Authors: Christopher Costanza
She looked straight ahead and said “I don’t know but I’m kind of scared… he’s acting really strange. Just keep quiet…”
Horus continued. “As I speak, a team is already on the way to secure eleven subjects; they project completion in less than 24 hours... If you notice, there are eleven separate smaller labs off to the side. Each one of the subjects will be assigned to a lab, and two of you will be assigned to each subject. Leaving one left over for my personal studies in my private lab… Which no one is ever to enter. If you need to discuss something just knock and wait outside.”
He coughed again. “Each team will be given a separate packet with the details of your experiments. Each team will also keep this information as personally classified. The only person on this ship that you will speak to about anything you do is me, until otherwise informed… Does everyone understand?”
Everyone in the room promptly answered “Yes”.
Horus began to walk around the room and then proceeded to give a long speech about how science should be boundless. He said we shouldn’t look at the subjects as victims, but as “necessary sacrifices for the greater good.”
He then said to be prepared that most of the
subjects will not survive and there will very likely be multiple trails of eleven…
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I looked over at Sara and I could tell she was very upset too… that she was starting to regret being here just as I was.
As he talked and I looked into his eyes, and listened to his voice, I could see that the Horus we knew was longer here. It was almost as if he acted the way he did just to draw us in… draw me in. Maybe everything he said was a lie. I know for a fact this kind of thing would be illegal in our society.
Something wasn’t right... That must be why he’s threatening everyone with treason charges and life in prison.
When he finished, he ordered everyone except me to return to their quarters. They all stared at me as they walked out. Some looked excited, some looked indifferent, and some looked frightened.
I started to think about asking to sign the paperwork and go back to my original position. There was a war going on in my mind… My curiosity was trumping my sense of ethics as I wanted to know everything Horus knew…
As Sara started to get up, she quickly leaned in and said “Don’t ask to leave.”
…What did she mean by that? That she didn’t want me to leave her, or did she mean something would happen to me? All I know is that she really did look
scared and I had to get away and talk to her as soon as I could.
Once everyone left the room Horus called me over to his desk. I sat down and just waited for him to talk.
He leaned back in his chair.
“So what do you think of all this Atlas?”
I wanted to confess my distaste for the idea and even question the legality, but after what Sara said…
“I’m trying to figure out how these experiments will help advance mankind… And I thought our main priority was to fix the atmosphere on Aeris…”
Horus looked surprised “Sorry Atlas, but that information isn’t something I can give you just yet. Just think of it as classified for now and I’ll tell you when the time comes…”
He leaned forward “Atlas, you’ll understand when I tell you, just be patient and prove yourself to me… prove you’re dedicated to assisting me through this project. No matter what you see, or hear, you have to remember it’s all for a much larger and greater purpose… Now I have personal work to do, and many things to prepare, so go take a walk around the ship. I’ll call you when I need you.”
As I walked out I got a chill...
When he looked at me and said “No matter what you see, or hear” I could no longer see compassion in his eyes. They had become cold and devious, his voice and way of speaking had really changed. Something
was very wrong and I had a feeling I was going to bear witness to some terrible things…
I also got the feeling that I was right to listen to Sara and not ask to leave… Suddenly I didn’t feel safe anymore…
The moment I walked out of the lab, I looked around for Sara, but she was gone... Why would she say that to me and then not wait and explain herself?
I was getting even more worried; did she know something? I had to find her so I headed to the team quarters. As soon as I turned into the hallway she was there waiting for me.
Before I could speak she said “Listen to me Atlas, I’m only going to tell you this once and then we can never have another conversation like this again…”
I nodded and she continued. “I had a friend tell me that they were involved in classified work and every time someone quit and asked to be dismissed to another group - they were never seen or heard from again. Do you understand me? The ACI is very powerful and we’re years away from home…”
I had to go against my promise not to question her.
“What do you mean I can’t ask you any questions? You can’t do this to me… What’s going on here Sara?”
She shook her head and took my hand.
“I’ve said all I can say… just listen to me” and she walked away.
I felt myself starting to panic so I decided to just go
back to my room and think; there was nothing I could do at the moment.
What kept coming to my mind is… why am I here? Why would a guy like Horus just approach me with a fake personality and make me his personal assistant?
It didn’t make any sense, especially since I was just some military grunt… Even if he did supposedly “see something in me.”
That fact alone started to scare me deeply…
Now Sara tells me people who quit classified projects disappear… My heart was pounding out of my chest... It’s almost as if they know that once we’re all the way out here, we won’t have a choice. We’re all vulnerable. Was this all a just a psychological trick to force people to perform unethical experiments by using fear?
Another thing I couldn’t help but question was Horus’ knowledge of the situation. He went from hoping to meet an intelligent species to totally forgetting about it and pitching the experiment like he’d been thinking about it for months… Everything he’s been telling everyone was a lie…
I was almost completely convinced that his behavior proved he’s probably known about all this since before we left… Why else would the lab be set up in such a specific way?.. Who was I kidding… He obviously knew… This was all planned and set up long in advance…
I think I can honestly say I’m worried for my safety… and Sara’s. The effects from the stasis are still making me feel the need to be around her and constantly think about her… I just had to accept that it wasn’t real and worry about myself for now.
I had to find out what was really going on here. Maybe all those people on the outside were right to distrust and even hate the ACI… Everything that just happened was enough evidence to tell me that it wasn’t the humanitarian organization it pretended to be...
There was no way I could relax. I just spent the next half hour walking around my room in somewhat of a panic; trying to rationalize everything that just happened... After a few more minutes, I decided to wander the ship and try to get my bearings while I thought things through.
