Lightyear Express (Part 1)

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

These are the words echoing in Georgia's head as her mind ponders a near unperceivable reality amidst her deep slumber. The words repeated like a broken record as if they were the last thing she would ever hear. She began to grow restless as she came to realize her dream was just a motif she could not understand.

Faint whining grew in front of a monotonous rumbling. The coinciding sounds made Georgia believe she were on a roller coaster ride, winding up for takeoff. Her eyelids are heavy, seeming to be glued shut. Her arms folded across her lap, one hand on top of the other.

Sitting in an upright position, she tried to scrunch her face as she came out of her tranquil state. "I thought I would be lying down for my testing." She thought to herself.

She was under the impression she was going to a doctor to have samples taken for a skin issue that had been bothering her recently. She thought it was odd they put an oxygen mask on her, but they insisted it would help them collect the samples they needed more efficiently. The dermatologist was not anyone she was familiar with, but they claimed the condition was prevalent in other women her age so they offered to make the services complimentary with her "cooperation".

Now she finds herself sitting in a position she cannot seem to move from, let alone see at the moment. All she can observe at the moment are they sound of a giant engine and a cool breeze streaming lightly across her face.

Ding-dong. A metallic tone chimed overhead.

"Good morning, everybody." A woman's voice boasts over a PA (Public Address) System. "I am Commander, Monica Smith. Your cryogenic sedatives should be wearing off enough for you to regain awareness."

"Cryogenic sedatives!? What did they give me...us? Who is us?" Georgia questioned internally.

"I understand you may not know where you are or why you are being addressed this way." The commander continued, as if reading Georgia's mind. "All the details you need to know will be filled in as necessary. Right now, I want you to focus on regaining full cognitive and physical abilities. We will have a meeting once everyone has completed the aforementioned tasks."

The PA System clicked, concluding the commander's announcement. Georgia felt her stomach wrench into a ball. Cold sweat began seeping through her pores as she fought to open her eyes. Her limbs felt as though they had been asleep for days, weighing her down like melted lead on a feather.

As she continued to fight, the weight seemed to give way. Her eyelids fluttered before a dim white light. Her arms swung carelessly as she tried to lift them, smacking into what she guessed to be the arm of a chair, making a dense thud as she did so.

"All the details, I want to know what's going on now! And who do they think they are, rounding people up and sedating them without their knowing?" Her mind raced angrily.

A man's coughing off to her right interrupted Georgia's internal rant. It caught her by surprise, startling her just enough for her to open her eyes more than she meant to. The dim light breaching her eyelids just moments before nearly stung her pupils. She rushed to close them again.

A woman sneezes harshly, this time to her left and closer than the man coughing. She sneezed again and again, and again. A different man erupted harshly from across from Georgia, belting a yell or cry she could not distinguish.

Georgia took a deep breath, then focused on opening her eyes slowly. As she did, they were met with a blur of light and shapes she could not quite make out. The man across from her yelled again, this time with more clarity: "Where...where am I!?" He yelled frantically.

"We." A deeper, more authoritative male voice started. "Where, are we?"

The room went silent. Georgia let her eyes adjust more to the dim white light glowing from the ceiling. She could finally see the shape of people, sitting across from her. Her head dialed to the left until she could tell the room ended, counting the figures as she panned to the right.

"One...two...three...four." She stopped counting when she identified the end of the row to her right.

"What kind of a sick prank is this!?" A man snarled to Georgia's right.

She could not help but turn her head to see more people sitting along the same wall she is. A headrest bowing out to caress her head blocked her view from the knee, up. Arm rests also disallowed her from seeing more of each person, but she counted the sets of legs.

"One...two...three." She counted to herself. "Seven. No, eight people, including myself."

Another sneeze escaped the woman to her left. Georgia whipped her head to look. One more set of legs. "Nine."

"I'm sorry, everybody." The sneezing woman said softly. "Apparently I am allergic to cryogenic sedatives." She said, nearly making herself laugh.

Georgia let herself smirk at the attempted humor. The images around her began to focus more clearly. Grey jumpsuits covered each person across from her. They are sat in black, office style seats fixed with white shoulder harnesses.

