The Breach
There is no musical chime, or a shattering crescendo, for that matter. Hollywood has killed reality with its ridiculous sound effects.
I have found the courage to step through, I prefer "transcendent", the very retro-looking portal and it happens rather silently. I'm feeling like Alice stepping through the looking glass. Except, I am not as relaxed, as curious, and far from being as pretty.
The bright dashboard of my helmet is complaining:
[Oxygen: 0.2%]
[Estimated time remaining: 5 minutes 0 seconds]
Conclusion: You're fucked!
The conclusion is mine. WWSA does not add profanity to their dashboards.
I am sure my oxygen supply is supposed to last at least a couple of hours more but who am I to argue with the dashboard? Besides, one can't trust the quality, or accuracy, of anything these days, can one?
On the brighter side, I still have 4 minutes and 52 seconds left!
- - -
"Gentlemen!", the commander's booming voice declares, "We are explorers. We have always been. When the caveman first walked away from the cave in search of food, we became explorers."
Why do commanders always have a booming voice? Perhaps it's a tautology. The room is quiet but I can feel imperceptible nods and stifled groans. The atmosphere is more like "Get on with it ... Sir!"
Atmosphere. Something the cocoon we are floating in has none, on the outside at least. Technically, we are not floating but falling towards Saturn under its force of gravity but since the orbit is large, we never actually hit the planet, thankfully. This "cocoon" has been the culmination of a two-decade-long project. The "Aether", as its called, is named after the Greek god of everything from the atmosphere to space and heaven. We Nauts just call it the fucking-long-way-from-home launchpad. Perks of being in orbit around Saturn are the views! The rings are spectacular, for instance, unlike anything on Earth. Literally. I wonder how rich our poetry back on Earth would be if we had rings around it!
For the better part of an hour, the commander outlines the next mission. Nothing too fancy, he reckons, or dangerous. He picks a rookie Naut for the job.
"Naut-O-Five-Nine", he orders, "your prelim starts in an hour"
"Yes, Sir!", I straighten up and reply, loud and clear. It's almost like I knew he'd call out my name.
My mate, Naut-O-Four-Eight smiles a broad one at me with two thumbs up.
- - -
[4 minutes and 31 seconds.]
I must stop reading the dashboard and concentrate on keeping myself alive. I seem to be in the thick of a forest, not unlike the one from the chase scene in Return of the Jedi. The trees in this "forest" are charred beyond recognition.
At least I don't have those "things" chasing me anymore. They couldn't get through the portal, thankfully. Far worse than The Empire, they wrecked my vehicle within minutes. I had time to run but running with the Nautsuit is no fun.
My pursuers are hard to describe. Maybe another time. If I survive. I only wonder why they attacked the vehicle and not me. Until I ran that is.
Just to be safe, I check the location of my portal, the "looking glass". Clever name, no? Since we opened space exploration to geeky private companies, its kind of cute how they name things.
Ok mate, concentrate.
The looking glass, or the Spacetime Transition Doorway or STD (No, don't!), is intact.
I'm hoping this moon has a human-breathable atmosphere. Yes, I know I should've paid more attention during the prelim about the moon's geography and biology. The portal, however, has led me to a different spacetime. So, who knows.
I unclip the geo-scanning drone to release it. It ascends quickly among the treetops and should analyze the "air" in a minute or so.
For me, that's quarter of my remaining life!
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Title: The Breach
Genre: Sci-Fi
Age Range: 55-60
Word Count: ~10,000 (WIP)
Author: K. P. S. Plaha
Why I believe it's good: Fresh voice and a sci-fi tale of spacetime travel.
Hook: When an astronaut is sent to explore an alien world devoid of atmosphere, he must fight a breach of not just in time, but of trust in his closest relationships. All he has at his disposal is a portal called the "Looking Glass".
Synopsis: Two astronauts. Best buddies. Together on a mission halfway across the Solar System. One wears his heart on his sleeve while the other is a wisecracking genius. Also in the mix is a female astronaut who also happens to be a trainer. Their lives entangle in a dangerous curl of time itself which threatens to tighten a noose around them. Who or what is the breach?
Audience: Readers of sci-fi, humour, YA (perhaps)
Bio: Kanwar assumed he could write the day his essay in Grade 7 won the top spot at school. Since then, he has been writing whenever life permits. A husband and a dad, he also dabbles in other creatives such ass photography and painting. He taps the keyboard and pushes the mouse as his day job.
Education: Bachelor of Science - Physics
Experience: Non-creative pursuits: 15+ years. Creative pursuits: Since childhood. I have been on the set of a Bollywood movie, worked at a VFX company. I also have a section of this story written in script format.
Writing Style: Fast-paced, humourous, unconventional.
Likes/Hobbies: Several creative types
Hometown: Sydney, Australia