one full of strange objects on the table. Martha reached down and picked one up. It quickly expanded to reveal a weapon.
Surprised, she nearly dropped the gun from her hand, but instead held it tighter for fear of setting it off. The hum of something filled her ears as she walked further towards the back of the room. It was here that she finally saw a large circular object in the very center. It was glowing a bluish white, but the hum was not as loud as she thought it would be. In fact the volume didn't change at all which was strange.
When Martha returned to the main room, she was immediately drawn to the hallway that leads to the front of the ship. She knew that this was the front, because she remembers going down this hallway before when she first got here. Walking towards the front, she made her way towards the very door she was at. When she reached the door, she was surprised that there was another door right next to it. There, she found herself staring at that door. The door itself was high tech just like the others, but nothing like this. Martha placed her hand on the door and surprisingly enough it opened.
Her eyes widened at the room beyond it.
It was the bridge! The whole time the bridge of the ship was right next to the front door!
"Holy shit!" Martha said to herself as she walked into it.
The room was brightly lit with holographic panels everywhere. There was a shadow in the pilots seat working away at the controls. She was curious as to what this person was doing. Was he the pilot?" she thought.
Martha approached from behind, careful not to disturb him or her. As she did the, chair changed and slowly turned around. The figure in the chair made her eyes widen in shock...
END DREAM SEQUENCE
Gasping for air, Martha shot up from her sleeping mattress, her hand going to her heart as sweat covered her face. She was shivering from the cold as mist came out of her breath in ragged gasps. The freezing cold of the ship was starting to eat away at the crew, Martha especially. Even at the low temperatures and not enough body fat to regulate body heat they were either going to die by starving or dehydration, or freezing to death.
Time was running out!
The image in the cockpit was something that shocked her to the core. In the pilot's seat of the ship was not a shadow...it was herself.
She saw herself in the pilot's seat looking confident and proud. She remembered that much from the dream. She quickly reached for her laptop and tablet and booted up photoshop. She began to draw with earnest, trying to get the images translated onto the screen. After having run out of paper and pencil days ago, she relied on her computer now to do the work. The good thing about generators was that it provided enough power to power everything.
But they were also dangerously low on gas.
Soon, they would be out of power and without it, their chances of help would be nothing. Martha placed the last of her batteries into her flashlight. The blue glow lit up the crevice that she calls a home as she quickly cleaned up the drawing.
The image took about four hours to complete. The hard work and detail that went into the drawing was enough to scare anyone out there. She made sure she used every ounce of memory she could scrounge from her brain to get this to work.
She stared at the bridge and found it to be fascinating. Now she was more determined the ever to solve this riddle. She leaned back on her fold-out chair and stared at the screen for a good minute or so before sending them both to Dr. Alenkov and Dr. Zenger. Then, shutting down the computer and closing the screen, she leaned back on her chair. The images were still fresh in her mind of her walk around the bridge to the discovery of the room with the holographic projector. But none of the images helps with solving the riddle.
"None of this makes sense!" she growled in frustration.
Getting up from the chair Martha got dressed and headed down towards the mess hall, hoping to clear her head. Wrapping her parka around her, she started her trek down the ladder. When she gotten to the lower levels, she began to make her way across the mess hall towards the main entrance. She didn't care if anyone watched her but Martha wanted to see for herself. Reaching the area the held the main door to the ship she saw for herself the familiar circular door that leads to the abyss beyond. Reaching out she touched the frigid metal of the main door. She knew that if the door were to open, they would all be crushed by the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. Slowly, she walked away from the main door to look towards the wall of coral and rock that was just on the side of the door. Martha placed her hand on the rock; the alien device flashed once before disappearing.
"I wish, I wish I knew your name," she said softly.
Martha leaned her head into the coral outcrop. The memories of her time in the Element Zero Core started to filter into her thoughts. The fear she felt as well as the things she wished she could forget. It was traumatic to say the least, as she felt along the wall where a door should be. It was not there and only the rock remained. What she could gather was that the deep sea corals of the past has made their home here millions of years ago just like with the rest of the ship. She remembered reading the history of the ship and how they had to drain the water from its interior. Or, at least, that is what they want everyone to believe. Pulling her hand away, Martha started down the long hallway once again, towards the mess hall. Hoping she could get a distraction from the dreams and the memories of her death.
When she reached the mess hall, she finally decided to take a really good look at it for what it really was. She spotted the food distribution area now empty with dirty dishes and empty packets everywhere. The garbage bags had run out and the area was smelling worse for wear. Not one scrap of food remained. The area for toilets were off to the side and they smelled worse than any sewer that Martha had to fix. Her nose protested to the stench, and it was enough to get anyone to puke. The stains on the wall tell the story of the many who actually did puke.
