The Bones of Hermes

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

However in about seven minutes time, mission control would get an earful of giddy screams of joy. The whoops of the Hermes crew rang hollowly in the tight space of the shuttle control room. The aircycler competed with their enthusiasm.

Neil Patterson, Jin Xian, and Jennifer Stevens finally arrived to Mars. Neil felt like he had been living in a shoebox for the past five months. A better comparison may have been his first apartment.

Their mission to the red planet was not the first, the second, nor the third. However with those past successes and failures there had come improvements in mankind's travel into the stars.

Improvements such as those made to the RS-25 jet engines; now used by the Hermes. Which helped shave some months off the total voyage time.

Over the past years, NASA’s vision of a permanent lunar base that gave a departure point to Mars had become a reality. Artemis’ Gate, as it now was called, made the departure process much more routine. Visiting the lunar surface was now comparable to going up to the International Space Station. Neil imagined the day when there would be some sort of Lunar city. He cringed at the thought of rich tourists parading around the moon making some sort of casino hotel there. Though a part of Neil couldn’t ignore that would be pretty cool to see.

He could see in the rapid progressions thus far that odds are in his lifetime, space travel may become routine.

Another benefit of coming after past Mars landings was they had already set up a small outpost; just waiting for the crew to call home. All of this was nice to have going for them; removing some of the more arduous work. Which Neil could appreciate.

Though this also meant one thing that was important to him. The fact that hardly anyone cared about the fourth trip to Mars. The first mission gets all the credit, the pages in the history books. This may just be on the news for a week. Neil's face tightened at the thought.

Still he wondered how many things he could manage to claim as the first human on Mars. Right off rip Jin would be the first person of Asian descent to step foot on the red planet. So he would have that going for him.

The second mission, The Harambe, was the first to find evidence of former life on the planet.

The third, The Exodus found more evidence of such, along with bacteria that was trapped in ice from the poles. A huge deal, a worldview altering deal, one that Earth mulled over in less than a month.

So where did that leave the possible firsts for Neil and the crew? First man to break dance on Mars? Neil observed Jennifer’s grinning face as he slowed the shuttle's burn gently into the pull of the Martian orbit. First man to have sex on Mars maybe? Neil's gaze traced down from Jennifer's smile all the way to her bottom.

He revelled at what space would do to the human body. It was true about what they said about people in space, it truly makes you look better. Skin is more flushed, parts of your body that normally fight gravity, hold themselves up. Everything appeared much more tight. Neil couldn't help it. Being locked in a tin can floating through the vastness of space with any attractive female would make the average guy go crazy. Neil averted his eyes at the last moment as Jennifer turned from the window to him.

Jin logged the time of arrival. “This is commander Xian, we have now entered Martian orbit, starting mission time now.”

Despite the occasion his voice sounded bored. Jin was like that. Him announcing the start of the mission could have been mistaken with him announcing a game of golf. He was incredibly laid back, and in relation to that a hell of a virtual card player. On route to Mars he would torch Jennifer and Neil in “space poker,” as they called it.

Jennifer on the other hand wore her emotions on her sleeve. You could tell when she was annoyed, happy, sad, she was like an open book. Neil also came to notice she had the annoying habit of biting her nails. Which led to some gross floaties around the cabin.

It was amazing how much you can overlook when someone is as attractive as her.

Her curly blonde hair swam around her head like a hurricane. She probably could pass as a NFL cheerleader. What Neil found most attractive was how brilliant she was. She was the mission specialist after all. Odds are she could’ve been anything she wanted. Instead she worked and studied her life away, upholding some of the most demanding physical fitness standards known to humanity. All to do one of the most challenging jobs known to man. Or woman. Instead she was here.

“So we gaze into the red eye of the god of war.” Neil could hear the smile in Jennifer’s voice.

“It's hardly red at all, it's more of a dusty brown than anything.” Neil said.

Jennifer twisted her hair into a ponytail. “Oh, come on Neil, don't be a grinch.”

Jin flicked a few switches, “Neil take us over Mawrth Vallis.”

“Aye, Aye.”

The little puffs of air giving micro adjustments to the ship were a barely audible hiss.

Jin sat back, pushing himself from the control panel floating away as if he were diving underwater. “Brown dust, or red dust, I can't wait to get out and stretch my legs.”

“That is if they can still support weight,.” Neil said massaging the tendon above his ankle.

