Stories from a Translucent Sky
Tales of Imaginative Fiction
© Copyright 2009 Gary Nicholson. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
First published by Wordclay on 4/8/2009.
ISBN: 978-1-6048-1203-9 (sc)
Forward
Stories from a Translucent Sky are a collection of short stories that I had written in the past ten years. These stories are mostly Science Fiction, but some are Comedy and Horror. These stories were ideas that were born in my imagination with the exception of “Check on Charlie” which was the original idea of Leo Taglialavore aka Leonardo.
I would like to thank Gene Hill for her help with “The Incorrigible,” she helped with characters and plot development. The Incorrigible is a mixture of Science Fiction and Mystery.
“Check on Charlie” was originally intended as a screenplay by Leonard Taglialavore, (Leo). Leo was an ultra talented man with a flair for the strange and unusual. If you Google his name you will run into a pleasant surprise. A few years ago Leo came to me with an old laptop and told me he had an outline of a screenplay he wanted to work on called “Check on Charlie.” He had the characters and story worked out but wanted me to work on the dialogue. When I opened the word program there was a note attached, it said:
Gary,
Do whatever the hell you want, just make it crescendo into the end as injury befalls the caretakers for their evil thoughts etc, without the woman? (She's a sweetie). The estate (professional vibe) lady, (Sylvia) is neither here nor there emotionally but wants only to know they are doing their job & please change Deborah to Melissa. And most of all have a ball with it” Leo.
Leo died shortly afterward and the screenplay didn’t surface but after reviewing the outline, I thought it would make a good short story. I used the outline as a template to keep Leo’s idea alive.
Die Merkwürdigen Geister is an experimental narrative that I came up with and is a story of Mystery and Horror.
The Secret of the Ice Mountains of Europa is a complex story of Science Fiction and Mystery mixed in with Adventure. It takes you across the solar system with some surprise visits from some old friends.
Of Baboons and Rhesus Monkeys is twisted comedy that combines Science Fiction with Bazaar and its sequel Of Baboons and Space Monkeys carries it even further.
Two Four Six is a story of Adventure and Discovery in the realm of Science Fiction. The idea of this story came to me when I was a teenager when I was still dreaming of deep space travel.
Safety Zone is a Science Fiction story that is about loss that leads to discovery that leads to recovery and has some twists and turns along the way.
To Doris Day who gave us “Que Sara, Sara”.
The Incorrigible
The date was Friday, June 23, 2034 6:20 A.M. somewhere in the United States. Richard Serling paced up and down in his cell at a maximum security prison. He was waiting for the return of the guards to be escorted to the Copernicus Penal Colony on the Moon, where he would serve out the remainder of his twenty five year sentence.
Richard was an Archaeologist working on a Martian expedition. He and a crew of men were working for a company called Sramtech. Their mission was to study a region of Mars that has rock formations that appeared architectural.
Sramtech home office had been receiving coded messages from one of the crew reporting that someone was stealing evidence of archaeological discoveries. The identity of the dispatcher remains unknown. He escaped Mars by using a utility shuttle to get him to the mother ship Fitzgerald orbiting Mars. Soon after returning to Earth Richard was charged with murder and sabotage.
Four guards entered his cell and directed him to an awaiting car. The car drove onto a highway. An hour later they were admitted into a spaceport. Minutes after entering the gate, a forklift moving out of control over turned and spilled hazardous material out on the roadway. The transport vehicle veered out of control rolling onto its side. The guards were rendered unconscious and Richard was slightly dazed but awake.
The moment he was free he snatched a particle beam weapon and ducked between two buildings. In the confusion of emergency vehicle sirens and duty officers shouting orders,
Richard made his way to an office bearing the name of David Lambert. Richard burst through the door and confronted a man he referred to as Dave.
Richard whispered, out of breath, “Dave! I really need your help right now.” He was desperate.
Dave, was startled, “Richard, you idiot, half the state will be looking for you. The reports are all over the television.” He was frantic.
Richard argued. “Now, Dave, you know I was framed and you are my only hope. The only way I can prove my innocence is to get back to Mars.” And he was still winded.
David Lambert was still in shaken at the appearance of his friend but could think of no other way out for Richard. He knew this was the best of times to make it happen. “Fortunately, we are preparing for the next Mars mission and I go up the Shackelton to deliver workers and equipment almost daily. Sometimes I help with maintenance. I am scheduled to go up this afternoon, but for the sake of time we will be leaving right away. I have an old work uniform you can wear to get passed security.”
Richard changed into the coveralls and the two men walked out the launch field where they were stopped at the airstrip gate.
“This man is going up with me to patch up a problem on the Shackelton,” Dave characteristically told the guard.
The guard at the gate wrote something on his clipboard and then allowed them to go by. The two men soon boarded the shuttle and Dave radioed the flight procedure.
“This is shuttle 218 requesting the go-ahead to take off.” Dave gave the prompt.
“You are clear on airstrip 18. Have a good flight Dave,” a radio voice said.
Understood, thank you, this is shuttle 218, signing off."
A few minutes later, the shuttle approached the spaceship Shackelton.
“Shuttle 218, this is the space station. Do you read, over,” another radio voice said:
Dave gave Richard an eye gesture, which told him he had this situation under control.
“This is Program Director Matthews. You're a little early for work aren't you, Dave?” A second radio voice said.
Dave was beside himself with panic and he was staggered speechless.
The radio sounded again. “David Lambert, you are ordered to reply!”
There was momentary silence while Dave hesitated. “Yeah, uhm, this is shuttle 218, the Shackelton reported an airflow problem. My technician and I are here to repair the problem,” he said shakily.
Program Director Matthews, a woman in her late fifty’s was at a complete loss. “An Airflow problem… I do not know of any airflow problem. Standby, I'll get back to you.” She said with uncertainty. P. D. Matthews switched the panel. “This is P. D. Matthews, come in Shackelton.”