But the mess hall was not without its joys, one of them being that it is a gathering place for people to come together to share stories and songs. Martha walked around the now-crowded room to hear the very loud voice of Major Lawoski as he was reading a book of some sort. The people gathered around like children hearing the tales by the campfire. The large L.E.D. light was the only thing illuminating the room so it was an obvious choice.
"...And so my grandpa came and shot up a whole bunch of Germans out in the streets of Paris, and then he turned to see some kid, a girl about her mid teens, was left on the ground brutally raped. Her clothes were bloody and torn, leaving her half-naked. They had raped her because her brother was a soldier for the German Army and he lay off to the side, badly wounded. He was trying to protect her. So he rushed in to offer aid..." Martha walked past him having lost interest in the story that he was telling.
She used the restroom before climbing the ladder that would lead up to her room. Her mind was filled with all sorts of questions. There, she saw the single lamp that she had procured from the storage with its single light on. The batteries were still going strong but the illumination was only just so. Lifting up her left arm, she let the alien device illuminate the room. The single etching on the side where her computer and drawing books were kept was left undisturbed. Her sleeping bag and chair were as they should be.
Martha sat down on the chair and tried to ponder. What was she missing? She looked down at the alien device on her arm. It glowed a bright orange as Martha sat down to look at the books on her desk. They were the books that she had borrowed from Dr. Alenkov. She looked down at the titles that she had borrowed from the Russian woman. Hoping they would provide some distraction for her.
WAR THROUGHOUT THE AGES
WORLD WAR I
WORLD WAR II
D-DAY THE DAY THE WORLD STOOD STILL
The books themselves were all about war and history and for Martha it was something. Dr. Alenkov sure liked historical wars as she reached out to retrieve one of the books to read. It was the book about World War II. In a sense, it reminded her of her late grandfather and opened the book up to read. The introduction was interesting to her as she moved from the chair to the sleeping bag leaning back against the wall and letting the alien device light her pages.
She needed the distraction badly.
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
The building of the new submersibles was taking far too long!
Those were the thoughts of Philip Morgan, a man who was determined to help the people down in the Challenger Deep. He followed the submersible schematics all the way down to what materials he would need to protect his pilots from the pressures of the Challenger Deep. He and his team have been building the new submersibles for the past few weeks as backups in case something like what happened to the Odyssey came about.
Only, they didn't get to make them, due to funds being cut by the governments.
Now, with the theft of the Odyssey and the hostage situation, the people who depend on the monthly supply run need those subs immediately. They are starving, and by now have run out of food and water. They are slowly dying and they need help now. Philip was determined to help them, funds or no funds.
Thankfully, the United Science Foundation and several other organizations procured the funds to help out the crew, providing materials and manpower needed to build the emergency submersibles and get the supplies ready for their trip down into the abyss. The first two submersibles were ready to be deployed onto a backup ship that was retrofitted for this sort of emergency here in Auckland. Philip was racing against the clock for he didn't know what was going on, as the governments were not getting any news feeds from the ship itself. This was due to the lack of power on the ship. The only thing they got was letters and brief phone calls from people down there. Nothing concrete and from the Odyssey, the hostage situation is just about to get worse with the massing fleets of several countries out for blood.
He wiped his sweaty brow, his dark skin and Maori tattoos were prevalent in the evening light. He was just adjusting the last of the ballasts for the submarine that would act as a cargo vessel. His workstation was filled with parts needed to do the last of the installments, when…
BOOM!
"Shit! What the fuck was that?" Philip shouted from his work station. The ground shook from where he was standing causing many things to fall over. Grabbing the side, he rushed outside where one of his assistants was there.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"We don't know, but it was coming from over there!" someone shouted.
Philip rushed towards the area the smoke was rising from. Fire was seen coming from that area and crew members were quick to dispatch fire extinguishers.
"Damn it!" someone shouted. Philip rushed over to where a tall Caucasian man stood. He had soot on his face and light brown hair that was slightly long and tied in a pony tail. He was cursing and swearing along with another man beside him. Both seemed to be angry at something.
"What happened?" Philip asked.
"One of the generators blew," said the man as he helped another man who was injured towards an area where someone with medical experience was helping them.
"Fuck!" Philip cursed as he put his hands on his head, "Where is Wakeo?" he asked.
"Over here!" a voice shouted from the far side.
Walking across the garage, he managed to find the other man in question. He was a Maori man in his late thirties with the Maori tattoos of his tribe across his right arm. But where he was looking at had Philip more pissed off then ever.
On the right where they kept the generators and supplies someone blew a hole directly through the warehouse and destroyed the generators that were going to the Challenger Deep. Generators that can save lives. Even all the supplies that they were bringing with them, water, food, and fuel were gone. Cursing, Philip threw the nearest thing into the wall and shouted a number of curses in both English and Maori. The other man, Wakeo, turned to him in concern.
"You think someone purposely did this?" he asked.
Philip didn't need to answer that one. For he already knew the answer.
AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT BUILDING
"That explosion was seen for miles! The supplies down there were supposed to help the people down in the Marianas Trench! How could your security let this happen!?" practically roared the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and he was not happy.
When he saw the explosion from his home, he immediately called for Philip Morgan who is the person responsible for the rescue effort. When he had gotten the report on what had happened his heart went out to the victims of the Challenger Deep. He immediately got dressed and headed towards his office, calling in all members of his staff, including those from the science departments. New Zealand was supposed to be a launching point for the rescue effort since they had the facilities to help. Now with this new incident things are going to be a lot more complicated.
"What do we have?" he asked as he sat down.
"Prime Minister, as you are probably aware, there was an explosion at the warehouse facility near Neilson St. From our reports from the police, residents could see it for miles. It was not a small explosion, either: several other warehouses in the facility were also hit. So police suspect that this is not your normal street gang out for a good time," said one of his security advisers.
"So you suspect terrorists?" he said.
"According to Interpol, sir, they are currently looking for an Alexandria Wilcox. She escaped from the United States just shortly after the incident of the Challenger Deep, where an explosion on the vessel caused the deaths of several people." the same adviser said.
"You think she might be behind this?" the Prime Minister asked.
"Possibly, since my American Contacts informed me that she gave out some last minute orders before leaving. This is probably one of them," the adviser said.
The Prime Minister pinched the bridge of his nose, "How many people were killed in the warehouses?" he asked.
"Thankfully none, but there are over a dozen people injured, mostly with minor burns. They were going to shut down for the night when it happened," the adviser replied.
"Anyone else or anywhere else affected?" the Prime Minister asked.
"Thankfully no, the vessel that was being retrofitted to house the submersibles is thankfully safe. Extra security by our military personnel has thankfully prevented any attacks. But I told my men to beef up security after what has happened and lock down the docks just in case." replied the Naval adviser.
The Prime Minister looked at his chief of staff, "I want security checked at every warehouse facility in the country that is being used for emergency response to the Challenger Deep. And I want all vessels to be checked for anymore explosives. I also want security increased at every airport, and docking facility here to ensure that these bastards don't get out. I also want security footage if there is any to be procured. I want these bastards found now! No one comes to my country and cause such terrorism. Is that understood?" he said and his chief of security nodded before pulling out his cell phone, and started to make calls while walking out of the room.
The Prime Minister then turned towards the other advisers, "Dr. Bethune, I assume that you are also taking extra precautions in security at your facility?" he asked the Head of Science and Technology.
Bethune sighed as she rubbed her temples, "We are doing everything we can to secure our research, sir. We already had a break-in but thankfully it was in the wrong side of the building. The research into alien tech is not much, but we do have some breakthroughs that we need to research on. The only thing, though, is that we never relayed it to the press. We figured that we keep it to ourselves, just in case."
"Well you will not have much of a choice much longer, for I will be calling for a press conference this morning. I want everyone on board for this: we need to get the word out. The citizens of New Zealand will not stand to let someone destroy our chance of helping the victims trapped on that vessel. We will help them and we will not let this happen again," he said to her.
"Understood," Bethune said as she leaned back on the couch.
"Is there anything else, gentlemen?" the Prime Minister said.
"Nothing, sir," the Naval adviser said.
"Good, you are dismissed," he said and the advisers all stood up to leave. The Prime Minister put his head in his hands and sighed. This has been one nightmare after another, and with this new development, things are only going to get worse. Reaching for his phone, he pushed a button and the placed it on speaker.
"Yes, sir," said a male voice on the other side.
"Mark, call a press conference, this is going to be a media nightmare," he said.
OCEAN ODYSSEY
Enrique was worried. They could hear the ships in the distance and the shouts that occurred from the various Odyssey crew members. He was concerned for their safety as they dragged the scientists around, ordering them to maintain the subs. What they were diving for, he had no idea, because they are thousands of miles away from the Challenger Deep, but his concerns grew more, when he heard men come onboard. He looked out through the tiny window and watched as they walked past. His concern heightened when they were escorting a man in richly tailored clothes.
Could he be the man in charge? Enrique thought. That would explain why they are still alive. If that is the case, then this man is holding them hostage in order to sell them off to the highest bidder. Or he is going to withhold what they knew for himself and probably run one of the biggest drug rings in the world. A deep-sea drug ring would be very bad. Or they want them for their research into the alien vessel and alien tech. That would also be bad. Enrique didn't know but he knew that they must head towards port pretty soon or they would run out of fuel. The distance from the Marianas to the Philippines is vast. Plus with dodging that storm a few weeks ago, they must have used their fuel significantly. Unless they have refueled without him knowing, they need to seek port.
The window outside was far too small, and the room that he and the other submarine drivers as well as the engineering crew were being held, was bare. There was nothing here, not even a bed, so they had to sleep leaning on each other. The only thing they had was a very small vent, too small for them to fit through, and a small window to the outside. The window was sealed, so they couldn't escape that way either. Their meals only brought to them when the guards remember, leaving them half-starved. But as far as Enrique could tell, something big was coming and what it was, they had to be ready for.
