《Final Voyage》


 Chapter 1

    A loud sheik, a sound that could as easily be rending steel as it could be someone''s final scream as decompression violently rips the air from their lungs. Even so, it''s nearly lost in the rush of air as atmosphere vents into space through the massive tear in the side of the ship.


    The camera pulls back, bringing a man into focus. He''s bleeding from a cut on his brow but he pays it no mind as he clings to the deck, straining as he pulls himself toward an open airlock. Once through, he pulls himself upright against the wall and slaps a panel. The door cycles shut and the man gasps, drawing a lung full of air before looking out the little viewport at the tangled ruin that was once a starship.


    "Lana.."


    The man gasps.


    "Got to get to our quarters. She''s got to be ok."


    Without another word, the man stumbles down the corridor. Sparks, small fires. and the occasional high pitched whistle of decompression fills the corridor. He''s just rounding a corner when he sees that the twisted hallway he had intended to follow is a tangled mess of wires and steel.


    "Fuck."


    He mutters under his breath. He looks at the passage a little longer, then he spins quickly on his heel.


    "First priority, access the network."


    A dozen strides later, he pulls the front of a cabinet free, revealing a neatly folded space suit that he unceremoniously pulls free. He doesn''t even pause, he starts to pull the protective suit on as quickly as he is able, then after he fastens the helmet to his hip, he reaches for the keypad on the arm of the suit.


    As soon as the keypad lights up, he slips a small object in his ear, it nestles almost invisibly inside.


    "Petty Officer Third Class, Hunter. Command. I''m at junction.."


    He glances up at the large number and letter on the wall.


    "J-53. Please advise."


    Even as he says the words, he''s already in motion, walking at a brisk pace as he considers how best to reach the crew section of the ship, where his wife presumably is.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Command, I repeat, Petty Officer Third Class, Hunter. I just left junction J-53 and am heading starboard. Please advise. I need to get to my wife, she''s pregnant. I''m going to help anyone I find along the way, but my wife is my priority until I''m ordered otherwise."


    He continues another dozen paces before cursing under his breath.


    "Computer, are communications down?"


    An emotionless voice replies promptly.


    "No sir."


    "Then why isn''t command responding?"


    He demands.


    "You are the highest ranking member of the crew who is not dead or incapacitated."


    The same emotionless voice replies.


    He misses a step, stumbling before he can catch himself. For several long seconds he stands there.


    "Computer. How many life signs can you find on the ship?"


    "Seven."


    "Myself included?"


    The man asks hesitantly.


    "Yes sir."


    "Is my wife alive?"


    He asks, a hint of panic in his voice.


    "She is, however her life signs are failing."


    In the blink of an eye, the man is running down the corridor.


    He''s just rounding a corner as fast as his feet can carry him when the lights flicker, a split second later he slams into the bulkhead as the ship loses artificial gravity.


    His stomach does a flip and he wretches as the gravity gives out. It takes all of his will to choke back the bile threatening to spill from his lips.


    The man barely has time to reorient himself before red emergency lights illuminate the corridor.


    A second later the corridor shudders as if caught in an earthquake. Almost as soon as the quake ends, he places both feet against the bulkhead and pushes off, using his hands to guide himself as he propels himself weightlessly down the corridor.


    The screen fades to black, then brightens to show the man prying a door open, revealing a woman tangled in the ruins of a destroyed room. A faint hint of frost covers her skin though she''s not dead yet. The amount of blood on the ground beneath her and floating in the air around her is a clear indication that she likely will be soon.


    "Computer."


    The man says, his voice trembling.


    "How do I get her out without killing her?"


    "Impossible. Moving her will kill her. Her life signs are faltering, she will be dead soon."


    The computer says without any hint of compassion.


    "Save the baby."


    The woman says, her voice a strained whisper. The one arm that isn''t impaled by a steel girder goes to her swollen belly protectively.


    The man screams in frustration, tears pooling at the corner of his eyes where he has to wipe them away. The lack of gravity refusing to let them streak down his face normally.


    "I love you."


    He says, his voice raw.


    She swallows, not saying a word as she seems to look through him rather than at him.


