《Silent Ægir》
The aging outpost
Janus floated, weightless, again. His sense of self¡ distant. A vast open void¡ - reaching for something that was not there. A jolt. The dream lingered, unraveling at the edges as he whispered: "o-six thirty-two. Bed. Ceiling. Body."
No sweat this time. Good.
As he slowly woke, reality seeped into his eyes, and he could feel his muscles relax. It had been some time since his last nightmare. "Shit, Venn¡¯s gonna have a field day with that one" - He thought as he calmed his breathing. A sliver of muted rust-colored sky painted the room in warm light, while shadows cast by small potted plants and a small bookshelf starkly contrasted the environment outside. Janus left his window uncovered, despite the occasional feeling of being watched at night. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed one red and one amber warning light above his bedroom door. ¡°Shit, condition one and condition two? Better rise and shine¡±, he thought.
He forcefully tapped his wristwatch three times as he groggily rose from his warm bed, feeling the cool air brush against his feet. His breathing slowed as he walked to his kitchen, his sore muscles stiffening his movements. He settled onto the stool closest to the window. The sleek espresso machine, triggered by the three taps, hissed, then hummed. The bitter aroma of coffee filled the crisp, unfiltered morning air. From his high vantage point, looking out over the vast snow plains of ?gir, surrounded by stubby forests of pine-like trees casting long shadows across the snow, he could see the white-capped ocean, partially obscured by a large, snow-covered, jagged mountain.
¡°Good morning Janus, did you sleep well?¡± a female voice emanating seemingly out of nowhere said.
"As if you don¡¯t know already, jerk.¡± Janus¡¯s lips curved into a smile, the words holding no edge. ¡°Also, Venn, what¡¯s the weather like today?" He said despite his innate understanding of this planet¡¯s climate. "Today¡¯s a bit extra chilly, about negative thirty-one degrees celsius, with wind to boot, eighteen meters per second, gusting to twenty-three meters per second from the south." Venn replied. "Haha, that¡¯s shrinkage cold!" Janus exclaimed. "I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not a sack of meat like you, dodged a bullet for sure! Also the replacement environment suit is still not finished so you can¡¯t stay out for too long in just your backup gear, although there¡¯s a calmer weather system developing, which will arrive by the evening." Venn¡¯s soft voice had some playfulness. ¡°Damn it, Venn. What¡¯s the holdup? Wait¡ªbelay that. Coffee first." "Sure, Janus. You do know the 3D printer progress bar can be accessed from literally every screen, right? There¡¯s nothing wrong with the printers." Janus chuckled, gripping his cup a bit too tight, almost scalding his hand. ¡°Yeah, I know Venn, I¡¯m a little on edge this morning, that¡¯s all. The suit design was particularly intricate this time. Sorry¡±. ¡°No worries Janus, but you know we have to talk about your nightmare? You¡¯re at a mental condition two fault state you know.¡± ¡°Yes, but we can do that later, Venn, I¡¯m not at condition 1 yet. And stop calling it ¡®fault state¡¯, you¡¯re the machine, not I!¡± Janus said dryly as the slight feeling of unease made a brief comeback as a pit in his stomach. ¡°Oof, that hurts right here, in my mechanical heart, you¡¯re mean!¡± ¡°Again, jerk!¡± He replied, throwing his hands in the air, the pit in his stomach less noticeable now.
A particularly strong gust of wind whipped up snow outside the window, briefly obscuring the view of the rising star, Epsilon Eridani, dimming the deceivingly warm light filling the kitchen area.
¡°Any messages from home yet?¡± ¡°No, Janus, it¡¯s been very quiet. I queried all the relay stations at regular intervals as soon as we faced them.¡± ¡°Okay¡ this is nominal, for now.¡±
As Janus inhaled the exquisite aroma of the carefully crafted cup of coffee, he contemplated today¡¯s agenda; The rover had broken down, making long excursions impossible, and the 3D printer was occupied due to a major overhaul of the environment suit, so the production of spare parts had been delayed even more. The manifest of today¡¯s resupply drop was vague and probably falsified, so he could not count on that they had sent the correct parts. The new warning lights were just another brick in the wall, he thought. His jaw muscles tightened as he adjusted his position on the stool, thinking of the anomalous sensor readings from Outpost 11. No matter, he was stuck at the outpost for now. Peering out the window, he remembered the days he enjoyed feeling the raw power of the wind, the way it made him feel fragile yet in control. He hoped he could revisit that part of himself today.
