A Mass Anomaly

“Why do we have these weekly gatherings?” the man asks.

“Morale.”

“It’s not like we’re not going to get things done. We're way ahead of schedule.”

“It’s a few minutes out of the start of your day. Relax, Ben.” She replies.

They walk through a sleek, 3D-printed corridor.

“Sure. You’re rota’d off?” he asks.

“I have a few things planned after this.”

“Like?”

“Taking a ride out to climb the caverns in Akkarion.”

“Oh, nice. The cave systems?”

“If I have time, I have a massage booked later on.”

“Wow. You really are making the most of your day off.”

The reddish-brown hallway funnels toward a red door. Dilating as two people approach.

“I’ve been planning it for a while.” She says, smiling faintly.

They enter a spacious meeting room. A holographic table dominates the center, displaying a detailed map of Axium.

“Nel. Ben. Please," a woman says, directing her hands toward the remaining two seats at the circular table.

“Welcome, everyone. Updates, please?”

The other ten turn to Nel.

“We've made significant strides in establishing the colony. Our hydroponic gardens are thriving. We've managed to adapt several Earth crops to Axium's conditions.”

“The geological surveys have been fruitful. We've identified promising mineral deposits, including a rich vein of iridium." Says Ben. “There could be larger deposits deeper. We’ll know more when the drones can adapt. But we might need to blow a few holes first.”

“And don't forget about the water purification system. It's been working flawlessly.” A young woman says.

“Excellent. The mapping? How far have we progressed?” asks Ramirez.

"We've completed roughly two-thirds of the planet's surface. There are still some unexplored regions, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. We've encountered some challenging terrain. But we're confident we can finish the project within the next few months.” Said Ben.

“That's great to hear.”

“Dr. Ramirez," Ben says with a squint. “We need to approach the abnormality.”

“Abnormality?” Nel asks.

“The reports," says Dr. Ramirez, lowering her head. “It’s larger than we anticipated. It will take the whole team to move through it.”

“Right. That’s it. It’s just… I thought it would be… more universal.” Ben is hesitant.

“Universal? What’s going on?” asks Nel.

“It’s something we kept from you. For our own reasons. But going forward…” Dr. Ramirez waves her hand toward the corner. “We’ll be… more open.”

Nel pivots. The flames catch her eye first. The room starts to hum, building up together. ‘Happy birthday to you.’ The ten other representatives sing. A large green and blue-globed cake is set on the table.

“Oh, you shits.” She mumbles, her head falling into her hands.

The Axium cake opens like a citrus fruit as segments cling to the internal frame, edging out. Three moons beam from the table, orbiting the edible planet.

“We got you!” Ben points. “We got her. Right?” His head twists with excitement toward the chuckling, clapping team.

“Enough with the secrets," Nel calls out. “Now.” She says standing. “Get me a large slice of that-”

Sirens pierce the room. Red lights pulsate. Eyes turn to Dr. Ramirez. Nel turns to Ben. The holograph of Axium surrounding the cake flashes, zooming in. A beacon flashing red moves toward the planet. Nel and Ben rise suddenly. Through the claxon, Nel shouts out, “What is it?”

“Something is entering our orbit," Dr. Ramirez says, "fast."

“We have to—" Ben stops, staring at the node breaching their atmosphere. The simulated projection lands the abnormality in their hemisphere.

“What is it?” asks Nel.

"Activate emergency protocol nine," Dr. Ramirez shouts. The room falls quiet. All eyes follow the object.

“Sixteen kilometres per second.” The young woman in the room reads out. “Wait.” She stands. “It’s slowing.”

They watch the blinking abnormality.

Nel slaps Ben’s arm, nodding to the window.

They hustle to the hallway. Doors slide open as they stand, necks arched toward the light three-mooned sky.

"Well, it’s not an asteroid.” Said Ben.

Engulfed in green flames, the object falls behind a monstrous multi-peaked mountain.

“Landing zone?” Ramirez's voice comes from behind.

“It’s too early for stage two.” Said Nel, rocking her head.

“Landing near…” the young woman stares, holding a semi-transparent screen. “It’s down.” She says stoically. "Two hundred seventy-four clicks North, North East.” She taps the beams. “Lake Agotor.”

“The caverns?” mutters Nel. “Jude. The descent statistics?”

Jude was staring into the device. Her eyes scanning. Pausing.

