Starship Gallileo

Starship Gallileo
Date: 3129 CE

They had never dared to descend to this level before. On many of their unauthorized excursions they had bolstered the courage to travel as far down as level 37, but beyond that level it was said to be a truly wild and scary domain.

They were high school students bored with the mundane, tired of being told what they could or could not do and - should the truth be known - they were three spoiled brats and two sub level followers.

The spoiled brats, Steve Baker, Laureen Powers and Mark Stryker, were the sons and daughter of ship leaders. The two tag along teens were Teddy Grant and Michelle Graves who were considered second class citizens from the lower Colony sub levels. Everyone in level one called them subs. However, the teens all had one thing in common, they did not abide by the rules ­ any rules.

"Time for a break," moaned Laureen, sitting down heavily against the polished corridor wall. "We’ve been walking for hours without stopping." She was a tall sandy haired blond with sad eyes and a sulking manner. She was prone to pouting until she got her way and she seldom if ever took no for an answer. Her father was First Officer of the Ship.

“And nothing to show for it either,” replied Mark. “Last trip I found an animal skin, or at least a piece of animal skin. Everyone went boggly wild over that find.” Mark was your typical high-spirited jock and although he was not captain of the basketball team he was a favored player. He was also a daydream hero of the high school girls with his dark hair, tall rugged physique, and startling blue eyes. His father, John Stryker, was one of the chief scientists working on the elusive riddle to the navigation equipment.

Marks friend, Steve Baker was just that, a friend and not a very close one either. He was a short sly looking kid with a knack for melodrama and silly pranks. His parents worked in the recycling lab and helped to produce food for the Colony.

Mark, Laureen and Steve were not supposed to associate with the sub Colonist – those second class people living below deck one - but true to their rebellious nature they often picked up strangers to accompany them on their unauthorized trips into the dangerous lower levels. They were only one of many unauthorized teams who braved the sub deck dangers, mostly teens searching for fun and to escape their parent’s rigid rules.

The two accompanying them on this trip was Teddy Grant and Michelle Graves. Teddy was the grandson of the famous Theodore Grant who opened up more of the sub levels, while Michelle was simply along as eye candy. She was a very attractive brunette, well proportioned physically, always carried a smile and a cheerful disposition and she was the target of every boy on level one and probably all the sub levels also.

Teddy was just Teddy. He was of average height, strongly built and afraid of nothing, or so Laureen told everyone. Neither Mark nor Steve particularly liked him. In fact, they were both wary of his unusual strength and trigger temper. He was only along on this trip because Laureen enjoyed messing around with the subs, her boy toys as she called them.

Rumor had it - and rumor was usually right - that fugitives from several hundred years ago had descended into the lower 60 levels of the ship and turned it into a savage and brutal place, a place of uncivilized savages, murderers, witches, wizards and cannibals.

These fugitives were allegedly the descendents of the First Mate, a Native American Apache who mutinied against the ship Captain over four hundred years ago. The mutiny was put down but the ship lost all guidance. Their original destination - the Star System Altar-4 - had long since been passed and now the ship was plunging through deep space, destination unknown.

Until the scientists could figure out how to work the navigation system there was no hope of finding a habitable planet. They had been bounding through the Galaxy beyond the speed of light for over seven hundred years and the original crew and colonist had died out generations past.

Although the knowledge of how to operate the ship had been stored in the ship’s computers, the panic created by the mutiny had plunged the colonists into anarchy and despair with some of the best minds killed by the mutineers. Some said it was the Captain and some social fanatics who eliminated their political rivals and not the mutineers, but who knows for certain.

Levels one through twenty-five of the massive five kilometer long ship was restructured and settled by the Colony. In this modern era, level one was reserved for the Captain, crew, scientists, security personnel and their families, who were the official rulers of the colony. Level two and three had been converted into factories and shops. Level four through twenty was living quarters for the colonist but the population had expanded so rapid in seven hundred years that living space was at a premium.

Levels twenty-one through twenty-five, had been gutted and hydaformed to grow crops for the Colony’s primary food source. The Colony was one hundred percent vegetarian, not by original choice but due to necessity. All the farm animals and cloning labs the colonists had on board were kept in the lowest levels of the ship now occupied by the fugitives.

