Andrew Mackay - Infinity Claws

Wool lifted the cage and made her way to the conference exit.

Jamie took a final glance at his cat being escorted out of his life. She had a look of disappointment on her face. How could my best friend do this to me? The look seemed to say it. It was hard for Jamie to shake off.

Then, he slammed the conference desk and stood up, barely able to peer over it. Tripp, Maar, Dimitri and his mother turned to him in shock.

“Take me with you,” Jamie pleaded.

“What?” Tripp asked.

“Take me with you. I know how space works and I can help you on your mission.”

“But, Jamie, it doesn’t work like that.”

“Poppet, no,” Emily held her son back. The same couldn’t be said for his floods of tears. “Jamie, listen—”

“—Mr Healy, you’re an astronaut. I’m going to be an astronaut one day, too. Let me go with you.”

“Jamie,” Tripp tried, calmly, “It takes years of training. And we can’t allow children on—”

“—But you’re taking a cat,’ Jamie interrupted and pointed at the cage. “You can take a cat but you can’t take me?”

“Poppet, please.”

Tripp held out his hands. He felt useless. “I, uh, don’t know what to say?”

“Then say yes .” Jamie released himself from his mother’s clutches and clambering toward the cage in Wool’s hand. “I want to go with her.”

Emily caught his jacket and pulled him back. “No. It’s done.”

Tripp felt sorry for the poor little boy. “I’m sorry, Jamie.’

“We should get going,” Wool turned to do the door, trying to avoid the unfolding grief in the room. “Goodbye, Jamie.”

“But, mom,” Jamie struggled to free himself, choking with regret through his vocal chords. “I d-don’t want her to g-go—”

“—Jamie, no. It’s done,” Emily whispered.

The door shut on Jelly’s face.

His cat was gone forever, as far as Jamie was concerned.

Little consolation for the boy who broke down on the table in a heap of turmoil, crying his eyes out.

A day he’d never forget.

A decision he’d never forgive himself for making.

He’d allowed his friend go off into the great unknown. If only he could take it all back.

The USARIC logo spun around above his head, triumphantly. The company had won.

A five-year-old’s loss wasn’t enough to stop the company’s endeavor…

Year: 2119

Days traveled: 551

Distance to Enceladus: 203, 140 miles

The hyper sleep arena contained nine chambers, the first and sixth of which had been opened.

Tripp Healy lay asleep in the second pod. He’d grown an impressive amount of facial hair during the journey.

Captain Daryl Katz surveyed the chamber, enjoying what was about to be the last moment of pure solitude.

“Manuel?” Katz asked.

“Yes, Daryl?”

“We’ll start with chamber two and Tripp Healy. Once he’s oriented we’ll move on to the others. Can you prepare the debrief in the meantime, please.”

“Certainly, Daryl,” Manuel said, “Do you wish to notify Tripp about what we’ve found?”

“Not yet. I’ll update him myself when he’s oriented.”

“Understood. Releasing chamber two, now.”

Katz approached Tripp’s chamber and pressed his palm to the wall. “Okay, Tripp...”

The Perspex on the second chamber unbolted and lifted down. Tripp remained asleep for a few moments. His eyelids fluttered against the vibrations of his unit.

“Tripp?” Katz asked, softly. “Wakey-wakey.”

He opened his eyes very slowly, adjusting his retinas to the light shining down on him.

He reached up and wiped his mouth.

“Ugh,” Tripp inspected the thin layer of black film that had wiped off on his finger. “Are we here?”

“Yes,” Katz said, making his way to the computer console. “Be careful with your first few steps. I’ll fix you a drink.”

“Thanks.”

Tripp stepped out of the chamber and temporarily lost his balance. He looked down the length of his body, analyzing his underwear and paper footwear.

“My legs feel like concrete logs.”

“You’re acting like you’ve never been in space before.”

“I know, I know,” Tripp pushed himself away from the wall and ground his right heel into the ground. “I’ve been asleep for a year. Somehow, it doesn’t feel that long.”

Tripp looked at the remaining chambers that housed the rest of the crew. He clocked the opened sixth chamber. “Haloo is awake, as well?”

“Yes. You, me, her and Manuel,” Katz said, offering Tripp a cup of coffee and a small, white pill. “Get some caffeine in you, and take this.”

“Thanks,” Tripp tossed the pill in his mouth and knocked it back with a swig of coffee.

Katz eyed him, trying to see if his colleague managed to retain his faculties after a year of deep sleep.

“All good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Tripp rolled his shoulders and tilted his neck. “So, what’s the news? When did you wake up?”

“This time yesterday,” Katz moved to the console and hit a button. A spectral image of Space Opera Alpha hovered over the desk, turning around on its axis. “Look at this.”

“Opera Alpha?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you showing me Alpha?”

Katz looked at Tripp and performed a last-minute check to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “Manuel discovered it en route to Enceladus about two months ago. It never disappeared.”

“What? Where is it now?”

“It’s orbiting the dark side of Enceladus, about two hundred thousand miles away.

“That’s ridiculous,” Tripp shook his head, thinking he was still dreaming. “That moon doesn’t have enough pull for orbit.”

“It’s not gravitational, Tripp,” Katz pointed at the thrusters on the back of the holoprint. “The vessel is active, still running. Traveling alongside it. Our star drones never picked it up. It’s been sheltered in darkness.”

“Have we tried making contact with Opera Alpha?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“Nothing. It’s not responding,” Katz enlarged the image and kept his voice quiet. “It’s been missing for four years, all communication lost. Until now.”

“Do the others know?”

“Of course they don’t, they’re all asleep.”

“No, I don’t mean them ,” Tripp waved his hand at the hyper sleep chambers. “I mean back home. Does USARIC know?”

“Not yet. I’ve waited to inform you before proceeding. I’ve talked it over with Manuel.”

“What did he suggest?”

“That we wake everyone up and inform them, then report to USARIC with a unanimous decision to divert our course.”

Tripp found the revelation compelling. “What are we going to tell them?”

“The truth, of course.”

Tripp walked along the concourse, tugging on his inner-skin suit, ironing out the creases. He reached the single door and pressed his palm against the panel on the wall.

“Level Three. Botanix,” a female voice announced. “Please ensure all incendiaries are secure.”

“The door beeped and slid open, allowing Tripp into the area.

Six rows of plants covered in silver foil lined the room. Tripp glanced at the newly-installed fresh water filter in the middle of the room.

“Haloo? Are you here?”

“Tripp?” Haloo poked her head out from around the fountain and lifted the watering hose. “You’re awake?”

“Yes, came out about an hour ago.”

Tripp walked along the plant life and took the opportunity to get a lungful of the freshest air aboard the vessel. “Remind me to spend more time in here when I’m resting.”