“Jude?”

"Yes," Jude nods. “It’s...” she says, drawing out her words. “There were two as it entered. Then a blast before it submerged.”

“How much?” asks Dr. Ramirez.

“I don’t understand. Here.” She says, projecting the data. Two marks highlight the speed alterations.

“It didn’t crash," Nel whispers. “It landed.”

“Right.”

“The craft. What do we know?” Dr. Ramirez asks.

“It’s a sphere. It’s fast,” Jude says, “and it’s gone.”

“Fuck.” Ben sighs. He looks at Nel. Then Ramirez. Her dark green jumpsuit is now buttoned up. The patch reads: Mission Leader.

"Fancy blowing out the candle?" Ben asks, nudging Nel.

Nel turns. Running into the base.

The four-person crew flies over the cavern below.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Nel asks Ben.

“Whatever it is. It’s not ours. I need to know what it is.”

“Right. Same.”

“We might not get that opportunity. This is recon," Dr. Ramirez said. “Hold those expectations. And do not.” She turned, holding her gaze over the pair. “Do not stray from protocol. Understood?”

They both nod.

The mountain floor rolls below them. Passing the last peak, the lake materializes. Higher than anticipated.

Nel gasps as the jet slows. A giant sphere of water hovers over the lake. Liquid streams like climbing tornadoes of joined rivers.

“So that’s why it disappeared," Jude says, her voice above a whisper.

“What?” asks Ben.

“The water. A forcefield surrounding the craft.” Said Jude confidently. “Our signal can’t pass.”

“Bring us down," Dr. Ramirez says.

The jet starts to descend. “Are we taking a closer look?” says Ben, perked up.

“Recon only. Do not touch it.”

“No touching. Got it," Ben said, bouncing his brows.

“She means it.” Says Nel.

Nel stands an arm's length from the cascading wall of water. She throws a rock at the vertical stream. It passes the barrier.

“Well, it’s not a force field."

“Penetrable. Interesting," Ben mutters. 

“No touching!” The mission leader scuffles over. "Did it go in?” she asks.

Nodding approvingly, Nel edges forward. Her eyes just inches away. “It’s slow.”

“Slow?”

“Like it’s being held. The outer layer is moving. But the inner layer is static.”

“Any ideas?” asks Ben.

A thick, green branch flies over their heads. Disappearing through the wall. Dr. Ramirez stands behind. Picking up another long stick and pushing it into the water. “Do we have a probe?” she says, wiggling the stick in the water.

“Apart from the highly advanced native probe you have there? No, we don’t. Only drones.” Says Nel.

“They’re not picking anything up.” Says Jude.

“Then your stick is the best we have," Nel quips. “This is not touching?”

“It’s protocol."

“To prod sticks at water spheres the size of mountains. Formed from a craft crashing into a lake?”

“It landed," Jude adds.

“To be cautious. Protocol is to take extreme care with any abnormalities," Ramirez says.

Nel stares at the wall. Her fingertip hovering over the water. Dipping her finger, the surface tears. Fraying like splitting silk. The rip thickens, shifting across the surface. She pulls her hand away as the tear ruffles, spinning toward the top. “It’s on an axis.” She says, turning to Ben.

His brows bounce. He smiles, winking at Nel. “No.” She calls, as Ben steps through the barrier.

“Don’t do it, Nel!” Dr. Ramirez shouts.

“Elena. We have to.” Replies Nel.

“You,” she points, “are still under my command. If you follow him, you will be reprimanded.”

“If I even come back—" her eyes widen.

Ben steps out from the wall of water. “Wow. You have to see it in here.” He beams a smile.

“No. Way.” Ramirez says.

“It’s safe. It’s fine.” Says Ben, standing half submerged by vertical water.

“I think we should," Jude adds, stepping closer.

“I don’t care what you think.” Says Ramirez.

“It’s three to one.” Says Nel.

“I’m the Mission Leader. What I say goes. I’m ordering you to—" she pauses.

Jude and Nel step closer. Running their hands through the water. Small droplets bounce on the surface. Tiny peaks form like an electric current runs through the surface. They multiply, growing larger.

“Ben,” Dr. Ramirez calls, “get out."

