Ulysses North

Nobody can hear a scream from the vacuum of space, or so they say. Today, I get to test that. I secure my helmet, lock the visor, and take a deep breath. Ahead of me lies the last standing barrier between everything I've ever known, and the marvelous unknown, i.e., all that I've ever yearned to unravel since I was five.

The only thing I remember about my parents are conversations revolving around the enigmas of our universe. Does this have any correlation to my lifelong fascination with space? My therapist seems to think so. In fact, she says I joined the aeronautics program precisely for that very reason. But I'm a scientist. And correlation does not imply causation. Who knows that better than me?

On cue, my mom's hazel irises and my dad's animated face flood my brain, and I take a sharp inhale. It's been a while since my mind's conjured up those images. I'm usually pretty good at keeping them locked up, reserving the occasional stroll down memory lane for special occasions only. And this is hardly the right time. I blink to push the images away.

"Agent Saraha. Ready for discovery?" The dispatch tech's voice crackles in my earpiece.

Ready? Hell no. I didn't sign up for this. Well, technically, I did, but that was before I found out that everything they've told me up to this point has been a lie.

I boarded the Ulysses North Star believing that I was among the best and brightest of my batch, embarking on a rigorous space exploration training voyage. Had I known that I was actually on a suicide mission to play hooky with our extraterrestrial frenemies, I would've respectfully declined. Hey, I've made acquaintances with all kinds of people during my days growing up in the facility. And some of them could help me vanish in a heartbeat. There is the small matter of me completely ditching them to build my life as a respectable astral agent. But that's neither here nor there.

"Agent, are you ready for dispatch?"

I study the launch unit and look beyond the glass panels. The twinkling magnificence set against the dark backdrop reminds me of what brought me here in the first place, and I sigh. To think how elated I was just an hour ago at finally getting to go on my first spacewalk. Maybe I'd have been better off if I hadn't overheard Dr. Pike's conversation with the base. Honestly, though, was that what he truly thought of me? Was I really nothing but a loyal, obedient minion to him? 'Smart but disposable'? I flinch.

All I ever wanted was to make my mark. To be seen. To matter. The irony wasn't lost on me. Leave it to the government to dangle your dreams in front of you, then squash them to smithereens, along with you for good measure. Oh well. Can't say I wasn't warned.

"Agent, do you copy? Are you ready for discovery?"

"Affirmative," I say and brace myself. What other choice do I have? I hear a click, and the hatch in front of me opens. I float forward, pause at the edge of the entryway, and look out. This wasn't how I imagined my first time to look like. Not under these circumstances. Not without a coach. Not this soon. But when has life ever been predictable?

I take one final breath inside the Ulysses North Star and push ahead. This is it! Twinkling, glowing baubles wink and twirl as the dark void swallows me in a warm embrace. For a moment, I take it all in. And in that instant when I am at one with the entirety of the universe, nothing else matters. How could it? I am but a speck in the magnanimous infinity. For a few blissful seconds, I forget that I am merely bait.

Unfortunately, my trance is short-lived.

“Congratulations, Agent Saraha! Prepare for check."

I go through the safety check on autopilot. Meanwhile, my mind is racing. Years of virtual training have prepped me for these logistics. But no amount of training could ever prepare me for what I'm about to encounter next. That is probably why they still haven't told me the truth about my mission today. I do, however, have an edge on them. They don't know that I know, and it's safer this way.

Best case scenario? There are no sightings today. And if I survive today, I can buy some time to strategize an escape plan. Although my options, 500 nautical miles above Earth, are pretty slim.

Worst case scenario? I'm alien chow. No getting around that. Actually, no. The worst case would be a hostage situation. Obviously, Pike's not wasting valuable resources on a disposable asset like me. And who knows what the ETs are capable of? I shudder.

"Everything all right, agent?" The tech asks.

No. Nothing is alright. I want to scream. But I reign in my urges. "Uh-huh."

At least, going through with this gives me a chance at survival. The alternative is a swift 9mm through my temple before I finish saying, 'I quit!' I'll take an above zero shot at living every time. That's just sound math.

Honestly, my situation is a lot better than I'm making out. There haven't been any sightings in the past five weeks. Odds of the ETs engaging today without thorough observation are highly improbable. And from what we've come to understand so far, rash behavior is not like them at all. Pike's just experimenting with sending me out in the open. He's desperate. If Washington doesn't receive a sensational dose soon, Ulysses's funding will suffer. And that wouldn't fly well with Madame Adrian, would it?

"Agent, you may commence discovery."

"Copy."

The cam in my chest records everything. So, all I have to do is to take a quick stroll around the Ulysses. A simple first mission. Easy peasy. Now, if I can just ignore the looming threat of total annihilation and enjoy this moment of solitude before returning to my sardine-packed bunker, I should be golden.

I float a couple paces. Everything around me remains still - no irregularities.

"You're doing great!" I pep myself.

Inch by inch, I move forward, slowly making progress on my designated route. Halfway through, I realize I've been holding my breath, but I don't dare breathe yet. I carry on, my eyes fixed on the crevices of the minuscule yet hauntingly beautiful ruins of the Earth below me. The sight oddly grounds me. Truth is, I'm too afraid to look anywhere else. I don't want to tempt fate. Maybe if I don't try to find the aliens, they won't find me. I put my head down and continue.

I don't know how long it's been when I hear a crackle in my ear. I flinch.

"Well done, Agent. We'll reel you in. Standby," the tech says.

I look up and realize that I've completed my round. Finally, I let out a long, overdue sigh. "Thanks," I manage to say.

The hatch opens.

"Hold on," the tech says.