    He steels his resolve, pulling a utility knife from a pouch at his hip. His eyes move to her belly, pointedly avoiding looking at his wife''s face as he prepares to cut her open.


    The sound of flesh being cut drifts through the empty hallways of the ship, followed by the crisp sound of a baby crying.

 Chapter 2

    A voice cuts through the darkness, the infinite expanse of star filled space giving way to a mangled starship floating like an insignificant speck on the cosmos.


    "If the baby is to survive the hour, you will need to find a way to keep her warm. Nourishment will also be vital to her survival. However there may be a more pressing issue."


    The baby, whimpering softly, is wrapped in the bloody remains of her mother''s clothes, clutched to her father''s chest as he kicks off of another bulkhead, propelling himself down the hallway to another door.


    "Computer, override this door. It''s residential, there should be blankets inside if the room is intact."


    "You are allowing your emotions to cloud your thoughts. There is a more pressing issue."


    The emotionless computer is nearly enough to drive the man into a rage.


    "What could possibly be more important than my daughter?!?"


    "Life support will fail in less than seven minutes."


    Something happens deep in the ship, sending a shudder through the vessel that rattles the man''s bones and leaves his child wailing.


    "Secondary systems offline. Life support compromised. I am sorry."


    "You''re sorry?"


    "Yes."


    "Why?"


    The man''s voice is cold, his eyes on his daughter.


    "The fore section of the ship is no longer part of my sensor network. Only two remaining life signs within my range. Life support will fail in less than six minutes. Broadcast antenna down. Chance of survival. 0%"


    "Computer, if you''re not going to be any help, go fuck yourself."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He turns his thoughts inward, trying to formulate a plan.


    "Computer, are the cryo pods intact?"


    "Yes. However power will fail within the next four hours."


    "What about secondary power systems? Can they be rerouted to the cryo pods?"


    "Yes sir. However secondary systems will be down roughly 24 hours after primary power fails."


    The man nods to himself.


    "What about one of the generators in the vehicle bay? If I could hook one of those up to a pod, set up a power bank with multiple power cores, could I in theory keep the pod powered until rescue?"


    "Chance of personal survival. 8%. Chance of baby''s survival. 3%."


    "Thanks for the vote of confidence."


    The man spends a few more seconds in thought.


    "Ok, here''s the plan. Flag likely routs to and from the cryo bay, vehicle bay, anywhere oxygen is stored, and any place I might find supplies for the baby."


    "Calculating. Be advised, you could triple your odds of survival if-"


    "If you say what I think you''re about to say, I will shut you down and do this on my own."


    "Understood."


    A second later, a map displays across the interior of the man''s helmet, large parts of the ship marked in red while precious few appear viable.


    The baby continues to cry as he changes course.


    "Sorry baby girl. I need to make one quick stop before we can find you something to eat."


    His voice seems to have no effect on the baby as she continues to wail.


    A couple of minutes later, the man is in an airlock, the computer informing him that life support will fail within three minutes, and the baby hastily strapped into a bit of webbing to prevent her from drifting away. The man eventually finds what he''s looking for, looks pleased with himself and turns back to the baby.


    "Ok baby girl, here is what we''re going to do. I''m going to bundle you in a thermal blanket and stuff you in a EVA suit like mine. You''re probably not going to like it, but it will help keep you warm and we don''t have to worry about decompression or running out of air for a while."


    Putting action to words, he ties the arms and legs of the suit in his hands together, helping to condense the suit down a bit, then hooks one of the three oxygen tanks he found to the suit.


    He hears as much as feels the ventilation system shut down half way through. Knowing that the life support has failed and that the air is no longer renewing itself.


    "Computer, can you read the vitals of the baby inside the suit once she''s inside?"


    Putting actions to words, he unwraps her from her mother''s shirt, then wraps her in the thermal blanket he had found before carefully sliding her inside. He feels more than a little concern as he sees her breath in the air, a clear sign that it''s already getting cold in this part of the ship.


    "Yes sir, I will be able to read her vitals."


    "Let me know the second there''s any sign of complications."


    Cradling the suit with his daughter inside against his chest, he positions it so he can look though her helmet and see her little face.


