Star Bites

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.

But we all heard those poor guys, it was bloodcurdling.

Scott kept saying that there was something up there with him and his team once they got to Guardian Orbital Defense station, and then the screaming started… then static …just unsettlingly steady static that seemed to reverberate throughout mission control.

Or maybe it was the absence of all the other noise that made the static so pronounced.

We all knew that there would be risks on this exploratory mission.

This is why Scott, and his team were specifically chosen.

Outside of two engineers, the seven-man team was all ex-military.

They had the training to survive just about anything. And if the worst happened, they knew they were expendable.

They were paid extremely well to take this risk.

"Oh my god! Why won’t it stop?" Becky was white as a sheet; she was also the main communications operator. She stood trying to get the static to shut off and bring them back online, nothing was working.

That snapped me out of the fog that had fallen over me once the screams began and I looked up from my monitor, turning my head. First to the left and then right to gauge how my coworkers were doing.

In shock, they were all in shock.

Everyone except for our Project Manager Paul Sloan, he looked almost as if he had been dreading this. Which didn't add up.

As bad as I felt for Scott and his team, I knew we needed the Guardian station back up and running and the automated repair systems had been damaged after the meteor shower three months ago.

My mind clicked together pieces of information that added up to some seriously suspicious turns of events.

I needed coffee and to get out of that room and away from that static, so I got up and went out to the break room where I found Darren hugging the small trash can by the coffee station. The small side room smelled of vomit and coffee, not a pleasant olfactory combination.

Darren's wife had been one of the engineers on the shuttle, they were trying to have a baby and the bonus that she would get from this mission would set them up for the next couple of years.

I remembered their excitement.

I pulled my tangly curls out of their scrunchie ponytail and rubbed my head and knelt by where he sat on the tile, tears leaked from his blankly staring eyes.

"Hey, do not give up on her! We have no idea what happened yet, and Pam & Becky are doing everything they can to get them back. Just stay with me, ok Darren?" I put a hand on each shoulder and tried to ignore the acidy sick smell wafting from him.

His gaze fell beyond my right shoulder, he stared unseeing, and more tears formed at the corners of his eyes " Andie, she's gone."

"No, you don't know that"

Darren curled into himself and cried, between sobs he spoke ``you don't understand, I felt her die….

Lily is gone." He just sobbed with his hands curled over his head.

Darren looked like the polished stone wall was all that held him up.

I got up and brushed my slacks off. I sent a text to Ted over in the office, he was Darren's best friend, and he needed to be here for his friend right now.

I walked over to the coffee pot and snagged a mug off the stack of freshly cleaned dishes. While I poured the comforting smelling liquid, I let my mind work the details of this mission unrestrained.

My mind twisted and pulled it all like taffy.

1- Funding had been tight for anything space related for the last decade, but somehow the government found money to slap an expensive team together

2- Why did they need five top trained hired ex-military special forces to go up to an automated space station to flip a few switches.

3- How did a mission that would have taken six months to prepare come together in two.

4- Why the hell did Paul seem to have information that would even suggest that this was a possibility? Furthermore, if he knew this was a possibility, then why the hell would he send Lilly, his baby sister up there?!?

I sipped, brooding and barely tasting my coffee when Ted came rushing in. We nodded to each other, and I stepped past the two men as they embraced. My heart went out to Darren, he didn’t deserve this, nobody did.

Once I got back to mission control, they were going over the details of a rescue mission.

It would take us six months, five if we pushed it, to put together a rescue mission.

Scott had been a ranger, as were most of his team. So, if there was something that scared them that badly and then took them out, we would have one hell of a time finding people who were qualified- or willing- to man a rescue mission

But the station still needed to be fixed and we needed to find out what had happened and if the crew was alive then we needed to bring them home.

I slid into my seat next to my cooperator Gin, I was relatively new here - a year and a half in - and Gin had proven friendly and welcoming. I considered her a friend and it made coming to work a lot easier, having a work friend also made the salty sting of not getting into the astronaut program a tad bit easier to bear. Mission control was as close as I would ever get to space, well until they made space travel a lot more commonplace that is.

Gin looked up with compassion in her eyes ”I just got back myself. Its hella creepy in here.”

“Yeah, the static sent shivers down my spine” I offered my mug and Gin took a long pull then handed it back.

While Paul & the team leads chattered away and everyone went about their business, I dropped my voice low and mentioned my suspicions to Gin who kept her eyes focused on her monitor screen and said back in equally hushed tones “I’ve been wondering the same thing. I guess we will know for sure if they manage to put a team together in miraculous time. Until then, let’s hope they can find a way to help Scotts team.”

I nodded and got back to work.