The tug is strong. I clutch the cord that bounds me to the Ulysses – my lifeline, and as I inch forward to the vessel, I say a silent prayer of gratitude. Not today, death!

Suddenly, the tension on the cord halts.

"What's that?" The tech asks urgently. The formality in his voice gone.

"What's what?" I ask, surveying my surrounding.

"Behind you, Agent."

I turn around. In the distance, I see a few faint flickers. I squint, and then I see it. The faint outline of a slithering tentacle.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh," I shriek. "Pull me in. Fast! Please."

"Agent, prepare to investigate," Pike's excited voice blares in my ears.

"What? Are you crazy? No!" I scream.

"That's an order agent!" He barks.

"Permission to retreat, sir. Please!" I plead again.

"Do not retreat, Agent. Investigate the target!"

"Please, Dr. Pike!" I cry desperately.

The tentacle slithers menacingly. Slowly but surely, it's moving towards me. I shudder.

The hatch closes. I feel the tension in the cord activate again. But this time, I'm being pushed away from the Ulysses.

"Nooooooooo!" I yell as I helplessly drift towards the terrifying, flailing monstrosity. Then suddenly, something in me shifts, and I take a steadying breath.

A memory of the Training Sergeant's piercing icy blue eyes floods my brain. "Repeat after me, Agent. Survival code 101. Observe. Never engage."

Observe. Never engage.

I quickly survey my situation. The tentacle is cautious. It's taking its own sweet time to get to me, but it's coming. From Pike's ramblings which I've mostly tuned out, my chances of getting into the Ulysses are pretty much non-existent. So, I basically have two choices.

One—Just wait it out. See what the tentacle decides to do and pray that it leaves.

And

Two—Run and hope that maybe, just maybe, I can catch up to the nearest rogue air bounder, and they let me in.

I weigh my options. If I went with the first, I would leave a lot to chance, and anyone who knows me would tell you I'm not a lucky person. Besides, even if I'm spared today, it's only a matter of time before I'll be in the same situation again. Option two would at least give me a fighting chance. I'm a pretty decent flier, and my suit's in-flight functions and GPS are the best of its class. In theory, I should be able to outfly the Ulysses. I'll be gone before they can even think about attacking me. The tentacle, on the other hand, I'm not sure. But judging by its pace right now, I just might. That's a chance I'll have to take.

I feel hopeful. Yes. This might just work. Last I heard, Talani was heading the northern fleet of rogue air bounders. Never thought the sweet orphan girl in pigtails would be badass enough to pull it off. But good on her. I should've just left when she'd begged me to come along. But her arguments about protecting our roots just didn't hold enough ground at the time. A revolutionary struggle hadn't sounded appealing at all. Especially when the alternative was graduating from the revered Astral Academy. It felt like treachery to abandon the government at the time.

A wave of guilt washes over me, and I swallow. No matter what, I shouldn't have ratted her out. What if she won't let me in? No. Talani is a better person than me. Surely, she won't hold a grudge against her only childhood friend. Right?

An unsettling beam of purple light hovers over me. It's coming from the tentacle.

Now or never!

I grab the hook that tethers me to the Ulysses and unclasp it.

"Don't you dare!" I hear Pike scream.

"How's that for a disposable minion?" I say but don't wait for a response. I cut off the signal and tracker from my end and activate the booster. Swoosh. I fly forward at warp speed, and within a couple seconds, I've lost the Ulysses. I no longer see the tentacle or the purple beam either, so that's a good sign.

I pause for a couple minutes to route my GPS to take me to the nearest rogue air bounder. Then quickly reach into my tool kit to get the dragon tape and use it to mark a cross against the Airforce insignia across my chest. That should let the rebel keep guard know that I'm a deflect. Don't want to get blown into pieces before I get a shot to plead my case. I look behind me one last time. Still clear. I take a steadying breath, activate the autopilot mode, and off I go again.

The speed is dizzying but manageable thanks to the countless hours in the simulation domes. I realize that I've been gritting my teeth this whole time. So, I relax my jaw. I have at least 8 more hours before I can make contact with the air bounder. And I need to conserve my energy. Stressing won't do me any good. I close my eyes and make myself comfortable. The adrenaline slowly dissipates, leaving me utterly drained. I drift in and out of sleep until….

Bam!

My eyes fly open as my body bounces backward as if I've encountered a vertical trampoline. I've hit something! I let the momentum take its course instead of fighting it. When I finally halt, I catch my breath and squint. From where I've landed, I don't see anything. So, I cautiously fly forward to examine the source of impact. Still, nothing. Strange. I move a couple paces forward. I'm pretty sure this was where— ouch! What was that?

I push against what feels like a transparent brick wall. First with my palms, then my entire body. It won't budge. Definitely some sort of force field. I examine it. No crinkles, no creases, no nothing. I had no idea the technology had gotten this good. I'm surprised the Astral Agency kept this a secret. They never leave a chance to boast about the tiniest of achievements. Which, for the past decades, let's face it, have always been tiny. Though, I wonder why they placed it here. I had no idea they had operations in this region. But then again, if my current predicament is any indication, there is a lot I don't know.

I sigh. I'll have to re-navigate. God knows how long that'll set me back. I move away from the force field to reset my GPS but bump into something hard. I look up. Nothing. No. Noo! I turn to my side, and there's another invisible wall. Somehow the force field's shrunk, trapping me in it. How? Why? I don't understand. Then I see it – the faint beam of purple light.

My blood turns cold, and I scream. Raw, visceral screams begging someone, anyone, to help me. I can see the slimy tentacle slithering towards me now. Dread seeps through every inch of my body. "Please! Help!" I scream again and again as loud as I physically can. Then abruptly, I stop. My heart sinks as a sudden realization hits me – nobody can hear my screams.