A radio voice answered. “This is Donna Silver on the Shackelton, go ahead Ms. Matthews.” The woman’s voice said.
“Donna did you or Julia report an airflow problem to ground maintenance without notifying me?” Matthews asked with an air of concern.
“No. Everything is functioning normally Ms. Matthews, otherwise I would have informed you.”
P. D. Matthews’ face became a deep red. “I see,” she said and then she turned back to the monitor in time to see the shuttle bay doors of the spaceship Shackelton closing. “Damn,” she uttered under her breath.
Meanwhile, on the Shackelton, Richard and Dave entered the control room. Richard aimed the particle-beam weapon at two women standing at the control panel.
“Alright, you two, get away from the control panel!” Richard shouted.
The two women obeyed, Dave programmed the navigational commands then after a quick jolt, and a roar the ship was in motion.
The voice of P. D. Matthews boomed over the radio: “What in the hell is going on over there?” Her voice bellowed.
Dave turned to see the two women, who were apparently shaken. “Okay, Richard I programmed the directives you gave me. What do you want to do next?”
A woman with a rich German accent Julia Ganswind shouted: “Security agents will be on the alert from here to ground control, and there's no possible way you can get away with this!”
“I've already gotten away with it,” he responded.
“What makes you so sure security agents are not going to be all over you in just a few hours?” Julia Ganswind was frantic.
“Think again,” he told her. “The only thing fast enough to catch us is the back-up ship, the Shackelton B, and it will not be equipped to travel for another week so I suggest we relax because we will be traveling for some time. It will take us just about three weeks to get to Mars.”
"My God he’s right, once the ship is in motion, it's dedicated,” Donna Silver vociferated.
Richard Serling handed his weapon to the young German woman.
“That's why I'm renaming this ship The Incorrigible,” he told them. “Ladies, I recommend that you calm down. We will be traveling for about three weeks.”
Julia's eyes widened. “The power cell of this weapon has been removed!”
“Of course,” he agreed, “those things are dangerous otherwise. If anyone needs me I will be in Stateroom 15-A. That's my lucky number.”
The two women looked at each other in disbelief.
The German woman radioed a message. “This is Julia Ganswind on
the spaceship Shackelton. We have been hijacked and are in route to Mars, repeat, we are in route to Mars!”
The face of the Program Director appeared on the monitor. "Serling, that damned lunatic put him on the COM, I want to talk to him!” Her voice bellowed.
Julia replied, “Mr. Serling has retired to his quarters for the evening and said he won’t be disturbed for several hours.”
P. D. Matthews bellowed, again. “Quarters, what quarters, he hasn't been assigned quarters?”
“He's assigned himself to stateroom 15-A and He says that it's his ‘lucky number.”
“Well, get in there and get his ass to the COM, ‘lucky number’ my ass!” P. D. Matthews said furiously.
Julia replied, apologetically, “I can't, Ms. Matthews.”
“What do you mean, you can't?” Matthews continued her tone.
“I mean I can't. He has locked the door and turned the COM off. He will be incommunicado until he decides to come forward,” she pleaded.
“Well, (hesitation), Matthews' tone was calmer, “well, tell him to call me when he decides to talk.”
“No one would like to see this thing turned around more than I would, Ms. Matthews.
I mean we weren't scheduled to leave for another week,” Julia’s voice was shaky.
“It’s understood, Julia. Just keep things in order until the backup ship gets to you. Matthews out.”
Donna put per hand on Julia's shoulder and she checked the navigational settings on the control panel then said to her, “Julia, this Serling character, whatever his game is, he's certainly done his homework. If we try to turn around or try to alter our course in any way there is no guarantee we could get back safely. The curve he's put us on will get us to Mars in almost three weeks,” she explained. “We don't have much of a choice; the course is set, unless we take a chance on getting stranded. Besides, I don't believe they intend to harm us,” she assured.
“What makes you so sure they won't harm us? I mean they are a couple of lunatics,” Julia said nervously.
“They may be lunatics, but they do have us where they want us. This Serling guy must believe there is something on Mars that will prove his innocence.”
“Innocent men don't take innocent people hostage,” she argued.
“That's true enough but he does have us in a position to cooperate with him. We should just relax until the backup ship gets to us.”
The two women went about their routine chores and it was some hours later when the two men reappeared and it was a short time after that Donna called for a meeting in the conference chamber.
“I'm sorry to put you guys through this, but getting to Mars is the only way I can prove my innocence. With your help perhaps we can decipher the coded messages. They may shed some light on this mystery,” Richard apologized.
“Mr. Serling, I've heard of you, and I've done a background check. Before going to Mars, you had no criminal record. You were an exceptional student at the academy, and you had a reputation for honesty,” Donna said.
Dave felt compelled to speak. “I’ve known Richard since the academy. Aside from being ambitious, he is brighter than most, and he's a garden variety person. I'd trust him with my life,” “I've heard of you as well and I don't trust you,” Julia argued.
Richard interjected, “someone was sending coded messages to the space station about the sabotage and there must be a record of them on the ship computers.”
“Okay, we’re going to check into that Mr. Serling but you need to know that I’m in charge of this ship and I take my orders from P. D. Matthews.”
“Since we are being held against our will I can't see any reason to help him,” Julia interrupted then she turned to Richard, “By the way, P. D. Matthews wants to talk to you. She is verdampt, pissed off!” She said angrily.
“I suppose I should call her,” Richard said.
Donna spoke to Julia. “I suppose you could stay in your quarters for this trip, but I really think you should help. With your understanding of language you could. . .” She said before Julia interrupted.
“I suppose you're right, but I don't trust them.”
“I'll make a note in the log that you are uncomfortable with the situation, and that it's understandable.”
Richard Serling engaged the COM and radioed the Program Director. The red-face of P. D. Matthews appeared on the screen.
She bellowed, “Richard Serling, you lunatic. What do you think you are doing hijacking the Shackelton? And David Lambert, why are you going along with this hare brained scheme?”