The First Mate and his followers had supposedly made levels twenty-six through thirty uninhabitable and for almost four hundred years no one cared to open the locking hatches to those levels.

It wasn’t until thirty years ago that an adventurous colonist named Theodore Grant had dared to unseal level twenty-six, finding that it was in it’s original shape and for the most part completely uninhabited. The people considered him a hero because the Colony was prepared to institute a mandatory euthanasia sentence at age 50 due to over population. His fortuitous discovery cancelled that new and unpopular resolution.

However, since that time exploring colonist had been attacked by savages in levels thirty-five on down so the Captain had placed everything below level thirty-five completely off limits to everyone except the ship’s security force. Levels above thirty-five were being recovered to make more living space for the expanding Colony.

The off limits prohibition did not stop adventurous colonists from exploring the unknown levels as they were called. That is why they were now deep into level thirty-nine.

“Instead of following this level all the way to the end why don’t we go down to the next level?” Mark stated. “All we’ve seen is more and more of the same, nothing but empty rooms.” He wiped his hands on his shorts. The entire Colonist wore shorts and polo shirts along with deck shoes. Climate control kept the ship at a comfortable 78 degrees and there was no need for excessive clothing.

“There was that burned spot about a hundred meters back,” Steve replied. “Can you imagine people actually using real fire? That is way too crass man. Fire went out of style in the 23rd Century when all the forests were cleared.”

“I agree with Mark,” Laureen said. “Either we go down and find something worth finding or I’m out of here.” Her indignant pout strongly backed up her intentions. They all knew she could and would blow the adventure on a whim and they had already made it down to level 39, the deepest any party had ever descended. “Down it is then,” Mark replied with shrug.”

The first access hatch they came to for a level drop was only a few meters away. When Mark put his hands onto the manual override handles to screw open the hatch it refused to budge. Steve joined him adding his puny strength to the effort but was quickly brushed aside by a fidgeting Teddy.

Without warning the hatch suddenly flew open sending the two boys sprawling on their backsides. A putrid smell poured from the opening and flooded the hallway they were standing and lying in. A faint breeze and creepy gray/green smoke accompanied the horrible smell along with a low wailing noise.

“What in the Captain’s name is that smell?” blurted Laureen, cupping her hand over her nose and mouth her eyes watering with tears. The smell was so powerful she almost threw up in the palm of her hand.

Before anyone could answer her question people stated pouring through the opening. At least they looked like people, but nothing like the people they recognized. They were dressed in animal skin loincloths with bared chests, painted with bright colored markings and all had long shoulder length hair of varying colours, predominantly black.

They were not dirty or filthy but amazingly well groomed. Some wore what appeared to be feathers in their hair and one tall muscular man had an arrangement of feathers on the crown of his head. They were also armed with sharp knives and short spears with fletchings on one end and sharp metal points on the other.

Within seconds all five of the teens were subdued by dozens of the unexpected savages. Even Teddy with his unusually hardy strength was like a child in their powerful embrace. They instinctively knew not to fight or offer resistance for the fighting abilities of the colonist had been bred out of them over the generations and they had neither the knowledge nor the skills.

They were quickly hustled through the hatch and watched with wide fearful eyes as it was closed and barred by several powerful men. It was obvious that a guard was maintained on this hatch when the leader signaled for two men to remain stationed at the entrance. So far not a single word had been uttered by any of them.

As they traveled down the wide corridor the source of the awful smell was revealed. People were actually roasting flesh over fires in some of the adjoining rooms and live animals were kept in others. A young girl stood in one door gnawing on what looked like the bone of an animal, grease running down her chin onto her dark stained chest, her wide eyes glued to the captives as they were hustled past.

The captives were mesmerized by the smell of the cooked flesh. What disgusted them the most was that it smelled so tempting, so inviting, yet they knew it was the flesh of a living animal. No living animal had been consumed in the Colony for hundreds of years.

They finally stopped in the corridor near a large door. The leader, the man with the feather arrangement on his head, signaled to the others to watch the captives then disappeared through the door. A few moments later he reappeared and motioned for the captives to be brought into the room.

Upon entering the room the first thing that hit them again was the smell. It was an overpowering smell of smoke. The aroma of the smoke was like nothing they had ever encountered before, harsh yet unnaturally pleasant.