Sensible, that was Gin. She was far smarter than she appeared, levelheaded and always seemed wiser than her years. We had celebrated her 34th birthday earlier this year and she still wore the beaded Amethyst bracelet that I had gotten her-it was her birthstone- it looked great with her bright red hair and amber eyes. I had had to grab a larger then average one as she was built a bit stocky.

“Wow, that coffee hit me hard. Ladies room if anybody asks.” She got up out of her seat and headed for the bathroom. I noticed Paul’s eyes follow her out the door- I had been wondering if those two were seeing each other since I got here, if they were, good for them, it was good to see people happy, Paul excused himself from the group and headed in the same direction.

Well good for them.

After about 25 minutes they came back in, first Gin and then a few minutes later Paul.

Once back at the planning table Paul spoke up “Alright everybody, wrap it up. You all go home and get some rest if you can. We have a rescue plan coming together, the team leads, and I will stay and finish. We will see you back here in 6 days, during that time please contact HR for setting up a counseling session regarding today’s events and have a psychological evaluation before you come back to work.” Paul seemed unaffected by the gasps and the sounds of the jaws dropping all over the control room. He turned and walked back to his work office which overlooked the control area, the team leads following him closely.

Gin came over and started packing up her things for the day. I gave her a smirk and some side eye “Hmmm how was the ladies room or did you make it?”

She gave me a return smirk “I made it just fine, and it’s not how you think. I don’t like younger men.” at my perplexed look she gave me a feisty wink and then turned and walked off, wow she packed up fast.

I chuckled while tossing my few work tidbits in my tote and shrugged, it was none of my business anyway. But that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t give her a good razzing over it.

As I slid my sunglasses onto my head, I looked up at Paul’s office, it was glass walled so as to see out over mission control and so we could all see him too- it enhanced the team atmosphere, and we all appreciated it and saw that he had his resolute face on.

Which meant they had come up with a solid plan, now he was trying to figure out how to make all of the elements pull together to make it a reality.

All of us on the team had all seen that face on Paul, it was a good sign.

I smiled and walked out, my nerves needed a rest, and I could use at least a day of hard drinking to erase today from my thoughts. I was looking forward to six days away.

Two days into my staycation I received a call to come into the office. Now I was worried, I was sure that I had done everything correctly that day.

My legs were shaking as I got out of my little purple scion and walked into work. The building itself was a fantastic piece of architecture, all glass and steel and polished concrete. I had been so excited to be here on my first day, my legs had been shaking then too, but for a different reason.

As I headed through the lobby and got in the elevator, I was playing all the scenarios through my head while the elevator music filled my ears. I was being called up to Paul’s office directly, His official office- not his work one overseeing mission control, but why. The phone call had been upsettingly vague.

The elevator doors opened and the light streaming in broke into my thoughts, I stepped out onto the 8th floor’s pristine carpets. I headed left towards Paul’s office. Once there I raised my fist to knock and heard Paul call out “Andi, come on in.”, His voice was warm and friendly and sounded very tired… but that didn’t mean anything, Paul was good at being warm even when he was firing someone. It was one of the things that made him an awesome manager.

I opened the door to see him seated behind a glass desk, he motioned for me to sit, and I did.

“Andi, you’re not in trouble so calm down. Would you like some coffee or water or perhaps some valium?” He quirked an eyebrow to show he was joking, and I relaxed a bit

“Maybe the coffee, Although I would like to reserve the Valium option for later” I pressed my lips together and smiled

“Wouldn’t we all.” He shook his head and rolled his desk chair to the coffee station behind him, snagging 2 mugs by their handles with one hand and pouring from the pot with the other “ cream, sugar?” he lifted his eyebrows in question at me as he turned to face me.

“Not today, Thanks” I smiled.

He placed the pot back on the warmer and rolled back to the desk, extending one of the steaming white mugs to me. I wrapped my hands around it and sniffed, it was a fresh pot, and it was expensive smelling too. Well, we all dug our coffee in the office.

“Andi, we have a way to get a rescue team up to the station in two weeks, but we are going to have to do some serious finagling to make it work.” He stared at me over his mug, and I could see the lines of fatigue more sharply through the steam from his cup.

"Ok"

"I went through your file, and it says that you were on track for the Astronaut program."

"Yes, I washed out '' I sipped my coffee and tried very hard not to let the disappointment & bitterness that I felt creep into my voice. Some of the self-loathing must have leaked through.

Paul's eyes crinkled & he frowned quizzically at me "you had a heart murmur; I don't call that washing out"

I stared silently at my cup.

"Which brings me to the reason for your being here. The only way for this plan to work is to pull from our own office. It will bring us closer to being within budget and it will get the process moving fast. We should be ready to go in under two weeks- that includes minimal retraining. We have five people to choose from including you for a three- person crew.`` Paul didn’t look like he was asking if I'd do it, just when I would do it.

I was beyond shocked and all I could do was stare at him with my mouth hanging open like a fish.

