Spacemanda

[edgaguirus]

It hurtled through space. Though unmeasurable distances, past stars and worlds man has never reached, the living crystal traveled. The crystal sought out a host. It's species was a symbiotic life form, seeking to bond with whatever life it could find. No matter how long that search took, it would find a host cell or being.




Maj. Ned Ganton had spent the last few minutes directing his crew. They were aboard the Mars Orbital Lab, currently on the night side of the red planet. Soon as they were on the day side, the broadcast would begin.

" Ned, 30 seconds til we're clear," said Lt. Lisa Miller. She was the pilot.

Engineer John Filler aimed the camera at their commander. " Ready for your close up?"

" Just keep my face in focus," Ned answered.

" I'll try, sir. Of course, I don't think I'll have that problem with Diana." John gave the pretty botanist a grin.

" Flattery won't get you anywhere," Diana replied.

" Ten seconds," Lisa said.

Ned got the jibber jabber quiet, and Lisa gave the signal. It was time to let the tax payers know what their money was going for. " Greetings from the Mars Orbital Lab. It's month 3 of our long term mission, and we've made some important discoveries that may help us in terraforming the planet Mars. The most important step in this process is establishing a breathable atmosphere.For that, we've had to experiment with the Martian soil and various plant species. Dr. Diana Mayers will fully explain."

" Thanks. To create a breathable atmosphere in the lifetime of our children and grandchildren, we've been working on fast growing plants that will survive in the soil of Mars. We've proven that the lower gravity of Mars will allow plants to grow taller faster than on Earth." She gestured to two chambers. " The first chamber is set to Earth gravity. In four weeks, the plant has grown 5 inches. The second chamber is Martian gravity, and as you can see, the plant is 2 inches taller in the same time frame."

The broadcast went on. Ned knew most the scientific details wouldn't matter to people, but the hopes of making a new home on Mars was what excited the public. It excited Ned, too. He could remember seeing sci fi films and reading sci fi novels filled with space colonies and fantastic space adventures as a boy. It was why he became an astronaut. He wanted to be among the stars, and here he was, millions of miles from Earth and over a world not his own.

Now came the part that would surely interest people. Diana showed a glass box with a piece of skin. " We're not only studying plants, but also animals. This skin sample came from the creature known as Manda. The giant serpent may seem an odd choice of study material, but all we want to prove is that animals can be bred and survive in harsh conditions like we see here on Mars. Plants and animals go together, using eachother to survive. If we are to plant our vines and trees on Mars, we'll need animals, like insects, to polinate them.

" We've had this skin sample under Martian condition for two weeks, nurtured with water and oxygen, and the cells have stayed alive."

The camera turned back to Ned. " As you can see, we're only beginning to set the seeds for colonization, but it'll be a reality within a few years. I know the members of the press would love to ask questions, but the truth is that the time lag between question and answer would make that inconvenient. So, we ask that you let our work speak for us, and continue to support the space program. Maj. Ned Ganton reporting."

" And cut," John said. " That should put some viewers to sleep."

" Maybe, but....." Ned was interrupted by a warning alarm. " To stations! Report."

" Objects detected," said Lisa. " 10 miles and closing."

" Can you tell what they are?"

" Not on radar. I'd say they were asteroid fragments."

" How about the computer?"

John looked over the readouts. " They're not large, but still big enough to cause damage. We need to move."

Ned joined Lisa at the controls. " Get us out of the way."

The orbital lab's thrusters puffed away, shoving the lab to the left. Ned and Lisa watched the radar, nervously waiting to see that they were clear of the asteroid fragment's path. " A few more feet," Lisa said.

They didn't get that few feet. One fragment missed them, but the other two hit. The hull was punctured, and the baseball size fragments tore through the lab. Among the fragments was the crystal. It slammed straight into the chamber holding the skin cell. As the crew evacuated into their emergency craft, the crystal found what it had been looking for. It bonded with the skin, and dna and silicate mixed together. A new monster would be born.

[edgaguirus]

Ch 2

It'd been three days since the destruction of the Mars Orbital Lab. The emergency craft, Trekker, was coming into the Earth's atmosphere. Maj. Ganton and
Lisa Miller brought the ship down, the air around them turning red with heat. They were headed for splashdown in the Pacific.

Maj. Ganton and crew were picked up by the Navy, and then swiftly taken to NASA headquarters. Maj. Ganton was led into the briefing room. He explained the situation. " The meteor fragments hit, and we started venting atmosphere. There was no way to stop it."

" And so you boarded the Trekker," asked Gen. Williams.

" Yes sir."

Gen. Williams nodded slowly. " We lost all contact with the lab five hours after you left. Even the automatic emergency signal has ceased."

" You're saying the lab has been destroyed."

" We think so. There's another matter I need to ask you about. On your way to Earth, did you notice or pick up any unusual object?"

" Not that we noticed."

The general nodded again. " Four hours after we lost contact with the lab, the satellites picked up an unidentified object fast approaching Earth. 36 hours later it entered the atmosphere."

" You think it's related to what happened to the lab? we were only hit by small fragments. Any making it this far would burn up in the atmosphere."

The general shook his head. " It didn't. Observatories place it crashing 10 miles off the coast of Greenland."

" The parent meteor, maybe."

" We'll see. We ordered a sub to go and check it out."



Comm. Sheila Byers stood by the parascope. They were approaching the crash site. Sheila thought little of this mission. They were a combat sub. There should be plenty of research vessels for a job like this. She had her orders, though.

" Half a mile from site, commander," said the navigator.

" Good. Keep an eye out for whatever that thing is."

" Commander, I'm getting some odd sonar readings,' said the sonar station.

" Odd how?"

" I'm getting mulitple hits. There has to be more than one object."

Sheila ordered them to slow when they arrived. " Periscope," she ordered. The periscope was raised, and she took a look. " What is that?" To the port was what looked like a crystal castle. Several crystal spires rose up from the seabed. In the center of this fortress was a towering crystal. " Ready to surface."

The sonar station spoke up. " Commander, I'm hearing something moving around there."

" Is it a biologic?"

" Yes. It doesn't sound like a whale. I'm not sure what it is."

" We can figure out what it is later. Surf......" The sub shook from a massive hit. Warning alarms went off. Communications reported the lower decks were taking on water and that the engines were damaged. Sheila ordered emergency blow. They had to reach the surface.

A huge sea serpent watched the damaged ship try to escape. It had blueish scales and four small legs. Upon its back was a row of crystals, and two crystal horns sprouted from the back of its head. The monster opened its maw, unleashing a blast of green energy. The sub would never see the surface again.


to be continued...