The room was obviously an auditorium or large cafeteria but it had been modified. Paintings, weapons, art and crafts hung on the walls, a pile of furs and rugs were arranged in a large semicircle, and a smoldering fire sent tendrils of sweet smoke to a vent in the ceiling. The fire looked like real wood, not that they had ever seen real wood.

Beyond the fire a dozen or more men sat in a line facing the door. They did not have the decorative paint on their bodies like their captors displayed and most of them were ancient looking. They were passing a smoking stick with a bowl on the end of it back and forth. They paid no attention to the captives but continued to mutter among themselves in a low whisper.

The others stood in awe except for Laureen. Her eyes were focused on the gleaming torso of the young savage leader who stood to one side with his powerful arms folded. He was by far the tallest man she had ever seen, perhaps two meters in height, and he was also the prettiest man her eyes had ever beheld. He was muscular, well proportioned, with creamy bronze skin, long black hair and a generous mouth. His eyes were a startling baby blue and… he paid absolutely no attention to her flirtatious glances.

“These five are the final number,” the handsome leader stepped forward and said to the sitting men. “With them we have what we need to meet the demands of the Nasi.”

“Send a runner to the Nasi and seek a council,” one of the old men replied. “Place these with the others and see to their needs.”

“I demand to know what’s going on and why you kidnapped us?” Mark finally got the courage to blurt out. “I’ll have you know that Laureen is the daughter of the ship’s Captain and leader of the Colony. If you don’t release us you will pay.”

The old men ignored him and resumed their silent conversation among themselves. The savage leader signaled for his men to remove the teens from the room. Despite Mark’s short-lived tirade, he meekly followed the others to a door to the left side of the room. Laureen naturally hung back so she could be close to the leader.

As they entered the next room they were met with another jolt. Scores of colonist sat quietly around large tables or leaned against bare polished walls. They were all young, probably in their teens, and appeared more bored than frightened. They were talking as they entered but a sudden silence quickly spread around the large room. The door was suddenly shut behind them. The savages had not remained in the room.

“Mark!” a loud voice yelled from one of the large tables. “Mark Stryker.” A gangly young man disentangled himself from one of the benches and loped over to where they stood in silence. “It’s me, Aaron Kindle,” he said as he approached them.

“I know who you are Aaron,” Mark sardonically replied. “You were reported missing over a month ago. Everyone thought one of the subs had kidnapped you and you were being held for ransom.” Aaron merely grinned and held his hands out in a wide gesture of resignation.

“Why are they holding us captive?” Steve finally chimed in. “Who are they, or rather, what are they?”

"They are the descendents of George White Wolf, the First Mate who mutinied against the Captain over four hundred years ago. You might say they’ve gone native, more or less returned to their ancestral ways and beliefs. They haven’t harmed anyone yet and I am one of the first in this room to be captured." Aaron looked over his shoulder at the numerous figures behind him. "There’s about eighty of us now, mostly teens and a mix of first and sub level colonist.”

“That doesn’t explain why we are being held,” Laureen chided.

“We don’t know. No one has told us anything. A serving girl told one of the guys that we were being held for the Nasi. We have no idea who the Nasi are?”

“No one has tried to escape?” Laureen asked. “There must be at least fifty young men in this room. Surely you can overpower a few savages?” She glanced at the teens sitting around the nearest table with a smirk of disdain.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Aaron replied. “Those guys have knives and hatchets and spears. I’d bet my next basketball win that the chief guy with the chicken feathers in his hair could take on half the guys in here by himself.”

They were interrupted as a long line of young girls entered the room carrying platters of vegetables, bread and fruit. It was obviously mealtime. One of the platters contained a steaming pile of dark animal flesh that was taken to a lone table in the far corner of the room where four strangely dressed men sat.

Mark looked at Aaron with a puzzled expression, nodding his head in the direction of the lone table. “They’re Jews,” Aaron stated. “They were exchanged for four subs a few days ago. They won’t talk with us other than to say they’re Jews. No one here knows what a Jew means?

“It’s a religious sect dummy,” Michelle finally stated. “We studied it in ancient history class remember. At one time there were all kinds of beliefs called Islam, Jewish, Christianity, Buddhist, and tons more. They went out of style because the original colony charter called for non religious settlers only in an effort to keep the Colony free of religious fanaticism.”