    Accompanied by the cries of his daughter, he leaves the airlock, ready to seek out the next destination on his list.

 Chapter 3

    Items float in the air, suspended with the artificial gravity not working.  All the while the man frantically searches the room, allowing items to be knocked into the air.


    Finally, he lets out a sound of relief, pulling a container with white fluid inside, then setting about the task of squeezing the contents into another container.  Once done, he moves to an EVA suit that is floating nearby, carefully removing the helmet.  The second the helmet is unsealed, the baby''s screams from within fill the air.


    "It''s ok baby girl, I found you something to eat."


    The man''s inexperience shows as he feeds the baby, but he gets her fed, burped, then stuffs two more bottles in beside her where her own body will help keep them warm until she needs to be fed again.


    Blissfully, a full belly seems to calm her, and she falls asleep within moments


    For a second, the man seems lost in thought, then he removes his own helmet and leans close, kissing the newborn baby on the forehead.


    "Daddy is going to make sure you''re ok.  I promise you, I''ll move the stars if that''s what it takes to save you."


    Putting her helmet on first and double checking that it is secure, he then does the same with his own.


    "Next set of problems.  I''m going to head to cryo and size up the situation there, figure out what all I need to make this work."


    "Be advised that even if it were safe to take her, the baby will interfere with your ability to work while in the vehicle bay."


    "I know.  I already have a plan for that.  How long would it be safe to leave her untended?"


    "I would advise you work fast in the vehicle bay."


    The computer''s non-answer leaves him with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.


    With the exception of some floating debris, a panel that looked like it had exploded, and a single body turning serenely as it passes down the corridor, the trip to cryo is uneventful.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    However the cryo bay is another matter entirely  Several of the large units have busted free of their housings, wrecking havoc on the entire bay.  Half of the units are clearly broken or otherwise damaged in ways that would make them useless.


    "Computer, show me which units are viable, prioritize smaller units  like the ones we use for pigs and sheep.  Cut power to everything else, we need whatever power we can get."


    "Done.  New projections for primary power show we have gained just over 30 minutes of viable time before the system shuts down."


    The man nods, but says nothing as he moves to the nearest unit the computer indicates.  He sits his sleeping daughter to the side, then overrides the safety procedures so he can simply open the pod, almost certainly killing its occupant in the process.


    With a rough shove, the man pushes the pig from where it is lying, then reaches for his daughter again.


    "Here is what I plan to do.  I''m going to set the an air canister for a trickle of air.  Hopefully it will last a couple of hours.  If the air runs out or I''m not going to make it back in time, you''re going to override the controls, seal and cycle the cryo pod."


    "The child will not survive.  There is zero chance of rescue before secondary systems would fail."


    "Do you think I give a floating fuck?  Either give me a better idea or shut up."


    The computer remains silent.


    Over the next hour, the pod is checked, double checked, cleaned and checked again, then the man removes the baby from the spare EVA suit, feeds her quickly because he doesn''t want to expose her to the cold any longer than he must, then starts to move her to the pod.


    "I know baby girl.  It''s cold, but this is the best I can do right now."


    He tells the whimpering baby.


    "Actually, I may be able to keep her warm.  Since the pod is still in its cold cycle, I need to run a thaw cycle before it can be used anyway.  I can regulate the speed of the cycle to keep the pod warm for several hours if need be."


    "Make it happen."


    Looking at his daughter, he removes his left glove, touching his daughter with his bare hand for the first time, feeling her warm skin against his palm.


    "I love you baby girl."


    With those words said, he puts his glove back on, then checks the cryo pod one last time before turning.


    Moments later, he''s moving through the ship again, a sense of urgency driving him forward.  He doesn''t slow until another shudder goes through the ship.


    "Cryo bay?"


    A momentary panic threatens to overwhelm him.


    "The cryo bay is fine.  What you felt was a local event.  One of the passages ahead just vented to space.  This however presents us with a different problem as there is no longer a viable route to the vehicle bay."


    "Then a magboot it across the hull."


    "You will only be able to transport the generator you seek and up to six power cores.  My calculations suggest that a minimum of eight will be needed to maintain two cryo pods until rescue."