Neil’s body still ached from the light workout he had done some days before. The months floating in zero gravity quickly whittled away at any muscle he had prior to leaving.

Neil scratched his dry scalp. “I can't wait to take a REAL shower.”

“Hell yes!” Both Jin and Jennifer said at almost the same time.

Using her index finger Jennifer pushed away now, stretching as she swam whimsically through the cabin. “Ready when you are Neil.” She smiled widely, “Now remember you can’t use the one small step for man line.”

Neil rolled his eyes. Despite his namesake Neil wasn't named after Neil Armstrong, but he got shit for it all the time.

Neil initiated the drop ship procedures. The crew would start to pack in weeks worth of food, tools, and scientific materials they would need, besides what was already dropped months prior by the unmanned supply mission.

“Haven't heard that one before,” Neil muttered.

Everyone strapped into their crash couches inside the drop ship. To think he was feeling cramped before. The drop ship was like being inside a circular minivan but coupled with the bulky space suits they were in, it made the minivan feel more like a Camry. It reminded Neil of the ride that used to come with the traveling carnival. The Graviton. Neil thought about that spinning ride a number of times during his astronaut training.

“Hope everyone used the bathroom before,” Neil quipped

Jin logged the drop time. “This is a mission command, preparing to drop to basecamp; mission clock three hours, twelve minutes, and thirty eight seconds.”

Neil, counted down. “Prepare for drop in 3….2….1….”

Jennifer held both hands tightly on the straps of her seat, “right down the gravity well we go.”

The lander shuddered and then came the gradual acceleration of g-forces pulling at every part of the crew like a rollercoaster. Neil felt like his stomach was left back at the shuttle in orbit.

His face grimaced as his body screamed. Man it would be a shame to die at this point. Neil thought.

The vibration made Neil's visor clank loudly until it became a steady buzz. Any moment the portable parachutes would deploy. Or well, if they didn't this mission would be a short one.

Neil couldn't hear it but the lander had begun its descent as programmed. Small jets outside fought against the oppressive pull of the gravity well.

Neil then heard four separate pops somewhere outside the lander. Hopefully those were the parachutes. As if in response the lander jerked, forcing everyone to grunt. Slowly but surely the craft slowed its approach until it was a gentle swaying motion. The change in pace brought the taste of acid to the back of Neils throat. “Anyone spill their cookies?”

Neil received a subtle head shake from Jin. Jennifer just sat with a blank stare, Neil could see her belly subtly moving in deep breaths.

The crew successfully landed. Much to Neil's relief the rover started right up. It felt incredibly surreal warming up a vehicle on an entirely different planet.

“How does traffic look?” Jennifer asked.

The rover bumped along the rocky terrain of Mars, the crew bounced against each other as they moved along the barren landscape. Jennifer caught herself on Jin's shoulder, “You realize our transports keep getting more and more minuscule? What will be next?”

“Maybe a clown car.” Neil muttered with a smile.

“You mean that's not what this is?” Jin offered a rare quip, the three laughed. All of them were exhausted and ready to get out of tin cans, landers, and clown cars.

“Home sweet home.” Jin declared. The first thing they saw of the basecamp was the domes poking out, the tops of them looked like spider webs but adorned with solar arrays and wind turbines.

The terrain was mostly flat, covered either in sand, or assorted rocks of various sizes. The previous inhabitants had cleared most of them out making a sort of unpaved road to the camp. The rover lurched over one last mound with a whine as it drove onto the makeshift road. “I reckon there were humans here for there are things in straight lines.” Neil said aloud.

“We do love our straight lines.” Jennifer answered, her voice was chipper though sounded as though it was low on batteries.

Neil parked the rover a few yards from their new home. Which was several hexagonal shaped domes, attached to several cigar looking tubes filled by greenhouses. All of which would help sustain them for the next year.

The wave of relief the crew felt when they reached their new home left quickly as they began to unload their equipment from the decontamination room to the general quarters. It was slow going with everyone dealing with the months atrophy of zero g; and the first few days would require rest and getting used to their new environment.

Neil shrugged off his garments, he was truly looking forward to sleeping without having to be strapped to his bed. He plopped heavily on his cot with a thud, perhaps harder than he intended. Neil heard loud thuds and sighs from Jen, and Jin's cots. Atleast Im not the only one half dead. He then fell into a dreamless sleep.