She did her best to quickly profile each one of the people, based on what she could observe. "Guy with short, spiky hair. Sharp eyes complimented by a clean jaw line...definitely cute. Small hands. Next, Ordinary looking guy, kind of messy hair. Decently sized hands. Looks nervous. The third person has long black hair, done up neatly with a series of barrettes and a couple hair ties. She looks fierce, yet unaffected by what's going on. Shifting eyes. Okay, last one. Older male with a chiseled face. Short, white hair. Looks intimidating, but was probably the one who was coughing."

She wondered what they all had in common, if anything at all. As she sat contemplating, her eyes wondered to the windows behind them. Blood flushed from her face, leaving her as white as the tiny lights spackled against the pitch black background.

Before Georgia could conjure a thought, her peripheral vision saw the guy with messy hair, start to panic. "Oh whoa, oh wow, is..is that? Are we?" He tried rocking out of the harness, flailing as wildly as his dreary limbs would allow. "Are we in space!?"

Reactions within the room sparked turning heads and quizzical murmurs. Georgia did not speak, she instead hyper focused on the window, trying to gather as many details as she could. She looked down at the harness holding her firmly in place and unclipped herself.

Georgia kept her gaze fixed on the window as she lifted herself up out of the chair. She felt several times heavier than her actual bodyweight, making her compare the feeling to someone who was wearing three layers of chainmail.

As she fought to stand, the frantic murmuring came to a halt. She felt all eyes in the room drawn to her. She did not flinch, nor did she abandon her objective in making it up to one of the windows to get a better view.

It occurred to her that there are probably more windows on her side of the room. She turned her head slowly, urging her body to follow. She could see the other people begin to follow her lead, each reaching for their harnesses to free themselves.

Her feet felt as if they were planted in cement. She tried to lift her left foot and lost her balance. There was a strong delay in her reaction time. Her eyes widened before she could bring her hands up. Her vision faded to a starry black, then her body collapsed to the floor.

"Somebody help her!" One of the voices cried.

The darkness retracted from her eyes. Georgia could her a scurry of harnesses unclipping and people struggling to get out of their seats. Her vision was blurred, but clearing. A crisp swoosh well beyond her backside piqued her ears.

Clopping footsteps entered the room. "I see you're all recovering well." I prideful woman's voice stated clearly.

The footsteps continued until they reached Georgia, halting less than a foot away. "Miss Georgia." The woman addressed confidently. "Of course, it's you."

"What does she mean, of course it's me?" Georgia thought to herself.

"She just fell, she couldn't move." A woman's voice interrupted the unorthodox introduction.

"Ah, Cora. The veterinarian." Commander Smith replied with a smile. "The heart. You're not wrong, she did fall. However, Miss Georgia accomplished something none of the other passengers have so far, and that makes her a warrior."

The Commander knelt down beside Georgia, hooking her hands in her armpits. She lifted her up, bracing Georgia against her body to help her stand. Georgia noted how strong the woman felt, surprised by how easily she made the process seem.

"There you are." Commander Smith said with a beaming smile.

Still slow to react, Georgia had questions. "Cora, a veterinarian. Why a veterinarian?"

"So, I bet you would like to know more about why you're here, why you're all here, hmm?" The commander asked teasingly. Let's get you back in your seat, and everyone who is not able to stand just yet, relax."

Commander Smith helped Georgia back into her seat. "You don't need to strap in, just relax. I will take care of everything else."

After Georgia was sat back into her seat, the commander made her way to the front of the room and pushed a white button that blended into the wall. That button triggered a series movements throughout the room.

First, the floor popped up from the middle of the room to create a long, rectangular table. Then, each one of the seats everyone was in drew up to the table, stopping at the perfect distance. Lastly, and most intriguing, the ceiling parted in the middle, then split in opposite directions, revealing a view that took everyone's breath away.

It was not black like what they could see out the windows. Instead, a light magenta laced with a highly transparent golden glimmer painted a backdrop for thousands of twinkling white lights.

"I would like to start by thanking each of you. I am aware you did not know what to expect, but you are all here to serve a highly worthy cause; a purpose well beyond what you could serve on Earth."

Everyone but the commander sits in absolute awe of what they are taking in. The words the commander just relayed to them seemed to slip by each one of them, except Georgia.

"Worthy cause? What is she talking about?"

"You are on the very first space train. As I am sure many, if not all of you are aware, the United States has been struggling for some time. Our focus on space exploration has become a primary focus for the past couple decades and with tight collaboration with space agencies, the government and the military, it was decided to scout exploration and development candidates to send out on the first train into our outer solar system."