“You know me, Ms. Matthews, anything for a pleasure cruise,” he said sardonically.
“I'll deal with you later,” she roared.
Dave's face turned white and then he dropped back into a chair.
“Now, Ms. Matthews, do you really believe I am capable of the crimes to which I am accused?” Richard pleaded.
Matthews responded, “I'm getting a pretty good idea of what you're capable of.”
Richard's head dropped. “The crew is working on the coded messages in the hope they may explain my actions.”
“You know, you've got my ass in a sling. If this stratagem of yours doesn't work out I'm going to make sure you rot in that Copernicus facility, Matthews out.”
“Justifiably, Ms. Matthews is no happy camper.” Richard said to Dave,
Richard turned to the improvised crew. “I presume it's time to go to work.”
Julia protested. “I do not want to work on this I am the communications officer not a counselor,” she said angrily.
Dave confronted Julia, “you know it’s a long way to Mars. This will help take up your time on the trip.”
Donna interrupted. “Listen Mr. Lambert, you are a guest on this ship, an uninvited guest. If you have any suggestions for Ms. Ganswind you’ll have to speak to me first if you don't understand that then get back on the COM with Ms, Matthews and she’ll explain it to you.”
“So, I guess you're in charge?” Richard said questioning her authority.
“It wasn't intended that way but I am the ranking officer on board thanks to you and my name is Donna Silver. You may call me Donna or Ms. Silver I don't respond to hey lady.”
“How do you suppose to handle this situation Donna?”
“We are going to examine your evidence that is until we complete the departure you have put us on. A tribunal will decide from that point on. That’s if you behave yourself on this trip.”
“Are you just going to trust those two after they hijacked the ship?” Julia said.
“Trust has nothing to do with it; it's just that we are in a position to cooperate until we are able to get support.”
Julia gritted her teeth in resistance. “I just really feel uneasy about this.”
“I don't like this any more than you. I understand why you are uncomfortable, but they are not carrying weapons. He disarmed the weapon he used to scare us, besides we have three weeks, let us make the best of it.”
Julia sighed. “Okay, Donna, where do we begin?”
“Well, Julia, let's get on the computer and start with the coded messages.”
Julia took a seat in the control room and began working the keyboard.
Dave let out a frustrated sigh. “This is tougher than I thought. Whoever put his code together must have been a genius. It just looks like claptrap to me,” he admitted.
“No, he was not a genius but he was clever. The claptrap you are referring to is German and Latin,” Julia responded.
Dave was surprised, “so, you speak German?”
Julia gave a momentary look of disbelief. “I am German, so of course. I am also fluent in English and Latin. If you look through the text you will find Latin phrases. With the exception of how the author wrote it, it is a routine report. It explains how found artifacts soon disappeared,” she reported.
Richard rushed to where Julia was sitting and looked over her shoulder. “Yes, we were three weeks into the expedition when we unearthed a metal object; this object looked like a piece of an ancient tool.” he explained enthusiastically.
“Yes and strange orders were given not to report the findings,” Julia agreed.
“My co-workers and I were disturbed by Project Director Young's reaction to the finds. Continue working Julia. I believe this will lead somewhere.”
Julia gave a momentary glare and then continued working.
“Say, do you think you can teach me something about deciphering this code?” Dave said.
“Please, do not disturb me while I am working.”
Richard whispered to Dave, “I think she can work better alone. Follow me; I want to show you something.”
The two men disappeared though the automatic doors of the chamber.
Julia looked over to Donna, “those two are making me awfully nervous, and they have to be crazy.”
“Desperate yes crazy no everything they've done so far is logical.”
Julia's was thunderstruck. “I do not believe you are taking his side on this. Are you falling for him or something?” She was frantic.
“No I'm not falling for him but he is kind of cute.”
“Oh, that’s just great! This is truly a classic case, a kidnapped falling for the kidnapper.” Julia was disgusted.
“Just keep working Julia, we have a job to do,” Donna appeared annoyed.
The days passed and Julia completed most of the cipher. The improvised crew gathered around the conference table as Julia handed them a volume of text. "This is a portion of the coded text.” It appears that throughout the expedition artifacts were either destroyed or merely disappeared,” she explained.
Richard rushed over to where she was seated. “That is how it happened but it seems we know little more that what I’ve already told you.”
Donna interrupted, "okay, let's say that we believe you but for the sake of argument we still don't know who sent the messages. For all we know it could have been you, Richard.”
Julia interjected, “there is something that is puzzling me. The recipients of this report claimed that they couldn't decipher the text but at least one of them should have recognized the German or even the Latin? There is more here than we know and Shramtech should be investigated.”
Donna agreed.
Later, just before retiring to her quarters Donna stopped Richard in the corridor. “There is something I want to discuss with you.”
Richard turned his head toward her with the look of surprise.
“What is it that you want to know?”
“Well, I want to believe you but aside from reading the reports I only know a little about you. If you could tell me about your history it could put me more at ease.”
“There isn’t that much to tell really I’ve led a pretty boring life.”
“Try me, we may be surprised.”
Richard thought for a moment. “Well, I grew up in a small town in Oregon just outside of Portland. My parents were both school teachers but had little else in common. My father drank a little when he was home which gave cause to my mother’s endless arguing.”
“That’s not so unusual,” she assured him. “So, what about you, you must have had relationships of your own?”
“Not as many as you’d think. After my parents divorced when I was fourteen I went back and forth between them. I rarely dated because I was so focused on my studies. There was a girl in my senior year that talked about marriage but when I told her about my plans of going to the academy and going into the space program, we split. She just couldn’t settle with a person who would be off in space most of the time. She married a biology teacher, and I was destined for space-travel.”
“No regrets I suppose?”
“No regrets except for the more recent events.”
“So why did you choose Mars? There is much more in the space industry than Mars.”