ON THE OCEAN ODYSSEY DECK
Tun-Yao head of the Ocean Odyssey raid was watching his boss cross the boarding ramp from his own ship with his escort of armed guards. Tun-Yao stood at attention along with his top lieutenants. He was rigid and nervous, because the man before him would decide if he should get a cut of the massive payout this ship will bring. Surrounded by armed guards, the European man who hired Tun-Yao and his men, began to inspect the ship from top to bottom and even forced a few crew members out for inspection. Then he looked at all the submersibles and equipment. All the while, Tun-Yao waited patiently with his men. The European man's own men remained on deck armed with heavy artillery. The inspection itself took about three hours, but when it was done, he returned with a smile on his face.
"My buyers will be pleased," he said in Cantonese.
"How much will we be paid?" Tun-Yao asked, eager to know the amount of money they would be getting for all the trouble they had gotten into getting the ship. He and his men are tired and eager for their share in the cut.
"You will be paid for securing this ship and her resources. If my buyers are further satisfied you will be paid higher." The man replied. Looking at Tun-Yao straight in the eye, never breaking eye-contact.
"This ship is being followed by Americans, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino forces. How can your buyers be assured that we will not all be killed for stealing United Nations Property?" Tun-Yao asked, looking nervously over the horizon, where he saw the ships approaching.
"Do not worry," The European Man said to him, "As long as you don't kill any hostages you will be fine." With that, he called his guards and began to walk towards the plank that separates their ships. How the two ships managed to stay within distance of each other without breaking sync was due to the fine piloting of her crews. When the man left, the only sound for a moment was a huge sigh from Tun-Yao. The pirate would soon be rid of this ship and he would be well-paid. All this alien tech was giving him the creeps. Some of the devices on the ship has his mind going crazy at what they could do. There was one device he saw, that looked suspiciously like some sort of gun, but he was not so sure. That, along with the U.N. forces behind them, was making him desperate.
Tun-Yao stared at the ship as it turned away from them. It began to head towards the main island in the Philippines. From there, he knew that it would disappear, never to be seen again. Making his way towards the bridge, he looked at the note pasted to the map of the Pacific Ocean. It was a message from the European man. It was written, of course, in Cantonese, and Tun-Yao immediately knew where he is to go next.
"How far is it to Basco from Luzon?" he asked his navigator.
"Four hundred forty kilometers sir!" The Navigator replied.
"Alright, set course for Basco. We can refuel there and then set a course directly towards Vietnam. Our buyer will meet us in Mui Da Nang here," he pointed out the coordinates and set the course. It would take some time but they need to shake off the U.N. forces first.
"Aye, Aye, sir!" the navigator said as he started to plot the course towards the Basco islands in the Northern Philippines. Tun-Yao was surprised at how fast this vessel could travel in such a short time. Most vessels were slower and noisier but this one… it was state of the art. If it wasn't for the alien tech and the creepy vibes he had been getting from this ship, he would not have minded in keeping it. However, due to the sense of being watched, he would rather get rid of it than keep it. He and his men are superstitious and would rather keep alive than see this vessel again. It was one quick job and if it pays out he would be the richest pirate in the world.
He could only hope he can get rid of his pursuers though.
CHALLENGER DEEP
Martha, Hilary, Ichigo and the rest of their group sat at the one table closest to the exit. Even with all the familiarity of the crew, Martha's demophobia still causes problems. At the moment, they were singing some songs on the makeshift stage to pass the time. Ichigo, though his voice was not the greatest, could at least carry a tune without totally butchering it. He was singing a Japanese song from back in his home town. He had with him a makeshift drum out of a garbage can and some tins.
David had his guitar with him while Jessica decided to be background vocals. It turns out that Lucas, with his big burly hands, is actually good at piano. They made up the make-shift band to try and keep morale up. So far, it is not working, for the audience barely paid them any attention. Those that did either clapped half-heartedly or shouted at them to shut up. Either way, the mood in the mess hall was a quiet one.
When the songs ended the group returned to the table Ichigo was the first to fall into his chair. "That was fun," he said.
"Says you, you all sounded like bloody banshees!" said Major Reynolds, who sat across from them. He was leaning back against the wall with his feet up upon the table. His now tired-looking face and gray hair didn't help in matters to his age. The man was near his seventies, but he could shoot as well as anyone on the ship. He, along with Major Lawoski, are in charge of security, so when he had to endure listening to Ichigo's singing and then earlier someone else with worst vocals he has had enough.
"Now why would you say that Major I thought you liked my singing?" Ichigo teased him.
"Says you, you shrieking whale you and Pai over there can't sing worth of shit, so why don't you bugger off and leave my poor ears be!" he said laughing.