“Why? Whilst it’s here, we should collect—"

A pulse slams them to the ground. A sound like tearing steel forces them to cover their ears. Jude rolls on the floor, kicking out. Dr. Ramirez screws her face, slapping the muddied lake bed. Nel groans as another sound pitches higher. The low hum shaking their flesh, pinning them to the ground. Nel twists on the floor. “Ben?”

The volume lowers. The sphere shifts. Patterns form on the outer layer as the wall of water thins. The suspended particles of water merge into geometric, shifting patterns.

“Where’s Ben?” Nel calls out.

“Ben!?” Jude shouts. “His position. It’s gone.”

“I told you not to touch it. For fuck's sake," Ramirez says, frantically tapping her watch. “Base, you copy?”

“Loud and clear, Boss. Everything okay out there?” the voice inquisitively asks. “We only have three beacons."

“Ben is gone.” She replies.

“Gone. Ma’am?”

“Disappeared.”

“Our orders?”

“Prep the ship for departure.”

“Departure?” There's a pause. “Please repeat the orders.”

“Open Operation Elixir."

“Orders confirmed. Operation Elixir is active.”

Nel’s hand hovers towards the transparent sphere. Elongated petal-shaped spheres extend like a blooming flower wrapped in a wavy boundary. Fuzzy and fluid in its motion. Intricate geometrical structures weave.

"Elena," Nel says, gazing over the interconnected circles and hexagonal arrangements. "I'm going in. Orders or not."

"Nel. Wait," Elena says, stretching out her arm. 

"Elixir?" asks Nel. 

Dr. Elena Ramirez, mission leader, nods. 

"This wasn't recon for a colony mission, was it?"

"No," Elena shakes her head. "Not specifically," she says, handing a small tube to Nel. “If we get separated, you’ll need this.” Her voice is scratchy.

"I've mapped the bubble," says Jude. "It's layered. The third layer is six circles, each with an inner void, connected by patterns of waves. Here," she beams a replica of the sphere. "It's cymatics. It's a frequency."

Tiny tornadoes churn in the center, flowing into small circular nuclei. Patterns emanate. Four interconnected circles surround the center, resembling flower petals.

"Is that?" asks Ramirez. 

“It's resonance is holding," Jude says. "388.36148148 Hz. Gravity.” She says, stepping forward.

Nel shifts towards the vibrating, ever-shifting transparent sphere of water. Looking back at Elena, she asks, “You coming in?”

Nel gawps, mesmerized by the surrounding intricate design. Spouts twist, merging into lines. Separating into waves. Then more spheres as Jude and Ramirez pass through the pouring wall.

“That’s the center,” Jude points. “Another sphere.” As the three make their way through the large, interconnected circles.

“Elixir. What is it?” asks Nel.

Ramirez sighs. “Remember the original Nebo?”

“The planet?”

Ramirez nods. “Well. It was made.”

“We didn’t find it?”

"Oh, we found it. We found it created. Terraformed.”

“We weren’t the first ones there."

“No. But we were the last.”

“What happened?”

“Sucked dry of life." she shrugs. "Look. You’re the botanist here. How do you think we terraform?"

“We adapt the formula.” Replies Nel.

Ramirez shakes her head as they approach the glimmering craft. “The formula.” She sighs. “Isn’t ours.”

“We’ve known about The Others for a century," Jude adds.

“What others?”

“An advanced species. Terraformers. Engineers," Elena says.

Nel groans. “When were you two going to tell the others?”

“If something happened. IF.” Says Elena. “We have two missions. Recon for a possible New Eden and search for the formula. If it’s foreign, we collect it and return to Eden.”

“Why activate the departure?”

“Because Nebo didn’t go easy. It’s… energy. It’s life fought back.”

“You think this is something to do with Nebo?”

“No. I don't," Ramirez replies.

“Operation Elixir?” Nel asks.

“If something goes south, we destroy the evidence. Return to Eden. Which is why, when we find Ben, we need to leave. Jude, any changes?”

“None.”

The metallic craft hums.

Nel leans closer. Its sheen reflects her image. It pulsates, humming louder.

“Nel. Ben isn’t here.” Said Ramirez. “We need to leave. I’ll update you with Nebo when we get to Artemis. We’re not safe.”

“We have GPS.” Says Jude. Then staring at the screen. “We have… two.”

“Two?” asks Ramirez.

“One here. One on Artemis." She says, zooming in on the display. Tapping the comms disc on her collar. “Base. You receiving?"

Nothing.