“Well, it’s like this, most people believe that human history on Earth is lineal with no outside influences with the exception of religion. I’ve always held the belief that Earth has had alien visitors throughout history. My studies strongly suggested that and the more recent discoveries on Mars suggested that even further. Now what we found on Mars pretty much brings it to a conclusion.”
They continued down the corridor until they disappeared through an automatic door, which had an inscription plaque that said Stateroom 15-A and the door closed behind them.
It was about a half an hour or so later Julia noticed the light outside Donna’s stateroom was unlit. Which meant it was unoccupied.
Dave who was walking from the opposite direction approached Julia. “Now that you’ve found that you can trust me do you think we could get to know each other?”
“The fact is, Dave, I don't trust you and for more than one reason. The Shackelton’s library has an abundance of movies that could occupy your time,” she insisted. She then walked into her room and the automatic door closed behind her.
Several hours later the crew met in the control room. Richard was drinking his coffee when Dave confronted him.
“Richard where have you been? I’ve been trying to find you. I need to talk to you about something,” he snapped.
“What are you going on about?” Richard snapped back.
“I risked my career for you and you ignore me. The least you could do is offered to play a game of chess,” he said angrily.
"Gentlemen, please! Will you continue your conversation in private, we have a job to do,” Donna said loudly.
Donna radioed P. D. Matthews. "This is the Shackelton calling P. D. Matthews, P. D. Matthews, please come in.
“This is P. D. Matthews, go ahead Donna.”
“Julia has decoded the text and she will forward the deciphered texted to you soon. In the meantime it will be helpful if you can get some information on the Sramtech Corporation. You will understand when you get Julia's report.”
“I’ll get on that right away. Keep up the good work, Donna.”
“Thank you Ms. Matthews. This is the Shackelton signing off.”
Some days later Richard radioed P. D Matthews. “This is the Incorrigible calling P. D. Matthews.”
P. D. Matthews' face appeared on the monitor. “Okay, 'Mister Incorrigible', what do you want?” She responded, coldly.
“I just want to inform you that we will be in Mars orbit in just a few hours.”
“Okay, 'Mister Incorrigible', I have some information that I'll share with you later.”
“This is the ‘Incorrigible’ signing off.”
“Incorrigible indeed.”
P. D. Matthews face faded from the screen. Richard turned back to the screen as if he expected the face to reappear. A few hours later Donna spoke to Richard in the control room.
“Okay, Mr. Incorrigible now that you’ve gotten us to Mars what do you intend to show us?”
Richard pointed through the view port at Mars. “Do you see those pyramidal formations?”
“Hmmm, yes, I've seen photos of that region taken from orbit. Is that where you intend to touch down?”
“Yes, I'll be taking you to an excavation site near there.”
Richard picked up some baggage that was at his feet and then left the chamber.
Donna turned to Julia. “Okay, Julia let's get the shuttle ready.”
Julia sighed, “Are we really going through with this? I can't believe that you trust him enough to go along with this,” Julia was dubious.
“As I told you before trust has nothing to do with it. It will be a week before the backup ship gets to us and P. D. Matthews is anxious to see this to the end as well.”
The shuttle landed in the area known as Cydonia. Julia Ganswind was astonished when she stepped off the shuttle. .
“This is incredible! I've heard of this place but I thought it was a myth. Those formations really do look artificial. No wonder such an effort was made to explore this region,” she said with excitement.
“You should see the discovery we made just before the real trouble started. P. D. Young was acting most peculiar after this discovery.” Then he led the group to a crude sturdy structure abut a cliff face. He walked through an ordinary door and the group followed. He pointed to an excavated area near the cliff. There was a partially exposed skeleton, stained red by the soil around it.
We discovered this skeleton three months into the expedition,” Richard told them. Prior to this discovery, we were unearthing artifacts daily. It’s just as Julia decoded from the messages they were also disappearing daily,” he continued. “John Pierce, the communications officer must have been sending the coded messages. Mr. Young must have found out about the dispatch, and killed Mr. Pierce,” then he took them further still into the facility.
“Bob Weir and I were both suspicious of Young from that moment on. The next to be killed was Neil Gilmore and then it was Tom Adams. Gilmore was killed in his quarters and later Adams was killed in the lab.”
Richard continued walking around the facility revealing the bodies where they laid. He took them to the body of Colin Young and explained that P. D. Young had cornered him here.
“Young hit me in the hip with a particle beam blast that punctured my pressure suit. The self-repairing mechanism kept it from decompressing. I then picked up a rock and threw it, breaking the faceplate of Young's helmet. He has been lying there ever since.” He pointed to a specific suited figure sitting leaning against the cliff wall. Then he led the group to the quarters of John Pierce. Pierce was still lying on the bed where he had been placed.
Julia went immediately to the computer and switched it on. "The coded messages originated from this terminal,” she announced. “Apparently, Mr. Pierce was making an entry when the assailant entered the room. He was describing the skeleton when he was attacked. The last entry simply says, C. Jung,” Julia reported.
“Go ahead and forward the remaining files to P. D Matthews, Julia,” Donna directed.
Then she turned to Richard and Dave. “Gentlemen will you carry the body of Mr. Pierce to the shuttle?”
The two men transferred the body onto a gurney and carried it out of the room.
Later, the makeshift crew met in the quarters of Neil Gilmore. “Gilmore was the second in charge of the expedition and I witnessed several arguments with Gilmore and Young involving the metallic tool piece. Gilmore told him there was no-way the object could have been of natural origin. Mr. Young must have come here directly after killing Pierce.” Gilmore's body was still on the floor where it was originally found and Donna looked up from a kneeling position. “Gentlemen you know what to do,” she suggested. The two men loaded the body onto a gurney and then carried it out of the room.
Richard then led them to the body of Tom Adams. He was still at his desk slumped over where he was working.