They were famished and room was made for them at Aaron’s table. They watched in disgust as the four men at the corner table wolfed down their animal flesh with moans of delight and laughed among themselves. The colonist had not eaten real animals in hundreds of years and the very idea was revolting to the teens.

Their own food was the best they had ever eaten. Fresh corn, steaming cauliflower, potatoes with a strange creamy substance topping them, crusty hot bread and ripe succulent grapes and pears. Aaron told them it was grown in something called dirt or soil and not in the hydroponics tanks.

“Incredibly delicious,” Michelle murmured her mouth full of steaming white corn. “Nothing we have taste as good as this. You said it’s grown in dirt or soil? What do they use for growth enhancement?”

“Animal waste,” Aaron replied. “Also known as cow shit by the natives. The people at the table laughed as Michelle quickly spat the contents of her mouth into her plate, a look of utter disgust on her face. His remark however, did not stop the other teens from stuffing themselves with the delicious fare.

Sleeping arrangements were on another end of the large room where soft blankets had been spread on the floor. Several sleep periods later the savage leader entered the room with a dozen warriors. He signaled for the captives to line up against one wall. No one balked at the order while the savage warriors herding them.

Shortly another door opened and more people begin to stream into the room and stand against the opposite wall. They were all like the savages, dressed in animal skins and with the same physical characteristics. A few females but most were men, some bearing bleeding wounds. They appeared to be equal in number to the captives.

After they had quietly aligned themselves against the wall, a tall figure followed them through the door accompanied by a dozen others similarly dressed. He wore dark pants tucked into high black boots, a short black jacket decorated with insignia and ribbons and a cap with the insignia of a skull and crossbones on the front. On his left arm he wore a red and white armband with a strange symbol in a circle.

He said nothing until the handsome savage leader approached and signaled for his warriors to take the other people and the four Jews through the left side door. When they had all disappeared through the exit, he looked menacingly at the figure in the black uniform and said only one word. “Done!” He then left the room without so much as a glance at the captives but they could tell from his demeanor that he did not like the man in black.

The man in black then strolled to the center of the room and faced the captives. He took his time inspecting and counting them as if they were his to do with as he pleased. His eyes lingered on Michelle but stopped when they met Laureen’s curious stare. When he spoke it was with a voice of absolute authority.

“My name is Heinreich Doenitz,” he said. “Oberst Heinrich Doenitz of the Fourth Reich and a member of the Nazi Party. You now belong to us… completely! The Apache’s here have traded you for a like number of their people that we had captured as prisoners of war. Do not try to escape or you will be immediately killed by my guards.”

He halted so that the captives could absorb his words. A few moments later he continued. “Do not expect help from the Apache or any of the other colonies of the below decks. The Apache are few in numbers, as you can see by this prisoner exchange, and the others are weak and dare not oppose the power of the Fuhrer.”

“Within a short time the Fourth Reich will burst from the lower decks and overrun your weak and physically declining Colony and the master race will rule the entire ship. We will then deal with the petty colonies on the below decks at our leisure. I will also mention that we have the secret to the navigation drive and we know there is an inhabitable planet within two years reach. We will have a united ship before we reach this New World.”

“In the meantime you will have the honor and privilege of serving the Reich. You women will become the proud mothers of the new master race. Unfortunately, you boys have a far worse fate. Until you have been indoctrinated into the life of the Fourth Reich you will provide the brute strength we need in so many areas.”

Once again he paused to let his words sink in. After five minutes he signaled for his guards to pull one of the boys from the group and stand him in the center of the room facing the captives.

“As I mentioned before do not try to escape or you will be dealt with immediately,” he stated, pulling a sharp short sword from a scabbard hanging on his side. He immediately plunged the sword into the sternum of the boy standing next to him then pulled it out with a sucking sound. With a shock of incredulity and with crimson blood gushing from his torn heart, the boy collapsed in a pool of blood to the floor.

“You learn best when your are given examples,” Heinreich said with a smile, signaling for his men to herd the captives towards another exit.

The traumatized teens slowly moved in meek silence, their minds still trying to digest the horror of the young teen’s sudden death, Each was aware that they were moving towards a new but not necessarily adventurous future.

Was this the beginning of the end for them, or the end of the beginning? "I guess we've managed to kill ourselves," Aaron Muttered.