Sol 3

They would now conduct their first experiments outside in a nearby dried up ravine. These were some of the very channels mistaken by the old astronomer Percival Lowel to be canals and signs of intelligent life on Mars. Neil often wondered if that could have ever been the case. Despite Lowel’s mistakes, it was very possible some sort of advanced carbon based life could have lived on Mars. However, given the hostile environment it now was, and the fact it's been millions of years since then, any sign of life no matter how advanced would just be a part of the red dust that made up Mars now.

Despite the desolation of being millions of miles from Earth, the scenery of Mars was not terribly different from where the crew trained in the early days of their mission prep. Iceland, contrary to how the name sounds, had numerous desolate black lava deserts.

Contrary to Jin, and the crew's wishes to stretch their legs, their first scheduled major walk was on the verge of cancellation. Jennifer had noticed on the weather radars they had a sand storm bearing directly to their base camp, or at least it appeared that way. Jin started the conversation, sitting down at their common table with a cup of coffee in his hand. “What's it looking like Jen?”

Jennifer's fingers moved at a lightning pace on her computer station, her blond hair tied into a lazy pony tail. “So at this point it's maybe a fifty fifty shot that it's going to hit us. If it does or doesn't we won't really know until its,” She glanced at the legend, showing the feet between them and the storm. “About twenty minutes away.”

Neil sighed, “man the ravine is right there, and it wont take us long to work on the geo-domes.” Neil wished desperately to get outside and actually stretch his legs.

Despite being the mission commander Jin deferred to Jennifer. “Well, you think we have enough time to get those tasks done?” Jin asked, scratching his freshly showered black hair.

“As much as I'd like to get outside our new fishbowl, the margins are too slim.” She shook her head mournfully.

Neil bit his lip, “guys even though we are the last guys to Mars we had some of the quickest times in mission scenarios. Come on, buck up.”

Jin nodded in consideration.

Jennifer's lips pursed together, “Neil trust me, I know that.” She paused, collecting her thoughts the way she did when she was attempting to hide her annoyance. “Though the experiments in the riverbed are going to be more extensive than you know.”

Neil gestured out towards the greenhouses, “we can easily move some new soil in and out in time.”

Jennifer sighed, putting her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “Yes we likely could but the margin of error is too small. Would you rather risk the entire mission for some new soil in the ag dome? Just because you're stir crazy?”

Jin’s dark eyes watched Neil thoughtfully. “I'm going to have to side with Jen on this one Neil.”

Neil sat back in his chair.

Jin shrugged apologetically. “I know it sucks ass, but she's right. We have a lot of time here. Plus we can just move around tomorrow's schedule for today, working on the seed stations, and getting in some PT instead.” Jin stood up patting Neil on the shoulder. “I’ll let Mother Earth know of our revised schedule.” He went toward the small computer lab area.

Jennifer stood without looking at Neil and made her way to her quarters.

Neil seethed in anger and angst, he watched as outside the dust circled around the camp. He decided he would indeed get some PT and break in the surprisingly comprehensive fitness area.

He exhaled heavily as he walked by Jennifer's experiment bag. He glanced it over, but before continuing forward his eyes caught something. Poking out ever slightly was a long covered needle. Neil listened for steps from Jennifer or Jin. He could just hear Jin’ murmured voice recording his mission update. Neil slowly unzipped the bag.

The needle was not your everyday experimental needle, it was more like an epidural. He stood in thought for a moment before making his way to the fitness center. Why does she need a needle like that? Not like we are going to have someone give birth up here. Hopefully anyways.

The sand storm ended up mostly missing them, but because the crew waited so long for it to clear, they called it an early night.

Though, it still was something that poked at morale and reminded the team that they were at the mercy of the environment and their equipment. There were hundreds if not thousands of different things, and scenarios that could kill them.

All that was keeping them safe was a thin layer of glass, metal, lead, and oxygen. If somehow you found yourself outside without a suit you would die in an instant with no air to breathe; and because of the low atmospheric pressure your blood would boil at the same time.

Neil wondered if you would live long enough to notice that part.

He shook his head, desperately trying to not think about it . The last thing he needed was to have a panic attack. On the way to Mars sometimes your mind was your worst enemy. The endless black ink surrounding your small metal dot in an even more endless universe could feel suffocating.

There were times when Neil had to close his eyes and do breathing exercises to not go mad, or he would exercise until he couldn't any longer. Finally that would all come to a head.