This was just short of a miracle, getting a team together in that short of a time should have been impossible.

"But it would take at least one month to construct a shuttle, even a small one. And that’s with the crews working double time." I said dumbfounded

"That's why we are not going to build a shuttle. We have agreed to send the team up in an experimental craft, the people at area 53 have been quite generous and they are happy to give us a liner to get it tested." Paul's smile was tight

"Don’t you mean area 51? That place is real?!"

"No, I mean area 53, area 51 is just for the tourists, I was stationed at area 53 before I transferred here. Good group, I miss them sometimes." He was quite matter of fact about it.

I bite my lip….Then what he said really sank in. All my dreams could come true, all I had to do was say yes- I wasn't in great shape and I definitely wasn’t training but I could get by.

My heart started skipping around in my chest and I wanted to get up and pace the floors to work off my rattling excitement.

My whole life I had wanted to go into space, my dad had supported me all the way, he even paid to get me into junior space camp.

For a single dad working two jobs to make ends meet, that was a lot.

He had helped me study every night & had made it to every event that he could

He had been heartbroken when I got the news that I wouldn't be able to go on my first mission. He had tried to hide it because he knew how hard it hit me.

"Has the craft that we would go up in ever been flown before? Is it a prototype?" Have any like it been flown before? And what were the results?" I had a million questions, but if I was honest the only question I really had was “When I could leave?”

Paul must have sensed it "Yes, also yes, somewhat yes and not great." He stared at me evenly as he spoke and then he pulled out an old-fashioned handset phone and placed it on the desk in front of me "would you like to call your father; I can give you a minute."

I eyed the phone, and Paul got up and left the room.

I snatched that phone and dialed Dad's number by memory.

He picked up the 2nd ring "Baby?"

"Daddy! I'm in!" I all but screamed into the phone

I heard him pause and then I filled him in.

"I'm so proud of you, I trust you. Go gate’s honey!" Dad’s voice was filled with pride and joy and a lot of worry. But I knew he would never tell me to back down. I loved him for that.

Paul cleared his throat in the doorway after I hung up with Dad.

"I accept!"

"Thought so. Good to have you on the team Andie. Training starts today. 2 days of physical tests, then we train on spacecraft operations"

"We?"

"I will be going with you; I went through Astronaut training as well and Lily is my little sister. If there is even a chance that she is ok, I need to see for myself" He turned to leave

"I see." I started to follow Paul, "by the way, where do I go for all of this?"

"Here. Head to the med department and get your physical. Then they will direct you from there. Let them know you are with project RBS, and they will conduct everything accordingly"

"RBS?"

"Razor Blade smile" and with that he left

I sat for a minute and let it sink in. Space, an experimental craft, space, space, space….and an odd project name.

I got up and headed for the Med department. Glad I had the coffee.

****

It took us a week and a half to get ready and then we boarded the craft that had been shipped in from Area 53 and I will be darned if it didn’t look exactly like a flying saucer.

"Was that meant ironically?" Darren asked, nodding towards the ship, he had opted to come with us.

"Don't you mean ICONICALLY!" as had Ted.

What had started as a three- person crew became a five- person crew, they were two of the choices and the ship could hold a total of 15 people so there was plenty of room for all of us and Scott's crew optimistically.

"No" Paul was not too pleased about Darren being there, but Darren had played the guilt card and won.

"Well looks like we have the plucky comic relief!" Gin was our pilot.

"I never knew you had been in space before, why didn't you ever mention it?" I adjusted the collar of my flight suit.

"It didn't come up. I’ve had plenty of space travel practice, and this craft isn't all that different from what I had been flying at my last job, so this should go fairly smoothly." She smiled reassuringly at me.

We all had our roles, and I was simply happy to be going.

We boarded and were airborne in seconds, there was no pressure, no nothing.

The craft lifted off and was out of the atmosphere before any of us could get adjusted to being there.

Gin's familiarity & deftness with the controls was astonishing, she looked back at me where I was sitting, we were all in a circle around her, I was to the back and smiled showing her two white teeth. The woman had immaculate teeth; anybody would be jealous of them.

She then nodded at me and flicked a switch and suddenly the crafts ceiling overhead went completely translucent.

There were stars everywhere.

I was so happy! I wished my dad could see this.

Before I could soak it all in, we were docking with the station.

All the automated systems said there were no heat signatures onboard the station & the air was breathable, but we also needed to check Scott's team's shuttle that was docked on the opposite side of the station. It had been built to hold 6 shuttles at a time in its docking rings.

Paul Had Gin, Himself and I unstrap and head in through the airlock.

Once the hatch closed behind us a strange sensation started…almost like a drumbeat without sound.

No one else seemed to feel it so I kept quiet, and Paul & I headed towards the panels that needed to be fixed.

Gin went to check the shuttle.

Why the hell would Paul send her alone?

