Shadows - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In the seven hundred and seventh year of Nova Mondo on the planet Hurin, a mini robot drone crash-landed onto the surface of the moon Wimlah, one of the Three Sisters.

Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo – the Three Sisters – sail the skies above Hurin. Visitors from single-moon planets are frequently disconcerted at their first sighting of the three orbs glowing in the night, each in different stages.

Wimlah, the largest of the Sisters, also sits further from Hurin than the others. It is home to a spectacular dust storm every lunar morning, right where the light and dark sides meet - one of the thickest lunar storms in the known universe.

A mini robot drone crashing somewhere is hardly news. The diminutive workhorses of countless drone fleets, hundreds, perhaps thousands, are damaged or destroyed every year.

This one was different.

-------------------------------------------&----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The harsh blaring pierces my sleepless ruminations behind closed eyelids.

I keep forgetting.

“Quiet!”.

Instant silence.

Beats having to get up and turn it off. I should have done it before I went to bed.  

I stay huddled under the double-layered electric blankets.

Any moment now.

A soft whirring heralds her appearance.

“Good evening, sir”.

The voice is suffused with sunny skies, chirping birds and the promise of a bright spring day.

Only she could sound so chipper in the darkness of this frozen wasteland.

“Good evening, Vivienne”.

The tray is placed gently down, just far enough away for me to sit up without knocking it over and close enough to reach easily for its contents.

“Your bath will be ready in 5 minutes, sir. Will it be the navy-blue robe?”. She waits, expectant.

I wrap my fingers around the steaming mug.

“Thank you, Vivienne. I think it might be the red tonight”.  

“Very good, sir.” A gentle inclination of the head as she pivots noiselessly and moves towards the wardrobe.

The black, peppery brew is exactly right, scalding my insides all the way down.

Chilli coffee. Nothing like it to stir the very mitochondria in your cells.

I savour luxuriant flavours overwhelming my taste buds. Hot, thin, crispy toast with the butter spilling over the edges. A freshly poached egg with the tangy, nutty yolk spiced liberally with a mound of black pepper. The dollop of honey to rule them all.   

Breakfast – never disappoints.

She returns wordlessly to take the tray away as I drag myself from the sheets and towards the bath, and the steaming tub.

Heat the insides, heat the outsides. Perfect start to another night.

Water spills over the sides as I eventually haul my dripping form out of the tub and take up my position. The humming gives me just a half-second warning before the first blast of hot air engulfs my lower limbs and imperceptibly makes its way right to the top.

More heat. You can’t have too much in this place.

Soon dry, I adorn myself with the red robe carefully laid out on the rack. I eye myself in the full-length mirror as I attach the sash across my waist. My reflection smiles back wryly at me telling me all, as it does every night.

The mirror suddenly darkens and reveals the interactive screen it really is.

Home’s calling.

“You’re awake”.

The monotone voice is the same as always.

No preamble. No greeting. No image either.

“I am”.

I return the favour as I smoothen the corners of my robe.

“You’re late”.

No accusation in the tone, just matter-of-fact.

“No more than usual”. I keep my eyes on the screen

Silence greets me this time. The screen remains blank, only the tiny dot of green light in the top right corner betraying a live call in progress.

I know, however, that I am being watched from the other end.

I remain standing in place.

“It is time”.

The green light disappears almost instantly after this last phrase is uttered.

Call’s over.

I stroll through the bedroom into my study where the dark wood of the desk gleams in the light as it sits, with the row of high-definition monitors adorning it.

“Vivienne”.

The response is instant, before I manage to seat myself behind the desk

“Good morning again, sir”. The voice returns magnified throughout the room now, as a small, dark circle embedded into the wall flashes a muted blue and each of the four screens springs into life.

“All systems are online and fully operational, sir. No anomalies detected”.

“Thank you, Vivienne. Is Home online?”.

“Not yet, sir”.

Huh. And I’m the one who’s late?

“Shall I lock on when Home comes online, sir?”.

I ponder this for a moment as I swivel back and forth in the comfort of the heated leather.

“No. Let them see we’re online but don’t lock on until I say so”.

“Very good, sir”.  

“Time, please”.

“6.42pm, sir”.

This used to feel so weird once upon a time. Now, starting my day at night is perfectly normal. Who knew that it would take just 6 months? Life before then seems so remote now.

The sole window looks out into darkness, as far as the eye can see.

Not that I would see much in the daytime either. What a place they picked for me.

Vivienne’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

“Home is now online, sir”.

Sigh. Memories of before tug hard at me to go to them for some time, but I can’t keep Home waiting for too long. Better just bite the bullet now.  

The headset rests on its docking station like a sullen, empty black skull, full of menace.

I know better. Time to put it on.

I draw a deep breath and let it out slowly, as I pick up the headset and settle myself more comfortably into the chair.  

It covers everything as I lower it onto my head, even my chin. From outside, it looks a bit like an extra-large crash helmet – except with a darker tint than usual.

I plug in the two cables, one on each side, into their respective sockets. I can do these by touch now.

“Vivienne, activate links”.

“Very good, sir”.

I feel the familiar tingling arise at the back of my neck and spread gradually across my scalp.

“Connections are active, sir”.

“Does Home have any data for us, Vivienne?”.

“No data, I’m afraid, sir”.

Sigh. Here goes.

“Lock on, please”.

“Commencing lock-on sequence, sir. Home connections are active. No anomalies detected here.”

“Home reports all clear. Green light to proceed. Lock on in 5…”.

This is it.

The tingling has been growing stronger until my scalp is now positively buzzing like a swarm of angry bees.

“…2…1…lock”.

The tingling instantly rises to a peak, like a lightning bolt through my head. A blinding burst of light and then nothing, for a second, until it clears like a mist in sunrise and my vision returns.

I stare in surprise.  

Woah. What have we here?