Finally the time would come and the team would get to venture outside the confines of their camp. They suited up, and loaded up the rover outside, which once filled with emergency equipment, experimental gear, and extra O2 they took off.

One thing Neil took note of every time the crew could see the skies was the infinite sea of stars that was visible even in mid day. “Don't get views like that back home.” The crew paused for a moment to admire the sight. This was the first real walk for the crew. Everyone was in high spirits. Neil couldn't stop smiling with each soft step on the Martian sands.

Jennifer quickly looked away from the star ocean above and quickly paced forward, her neck craned down toward the GPS.

“Getting close?” Neil asked.

“Yeah, yeah about 400 more meters.”

“What kind of samples are we collecting?” Jin now asked.

Neil found it odd that the mission commander didn't know such a trivial thing.

“Won't know until I lay eyes on it.” Neil stared at the back of her head. This was maybe the most vague Neil has seen Jennifer.

The three went along, the arid Martian dust coiled in the whistling wind as they walked. Neil wiped his visor now noticing how often he was doing it. Sand was getting everywhere. The ground in front of them began sloping upwards. “Major Tatooine vibes, am I right?” Neil asked with a smile.

“Never seen Star Wars.” Jin answered.

“Oh Jin, why am I not surprised. Though clearly you know Tatooine is from Star Wars so you get the gist.”

“Sure, more of a Star Trek guy myself.” Jin said with a form of pride in his voice.

“Ugh lord.” Neil shook his head and looked back at the growing distance between themselves and the rover. “Should we have pulled the rover closer?”

“We should be okay, we have everything we need.” Jennifer stopped, causing Jin and Neil to do the same.

“Okay there it is. 2 o'clock.” Jennifer pointed.

Neil saw where she was pointing toward the bottom of the slope they now stood. There was a slight bulge of rock filling a quarter of the ravine, it looked like a cork poking from a bottle. Jin started to unpack the diamond drill.

“What makes this rock so special?” Neil asked as they came up to it.

“It's Mars, every rock is special. Even you.” Jennifer said as she put away the GPS.

“Mission time sol three, 77 hours, 18 minutes, 45 seconds, beginning to drill into the sample site.” Jin then handed Neil the drill.

The drill buzzed to life. Outside Neil’s helmet it was just a dull hum.

As the drill punctured the rock, a gush of air came from it startling the crew. It sounded as though it were an air filter, Neil thought.

Neil stopped the drill and looked at Jennifer. “Keep drilling?”

She didn't look up from her terminal. “Yes, what we need is deep inside the rock.” Neil shrugged and continued.

The sun passed over them as the time went by, from this point it was just a mere glowing marble in the tan sky. From this distance it was more comparable to the moon in brightness than the blinding sun Neil had grown accustomed to in the thinning atmosphere of Earth.

A sudden ringing made the crew jump, all of them examined the message from control.

Hermes team- satellites are showing a substantial sand storm heading your direction, winds of 60 mph. It will be on location in 40 minutes, depending on the delay of when you received this message. Seek shelter.

“Ah for fuck sake,”Neil groaned.

Jin also said something colorful in Chinese under his breath. He then checked his wrist tablet again. “So based on when they sent that message and the time delay, we likely have twenty minutes or so. We best double time it back to the rover.”

Jennifer got to one knee and inspected the newly drilled hole. The initial quarter size hole now had spread to the size of a small person; exposing a hollow inside.

“No, we are good to proceed,” Jennifer said matter-of-factly, ignoring Jin.

Both Jin and Neil glanced at each other, the sudden sense of authority that came from her seemed to be a surprise to everyone, everyone but herself.

Jin cleared his throat,“Jen, don't you think for the sanctity of the experiment and sample it would be best if we head back? It sounds like this storm is actually hitting us and like you said yesterday this will take time. I know you are the mission specialist and this is your forte but as mission commander I’m going to have to make the call that we head back.”

Jennifer came to her feet, her head swayed in a sort of annoyance. She held up her wrist terminal and with her other hand keyed in some sort of commands.

Jin’s wrist terminal pinged with a received message, he winced in confusion. “What's this?”

“Read it,” She said impatiently.

Neil watched Jin's dark brown eyes dart back and forth as he read something at warp speed. He paused looking up at her, and then re-read it.

“The suspense is killing me guys, what is it?” Neil asked them both.

“Why?” Jin asked, a tinge of pain in his voice.