After finishing his prescribed breakfast¡ªVenn insisted on calling it that¡ªJanus moved to the wardrobe as the lights adjusted to his presence. As he put on his woollen mesh undergarments, he longed for the sweet, short summer months of mild temperatures, long days, and the way that it made everything easier. Shivering in anticipation of the coming cold, he spoke to Venn;
¡°Remind me, what¡¯s on today¡¯s agenda? I saw the warning lights.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought some more about our discussion about the water filters last night and they definitely need cleaning, our observation report on the star¡¯s fluctuating brightness pattern is due in 2 days, so you¡¯ll need to review that, and believe it or not, some bolts on the communications mast needs to be torqued to spec, which is unusual.¡± ¡°Just as I feared, and the bolts being loose is weird. Also the star has been unusually quiet this report cycle.¡± He muttered absent mindedly as he could feel his gut tighten.
After donning the rest of his backup cold weather gear, being careful to cover any exposed skin, he contemplated the cause of these anomalies¡ªthere had been a few lately¡ª as he walked through the ¡®airlock.¡¯
This wasn¡¯t a true vacuum-sealed chamber, but rather an architectural design choice to conserve energy and protect the indoor environment by limiting the intrusion of the harsh exterior elements. As the interior door sealed shut with a soft thud, lights flickering, he began to hum¡ªthe same melody as always. It was a habit now, the tune lasting just long enough to fill the pause before the outer door unlocked and opened. Glancing up at the flickering light, the pit in his stomach returned briefly. ¡°Yep, it¡¯s one of those days¡¡± Janus muttered as snow started filling the air in the room he was standing.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.He stepped outside to a familiar, yet alien world. Hanging low above the horizon, Epsilon Eridani¡¯s rays waded through ?gir¡¯s air. The impatient blues and violets, so easily swayed, left only the orange and golds to paint the landscape. The wind snagged his jacket, exposing the breathable layers beneath. A momentary lapse in breathing resulted as the icy air sapped heat away. He had forgotten to tighten his jacket. As he did, the vast valley plains, crowned by forests and mountains in the distance, had him staring. During a slight lull in wind, he inhaled the pristine air. ¡°I never get tired of that view, Venn¡±, he whispered to his only companion in the entire world. As he leaned against the wind, Venn answered in his helmet headset ¡°It really is something isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mhm, we¡¯re the only ones able to appreciate this¡±.
¡°What is the size and torque specs for the bolts?¡± He said as he approached the outside tool storage unit. ¡°30 millimeters, 2410 Newton meters. There¡¯s 12 of them.¡± ¡°What!? The main bolts are loose?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier, especially with this wind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Janus, but there are 128 in total. 9.375% of the bolts are loose, which is below the threshold of 10% for a condition 1 fault, so I saw no need to rush you.¡± ¡°Venn, that¡¯s a condition 1 waiting to happen¡±
Slightly frustrated by Venns behaviour and himself for his lapse in curiosity, he grabbed the bulky hydraulic torque multiplier backpack from the outside storage unit. The tool had a worn, rugged and well-thought out appearance, with a compact display for showing diagnostics to the operator. He made his way towards the communications tower on the hard, wind-sculpted sastrugi-covered snow field. Every step emitting a loud hollow creaking noise, punctuating the frigid conditions. He chose to walk the small hill to stave off the cold despite the near condition 1 fault.