She didn't seem to mind though.

We made good time and by the time Gin came back, we were done, and the station had restarted itself bringing everything back online.

She shook her head at the identical questioning looks that Paul & I gave her.

"There is no one on this station or the shuttle. We can run a scan of the surrounding starfield to check for bodies once we get back to the craft (the La Reaux)."

The silent drumbeat was getting louder, and my skin was prickling.

"Ok, do either of you feel that?"

"I thought it was just me." Paul had started to sweat.

"Ahh that, it's the beacon. It tripped the minute we came aboard. " Gin looked as if this explained everything. She then turned and headed for the kitchen area, once there she began searching the cupboards without sharing what she wanted.

"Gin?" I was so confused. Paul looked like he would be sick as he stood in the doorway. He had followed us here but refused to come inside the kitchen area.

"Oh, I'm sorry Andi but I am ravenous, and nobody wants that!" She smiled and Paul gulped.

"Found it!" She cried as she pulled a bag filled with an electric blue liquid out of a hidden drawer, it looked like a blood bag but was the wrong color popped it open and chugged it like an energy drink. "Ahhh! That's so much better" she had emptied the bag in one go.

"I'm sorry Andi, Paul & I are being terribly rude. You deserve an explanation. Right Paul?" She tossed the bag and stared at Paul, he nodded.

Gin’s Smile was full of apology” You’re so smart Andi, Your too smart. You put things together too quickly, and that is why I requested Paul to put you on this team. My people can’t have someone like you in earth’s space program. We will bring our two peoples together hopefully, but for now relations are strained between us and we can’t have anyone who is too smart upsetting our negotiations.”

“What are you talking about and what the hell was in that bag you drank? Are you an alien?” I couldn’t process what was happening

“No, I come from earth the same as you…. What you know as Czechoslovakia today to be precise, although in my day it was called Moravia. I have however, spent over half of my life among the stars.“ She smiled a bit wistfully.

“That was in the 10th century, 1100 AD. Gin?” I felt my eyes widening and my blood pressure rising.

“Correct. And as to the bag I just drank, think of it as my vitamins. It’s also how my people left earth and its inconveniences behind when we came out here to the endless night. It’s called protoblood. 800 years ago, our kind began leaving earth with a few of their human helpers due to our exploratory nature and the boredom that comes with eternal life. 700 years ago, we became able to synthesize our food that we used to have to hunt and kill for. We have never been more peaceful than that moment that we gained control of our food supply. The sun no longer can harm us in space, we have endless safe food supplies, we are no longer hiding and being hunted, we are free to live and create and explore.” She crinkled her eyes at me

My mind knew what she was, but I just couldn’t get myself to accept it, it was too crazy. “Gin…”

“Say it Andi, you know what I am…you have already put all of the pieces together…say it and face what is in your mind. Let your mind accept it Andi” Gin’s face held concern, probably for my mental stability and so to help me along she blurred past me and over to Paul and picked him up as though he were a paperweight. “Say it Andi. My people are on their way, they will be here within the hour. You must take this step before you can know the rest.”

“Vampires. You, your people…your Vampires.” I stared at my friend who I thought I knew, and I felt empty and cold. How could I have not known. But then who would have dreamed up a situation like this?

“Yes. The defense station wasn’t for China or Russia or any other earth country, it was to keep an eye on the children of the endless night commonwealth. Space is teeming with Vampires Andi. I was sent to earth to be an emissary to the US government, I have counterparts in every country of the world. We want peace, and we mean your people no harm. But we also won’t tolerate your people coming into space and trashing what we have built. So, we are negotiating.”

“Why didn’t we know?” this conversation had me wanting a drink.

“We don’t show up in mirrors or on video or in pictures. We were invisible to the technology that your people sent.” Gin grinned.

I was going to need a coffee, a drink and some time to process. Sadly, I got none of the above, the Vampires ship was docking on the East side of the docking ring, I could see it through the kitchen’s windows. My god it was beautiful, it felt like my heart was going to stop in my chest. Their technology was Breathtaking.

I felt Gin at my right shoulder rather then saw her “We live virtually forever Andi; our technology has been thousands of years ahead of yours for a long time. Once we were freed from the need to hunt, the gap grew steeper even more quickly. There is so much we can offer your people. I like you Andi, you are my friend, and I would like you to come with us. Live the life that you have always dreamed of, out here amongst the stars. You can live forever, see every part of the universe, explore and learn forever.”

Gin Knew how to sell it to me, but I just wasn’t sure

“What happened to Scott’s team?” I asked absently, staring at their ship was taking all my attention

“They were turned by a rogue faction. Eternity is grand, but fresh faces are also… a must. Being stuck with the same people forever is mind numbing. We needed fresh blood if you will.” Gin was matter of fact about it all.

I sighed…. What the actual hell?