"Alright since you complained then why don't you pick the vocals this time?" said Jessica, pointing a challenging finger at him. The others laughed at the major who raised an eyebrow before pointing at Martha.
"Make the lass sing. Pretty much everyone else in this hell hole sang but her. So why not?" the Major replied.
Martha's head shot up in fear, "You have got to be kidding me!" she said to him.
"Why not lass everyone else has," Major Reynolds said.
"You didn't sing either so why don't you sing?" Martha shot back at him.
"Now who would watch the door and you bloody fools if I did that?" he said smirking. Martha glared at him her eyes blazing in anger, "I can not and will not sing!" she said.
"Why not?" asked Jessica.
"I just can't sing," Martha replied not wanting to be the center of attention but they have her cornered. She felt trapped as they sat around her. Ichigo put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"Hey Marty look at it this way I can't sing either but it is worth a try," Ichigo said.
"Yeah Martha. Besides, there are so many ocean songs that I can deal with, and frankly, I can't stand his singing either," Hilary said to her while pointing to another member of the audience. Martha winced when she looked at the African man standing just off to the side with a voice as course as glass. Wincing, she turned to them with annoyance on her face.
"I don't know many songs that people like," Martha replied reluctantly.
"So you are going to sing then?" asked Jessica.
"You are not giving me much choice, anyways, it's like you are forcing me to sing," Martha protested.
"You need to lighten up more Marty, you had been so focused on trying to solve that riddle that you forgot what it means to have fun," Hilary said with a smile.
Martha winced. Hilary was right; she had been too focused on working to really see what was going on around her. But every time she tried to think about it, the memories of those monsters keep coming back. The memories would often drown her in fear and leave her sweating.
"Hey, Earth to Marty, are you alright?" asked Ichigo, who noticed the panicked look on her face. Martha immediately took a few deep breaths to calm her down trying to keep the voices and the screams from getting to her. This caused the table to shake and her body to glow slightly.
"Come off it lads the poor girl has been through a traumatic experience. Besides, you're crowding her, which probably triggered a memory," Major Reynolds said.
Looking apologetic, they immediately backed away from her. Martha struggled to breathe, allowing herself to calm down, the alien device glowed briefly, allowing it to comfort her in a sense. She looked down at it as it flashed at her, as if it has a mind of its own. Rubbing her left hand with her right, she shook for a bit trying to calm down. When she did, the table stopped shaking and the glowing stopped.
"Why don't you try to sing, lass? It would help with keeping the memories down. I should know, been through a few of them myself," Major Reynolds said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I agree with Major Reynolds. Martha, why don't you try to sing something you heard, and even if you don't remember all the lyrics, try to sing it as best you could," Lucas said.
Martha looked at all the faces staring at her and finally gave in, "Fine," she said getting up.
Walking towards the stage she walked up the steps of the raised platform. The others in the room stopped to look at her. Many of her started booing already, sensing some bad singing to take place. She then looked at them nervously while some shouted for her to get off the stage. Martha looked towards the others of the makeshift band as they assembled once again to play for the group.
"Get off the stage!" someone shouted.
"We don't want anymore torture, so call it quits already!" another shouted.
"Shut the fuck up!" shouted Hilary from where she was sitting. Jessica also added her own voice. But it was when both Major Reynolds and the newly arrived Major Lawoski called out for them to quiet down, that the room fell silent.
"Um David can you play a D cord with notes Em then C, D, and Em again...I think that is how you say it." Martha said
"I think I get what you are trying to say." David said getting the meaning. He then strummed a few cords for Martha to listen but she shook her head.
"Try a bit lower you put an E sharp in there, get rid of the sharp, I said an Em note with a D chord," Martha replied. He started tuning his guitar to the right chords while Martha repeated a different set of notes to Lucas and then a beat to Ichigo. When they started to play the sound immediately sounded differently to what she wanted.
"Ok Lucas, since you are on piano, why don't you start first with the notes I told you," Martha said to him and Lucas started to play but Martha shook her head, "You need to go an octave higher, like maybe an A, since that is such an old school piano," she said to him. Lucas started to play and the sound that came from the piano sounded a little more to what she was going for.
"If you are going to sing then sing already!" one person sounded from behind. He was a burly man one of the engineers on the ship. Martha glared at him but he only glared back. Taking a deep breath she nodded to them to start playing.
"I heard this one on YouTube once so I hope I get it right," Martha said.
"Kill our fucken ears already!" the same man shouted.
"Alright David, you start first with the first chords then Lucas will come in on the second chord. Then, when I hit the chorus, I want you to do the background Jessie," Martha said. When she demonstrated the song to Jessica she nodded understanding where she needed to come in.
"Sing already!" shouted the man.
"Frank, if you don't shut the fuck up right now, I will boot your ass out, understood!" Major Reynolds yelled at him. The big man known as Frank quickly shut up while the group got into position. They did a practice session first to make sure they got the song right before they started to play. Martha started to listen to the first few chords, allowing herself to get into the song before opening her mouth to sing.