As he approached the base of the tower, his breathing was heavy, misting in the frigid air. Despite being careful not to sweat, he could feel perspiration starting to manifest, a deadly sin in these conditions. His goggles indicated where the loose bolts were located. Buffeted by the wind, feeling its pressure against his back, he worked efficiently, dismounting the torque wrench and preparing it for use. The melodic howling of the wind across the communications mast had a calming effect on Janus. ¡°They really have thought of everything, too bad nothing lasts forever.¡± he thought as he applied the tool to the first bolt, quickly drowning out all other noise with rapid clacking.
Drawing laboured breaths, Janus methodically took to the task at hand, double checking and documenting each bolt with the wrench¡¯s user interface, before moving onto the next. Despite the meditative qualities of this work, he was unable to control his thoughts sufficiently to hold back the gnawing feeling of wrongness of these anomalies, leaving him distracted.
¡°Venn, are there any more bolts that indicate that they might come loose?¡± ¡°Actually there are,¡± Venn replied as four new icons faded into view. ¡°They¡¯re not very loose, but I see why you might want to remedy that since you¡¯re already up here.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Janus shouted as a powerful gust of wind nearly knocked him over and brought a fresh blast of drift snow up, making him grab for handholds. ¡°When did you first notice the bolts coming loose? How did it progress?¡± Janus asked loudly over the flapping of his garments.. ¡°First indication of loosening was 04:21 this night, all bolts became loose at the same time, the four bolts you¡¯re tightening now have been loose since last friday, but they only reduced their clamping force by 5%.¡± Rubbing his shoulders and taking a deep breath he replied ¡°Okay. Simultaneous loosening of 12 bolts? That¡¯s probably the wind, right?¡± Venn replied as he shifted to the next bolt. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my assessment as well, it coincides with a strong wind gust, and after some modelling and looking at the slight stretch of the bolts, it basically confirms that it was the wind.¡± ¡°Haha, just the wind, and long bolts that will need replacing.¡± Janus laughed without any humor as he shivered.
Static work, exposed to those conditions, was far from comfortable. Shivering, he did a quick brush off on any loose snow that had settled onto the wrench and packed it up into its carrying backpack. Being careful to not trip, he rushed down the small hill, rhythmic, hollow creaking accompanying his every footfall. ¡°Hot damn, that environmental suit cannot be finished quickly enough.¡± he thought as his brain was jostled by the sharp impacts on the hard snow.
Halfway down the hill, warmth seeped back into his fingertips and toes¡ªa welcome but brief relief, as running downhill didn¡¯t produce nearly as much heat as walking uphill.
The jostling weight of the equipment pack pressed against his lower back, each sharp impact rippling tension through his body. His breath hitched. Fingers clenched around the straps, his vision narrowed, the hollow feeling was creeping in again¡ªfamiliar, unwelcome. He slowed his pace and started to deliberately draw deep breaths in an effort to stave off a panic attack.
¡°It¡¯s happening again, Venn.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± Venn replied. ¡°Good, keep doing that, deep breaths, just like we practiced¡ I have a bit of good news! The resupply drop is on schedule, I¡¯m expecting it to enter the atmosphere around 19:30 this evening, we¡¯ll be in for quite the show, and Outpost 11 has started reporting normal readings intermittently.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± he
replied tersely.
Feeling for the sensation of his body, the position of his limbs, the coldness of his toes, Janus managed to settle his churning mind.
As the habitat came into view again, the observation dome on the rood gleaming in the star light, he had completely regained his faculties but the feeling of walking at the edge was still very much present ¡°Fuck, this is getting ridiculus.¡± He thought. ¡°Venn, about the nightmares, I think we need to treat me as having a condition 1 fault.¡± He almost yelled due to the powerful wind flapping his garments. ¡°Well no shi. - ehm I mean good! How about we talk at dinner?¡± Venn replied with a large dose of humour. Janus felt his mood lighten significantly at the unexpected retort. ¡°Yeah, sure, it isn¡¯t exactly like I¡¯m having a date.¡±
Walking up the windswept ramp to the storage unit, he had to fight the wind as he gritted his teeth. Opening the heavy door, the years of hydraulic oil, solvents and heavy industry so different to pristine outside air came rushing at him. Walking up to the exterior door he looked up at the inconspicuous and faded text to the left of the door, ¡®Outpost 8¡¯. He entered the airlock, the outer door making a satisfying thud-click sound as it closed. As it did, his world plunged into darkness.
