Conventional Wisdom

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Like most conventional wisdom, that statement is not true. I know; I speak from my own experience. Let me explain…

Two years ago in the year 2170, I was just another maintenance worker for the Molybdenum mining facility on Alpha Prime, our first extra-sol system colony. Prime orbited a Sol-type star and has two small, mineral rich satellites cleverly named Prime S1 and Prime S2. S1 was rich in molybdenum and we began extracting ore back in 2120.

I emigrated from Earth as a maintenance engineer, keeping the surface equipment running and doing general repair work. It was not a glamorous job, but the work was essential and the pay was great. The downsides were that radiation was high, most of the work was done outside in the vacuum of space, and I was far from home. We worked in teams of three, partly because of the scope of work, and partly because of the dangerous conditions that required a buddy system.

On that fateful day, two years ago, my life changed in ways that I could never have imagined. Really, no one could have imagined. Remember the conventional wisdom at the time – Nobody can hear a scream in space.

My day was routine. First check the exhaust fans for possible corrosion, followed by changing the dust filters for clogs. My teammates spread out across the plain as I hiked up a small rise to the first of the exhaust fans. As I approached it, I noticed something unusual, a dent in the cowling that was not there 2 weeks ago. I scanned the area for a meteorite that might have struck it, but found nothing. This satellite had no water, atmosphere, or life, so, puzzled by the dent, I took a few pictures of it and then transmitted it to the maintenance HQ.

I pried of the cowing to see if there was any internal damage, when I heard it. A high-pitched wailing surrounded me. The ground rocked and I swayed and fell to the ground. Shaken up, I called to my team.

“Harry, this is Dean. Did you just hear or feel anything?”

Harry quickly replied, “Nope. Everything here is 5x5.”

I called my other teammate, “Sam, did you just hear or feel anything?”

Just as quickly, Sam said, “Negative.”

I knew I was not imagining what just happened, so just in case, I activated my camera and went back to work. No sooner had I started to clean the filter, it happened again. The wailing surrounded me, but it was much stronger and resonant than before. My ears started ringing and my head began to spin. What was going on? Then, I blacked out.

I woke up in the Med Unit; it seems that Harry and Sam found me passed out and brought me back inside for medical treatment. I looked up to see very concerned doctor and nurse hovering over me.

“Dean, “ the Doctor asked. “What happened to you?”

“You won’t believe me.” I said.

The doctor shook his head. “Trust me Dean. I have heard many strange things while talking to patients. So spill it.”

“OK. I went to check on exhaust fan #1 as usual. When I arrived, I found a dent in the cowling that was not there before, but no indication of what caused it. So, I pried off the cowling, and then I heard it.”

“Heard what?”

“For lack of a better word, a scream. It was if it surrounded me and the ground shook and I fell over. I called Harry and Sam, but neither one of them had experienced anything out of the ordinary. I got up and began to clean the filter and it happened again. But this time it was much more powerful. The next thing I knew, I was here.”

The skeptical look on the doctor’s face was enough for me. “Doc,” I said, “I had my camera running before the second scream. I hope that whatever happened will have been recorded.”

“Med and security have both reviewed the video. The only thing it shows is you falling. The audio recorded nothing at all. Are you sure that you are telling me what happened? Do you have another medical condition that I'm not aware of?”

“You think I’m crazy? That I imagined all of this? Doc, run some diagnostics. Check my record. I'm not insane.”

He nodded slowly, patronizingly. “Sure Dean, we will run those tests. You know this is a lifeless moon, right? And a scream? In a vacuum? Perhaps, you have been overworked or the stress from being so far from home have put you on edge?”

I sighed. “Doc, it happened. I know it.”

Just then a security detail arrived. “Mr. Standish, for your own safety and for that of the station, we need to isolate you from the crew. We have a nice, comfortable room that you can settle into for a while. You will not be able to circulate with the rest of the crew and all your meals will be delivered to you.”

Resigned to my fate, I let them lead me to my “comfortable room”, AKA cell. As the door closed and the mag locks engaged, I could only revisit what had happened to me. I know I did not imagine the scream and I knew I was not nuts.

On the second day of my confinement, the world changed. Sirens sounded, lights flickered then died. Emergency power switched on, but only for limited circuits. The mag locks released and I ran out of my cell. Crew members were scattered and running in deep panic, most already in space suits. I quickly headed to a locker and put on a suit. If we lose our external seals, I would at least have a chance.

Then, all hell broke loose.