The sound that came out was something that surprised Martha, for when she warmed up her voice it came out true and on tune. Her eyes widened at the sound that came from her mouth. After years of throat damage from yelling at her work place, laryngitis and strep, her vocals sang as if there was nothing wrong with it. Taking a deep breath, she began her song with a bit more courage.
"Hope can drown, lost in thunderous sound,"
By now the booing that started when she came onto the stage ended and people looked up at her.
"And fear can claim, what little faith remains" Now everyone in the hall had their attention to the makeshift stage.
"But I carry strength from souls now gone, they won't let me give in,
I will never surrender, We'll free the Earth and Sky," Martha put her hand on her heart.
"Crush my heart into embers, but I will reeeiiiggggniiitttteee laaahhhhaaaaaiiiii lllllaaaahhhhaaaaahhhhaaaaiiii...I will reignite"
At this Martha asked David, Ichigo and Lucas to play a little faster.
"Death will take...those who fight alone," at this Jessica decided to join in.
"But united we can break...a fate once set in stone,"
This time her voice became stronger as she continued the song gaining more confidence as people started to come in.
"Just hold the line until the end, 'Cause we will give them hell...
I will never surrender! We'll free the earth and sky, crush my heart into embers, and I will rreeeiiigggnnniiittteee!
Laaaahhhhaaaahhhhhaaaahhhhaaaaaiiiii lllllaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaaahhaaaaahhhaaai I WILL REIGNITE!, Laaaahhhhaaaahhhhhaaaahhhhaaaaaiiiii lllllaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaaahhaaaaahhhaaai I WILL REIGNITE!" when she finished David and Lucas gave one last cord to let the song go back to its solemn note.
When they were done the applause was deafening. Martha had never felt anything like this since she was a kid. This was the first time her voice ran true without cracking or going out on her. She felt a sense of accomplishment as people smiled for the first time in weeks. Then, as if by magic others started adding their songs into it as well filling the room with music and laughter something that has been missing from the ship in a while.
It was something that Alenkov missed the most about this ship. She was just walking towards her office when she heard Martha sing. Stopping to see what the noise was, she leaned against the wall as she heard the young woman's voice. When she was done and the roaring applause began, she saw the young woman become red in the face from the embarrassment. Feeling as if it was her time to leave the Director walked out of the mess hall into the hallways beyond, disappearing into the dark tunnels. The sounds of music quickly returned to the ship as people began to sing even if a bunch of them was out of tune.
SOMETIME LATER
Martha returned to her station, feeling a bit more upbeat than normal, and not just her... the others in the ship too had felt it. That episode in the mess hall had given them a new sense of purpose in their work. They poured over journals and sketches, trying to figure out the answer to Martha's dream. The riddle that she had written with such clarity had shown that the ship indeed has tried to communicate with them. By doing so within dreams, it was stated by scientists such as Dr. Kimber and Dr. Jackson, that the ship uses subliminal signals to tell the user what it wants.
But the human mind just can't comprehend such riddles!
Martha grew frustrated as she looked at the images again and again. Pouring over internet texts and asking various people questions. Taking up time in the communications room as well as consulting Aaron. But in the end no one could figure it out. Feeling frustrated, she decided to head over to the mess hall for something to do other than grow even more frustrated.
When she got there the noise in the mess hall was the usual banter between coworkers. The shifts had just changed and so the evening shift was starting to take over the day shift. Martha was sure that it was evening, but she could not tell with the eternal darkness of the abyss.
She sat down and pulled out her backpack, which housed her sketchbooks and her reading materials. She decided to bring Dr. Alenkov's books with her for some light reading. It was a moment for her to relax and so, opening the book titled D-DAY THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS, and began to read where she left off. However, she was interrupted by noise coming from the other side of the room.
"Aw, come on Reynolds, you told this story millions of times already!" Major Lawoski shouted as he was going over security detail.
"Ah you are just in a shit Lawoski because everyone wants to hear my old granddad's story!" shouted the familiar voice of Major Reynolds. Martha looked up from where she was reading to see the two security officers argue halfheartedly at each other. Major Lawoski was just tired from the bags under his eyes while his partner Major Reynolds was just getting started with the day.
"But I love this story! And I love telling it to every one of you Chaps every chance I get!" Major Reynolds said to Lawoski.
"Really who the fuck wants to hear a story about some war that happened years ago! I mean that is like my grandparents days," replied Major Lawoski.
"Your grandparents were probably not involved in the war. Mine were seven generations of soldiers for her majesty's army, so don't you tell me about not wanting to hear some useless stories," Major Reynolds replied back.
"So why tell it again?" asked Major Lawoski.