This message seemed to get through to everyone, which rekindled the frantic murmuring.

"Before you panic, understand we are not the very first trial run, rather, the first one with humans aboard."

"Who decided to pick me...I mean, us?" The man across from Georgia asked wearily.

"Marcus, the Engineer." Commander Smith replied while making direct eye contact with him. "As I stated before, this was a several-year collaboration between space agencies, the government and the military. Each one of you were chosen for your skills both developed and unrealized. And from what I am allowed to disclose, your positions in society allowed those who did the picking to determine your causes would be more worthy out here, rather than on Earth."

"You can call me Mark." The man replied with a disgruntled tone, breaking eye contact as he looked around the room, directing the message to everyone else.

"Great segue, Mark. Introductions. I know many of you are still feeling a few cobwebs upstairs, so I will convey who each of you are and what you bring to the table, since I created a dossier for you all, anyway."

Georgia could feel her body returning to normal. She could lift her arms and turn her head more easily. Her thoughts began to flow with less restriction, so she figured everyone else should be feeling similarly by now as well.

"I will start from my immediate left, the work my way around the table in a clockwise fashion. If you would all be so kind as to raise your hand if you can, or nod so everyone knows you are who I say you are, that would be much appreciated."

The room nodded or smiled weakly to the commander, acknowledging her request.

"Okay then, let's start with Lea, twenty-six, our botanist." She allowed for a grim smile, barely lifting her hand off the arm of her seat. "Lea will serve as our ecosystem subject matter expert and will provide any insight relevant to samples we obtain along our journey."

"Lea? I thought for sure she was a guy. Oh well." Georgia deflated.

"Marcuh..uhh..Mark, twenty-nine, our aerospace engineer." Mark lifted his blue eyes beneath his messy hair. He too offered a weak grin, but waved two fingers nervously as he looked around the table. "He will assume the role of our lead technical and operational support for the train. While it is classified as a train because of the means in which it moves, it is also classifiable as an aerospace vehicle. His studies and strong background in the railyard as a child give him unique knowledge and experience in this hybrid scenario."

Everyone in the room let themselves feel more relaxed. A few of them kept peering out the moonroof, which now took on a greater meaning than anyone could have figured they would experience.

"Next, Penny, twenty-four." The black-haired woman raised her eyebrows, shifting her eyes from side to side without moving her head. "The information technology specialist that will be pivotal to sustaining the hardware and software used onboard."

The man next to Penny cleared his throat, visibly uneasy in his seat.

"Yes, Mr. Gordon. For anyone with military background, you may want to know Command Sergeant Major Gordon is a decorated Army veteran, which I believe allows his age and other qualifiers for his role to be disclosed at his discretion. His job will be to help each of you cope with stressors. He will serve as my right hand on our journey, and will be your primary contact for for adaptation techniques."

Mr. Gordon seemed more surprised by the assignment than anybody. He frowned after sighing heavily. He crossed his arms, signaling he had nothing to interject.

"Moving to the other side of the table, Jasper-" The commander started.

"Jaz." The man interrupted.

"Oh. Okay, Jaz, twenty-eight." The commander corrected awkwardly. "Jaz is masterful with all things electrical and will be here to assist Mark as needed."

Georgia looked down to observe the electrician. He is a thinly-built male with balding. He has a thick beard, unwittingly compensating the loss of hair on his dome. His average sized hands are open, placed over each of his biceps. Coughing next to Jaz interrupts Georgia's profiling effort.

"Doctor Helbred started his general practice just before the Covid-19 pandemic started, just a few decades ago." The doctor continued sitting with his arms crossed and did nothing to directly acknowledge his introduction. "He is your medical professional and will oversee our onboard pharmacy, routine med checks, and sickbay. He too will be allowed to provide more details at his discretion, though I will say he graduated from John Hopkins University in 2016."

A light flashed directly over the moonroof and each of the side windows just as the commander completed the doctor's introduction. All eyes looked up, but none caught what the source could have been.

"Excellent, we reached a-" The commander began speaking again.

"Relay point." The man sitting to Doctor Helbred's left chimed in.

Commander Smith smiled and nodded. "Precisely, something we will discuss after introductions are concluded. Would you care to do your own?"