Jude turns to Elena. Her expressionless face is staring.

“Ben?” Nel calls out.

The sphere shudders. Air hisses from the twenty-or-so-foot object as the faultless shine breaks. A doorway flashes open, closing behind a hazy figure.

“Ben? You okay?” Nel said hurriedly, her voice rising.

The air clears as the figure stands motionless. Collapsing on the floor.

“It’s him," Jude shouts.

“Wait.” Says Nel. “You said there were two locations?”

“It’s an error. The signal is glitching.”

“Since when?” Ramirez asks.

“Since its arrival.”

“Grab him.” Said Jude convincingly. “Vitals match. We need to get him to the medbay, now. He’s slipping.”

Nel and Ramirez carry Ben over their shoulders to the jet.

“Artimis isn’t responding.” Says Jude tapping away. “The sphere sent out some sort of EMP. I can’t get through.”

“Will the jet work?” Nel asks.

Ramirez nods. “It’s caged. We’re fine.”

“What about Artemis?"

“We can’t wrap something that big," Elena replies. “They’ll be fine. We have back-up power. There’s emergency medical on the jet.” She says, tapping Ben’s legs, drooping from her shoulder.

Ben lies on the flat chair. Dr. Ramirez closes the jet's hatch, pressing ‘Medical’ on the panel. Lights beam through the spacious jet. The panel pings green, ‘No medical needed.'

Ramirez presses again. The jet repeats. ‘No medical needed.’

“Scan for abnormal vitals,” says the doctor. “And take us home.”

“All vitals are in normal range.” Calls out from the jet's speakers as the jet rises.

“What is it?” Nel asks.

“It’s saying everything is fine," Jude said, holding Ben's wrist. “Even though his pulse is… barely there.” She groaned. “The EMP must have scrambled something.”

“Impossible. It’s caged.” Replies Ramirez.

Nel turns to the panel. “What are our pulse rates?”

"Yours is 64. Dr. Elena Ramirez’s is 48, and Jude’s is 62.”

The three women’s eyes cross over each other. Then to Ben. “And Ben’s?” Nel asks the jet.

“Ben is not on my system.” 

“It’s fried.” Says Jude. “We’re not far from Artemis.”

The blackened earth where Artemis should have been, was as wide as ten colonies. A cavernous expanse leaking steam was all that greeted them. Nel watches in silence as Jude gasps, throwing her hands to the window. “It’s… gone," she whispers.

“None of this makes sense. The departure is too quick,” said Ramirez. The jet lowers, nestling in the scorched earth. “Scan for the Blackbox."

The scan beams an object. “The cube," Jude nods.

“Strap Ben in. We need to retrieve it," Ramirez says. 

They gather around a small cube.

Ramirez flicks a notch on her belt, “It’s protocol of mission failure. Leaving an update, if anyone returns.” Picking up the smooth, seamless cube. "Its failsafe is us.” Slicing her finger, dropping blood onto the cube. “It will only open with human DNA.”

The cube unfolds, creating a wide frame. Data pours from three sides. “Play last message.” Says Nel.

The crew stands in the loading bay. Jarrod Loke, Mission Leader, rolls across the screen. “We got your message. We’re departing after no contact.”

“This doesn't make sense," Ramirez says. “Who’s Jarrod?”

Jarrod continues. “We tried, we did. But it was just too long. The official report is a loss of six lives on Axium. Including mission leader Dr. Elena Ramirez. No formula.” He sighs. “Eden has ordered us back.”

“This isn’t right?” Jude says, staring at Elena. “This isn’t protocol."

“If I didn’t return from anything, ML goes to Layla, then Karl. Then you, Nel.”

“What’s the ML handover process?” Nel asks.

“No return or contact in 48-hours. Temporarily goes to Layla until Control advises.”

“What changed when we were in the sphere?” asks Jude.

Ramirez shrugs. “Data is checking out fine.”

“How many of the crew left?” Nel asks. The cube displays the roster. "Forty-eight. They left with forty-eight. He said there were six dead. That’s nine extra crew.”

Her eyes stare into the screen. “Zoom in there.” She points at the crew standing in the loading bay. Ben stands at the back of the crowd. Smiling.

"How is that poss-" Jude stutters.

“How many hours ago was this recorded?” Nel asks.

2,168,976. Hours ago. Displays on the screen.

Nel turns.

Ben stands watching, smiling.