“I remember how Adams tried to explain to Young the significance of the skeletal find. I believe Young came here after killing Gilmore. Bob and I walked into the lab and found the body where it is now. After talking it over we decided it was time to leave and possibly maroon Young here.” Richard went on explaining. “Bob was getting the shuttle ready while I went to retrieve the skeleton to take it back to Earth for further study. I gathered my tools and made my way to the place where it was buried. P. D. Young had walked in before I could get started. He fired his weapon and I threw the rock. I forgot about the skeleton and made my way back to the shuttle. I found Bob's body there. I placed the body behind those rocks to protect it from the shuttle blast, and that's my story,” he concluded.
“Now we've done all we can. Now, let's get some rest and get ready for the backup ship,” Donna suggested.
A few days passed and then finally the roar of shuttle engines cracked the silent air. Richard and Dave were the first to meet the shuttle. Richard was stunned when he saw P. D. Mathews stepping out of the shuttle. "What are you doing here? I thought you were
back at the space station.” Richard said, nervously.
“Surprise I thought I'd kick your Asses in person. That lunatic stunt you pulled got my Ass in a sling and I'm going to kick your asses back to Earth without using a spaceship.”
“The mission is off schedule, the authorities are screaming from one end of the organization to the next, and I am here to head the tribunal. Mr. Incorrigible we're going to do this right,” she said coldly. She engaged the COM button on her wrist and said: “You know what to do; we're right outside the shuttle.”
Shortly two security guards seized Richard and Dave and escorted them to a detainment chamber and later P. D. Matthews met Donna in the Lab area.
“What do you think about all this, Donna?”
“I believe that Mr. Incorrigible is telling the truth. A lot has happened here, it's all in my report. I still don't understand why P. D. Young sabotaged the mission and killed those people.”
“The Investigation that Julia suggested revealed that he was part of a highly secretive organization called, ‘The Infinity Group’. They are connected to the age-old secret society called ‘The Illuminatus’. It seems that the group holds so-called sacred knowledge on the origins of the Human Race. It also seems that they get pretty darned insecure when anything contradicts their beliefs.” Matthews reported.
Donna’s eyes widened. “Still, that doesn't explain the murder and sabotage.”
“The fact that there's intelligence doesn't mean that rationality follows. It's just as Julia said there’s more here than we know.” Matthews explained. She engaged the COM button on her right glove, “Security. P. D. Matthews here,” she spoke into the mouthpiece.
The radio sounded, “This is security, go ahead Ms. Matthews.”
“You may release the detainees. I will be available should they have questions.”
“Right away Ms. Matthews,” the radio voice said.
“Donna, we will hold the tribunal in the morning,”
The next morning a group of weary space travelers gathered for the tribunal.
P. D. Matthews raised and pounded her gavel. “We are gathered here to determine the innocence or guilt of Richard Serling and David Lambert” Matthews announced.
“Julia Ganswind, will you approach the front of the hearing . . .”
“For the sake of the record, Ms. Ganswind, will you state your position in the investigation?” P. D. Matthews opened.
“I was to decipher coded messages that were later determined to have been written by Communications Officer John Pierce.”
“And, what were the findings of the investigation?”
“It appears that early on in the expedition a metallic remnant of an ancient Martian tool was unearthed. Shortly after the discovery of this artifact, it disappeared and an unwarranted order was given not to report the finding. This was consistent throughout the expedition until a human skeleton was discovered.” (She pointed to a display case
containing the skeleton.) “This was in the conclusion of the dispatched report.”
“Shortly after our arrival on Mars I discovered messages that were never dispatched. The remaining messages proclaimed Project Director Colin Young as Murderer and Saboteur,” Julia told the court.
P. D. Matthews raised and pounded her gavel again and said, “I find the defendant Richard Serling not guilty of the crimes committed at the R. C. Hoagland Archaeological Expedition. However, still remaining are the charges of Hijacking and Kidnapping. Will the defendants Richard Serling and David Lambert approach the front of the hearing?” Matthews continued.
“Richard Serling, how do you account for your actions?” Matthews interrogated.
"Well, Ms Matthews at the time I had no other recourse.”
P. D. Matthews leaned forward. “Listen carefully Mr. Serling, no-one, absolutely, no one steals a spaceship that's under my command. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Ms Matthews.” Richard said, slowly.
“I'm going to give you a choice Mr. Serling, either you will spend the next five years in the Copernicus facility, or you can go to work for me? Which do you choose?” She asked sincerely.
“I'd be happy to work for you Ms. Matthews. What job do you have in mind?” He agreed.
“I need someone to screen the personnel for the next Mars Mission,” she told him.
“Okay, David Lambert, how would you like to go to work for me?”
“I already work for you Ms Matthews,” he said nervously.
P. D. Matthews leaned forward once again. “Listen carefully, Mr. Lambert, you won't be if you pull another stunt like this one. Am I understood?” She said sternly.
“Yes Ms. Matthews,” he answered.
P. D. Matthews pounded her gavel again; and said, “I consider this matter concluded.”
Later Donna met with Julia. “Well, Julia it's been one heck of a trip, hasn't it?”
“You mean it has been one Hell of a trip.”
“Yes, you’re it has been one Hell of a trip. Well, do you plan to be with the next mission?”
“Of course Donna where else in this macrocosm could I find another job like this? So, what are you plans for the near future?”
“I think I'm going to be busy training the new Personnel Manager.”
Julia grimaced.
Check On Charlie
The Gardener was a Grey-haired man with a big mustache using a rake. He looked up and saw Charlie an eccentric, filthy rich, schizophrenic old man while he rode his wheelchair to his mailbox and back again to the house.
Later while he was reading, his newspaper Charlie began shaking erratically and Charlie’s speech became wild.
“Yip, yip, and yip-ha,” Charlie said in a shrill voice.