"Because it keeps me from going insane in this shit hole, so I am going to tell it whether you like it or not. If you don't like it, get the fuck out of here and go to bed, and if you are staying, shut the fuck up and listen!" Major Reynolds shouted to him. The air was so thick that people started to get delusional. Martha, who was listening from her table looked up at the arguing men. Her interest peaked when she heard the conversation and so, when the argument was decided, Major Lawoski marched out of the mess hall towards his sleeping area. Martha watched him go before turning towards Major Reynolds and his story telling.
"...and so my grandpa was on one of the loading boats for Operation Overlord crossing the channel towards Normandy..." he began to speak.
As he was speaking his words started to become blurred as Martha started to slump in her chair. Her eyes began to droop as she sank lower to the table. Her body felt relaxed and tired at the same time.
"Hey Mart are you ok?" asked Hilary as she noticed that Martha had this far away look and was rubbing her head.
"Yeah, just remembering my grandfather's stories that's all," Martha said.
"Really about what?" Hilary asked as she sat down next to Martha.
"You know, about the second world war, you know, with Hitler and stuff. Dr. Alenkov loaned me some of her books and when Major Reynolds there started to tell his stories, they sort of hit," Martha said.
"Really? I didn't know you were into history and stuff?" asked Hilary as she sat down.
"Me and my dad are history buffs, but I thought my grandfather's stories were really fun. He wasn't a front-line soldier, but a mechanic, and boy, did he have stories to tell." Martha replied as she smiled at the memory. She looked down at her book, seeing the picture of Hitler at a dais. And the old concentration camps for the Jewish People.
"You know that the Jews were before the Christians and the Muslims right?" said Hilary.
"Yeah, I know they were the first…..." Martha's eyes suddenly went wide when a thought came to her memories.
"Marty what is it?" asked Hilary.
Martha started to hyperventilate as the revelation suddenly hit her. Her mind suddenly started seeing flashbacks of the dream in her mind. The message that was burned into her brain. Turning on the alien device by thinking it on, she added more light to the room. She then reached for a book that she was currently reading. Opening the book once more, she began to skim through the pages. Then, placing the book down, she reached for the second book in her bag - WORLD WAR II - and looked as if someone had slapped her face.
"Martha? Marty, hello, Earth to Martha?" Hilary said as she looked at the woman beside her. Her hands were shaking as she stared at the photographs of boats coming out of the ocean. Men with guns in their hands, rushing onto shore and tanks coming off of the boats.
"I have it," she whispered.
"THIS IS POINTLESS!" Someone shouted from across the room.
Martha quickly turned her head towards the one shouting, silencing even Major Reynolds who was telling another story. But her mind didn't hear the man as it was focused on something else; somewhere else.
'When East fought West during a time of war,
East fought West? East fought West in a time of War. The only wars I could think of are religious wars, like when the Christians fought the Muslims. The Christians came from Western Europe...no that can't be right, Martha thought. Christianity came from the Middle East, which is to the south. No that can't be right!
She looked down at the book in her hands; the pages were worn from age, but the pictures were still crisp and clean like it was freshly taken. The images of Europe during the second World War. It also showed images of America during the time of the Great Depression. It was on the third paragraph of the second chapter, where it talks about the great depression in the 1930's. The aftermath of the Stock Market crash of 1929 and the great drought of the American Midwest. Photos showed the many farmers and other people lined up at the banks, hoping to get some form of assurance that their money is safe. In Europe, it was when Hitler and Mussolini rose to power.
"Martha what are you reading?" Hilary asked as she sat down across from the Hawaiian girl.
"I am reading about the Great Depression of the 1930's and about Europe during the same time period. You know, during World War Two. I think the riddle might be talking about that time period." Martha replied sounding hopeful.
"Come on Martha the riddle could be talking about any war out there. Dr. Alenkov even said so! What makes you think that it was World War Two?" asked Hilary.
"Call it a hunch or a vision but I think this is the war we need to focus on," Martha replied her eyes shown with hope.
"Martha, you're scaring me," Hilary said feeling afraid as Martha looked at her dead on. Her dark eyes blazed red for a second, frightening Hilary.
"Am I? What if I told you that I think I figured out this riddle. And the password that will solve all of our problems," Martha replied with much enthusiasm.
Hilary looked up at the other woman in front of her. Her sunken eyes and dark circles and tired features reflected hours of work as well as a lack of sleep. Hilary wanted to run but Martha locked eyes with her forcing her to sit. She was worried for her friend as she poured over that riddle for hours. Who keeps waking up in the middle of the night shaking because the dreams haunt her.
And it frightened her.
"What do you mean?" Hilary asked her voice was shaking with disbelief.
"It means we can get out of here! We can go home, I just have to make sure of something but I am positive that I finally have the answer!" With that, Martha shot out of her chair and left Hilary behind.
"Martha wait!" Hilary said getting up and rushing after her friend.
Martha rushed towards the center of the room, where the others were ignoring Major Reynolds. Their interest peaked when Martha came to the center of the room. Her mind was focused as she looked around for space. Then, sensing something, she slowly closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift back towards her dream.