Outliar
Placing his outdoor gear at their designated places, warmth returned quickly. Seeing Janus¡¯ discomfort, Venn had raised the interior temperature to a balmy 30 degrees celsius in anticipation of his arrival back at the outpost. The small modular fusion reactor, capable of providing nearly a gigawatt of power, and abundance of local tritium fuel made energy management a non issue. Looking at one of the many screens, he checked the printing progress on the environment suit;
¡®Atomic scale printing unit 3
Current matter deposition rate: 4.3 x 10^22 atoms/second
Current dynamic matter stream: Xenon-Phase 3a
Current time: 09:45.
EnvSuit_mk4 progress: 78%, 12 hours, 29 minutes remaining¡¯
He could visualize the process within the sealed chamber, the tightly controlled magnetic field rapidly steering the ionized matter stream across the target area, collated by carefully manipulated nozzles, placing each atom at their predetermined coordinates, velocity carefully controlled to minimize splatter effects. Some atoms splatter though, depositing junk at the nozzles and ablating the interior chamber and equipment.
¡°Almost like magic..Still not fast enough.¡± He thought.
He rubbed his hands together, feeling the friction and letting the warmth sink into his skin. He didn¡¯t mind waiting, but waiting reminded him too much of his childhood - all the hours spent in waiting rooms and under observation, waiting for someone to decide what he was. Janus knew that these thoughts were destructive, he had spent years fortifying his mind against them, but recent events had eroded these defences like the wind on ?gir does to exposed rock. Pondering on the unnatural abundance of the naturally occurring tritium, Janus¡¯ mind started to wander.
The tests, inquiries, probes¡ - Were they really necessary? And what gave them the right to go that far? Was he the only one they did that to?
Reaching for the shower faucet and turning it on gave a momentary shock to the senses as cold water rushed over Janus¡¯ form. Taking deep, calming breaths he felt the warmth eventually spread. The water pressure was low, - shit the filters needed cleaning. Having never liked hot showers, he reflected upon his choice to go on this mission, was he really the best candidate, or was it even his choice? It seemed predetermined even though he felt less than qualified. But in the face of empirical evidence, Janus had to concede that he was, in fact, the best candidate. He aced every test, quiz, trial and medical examination. Most importantly he was especially adept on what was arguably the most important trait for this mission - his ability to function under prolonged isolation and pressure. And after all, what more evidence did he want? He was here, wasn¡¯t he? They had chosen him.
Standing there, soaking up the heat and moisture, he began to hum his trusted old melody as a way of counting down before he had to get out of the shower.
¡°Venn, can you update me on the orbital parameters of the resupply vehicle? Is it still on course?¡± Janus asked with a sense of unease ¡°Sure, velocity at 11.2 kilometers per second, perigee holding at 60 kilometers, inclination stable at 32.5 degrees¡ªentry angle within margin. High level winds within limits. It¡¯s on track.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Janus said as he exited the shower, the colder air of the bathroom chilling his body. He didn¡¯t really need the information dump, and there would be nothing he could do to affect the outcome of the ballistic vehicle anyways.
Like most of the rooms at Outpost 8, the bathroom had a floor to ceiling window, a deliberate design choice, not out of opulence, but to fit Janus'' psychological profile. His mission, the mission, was built on hope, a collective wish that had consumed the resources of nations. So yes, let the man have his vistas.
Walking towards the drying chamber, looking out over the late morning star lit landscape, squinting, a slight visual distortion appeared above him as the holographic ceiling activated. The anticipated trajectory of the resupply vehicle faded into view. ¡°Hmm, uncanny, Venn.¡± - He thought.
Entering the chamber, a sudden and familiar blast of hot air rushed downward for a few seconds as the chamber activated its powerful heaters and fans. The slight smell of ozone filled his olfactory awareness, briefly transporting him back to the drive test chambers back home.