"Sure, I am Doctor Dave Sterngucker and I am probably your best shot at understanding where we are, what is around us, and maybe even what we can accomplish out here. I'm not sure why the hell they would want to bring a cripple along, but I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity anyway.

"Thank you, Dave. You're absolutely correct. You are the astrophysicist whose job will be to do basically everything you just said. In that, you used a rather egregious term, of which I would like to state you are a paraplegic, which does nothing to hinder your experience or expertise. Every mind on this trip is beautiful in its own way, but yours is nothing shy of extraordinary." Commander Smith glowed.

The commander brushed her salt and pepper bangs away from her brow, then made eye contact with Georgia. "I believe everyone knows who Miss Georgia is, but not who she is. At forty-three years old, Georgia has proven to be one of the greatest empaths we have ever seen. She demonstrates an unfathomable ability to connect with other people and animals. We know she is a bit of a writer as well, so we want her to record our journey as she sees it, and in the event we come into contact with other life forms, we believe she will be the best shot at making a positive first interaction."

Gloria could feel her ears burning from all the attention being on her. She felt overwhelmed with the task at hand, and mildly confused as to how anyone determined she could fill the role she has been assigned. Her stomach knotted as she struggled to digest the rest of what the commander said.

"First interaction...like, with aliens?"

"As for each of you, we finally have Cora. At thirty years young, she is the train's veterinarian. And before you ask, no, we do not have any animals onboard. Cora will serve many other useful purposes along the way, but we know she will do what she is intended to when the time comes." The commander concluded with a near insidious grin.

Cora smiled uneasily. "I suck at running businesses though, so hopefully I'm not in charge of numbers."

A few of the passengers grinned while Lea and Mark chuckled quietly. Georgia heard what Cora said, but was still in a daze while processing what she may be forced to face.

"Last but not least, you have myself. I am Commander Monica Smith. I am a former Space Force Colonel, and have accepted this role as Commander outside of direct military oversight. I was the first Space Force female to complete all of the schools and classes offered directly by the force, and have completed twenty-eight years of service. I began continuing my quest for something deeper, so one night while collaborating with some of my friends in the Pentagon, I was asked to apply for this position. I have no children or remaining family and my achievements put me at the top of the list, so here I am."

Mark began to slow clap. Penny looked up at the commander and smiled. Georgia looked around the room to observe the other reactions, but they were hardly receptive. Only Dave and Cora seemed to offer enthusiasm.

"Well." Commander Smith exhaled in disappointment. "Moving on. The light you all observed just a bit ago was as Dave said, a relay point. The locomotion you are on right now is called the Lightyear Express. We are not travelling at the light of speed, but we do intend to reach the complete distance of a lightyear."

Dave seemed troubled by the commander's declaration. "Wait, you mean we are going to be on this train, rocket, thing...until we reach a lightyear in distance?"

"Correct." The commander answered with a beaming smile. "I know that is hard to imagine, but that is our mission."

"How is that even possible?" Mark asked.

"I thought no one would ever ask." The commander answered sarcastically. "Please bear in mind, I am not an aerospace expert, rather, a manager qualified for the field. From what I understand, we will reach a relay point once every fourteen days."

The room wrestled to grasp the information.

"So by that math, we have been on this train...for fourteen days?" Penny asked, finally breaking her silence.

"Correct." The commander answered, this time with a straight face.

"It's the best way to get us all up here without expending many resources." Dave offered. "It's called torpor, where our bodies are basically put into a hibernation mode, then kept at really cool temperatures to restrict any mental damage."

"Correct again." Commander Smith replied with another big smile.

"How did you get us all together?" Cora asked innocently.

The commander smiled and looked down, taking a moment to gather her response. "I am aware most, if not all of you will not like this, but you were all coordinated to visit a doctor you were unfamiliar with, for reasons specific to route your normal doctors, on the same day."

Everyone around the room exchanged glances. Doctor Helbred sat in disbelief, shaking his head.

"In the sake of fulfilling the rest of the questions pertaining to the events that led you here, you were all sedated. The reasoning was generally all the same, but you all, well most of you complied, willingly. Once you were unconscious, the rest was simple. Here you are."

An uneasy tension set like humidity in the room. Faint whining in front of the monotonous rumbling reminded everyone they were still moving. The moonroof still let the twinkling lights shine through. Commander Smith noticed everyone looking out into space and seized the opportunity to get the ball rolling.