"Martha! Martha!" Hilary's voice played in her head, but Martha was paying no attention to it.
Her mind was elsewhere. The images fading towards nothing as she let her mind drift naturally and allow distraction to drift. The image around her changed to that of the same room as in her dreams. The large room with the holographic image of the ship and the people walking around.
DREAM SEQUENCE
Martha saw herself once again, facing the room with the large holographic image of the ship. The strange writing that was there, along with the images of parts of the ship that were highlighted. She could make out the blurs of the crew members as they walked past her. The sounds of their voices filled her ears, nearly overwhelming her. The world began to spin as she pictured the entire room, from the long hallways to the three doors behind her.
Then she turned her head to look at all three doors. The first one on the left, she remembers that it leads to some sort of laboratory, while the one on the right leads towards a room filled with all sorts of devices. Martha figures they might be guns of some sort, since they look a lot like guns. Then the image changed to that of the one in the middle along a narrow hallway. This one led to a room with a single table in the middle. There, the same blur was on the wall as the main room. Martha let her mind drift to that image of the large room with the holograms. Slowly, she walked towards the much larger wording on the wall.
The blurred image was in front of her as if the ship didn't want her to see its name. But as she came closer, the riddle once again played in her mind, like a mysterious voice playing in her brain. Its words haunting her and whispering to her.
When East fought West during a time of war, when three kings rose from depression's ashes;
"Do you mean World War 2?" Martha asked the void.
There was only silence. Instead the images changed to that of sounds being played. Gunfire from a distance and people screaming. Then as if magic a voice was heard one she had heard before, but could not make out.
"Martha!" the voice of Hilary could be heard in a distance.
Martha looked around for the source.
"Hilary?" Martha replied looked around.
"MARTHA!" she shouted.
END DREAM SEQUENCE
Martha suddenly found herself being shaken by a worried Hilary staring down at her.
"What happened?" Martha asked,
"You fainted that's what happened!" she asked clearly worried her voice was shaking with fear.
"Really?" Martha replied her mind still in a fog.
A sharp slap to the face made the woman come completely to her senses she looked to see the eyes of Hilary on the verge of tears.
"Don't you dare do that to me again you hear me you stupid bitch!" Hilary said her voice choked.
"Now what is this all about. I was having a grand old time when you ladies interrupted me with your fainting spell," said Major Reynolds who came up to them worry on his face. He handed Hilary a small plastic cup of water for Martha. One of the few rations they had left.
"Ask her," Hilary said pointing to Martha. All eyes turned to Martha as she slowly was helped up by David. The other young man had just gotten off shift when he heard the commotion. Guiding Martha to her chair he let her sit down for a bit.
"Now Mart why did you suddenly go into the middle of the room and scare the living crap out of all of us?" asked. Major Reynolds.
Martha's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement "I found it the answer to the riddle, I found it!"
"Really?" Hilary said in disbelief! She was surprised by Martha's sudden outburst her eyes widened at the sight of hope. "How?" she asked.
"Hold on a sec, Lucas! can you pass that sketch there?" Mart called out to Lucas, who was sitting just opposite the table Martha was sitting at.
Lucas went over to the table she was talking about and grabbed the sketchbook on the table. Then he walked over to Martha and handed the sketchbook over to her. She flipped the pages, till she got to a sketch showing a blurred out picture of a wall. It was one of her earlier dreams, when she was walking towards a wall but could not make out the words. Martha reached over to her bag on the table. Others, who heard the conversation, started muttering to themselves as they heard Martha's declaration. They gathered around the table just as the young lady started looking for her pencils in her bag. When she pulled out a pencil she immediately began to rub the side into the drawing.
"What are you doing?" asked Major Reynolds.
"Give me a sec," Martha replied.
She could barely make it out, but she was certain that it was the answer. With the improvements to the sketch, the image became more clear. Her mind began to clear as the image took shape. Though the words were still blurred Martha has her answer.
"You solved the riddle Lass?" Major Reynolds said as Hilary filled him in on what Martha told her.
"Yes, I think the riddle is talking about World War Two," Martha said.
"Are you sure?" asked David.
"Yes, it is starting to make sense. The dreams, the riddle it is starting to make sense. When I was reading Dr. Alenkov's books I was also listening to Major Reynolds's stories about his grandfather. I think that is the clue. The final piece to solving this puzzle. It was the riddle that showed me the way. I was just too worried about surviving to get it!" Martha replied.
Major Reynolds turned to her, "So if you figured it out why don't you tell us the answer then?"
"I need to make sure first that it is the right answer before I try inputting it, but I am fully sure, I bet you that is the right answer," Martha replied, her voice so excited it went up a few octaves.
"You are fucken crazy you know that, just fucken crazy!" Lucas said to her. Martha only smiled as she turned towards them and bowed.
TBC
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