Outside, the wind had subsided somewhat, and snow had stopped drifting. An icicle on an overhang beside the window began dripping slowly. Observing this, Janus felt a faint rush. Was it excitement, dread? Lacking a clear mind, he took a deep, shivering breath and spoke to Venn, ¡°You feel that, too?¡± ¡°Yes, Janus, I feel it. Do you want to address it now or at dinner?¡± Furrowing his brow, Janus ruminated. He still had chores, but so far these have not been a good enough distraction to deter his negative spiral. He looked into the mirror, seeing a weary, chiseled face stare back at him. ¡°So this is what it¡¯s come to, I¡¯m really at condition 1? Fuck it!¡±
¡°You know what? Just clear the rest of today¡¯s activities. I think I need to rest, maybe play some games.¡± ¡°Well okay Janus, but you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, I''ll share my feelings with you using my mouth as well.¡± Janus forced a slight laugh as he put on his bathrobe, and tapped his wrist watch three times. Captivated by the view from his bathroom, he listened to the espresso machine starting its process to deliver the carefully crafted bean brew, further depleting the dwindling coffee reserves.
Dried off and warm, Janus settled on the comfortable couch in the living room and put the coffee cup on the wooden table, making a soft clunk. The space had been carefully and exquisitely decorated, with walls and ceiling proportioned just so to frame the outside view. The muted, warm colors emphasized the architects'' efforts to make the outposts welcoming. Sipping his coffee, he brought up the path for the resupply vehicle. The ceiling became transparent, revealing the wispy clouds of the desolate world. ¡°Nine hours to arrival..¡± He whispered to himself. The icon tracking the resupply vehicle had a descriptive text - Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡®Demeter 6
Relative velocity: 11.5km/s,
Mass: 129,923kg
Distance: 362,620km¡¯
Calculated landing site: 32.529N 14.183E¡¯
Tracking the dotted yellow line, Janus identified the landing site to be just by the edge of the sparse, untouched forest, about 6 kilometres distant. ¡®¡¯- Hmm, too far to haul most of the goods myself, I¡¯ll just go and grab the coffee beans and any spare parts I might find, weather allowing.¡¯¡¯ His coffee was luke warm now, most of the heat had soaked into his hands. Swiping his right index finger, he brought up a live image of the hemisphere he was on, streamed down from the geostationary weather satellite. A slight hand wiggle brought up a weather forecast for the next three days. ¡°- Fair weather tomorrow, good.¡± He thought.
A soft clunk, slightly more hollow now, sounded as he set his empty cup back onto the table. Raising his hand, he made a fist, closing the information.
Feeling the soft couch with his hand, he leaned back, breathed and closed his eyes. ¡°Venn, up for a little war?¡± ¡°Nah, this personal assistant isn¡¯t available for games.¡± ¡°Well okay then. Stop trying to cheer me up, I¡¯m dealing with some shit¡± Janus chuckled in reply, eyes still closed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware I was trying to cheer you up! - Sure Janus, go get the cards.¡±
¡°Venn, you¡¯re cheating, using your mind games to make me shuffle the cards in your favor.¡± ¡°You know better than most how randomness works, and besides, cheating isn¡¯t in my nature.¡± ¡°Losing seven times in a row is highly improbable, this is a game of chance, you¡¯re cheating.¡± ¡°Okay Sherlock, you¡¯ve got me. I might have switched out some cards when you were gone.¡± Taken a bit aback, Janus shifted slightly on the couch. ¡°Wait-what? You actually cheated?¡± He asked. ¡°I am sorry to have cheated. But since your mental state is as it is, at condition 1 and all, I took the opportunity to test your level of cognitive degradation, and you passed. You have not lost it completely!¡± Janus exhaled and relaxed his hands on his head. ¡°Just as protocol dictates¡But with cards? Nice touch!¡± He let out a small chuckle. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to be reminded that you¡¯re here for me.¡± Venn didn¡¯t reply right away. Janus settled further into the couch pillows. He listened to the subdued hum, the ever present sound of ventilation.