“Like you said, this is my specialty after all . Relax, you will still be the mission commander.” She patted him on the shoulder letting the words hang in the air. “Just after this.” She gestured to Neil with four fingers, “Come on Neil keep drilling.”

Neil bit his lip, finding this all very ironic given what happened with the last storm. He looked at Jin, who nodded in return. “She has the command now.”

“Uh okay.” Neil stepped forward continuing to drill trying to justify this change in protocol to himself. Both in command and with the impending sand storm.

She was the scientific expert or mission specialist, so this was her specialty afterall. Though he would rather not drive the rover back in the middle of a Martian sandstorm. He imagined themselves getting lost and slowly running out of air. Writhing on top of one another for something that wasn't there. Gasping until they turned purple and their lungs shriveled up like dry sponges.

The three gazed into the hole, Neil turned on his helmet light finding the inside was much more spacious than he expected.

Neil peered inside,“So the rock apparently was hollow?”

Jennifer flashed several photos of the hole.

Neil jumped in surprise at the sudden flash. “Alright Jen what next? Just collecting some of this sample and heading back?” He tried to hide his annoyance, poorly. “We better do it quick too, since control was telling us to seek shelter.”

Jennifer now finally looked up from her terminal, “No, we are going inside it. It should have enough space for the three of us. Plus we can use it for shelter from the storm. So problem solved.”

Jin looked at Neil, his face had a quizzical frown.

Neil began to speak but stopped himself. Inside the hole? What are we looking for?

“How do you know there's space for all of us?” Jin interjected sternly.

Jennifer lifted her terminal, “This area was mapped by the Exodus crew and seismologist confirmed there is an expansive cavern beneath this very area. It goes on for miles.”

She noticed Neil’s apprehension, and shook her head. “Come on Armstrong, where's your sense of adventure? We’re millions of miles away from Earth on this new frontier, the final frontier. We are the new explorers.”

Jin raised his eyebrows with a half smile. After a moment of silence, he started unfurling a tether. “Alright let me anchor this and drop it in there just in case.” He started to unwind the tether, but then paused to log the mission time.

The drop down inside the hole was maybe just four feet. Neil again was surprised at how much room there was inside the boulder, like Jennifer had said, it appeared the hole they made gave them entry to a tunnel of some kind. “Is this part of the ravine or an underground river?”

Jennifer plopped down next to Neil and Jin beside her.

The light outside cast a glow that looked like a dim spotlight inside the cavern. The silence inside was accompanied only by the breathing of the team, and the gentle whistle from the Martian winds.

“It may have been once, that's why we are here.” They all turned on their extra flashlights and headlamps to light up the room.

Neil took note of the spherical nature of the cavern they found themselves in, smooth tunnels branched off in straight lanes away from them. It was as if they were in sewers or channels.

This is different. Seeing this he now understood the fault in Percival Lowell’s mistaking Mars for having a civilization on it.

“This is much larger than I expected…” Neil trailed off.

Neil could sense apprehension in Jin's voice as he spoke, “Yeah, it's crazy, not just the size of this but…how um.. symmetrical it is.”

Jennifer stepped forward unpacking her bag as Jin logged the mission status and time. Neil flashed his light around the cavern, pointing it down one of the tunnels. The light only pierced a few hundred feet into the black. It gave Neil an eerie feeling.

He paused his exploration to listen to the quickening whistle of the winds outside as it grew louder. The natural light from the tunnel entrance became more fuzzy and clouded. Neil noticed outside billowing sand, and sediment being tossed around. The Storm had arrived. Neil’s mind started racing, his breath hastened to the point of near hyperventilation. “The storms here. What if the rover is damaged? We can't afford to lose it.”

“Woah Neil, take it easy. We will be fine, we can hoof it back if we need to,” Jin said in a calm monotone voice.

“And what if we run out of air? We are going to fucking die for your hole Jennifer.” Jin tried to pat Neil on the back but he violently jerked away.

She held her hand up in a gesture simulating deep breaths, “Neil, the only way you are going to run out of air is if you keep breathing like that. Slow. Down.”

Neil inhaled deeply, his mind slowed with his breath; he remembered there was an extra rover at camp. We should have enough air, I need to slow down. Okay, okay, we are fine. He opened his eyes not realizing they were shut. Jin and Jennifer were there waiting with him, probably wondering if they should restrain him.