Later that day the gardener was still raking the lawn when he noticed a pair of sexy female legs. Sylvia’s high heels clicked along the curved walkway aligning the circular driveway towards the mansion. She has her clipboard. She checked off her paperwork while she checked the exterior condition of the grounds. The gardener raked to the right of house. Charlie’s caregivers backed up their vehicle wildly in the driveway. The tires were screeching when a middle finger darted out of the driver's window and the car raced onto the street. It seemed like the old caregivers were in a hurry. The gardener looked up slowly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and shook his head.
‘Oh well, Charlie managed to do it again,’ the gardener thought.
Sylvia was stunned speechless.
Meanwhile, Charlie was jumping wildly on his bed screaming. “I'll spin this wood at cha, I'll spin this wood at cha,” he screeched, and he knocked his cane on the wall and ceiling while jumping.
That very afternoon three new caregivers sat waiting for an interview in Sylvia's office. Doug and Samuel were sitting on a couch in the office. Melissa stopped at the desk and asked the receptionist about the opening for live-in caregivers while Doug eyed her butt. The secretary handed her the applications.
They filled out the forms while the atmosphere of the room intensified. Then the secretary peeked through Sylvia’s door and whispered. “There are three new employees here for an interview.”
Sylvia quickly brushed her skirt for the presentation.
”It just so happens we need three people to fill this position,” she said as they entered the office. “Our client is a very old and very wealthy man that just needs his meals fixed and to be checked on from time to time.”
“Sounds good, great, our kind of job, Doug blurted out.
Doug, Samuel, and Melissa were alone for a few minutes.
“I guess we got the job,” Doug said. “This job will be a piece of cake, living in this exquisite mansion.”
Sylvia walked back into carrying paperwork, and then explained Charlie’s condition, (like a drill sergeant) and asked them if they could handle a live-in position.
They hesitated and exchanged glances, but then they agreed that they could handle it.
“Okay, then you’ll meet us at the house in the morning,” she directed.
Everyone shook hands in agreement. Then Sylvia leaned on her desk and heaved a heavy sigh.
Sylvia, Doug, Samuel, and Melissa all arrived at the house the next morning. The moment they arrived a woman in a plumber's outfit burst out of the front door with a five-gallon bucket of urine and feces. It splashed onto the walkway while she raced passed them as though they weren’t there on the way to her truck mumbling inarticulate obscenities. Then the three caregivers reluctantly entered the house. They could hear Charlie screaming from the long hallways that lead to the interior of the house. They ran back to check on Charlie they found him under the kitchen sink. He had somehow disconnected the trap pipe.
“Why is the shovel leaning against the house?” He yelled into the pipe and there was crud from the pipe on his face, neck, and chest. He screamed when Sylvia and the new caregivers entered the kitchen.
“I'm not under here. I'm not under here. I'm not anywhere here, you, you Yam snackers, fa fa fa Formosa tree fa, fa, fa Formosa trees,” he screeched.
Melissa assisted him out from under the sink. The three walked him to his bathroom next to his bedroom and his arms were flailing wildly. Then Melissa began to wash the dirt from his arms and face with a washcloth.
“Good luck,” Sylvia said, just she left the mansion.
Melissa was almost in tears while she washed Charlie's face and chest. He looked up at her with sad innocence. The two men were cleaned the room while looking back and forth in disbelief at each other.
“What have we gotten ourselves into?” Doug asked.
Samuel shrugged, wide eyed.
Later that morning the caregivers were sitting in the living room. They were quiet and their silence was thundering. They soon discussed how to manage chores when suddenly Charlie screamed from his bedroom
“Let’s go check on Charlie,” Melissa said.
He was jumping on the bed rapping the wall with his cane screaming.
“I'll spin this wood at cha; I'll spin this here wood at cha!” He screeched.
The caregivers stood just inside the doorway, and observed. Then Charlie fell off the bed and wedged himself between the bed and wall.
“This is sick,” Doug uttered under his breath, while they approached Charlie. Charlie was bleeding a little and once again Melissa took Charlie into the bathroom and cleaned the blood from his forehead then placed a Band-Aid on it and then she walked him back to his bed.
Days passed.
“Two days and already I ‘m sick of this,” Doug complained vehemently. “What the hell am I doing here, this sucks," he stammered.”
“Sylvia told me in confidence that if Charlie dies in our care we will inherit a large amount of his estate,” Melissa told Doug and Samuel. “If we are patient we may learn how to manage Charlie.”
They all went to sleep that night thinking about the situation.
Doug imagined scenarios of the old man's death. Samuel thought that they had made a serious mistake when they took on this job. Melissa was concerned how to care for Charlie and to make the job tolerable.
Doug sat up in his bed reading a porno magazine with an evil smile on his face.
The next morning they opened the door to Charlie’s room they noticed he was gone and the window was opened.
“Where is Charlie?” Melissa screamed.
They gathered in the room and looked all over for Charlie.
“He’s not in the bathroom,” Melissa said, breathlessly.
“He’s not under the bed either,” Samuel said.
“Oh, shit!” Melissa exclaimed, looking down from the window! “Charlie is climbing down on some sheets that he had tied together.”
Doug stayed in the room while Melissa Samuel ran outside. They looked up directly under him.
Charlie refused to come down.
“No, I won't go back in there,” He whined. “No! I own this house,” Charlie protested.
”Just come down and we'll go into the house now," Melissa pleaded.
Charlie heard Melissa’s motherly voice and calmed down. He started down the sheet. His foot was about two inches from the ground when he faked a fall.
Doug was in the upstairs window. He fell, rolling on the floor laughing to himself. He rolled around into something wet on the floor with his forearm. He looked at it, smelled it, he winced, and screamed. “Christ almighty; its piss!” He yelled.
He jumped up and ran to the window. He looked down to see Charlie grinning back at him psychotically.
There were people on the grass talking amongst each other about ten feet away. They lingered a few minutes then walked away.
”He told me to climb out the window. “ Charlie screamed while looking up at Doug. Then Charlie pretended to cry. He grinned under his sleeve while he sat on the grass.