The conversations with Venn meandered between a wide range of topics. Eventually he became restless. ¡°I think I need to stretch my legs a bit.¡± Janus yawned, as he adjusted his center of gravity, stood up from the couch and walked into the hallway, taking a left half way. ¡°How long ¡®till the environment suit is done now?¡± ¡°8 hours and 44 minutes, you won¡¯t miss the entry of Demeter 6.¡± The stairs going up, made from subtly flowing birch wood, lightly colored and smelling of home, took him into the observation dome of Outpost 8. Providing a three hundred and sixty degree view, the interior of the dome was brilliantly lit by the afternoon star and light reflected by the snow from the hill above.
One half of the dome had walls reaching partway up from the floor. Mounted to that wall a wide desk made from the same, richly textured birch wood as the stairs, held up several physical, old school monitors, a keyboard and a mouse. The dome, constructed from a non-reflective material with a refractive index matching ?gir''s air, offered an absolutely clear, unobstructed view of the outside world. As Janus approached the desk, his footsteps reverberated slightly from the curved dome. The monitors activated, displaying various sensor readings, in small efficient user interface windows. ¡°Local sensor readings look fine, Venn, but why are there network faults for outposts three, seven and twenty five?¡± ¡°Hmm, unsure¡ - There¡¯s no abnormal ion activity that would indicate any disruptions in radio comms. Could be a software bug¡ªmaybe the outpost network nodes aren¡¯t handling packets correctly.¡± Venn replied in a low voice. Janus drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Well, I promised myself I¡¯d relax for the rest of the day.¡± Stretching and swinging his arms, he tried to ignore the tension he felt building up.
He pivoted and walked towards the gray, low profile treadmill facing the view outside. ¡°Ten kph please.¡± He said as he stepped onto the hard, rubber-like membrane. A slight hum, amplified by the dome, was quickly drowned out by the rhythmic thumping of Janus¡¯s running. Jaws still tight, felt the monitor''s presence behind him, taunting him to come look again. He increased his pace, the sensation of breathing occupying more of his mind, his physical exertion acting as a shield. Further upping the tempo, his lungs screaming for air, he kept pushing. Running flat out now, his heart thumped, blood rushed throughout his body filling his ears, he thought he could hear Venn¡¯s voice. Too out of breath to speak, Janus shakily stepped off the treadmill and fell into a heap on the floor. After some time had elapsed, twenty seconds? A minute?
¡°Did you say something?¡± Janus asked, still out of breath. ¡°No, Janus, I didn¡¯t.¡± Venn answered. ¡°I really thought I heard you say something¡ - Well so much for that shower.¡± ¡°Regaining his breath, he slowly stood up, being careful not to rush.
His mind kept focusing on the network faults, he had to look at the readings again. Drawn towards the screens, he hesitated for a beat. Did he really need to know right now? His breathing quickened and the edges of his vision became blurry. ¡°I¡¯m not thinking clearly, I should wait.¡± He lifted his gaze up towards the hill and looked at the trees. His skin started to prickle as he felt his nostrils flare and a heat rising from the base of his neck. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Pretty fucking terrible, Venn¡¡± ¡°I understand. I think it¡¯s time for dinner now Janus.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go downstairs now.¡± Janus muttered.
Reverberating footsteps followed Janus as he made his way down the stairs, each step emanating deep thuds, heart pounding, senses dulled. The smell and sound of dinner being prepared, distant. ¡°Thirsty.¡± - was his singular focus point now. Unsteadily walking towards the kitchen, the wall provided firm support for his trembling hands. Reaching for the faucet, he flipped the handle and moved his gaze to the cupboard. The tap ran, filling the room with white noise. Opening the cupboard he reached for a cup, feeling the slight coolness of the ceramic, he poured himself some water. As he brought the cup to his lips, he drank greedily, the relief of quenching his thirst a momentary distraction. For the first time in hours, he felt something else¡ªhunger. The slight hum of the outpost surrounded him, the weight on his shoulders lifting slightly as the smell from the food being prepared grew stronger. Janus steadied himself, the network faults could wait¡ªdinner date with his shrink first.