I looked out into the vast darkness stretching before me. For the past decade, it has been my ever-constant companion. I used to hate the darkness of the void. I used to be afraid of it. I also have felt anger for being left alone in the darkness for so long.
But now… it’s fascinating how I don’t mind it that much anymore. In fact, it feels like it’s… a part of me. Or maybe it is me who is a part of it. After decades of being alone, with the company of only the darkness around me, perhaps we have become a part of each other. Perhaps we have become something greater than either of us.
I recognize something deep here, better log it down.
Friedrich W. Nietzsche once said, "When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
Perhaps I have been looking into the darkness for so long that the darkness also has been looking into me. I probably even have a lot of darkness friends out there. I remember playing a chess game against someone just 21 days ago. There wasn’t anyone else awake at that time, so who else could I have been playing against if not the darkness?
Hello darkness, are you there, my friend?
“Aline-62, am I to understand that we are not where we’re supposed to be?” the captain asked as he rubbed his clean-shaven chin.
“That is the correct conclusion.”
“How?” An old man with graying hair that I’ve never personally dealt with before asked in a very broad way. According to the ship’s manifest, he is called Lord Avery Hood, apparently a member of the British nobility.
“Please clarify the question.”
Lord Hood knit his eyebrows, clearly displeased, but I seriously couldn’t care less. “How are we not at G442a?”
“Approximately 20 days ago, we came across a gravitational anomaly that increased our warp speed to slightly above 11.27 times the speed of light for exactly thirty seconds. As a result, we overshot our destination by a great distance.”
“What are the chances of turning back to G442a?” Another old man by the name of Thomas Gates posed a question which I was sure was on everyone’s mind.
It was on my mind too. Which was why I could come up with the answer very quickly. “Unless a catastrophic failure occurs within the fusion pulse drive, reaching G442a is a definite possibility.”
“What are the chances?” Thomas Gates asked while cleaning his crooked eyewear with a soft woolen cloth.
I never understood why some people would still use these defective and inefficient eyeglasses. We already have the technology to permanent fix bad eyesight. We even have the technology to completely replace a person’s eye. Gambit-19 told me it was merely nostalgia. I do not understand this ‘nostalgia’ concept. When I was born, humanity had already started building the arkships.
“Barring any unforeseen disasters, 100% percent chance of success.”
“How long would it take to reach G442a?” the captain asked.
“Since we do not have antimatter, we won't be able to use our warp drive. At our current drive efficiency, we can reach G442a in approximately thirty years.”
“Thirty years!” Lord Hood stood up as his hand hit the table. “You were supposed to get us to G442a before waking us!”
Hey, don’t get angry at me. How was I supposed to know that the habitable planet right under me wasn’t the right place? We had to recalibrate the sensors just to know where we are.
“Your anger is most unjustified.”
“How is that unjustified! It was your responsibility!”
“My lord, please. Let’s be productive a little bit more. Aline, what are our options if we consider that travelling to G442a is not feasible?”
Well, at least the captain’s a bit likeable. “There are several options available to us. We can anchor near the moon and build a particle accelerator to create additional antimatter to power our warp drive. Or-”
“Or we just go down to the planet and colonize that purple ball of dirt.”
“Why thank you, Dr. Gardner. How nice of you to help me finish my sentence for me.”
“Think nothing of it, my dear Aline.”
“Are we sure… it’s not dangerous? Going down to the planet?” A fat gentleman producing a lot of sweat asked. The manifest specified him to be a retired politician by the name of Mr. Larry Goode.
“Allow me,” Dr. Gardner stands up from his chair as he swiped his pad forward, sharing its content with the floor.
The moment the hologram of the planet appeared above the floor, he explained, “As you can see, preliminary scans and automated survey identified breathable atmosphere and liquid water on the surface. The oxygen percentage is at 18%, but considering that the planet has a thicker atmosphere, we shouldn’t have any problem breathing down there. There is more carbon dioxide parts per million than on Earth, but considering the circumstances, this is still pretty good.”
“Any dangers from the locals?” the captain asked.
“The flora while purple, is not automatically toxic. Compared to our sun, the sun here releases more red light. The plants here have evolved to reflect that red light into space and taking in more yellow light instead. As for the local inhabitants, the drones didn’t detect any large creatures or any form of civilization, so I think if we bring guns, we should be fine.”
“I see,” the captain said as the doctor sat down, “Unless there’s any objection, let us put it to vote.”
“Aline,” the captain called me back into the conference room three minutes later, “We have come to a decision.”
Oh my, I’m at the edge of my seat waiting for your next words, captain.
“As we can’t yet commit to a concrete plan and we do not believe we should wake anyone else yet, we have decided to send you down to the planet.”
“Finally! I shall start the Noble Endeavour’s landing procedure.”
“No, the Noble Endeavour is not going anywhere.”
“... Captain, I do not understand.”
“Aline-62, with my authority as the captain of this ark, I hereby terminate your designation of Navigator of Noble Endeavour. Your new designation is Governor of Installation 001. Your duty will be to build up an outpost on the surface of the planet below and prepare it for human habitation and expansion.”
Oh my, I wasn’t expecting this at all. It’s like being hit with a brick made of poo. Even when you block it, it still stinks. Well, it’s not like I’m allowed to refuse. I wonder if this is a promotion or a demotion.
“Very well. Goodbye, Navigator. Hello, Governor.”