Melissa went to sit with him on the grass and talked to him. She gently put his head on her breast. “Everything is all right," She said. “I will watch T.V. with you and make popcorn"; she told him. “We'll have popcorn, just us,” she repeated, tenderly. “And you don't have to do anything that you don’t want to,” she cajoled.
That night Charlie was in his bedroom, looking out the window. Charlie moved to his chair and thought of leaving.
Dawn broke and Charlie climbed out of the window with the bed sheets tied together again. Charlie climbed down the sheets as quickly as he could. As soon as he reached the ground he looked from side to side and made sure no one saw.
Early that morning he was seen in a park sitting with campers and he was eating a pigeon.
Later he was seen running through a trailer park. He stopped at one of the homes. He pounded on its door and yelled, “Fire in the hole, Fire in the hole.” Then he ran out of the trailer park.
Later, Doug and Samuel were driving around in their car looking for Charlie. They saw Charlie running down a crowded street in the small town of Poulsbo. People scattered as he ran towards them in his hospital gown. They screamed when they saw his exposed butt in the back.
They parked the car and ran after him. Charlie spotted them and ran into a store to escape. He picked a small wooden boat labeled Poulsbo. Doug and Samuel chased him out of the store and down the street. Charlie smashed the boat on the sidewalk while he was running. Charlie stopped suddenly and turned around. He put a finger in his nose and blew snot into Doug’s face. Afterward Charlie crawled under a woman’s long skirt and got away. The woman made a whooping sound in disgust. Melissa appeared from around the corner. Charlie went over to her car immediately, he got in and she he drove him home.
Doug hated Charlie more and more every day. One day Doug had an idea. ‘I know I'll make
Charlie a bologna sandwich’ he thought.’ I'll leave a few slices on the stairs. When he wakes up to go to the bathroom, he'll slip, and we'll collect the money from the will.’ He thought for a moment that he would talk it over with Samuel but decided against it.
‘This is a one-man job,’ he thought and Doug went on with his plan. It was evening and everyone was resting in their rooms. Doug went into the kitchen and took the bologna out of the refrigerator. He made Charlie a sandwich. The placed it on a plate and then on a tray. He placed a glass of milk beside it along with the pack of bologna. He went up the stairs to Charlie’s room. He put the plate with the sandwich on Charlie’s bedside table and placed the milk beside it. Doug went back to the top of the stairs and placed slices of bologna along the edge of the top step.
‘Now when Charlie gets up at night to wander around the house he’ll slip on the bologna and fall down the stairs,’ so Doug thought.
Everyone was in bed as usual that night but Doug didn’t sleep well. He was anxious to find Charlie in the morning, dead at the bottom of the stairs.
Charlie woke up during the night and wandered into the hallway. He walked up to the stairs. He thought he was in the bathroom and he defecated and then he walked back to his room.
Doug woke up happy, because expected to see a dead Charlie at the bottom of the stairs. He didn't see Charlie so he ran up the stairs. He avoided the bologna but slipped on the heap of feces. He bumped his head on every step when he fell down the stair. He was covered with feces when he hit the floor.
Charlie was laughing, watching cartoons and was unaware of the activities in the house.
Samuel woke up to the sound of Doug moaning. He found Doug's pain-ridden body at the bottom of the stairs. He ran to the phone and called 9-1-1.
An ambulance arrived and the attendants took Doug away on a stretcher. Charlie was still watching his cartoons. Samuel and Melissa stood next to each other beside the driveway and watched the ambulance drive away.
“I’m going to have to leave here today Melissa. I just can’t take it anymore,” Samuel said.
“I was hoping that you guys could stick it out but it looks like I’ll be taking care of Charlie by myself.”
“I’ll just get my things and go.”
They said their goodbyes and Samuel was on his way.
A couple of days passed and all was quiet in the house, too quiet.
Sylvia sat in her office. She had a bad feeling. She called the house but no one answered. ‘What could be wrong?’ She thought.
She went to her car and drove to the house. She stormed in and started looking through all the rooms downstairs. She raced up the stairs and broke into Charlie's room. She found him, dressed like Hugh Hefner. Melissa was with him under the covers. He smiled and held up his drink, while she cuddled him. Her lipstick was smeared all over both their faces.
Die merkwürdigen Geister
There are Haunting stories in America. Some are so frightening that they are very seldom mentioned. Be advised this is one of those stories. There was an old mining town in Nevada called Silver City a.k.a. Siberne Stadt.
In the town of Silver City Nevada in 1888 there lived, a prosperous German immigrant named Wolfgang Rosenbusch.
Rosenbusch owned a successful business called Silberne Stadt Real Estate. He and his family, his wife, two sons, and their daughter lived in a house there. His wife Hergardt was 15 years younger than he was and very attractive.
His sons were Stefan 15, and Gustav 11, and Gretchen 8.
Everyone in town knew Wolfgang as a shrewd businessperson but they were not aware of his jealousy towards his wife.
When in August of '88 Erik Brahms; a prominent New York lawyer came prospecting property it was looked upon as a positive venture. Shortly after purchasing land this, Erik Brahms became a recognized figure in the community.
In August of 1888, a storm came in from the East. Mr. Rosenbusch was out of town on business. His wife was left in charge of his estate which was a large house built from Ponderosa Pine.
A stonewall surrounded the house that stood in the middle of large acre field. There was a carriage entrance at the north wall where people entered. On this night, Mrs. Rosenbusch sent the servants away and put the children to bed early.
Mr. Erik Brahms was the houseguest as he and Mrs. Rosenbusch were engaged in an illicit affair.
Enthralled in sexual embrace they did not notice the carriage outside. Mr. Rosenbusch returned home early as his business appointment was disrupted by the oncoming storm. He watched a cluster of lightening in the East shaped ominously like a hand. An extended bolt of this cluster stuck in his field lighting up the carriageway revealing Mr. Brahms carriage.
