Wild Planet
TIME: 07:00 GMT
LOCATION: NASA BASE
I woke up feeling so dizzy, lazy and unmotivated for the day. It was unusual and for the first time in a long while, I had a sensation of pessimism. My head ached, and I recalled I had a weird dream I couldn’t fully interpret. It was scary, I wanted to forget all about it, so I got down to my pushups and meditation sessions, I loved being one with my chi.
“Yes sir, everything is set, tomorrow is a go sir” he dropped the call as I knocked softly on his door. He was excited I was still skeptical that something might go wrong in this journey, too nervous to tell anyone. I didn’t want to be seen as the scaredy cat.
“You do know I’m scared of this travel yeah?” I said, walking into Dazzi’s office, reaching for his bottle of scotch.
“There’s literally nothing to fear my friend, it’s gonna be a smooth ride”, he said reaching for his scotch glasses. I wasn’t convinced, but I trusted my friend.
“Cheers, to a successful trip then” our glasses clinked. We downed scotch all day long.
THE NEXT DAY
TIME: 08:00 GMT
LOCATION: NASA LAUNCH SITE
I ate yummy pies before I left to the rocket launch site. Dazzi was already on site. I joined them in the conference room and Iris frowned. I apologised with my sorry eyes, I knew I was late. Iris, the senior commander assigned to this mission said,
“I am proud of how far you have come in this journey”. She paced.
“Twenty seven years serving as an astronaut, exploring the universe with Dazzi, coordinating the team members well and bringing back outstanding reports and strange raw materials for experiments which help improve Human Resources, this is your final mission, bring me good news as you return”. We shook hands and boarded the rocket two hours later headed to space.
…
“We are approximately 150 minutes away from our destination.”, the space commander continued, “put on your bag packs and activate your oxygen. We will be using the avalanche route as the klaptain route will take 650 minutes”.
“Why don’t we use Klaptain which is the safest route instead of risking being hit by a meteor?”, I replied.
“This is not the first time we are travelling using this route. We are skilled enough to know how to avoid such if it comes”, the commander said these words with confidence. “Are you scared?” he asked.
“Not really. Due to seasonal tendencies, the chances of us being hit by a meteor is very high. It happens every five years and this is its season. We will eventually crash to one of the nearest planets. It would be a horror experience if we land in Jupiter. We would have to survive two days before another craft will be sent to us, don’t forget those guys never die”. I said jokingly as everyone busted into laughter.
Jupiter has always been a scary planet. The aliens in Jupiter have no regard for humans. I have heard the stories of astronauts that have been there and managed to survive to tell their stories. One of the famous astronauts, Said Carion nicknamed the planet ‘The Abode of the Damned’. If any human stays there for a moment and leaves without being torn apart by ‘Jupioneers’ coupled with the heat, it is believed that there is a stronger force, usually agreed to be spiritual is responsible for their safety.
I was taking a nap when I heard the ship vibrate. I knew that instant that we experienced a large impact on our ship. I rushed for the pilots’ seat where Dazzi was talking his watch.
“What just happened?” Aquila, one of the team members nervously asked.
“I think we mistakenly hit a space rock”, another team member replied.
“It’s okay fellas, let’s all stay calm, we just had a normal rocket impact as usual. Turn off the rocket alarm system. We have approximately 70 more minutes to reach our destination”, Dazzi said. Everyone went to their station and I looked into Dazzi’s eyes.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I asked, though I already knew what his fear was.
We have to crash land into Jupiter….
A few minutes later, we were landing into Jupiter. I could hear screams as the ship caught fire. I felt my soul leaving my body before I crashed into the soil. I looked around and saw Aquila and another team member dead. I heard screams, I knew that sound, the aliens were near.
“Run! Get up and run!” I screamed, dragging Dazzi as five other crew members regained their senses.
“Hey, you have a satcom on you?” I asked Orion, the tech guy.
“Quickly call the headquarters and inform them that we are in trouble, tell them we need help as soon as possible or we will all be used as breakfast” as we headed into a cave.
He tried again and again but he couldn’t connect with the headquarters. We headed deeper into the cave hoping not to be seen by any alien.
It was then it dawned on me that I would have expressed my feelings about this. Maybe, we would have postponed our takeoff or maybe I would have convinced the space commander to take the safest route. “May the gods of my atmosphere be with me.”, I proclaimed continuously in my mind as I had no hope of making it back to planet earth.
Eventually, we were all found and taken captive. I woke up bleeding all over my body. Two of my team members were already dead, I knew better than to struggle. We were just three left.
“Humans have always been a threat to us. I will make sure none of you live here alive. I will eat your flesh and burn your bones as a sacrifice to the god protecting our specie from attack from the earth realm. Now tell me the truth or you die next, why did you decide to visit our kingdom?”, one of the female Jupioneers screamed. She was beautiful. Way more beautiful than the stories we were told.
“My team members and I had no intentions to kill, steal or destroy anything in your planet. We were heading for space exploration in one of the new planets we discovered. We were hit by a meteor and we eventually crashed into Jupiter. Please don’t kill me and the last two people. I have no harm against you and your people”. I begged.
She stared at my eyes as tears kept flowing out. After a few minutes of silence, she said, “These men are pure. He speaks the truth. I wouldn’t have hurt anyone if they didn’t try to run as I thought your people had evil intentions here. I am sorry for your loss but if you must survive and return to your planet, we have a deal to make”.
“What is the deal?” I replied hastily. “This is the last of your species that will visit my territory without my permission and survive. I want you to go back and warn the rest of humanity for this is the last chance. I perceive you are peaceful but I will have no reason to spare a soul next time”.
I thanked them repeatedly, I looked at Dazzi, his face was swollen, and he smiled. I couldn’t imagine Dazzi dying, but I just lost four crew members. They cleaned us up and served us their food which we refused to eat. We were too sad to eat anything, and their meals didn’t actually look appeasing.
“Have you called your realm for another craft?” the female alien asked, I still didn’t know what her name was.
“No, I can’t. I have been trying over and over but I can’t reach the headquarters”, I said these words with great depression.
“We have a technology we use to communicate with species of creature in other planets, use it to call your people.” She said, I thanked her. As she reached the door, she turned back and said.
“Tell them the situation at hand, how many men you have lost and why we killed these two men.” She said authoritatively.
“If they don’t come for you in seventeen hours, you’re dead meat” she said, I shook. How can one be so scary and beautiful?
Sixteen hours after the call, the headquarters had send another ship to pick us up. We had to abort our mission.
“Our last mission was not a success and we will have to return to the earth without carrying it out”, one of the team members said as I replied peace, “It was a success to me. I survived. We survived. You both have a chance to give it a try next time. As for me, I have other sectors of life to explore asides being as astronaut.” Dazzi laughed and said
“This experience taught me that it pays to live life to the fullest and everyday like its your last”.