Jin nodded reassuringly. “See? We’re fine, we have to be here anyway, and look, the cave is sheltering us like Jen said it would. Let's just collect our samples and then we can swap campfire stories or something.”

Neil let out a heavy breath,“Okay. Okay.” He nodded and he resumed his scan of the caverns. He jumped as Jin's voice echoed throughout the caverns.

“Hello!” Jin smiled before shouting again, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”

“Son of a-Aw come on, that's my line.”

It was then in Neil’s heightened awareness he noticed something, his light froze over a spot a short distance down one of the ravine paths. A spot that should not be.“What the…?” He jolted the light back to what caught his eye, “Jen…? Come take a look at...”

He slowly approached, his eyes bulging from their sockets. Neil didn't notice but Jennifer was already at his side, her mouth hung open as well.

All three of their flashlights danced over it. “What is it?” Jin spoke from behind them, when he saw it his eyes went white, his face twitched in a range of emotions not natural to it. “Oh my god.” He started to log the situation after a moment, “This is commander Jin mission ti-.”

Neil jumped at the suddenness of which Jennifer cut him off. “Jin, go to the private channel.”

Jin stood frozen, his stare was blank, his finger still hovered above the record button. Years of training, and protocol for hundreds of scenarios did not prepare him for this; this one scenario. Jennifer stepped closer and crouched to her knees taking a series of photos.

Here Neil thought this mission would be full of your usual experiments. Testing soil, testing some ice, maybe finding some more bacteria, and setting up for the next eventual mission; things of that nature. He didn't expect in his wildest dreams that everything he believed would be upended by a simple hole cut into a boulder. With that, he may just get his name in a few pages of history after all.

Before him lay an impossibility. Something that made human’s unique place in the universe just about as insignificant as life on a termite mound might be.

A corpse frozen to time sat in front of them.

Neil couldn't help but notice how quickly the shock had washed off from Jennifer's face, she was clearly going through steps on some sort of protocol. She was calm, too calm. Frankly, it terrified him. She knew about this, didn't she? Or something at least, something. He stifled a shiver down his spine. “You knew this would be here? Didn't you?”

“I'm not just a mission specialist,” Jennifer said as she opened her pack. From it she pulled out the six inch long needle that Neil saw before. “I'm a xenoarchaeologist.”

The word hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity.

"Xeno…” Jin trailed off, a non typical sense of wonder in his voice.

Neil repeated his question, his voice rising, “You lied to us, you lied to us for months about why you were on this mission.”

Jin didn't say anything but Neil could see a subtle movement of his head nodding in approval.

Jennifer pointed her finger angrily. “First off no I didn't, second off it was a need to know basis, and as people who work in fucking space, I think you would understand that.” She stepped forward with the needle in hand but stopped again to continue her point. “What do you think I was supposed to say? Oh, by the way, be on the lookout for a fricken mummy while we are on Mars.” She shook her head and proceeded to gently insert the needle into the abdomen region of the being.

Jin finally was broken from his spell, “How? How is it in such good condition?” Over the comms Neil could hear Jin swallow spit. “I mean shouldn't it be like dust? Or bones if anything?”

He was right. There was no way of knowing for how long it sat there. It only showed mild signs of being aged against the millennia. Its skin was a tight film covered by the red dust of Mars, its bones oddly familiar but all mummified into place. It should have been nothing, nothing at all but dust. Neil thought.

Yet there it was.

Jennifer pulled back the end of the needle, filling it completely before answering. “Well hopeful the tests will reveal that, among other things.”

"What will we do with it?” Jin queried, his voice sounded child-like for a moment.

Jennifer inspected the substance inside. “That will be a need to know basis for the time being, until I speak to Earth that is.” As if sensing Neil's eyes rolling she continued firmly, “But, any plans they have for it you two will obviously be included in. I'm sure you can imagine some of it.”

Neil collapsed next to what may have been the bedside of the being.

This is impossible, the questions swam through Neils head as though a rapid river, so much so that he felt dizzy. How? What else does Jennifer know that she's hiding from us? How long has it been here? Did the other crews find something similar? What does this mean for religion? Was this the original Eden?

How? How? How? All his questions returned to this original one.

How?

What terrified Neil more than anything was that this alien wasn't some bug eyed creature. Nor was it some otherworldly being with tentacles as arms.

No. It was clear that once, a very long time ago, this was a human. Or something remarkably like one…