He instantly went into a rage realizing what was afoot. He dismounted his carriage and went immediately to his woodshed. He picked up a rough cut two by four and then stormed into the house.
The house was dark except for the lightning flashes though the windows. He charged through the house and into the master bedroom door. He stomped into the room, Mrs. Rosenbaum let out a shriek as she, and her lover broke their embrace. She was unable to rise from the bed and run before Mr. Rosenbusch thrust the two by four to the side of her head. She fell back to the bed with a crushed skull and blood pooled around her mangled head.
Mr. Brahms was up running for the door when Rosenbusch swung the board to the back of his head. Brahms fell forward crashing to the floor.
Spattered with blood and filled with rage Rosenbusch left the bedroom. Lightening through the windows revealed his children standing in the next room. The children scattered in different directions as their father stormed towards them. He cornered Gustov and delivered a blow to his left temple. He then confronted Stefan with a blow to the chest.
Leaving Stefan in a heap on the floor he watched Gretchen run through the front door. He ran after her but by the time he reached the front door she was running out through the carriage entrance.
Realizing now what he had done he dropped the board onto the porch. He then took the porch overhead oil lamp and lit it. He threw the lamp into the house reception room setting it ablaze. He then walked out to the woodshed. He retrieved a rope coiled on a hook. He threw the end of the rope around a rafter. He made a makeshift noose and hung himself.
He was swinging in the wind lighted by the blaze when Firemen arrived. The fire crew worked feverishly through the night only to watch the house burn to the ground.
The morning after the police found the word “conciliation” written with the aligning of stones on the ground. The meaning of this remains a mystery to this day.
At the turn of the century, Gretchen Rosenbusch was twenty years old and obtained ownership of the property. Though she held onto the property as legal owner throughout her life she seldom visited there nor did her children. The people wandering through there reported sensing an ominous presence there.
These reports were discarded as foolish stories generated from the tragic event
Though in 1935 there is another incident on the property. Some trespassers camped on the property were found to be murdered. They were found in their sleeping bags and appeared to be sleeping when someone smashed their skulls with a blunt instrument. This and the word "conciliation" with aligned stones on the ground were the only similarities to the original incident. This crime remains unsolved.
The property remained untouched with the stonewall standing upon Gretchen's death in 1973.
The property was finally sold in 2007 by Gretchen's great grandson to a family from New York named Brahms. A house was built on the old foundation with the stonewall standing.
After a storm in August that year the family was found murdered in their beds. They were found with their skulls crushed by the blow of some blunt instrument. Outside in the yard was found the word "conciliation" written with an alignment of stones.
There was once a legend that said this stonewall was built by the Comanche to circle a sacred ground. They are said to have gathered in this area to commune with spirits in August to come to "agreements” but who really knows?
THE END. (Hopefully)
The Secret of the Ice Mountains of Europa
Cameron Johnson was the head of a foremost ice mining business on the Jovian Moon Europa.
The Aqua Utopia Corporation employed Cameron ten Earth years ago. Since then the Europan facility had produced large volumes of ice with an average of 130,000 tons every day. The mined ice was shipped through space to Mars and Earth. Through vigilant management, the ice was permitted to fall on either planet and replenish the driest areas.
After only five Earth years, reports had shown that the dry lakebeds of Mars were filling up.
It was Monday June 3, 2075, when the J.P.L. in Las Cruses New Mexico received a static crammed communication from Cameron Johnson. The communication was thus:
“This is Cameron Johnson, head of the ice mining facility of Europa. There is a power trapped in the Ice Mountains. I will need two hundred or more workers to help free it ...” The communication became too rough and distorted to be understood at that point.
On Wednesday June 5, 2075, the J.P.L. received another radio communication from Cameron Johnson and it went like this:
”This is word of warning, there is a power trapped in the Ice Mountains that if unleashed it could change the course of human history ...” The communication faded in a series of garbled hisses, there have been no other communications, since Friday June 14.
It was on Tuesday June 18, 5:30 P. M. in the town of Las Cruses New Mexico when Spud Davenport was reading his computer magazine at home and his doorbell rang. Spud opened the door for his friend Joe Montel.
Joe Montel was a man in his late fifties. He was a semi-retired veteran of the Martian Colony builders for NASA.
Spud was a computer programmer for Houston's Ground Control Center when he met Joe Montel and Cameron Johnson.
It was a decade ago when NASA finished building the last of three Martian colonies. Spud worked with both Cameron Johnson and Joe Montel on the project.
The project was completed on Tuesday May 28, 2065 and on that day Cameron applied for the ice mining work on Europa. He was forty-two and a recent widower when he decided to devote his time to this seemingly worthwhile project. Cameron and his crew had the operation up and running in just a few years. Both Spud and Joe kept up with the project, though Joe lived in Houston and Spud in Las Cruses.
“Well, Spud I came out as soon as I got your message, now what's going on?” Joe asked with a tone of concern.
“Come in Joe,” Spud began. “It’s a long story you’re going to have sit down to hear this. Just relax while I make coffee.”
“Well, Joe its Cameron he’s managed to do it again.”
Spud handed him a hot cup of coffee.
“Oh, it is Cameron, so what is it this time?”
The two men found a seat in Spud's study. Spud, was a confirmed bachelor at age thirty-seven, and the room was awry. Spud moved an old newspaper from the seat of a chair to give Joe a place to sit down.
“You know how Cameron always manages to get himself into trouble,” Spud reminded him.
“Yes, of course that’s good old Cameron. I've managed to help get him out of more jams since we graduated from high school. It seems even on that remote outpost he's managed to get himself into some kind of trouble,” he said in deep thought.
“Unfortunately this time we don't know what that is,” Spud said with concern.
“Hmm, you're not the secretive type. There must be something serious that's not so clear.” Joe speculated.
“Bingo, you know Cameron better than anyone I know so listen to this recording for yourself and tell me what you think.”
Spud rose from his chair and went into another room and he returned with a portable recording device and set it on a small table between them.