Jupiter Station

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. I have heard this claim from many of the other pilots on the team. Right now, I am ready to test this as I have been awake for nearly thirty hours, have not eaten a decent meal, and have not seen or heard from another human since I launched. It is too early in the flight to be losing my mind, which is not uncommon on these long-haul transport missions. Clearly my lack of sleep is causing my mind to wander if I am having the random thought of screaming in space.

And I am alone.

When I was approached about taking this solo mission to the Jupiter Station, I assumed …. no I knew …. it would be a stressful flight because of the length of the flight. I never expected that they really meant that there would be no communication until I was a day or so out from the station. Of course, in the background the flight systems and computers would be tracking my progress and sending a status back to mission control, but the silence of flashing lights on the consoles and the shear darkness of deep space is hard to comprehend until you are there within it.

It is a surprise I am even here. The mission was labeled ‘top secret’, and I had never flown one before with a full crew, never mind solo. By all ranks I am a junior pilot. I have only four years in this branch of the transport services and there are many better qualified pilots then I, but the opportunity was apparently handed to me from somewhere within the command structure. Who would have done that? I have to say it bothered me at first. Why me? My ten years experience flying military aircraft may have been a reason, but that seemed out of place as this was supposedly a standard civilian cargo being taken to Jupiter.

I know I am spending too much time thinking about the why, when I should be concentrating on other things to make the mission successful. But what things might that be? Unlike other spacecraft, this one is totally automated…I mean beyond just having autopilot, every function of the ship; environmental, communication, all systems were locked down to the point I am not sure I could override them if the situation occurred that such action was needed. I am not even sure if I am being watched by hidden cameras to make sure I am doing my job!

So, it turns out I have too much time to be thinking about the strange things about this mission. Like, why was I told that at all costs, I should not leave the command module for any reason? It is standard operating procedure to enter the cargo bay to verify that everything is okay, it is part of the status reporting on any mission. One of the technicians weeks ago let slip that he thought it odd that extra oxygen, water, and food storage was built into the cargo bay. He commented that he had not seen this much preparation anywhere other than when he served in the military.

I guess I should not complain, I am gaining the experience of a lifetime that should propel me to even more important missions in the future. I have a future right? I am only two days into a three hundred sixty-five million mile journey. Seven hundred million if you count the round trip. I need to get some sleep.

Hours later I am awakened by noises coming from somewhere within the ship. Was I dreaming? No wait, what is that knocking sound and where is it coming from? I look throughout my living quarters and then the remaining command module. Nothing appears to be loose or rattling. The sound has stopped. Could it have been some space debris hitting the ship? No it was definitely coming from inside the ship … could it be coming from the cargo bay?

I know what my orders are…stay out of the cargo bay, but the noise started again and there is no doubt that is is coming from behind that cargo door. Do I break communication protocol and reach out to mission control? More importantly, is there a danger to the ship and therefore my mission? I am in command, or at least I think I am. Whatever I do I am sure it will be wrong for all the right reasons. I need to be sure. I need to do what I believe is necessary to protect the mission and deliver my cargo. I am going in …………..