I was really hoping to run into Kayin… but what would I say? I couldn’t tell him anything; it could endanger both of us. If I did see him I’d just have to pretend nothing was wrong… This wasn’t going to be easy…
As I walked around The Sirius I continued to see so many incredible things, but none of that mattered anymore. All I could think about was Horus, his deception, and what would happen to me.
We were all going to be here for at least another four years. We were in another galaxy, five years
away from Aeris... This entrapment had to be part of their plan; I know because it’s working on me…
What I really needed to do is calm down… I wouldn’t be in any danger if I just went along with this. If anything, getting nervous and acting strangely could really endanger me.
If what Sara said was true, Horus dismissed that woman like she was nothing. If she was really killed and disposed of, he would have to know about it, which means he sent her to her death without blinking an eye. If anything he was annoyed…
At the same time, I may see the woman again tomorrow. Sara and I could just be perceiving something that isn’t there. Paranoia could be an aftereffect of the stasis. We might be able to quit without being in any danger at all.
This is why I had to do my best to think objectively… I didn’t really know anything yet, so I just kept going and trying to collect my thoughts…
Chapter 5
I
’d been walking for hours, I didn’t even know what time of day it was. In space time kind of loses its meaning. Not having a sunset or a change of light just makes you forget about it I suppose.
Either way I’m sure Horus will call us all back to lab as soon as the subjects show up. Apparently the team sent to retrieve them said they’d be back within 24 hours and I don’t even know when they left. It could be any minute or 20 hours from now.
For a moment I hoped that maybe these experiments wouldn’t be so bad… Then I remembered he said the majority of the subjects would die and he would most likely have to do multiple trails...
This also meant they didn’t really know what they were doing, and when it comes to science, that usually means years, if not decades of experimentation. He was probably lying about how many of them would be harmed too…
As Kayin pointed out, the 4 year speculation comes from an estimate of mining done per month once the machines were set up. It could be a lot longer, or shorter depending on how accessible the chrysos is. If this planet has never been mined it may go twice as fast as anticipated… Maybe I wouldn’t really have to
be here 4 years, because right now all I wanted to do was go home…
I couldn’t help but be angry. I had been so excited about the idea of meeting another advanced civilization like ours. Instead, we’re going to be kidnapping innocent, helpless people and performing the types of experiments that will actually kill them... I was still having a hard time believing all that just really happened…
Horus said they’re less than a million years behind us in evolution… That’s pretty close to what we are now. I wonder if they had discovered fire yet? That would most definitely show intelligence and I had a feeling they would have by now…
He’s obviously attempting to make us feel as though the indigenous people are beneath us, not worth our sympathy… The problem is the key word “people”… They are people, no matter what he says.
Just because they haven’t discovered electricity and mathematics doesn’t make their lives any less important than ours…
There are certain cities on Aeris that maintain the ancient customs of their ancestors… They don’t use any technology and reject science… Compared to the rest of the world they would be considered as “unevolved.”
Would that give us the right to consider their lives worthless and do whatever we want to them?..
The more I think about this whole thing, the more I’m sure it would be illegal on Aeris. And the more certain I became that I’m not ok with it.
If the public knew about this, there would be an immense outcry. It also means the government knows about it, and I have a hard time believing the ACI is powerful enough to get away with murder and violating human rights… Not without support from the government.
Although I could be wrong, after seeing the Aurora station and the Sirius in person it would be safe to say they’re far beyond the government in technology and wealth. This could mean they actually control everything…
I guess now that I think about it, they do have the power and technology to conquer all of Aeris. Without the help of their military and resources the Capital would have fallen long ago…. Maybe that’s when it happened…
I had to keep telling myself that everything going through my head was just speculation. I honestly didn’t know a thing, but just like Sara, I knew something was very wrong here and that we’d all been lied to… Tricked…
It had been hours since I’d seen Sara… Maybe I could try to find her and get some answers out of her, or at least see what she thinks about some of my theories. Maybe she’s calmed down by now and will
be ready to talk… Either way, I was starting to get tired from walking so much and headed back.
When I got to the team quarters, Sara was nowhere to be found. She must be trying to avoid me…
I guess it’s only logical to assume we’re being watched and listened to… Everything on the ship is constantly monitored…
Of course… that’s why she said we could never talk again. I never even thought of that… I really have to start being more mindful from now on…
I went in my room and sat down on the bed. There were some books sitting on a shelf but I didn’t want to read them… What if it was just more deceit to gain my interest?
They had already lied… I have to accept that I can’t believe anything they say. There’s probably still a lot more that Horus hasn’t told us yet as well. And who knows what other horrible things they’ve been doing in secret over the years… If they’d do this, they’d do just about anything…
I did the only thing I could do; just lie there and continue to think about everything… There was no one I could talk to… When it comes to this, I’m completely alone…
Just as my eyes were beginning to get heavy, there was a knock on the door.
When I opened it, Horus was standing there.
“Let’s go, I need you a little early so we can talk.
There are different rules and information for you since you’re my assistant.”
I followed Horus down the long hallways, we were both completely silent. The only sounds were those of our footsteps on the hard metal floors, echoing for what seemed like forever.
His new demeanor was making it even more obvious that the Horus I met on the Aurora didn’t really exist… His warmth had completely vanished, and he no longer seemed like he wanted to be friends either…
Before he opened the door to the lab he turned around.
“Atlas, I promise you will understand how important this is once I give you the real information.”