    "I''ll make two trips."


    "You only have enough remaining oxygen for this trip."


    "Then I''ll figure something else out."


    Moving toward the nearest airlock, the man double checks his map, then steps

 Chapter 4

    Against an unending backdrop of countless stars, a single man stands at the edge of a gaping hole in the side of a mangled starship.


    "There isn''t much left, is there?"


    "Estimated that 43% of the vehicle bay is simply, . . . gone."


    Nodding to himself, he makes his way around the jagged edges and into the cavernous bay.  It is slow going, and more than once he snags his suit on something sharp.


    He''s found a generator and five power cores in just under two hours time.  Unfortunately, no matter how hard he looks he is unable to find more.


    After an uncharacteristically long silence, the computer speaks.


    "I will need to cycle the cryo pod in just over an hour, and I estimate it will take nearly that long for you to return there."


    The implications of the computer''s words are left unsaid.  The man nods, sighing deeply.


    "Understood."


    The trip back to the cryo bay is quiet, only the sounds of the man carrying an impossibly large bundle can be heard, the massive load only made possible by the complete lack of gravity.


    When he reaches the edge of the cryo pod, he can tell it''s cold from the faint layer of frost on the glass panel.  However he takes comfort knowing that his daughter is safe and warm inside.


    "Computer, if we cycle the pod, freeze her now, can I safely hook to the generator afterward?"


    "The cryo pod has a one hour independent power supply for exactly that kind of situation."


    Sighing in relief, the man nods.


    "Ok, give me a moment with her, then we''ll cycle the pod."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "There are still two problems we must address if there is any chance of survival.  The first is that with two pods, we will fall 23% short of the time needed for the earliest possible rescue.  The second is that there is no way to contact help."


    "I''ve run the numbers in my head a thousand times for the first problem.  We''ve got plenty of power for what I have planned.  The second problem is easy, it''s a little trick that I heard about, some miner set up a power loop through their environmental suit and hooked to a power supply.  Sort of gave the suit a little charge, then when that charge wore off it sent a ping through the metal piping in the mines which in turn triggered a switch that gave the suit a new charge.  Caused a ping about once every half hour, full battery aught to keep a steady ping for a hundred years longer than we need it for.  Any ship following our path should hear it easily if we don''t drift too far off course."


    Pulling his helmet off, he can feel the bitter cold of the room bite into his flesh, his lips ache almost instantly and he knows within a minute frost will start to form on his skin.


    Seemingly oblivious to his own discomfort, he opens the pod and leans forward.


    "I love you baby girl."


    He lets his lips touch her brow and instantly realizes his mistake as his lips freeze to her flesh.  She begins to cry, and in his haste he splits open both his lip and her forehead.


    "Oh God, I''m sorry."


    Knowing that sealing and cycling the pod is the quickest way to stop the bleeding, he does so, his tears freezing as he cries.


    Quickly, he places his helmet back on before the frigid temperatures can make what comes next impossible.


    "I don''t understand.  With the information I possess, I can not formulate any situation where both of you survive."


    "I know.  If I had gotten enough power cells, what would our chance of survival be?"


    "81% chance of the generator giving out before rescue."


    "And the odds are pretty similar that I would have run out of oxygen going back for a second generator even if I didn''t have to magboot across the hull."


    His words are a simple statement.  Even as he speaks, he is working to set up the generator for what he needs it for.


    "The moment I mentioned the cryo bay, I already knew I was dead.  Now, tell me what her chances of survival and rescue how things stand right now, with what I plan to do?"


    "97% chance of survival and rescue.  Cryo pod has been cycled successfully, and occupant''s vitals are all within safe ranges."


    He nods absently.


    "Start recording. Every word I say until the end.  I want my daughter to receive this recording when she''s old enough to understand what I''m saying."


    As the man begins to talk, the screen slowly darkens.  While the scene has a sort of finality to it, the television announces that there is one final episode before going to a commercial break.

 Chapter 5: Those left behind.

    The sun rises over an alien landscape. The sunrise is bright and beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. Purple leaves sway gently from thick white trees as a gentle breeze filters through them.


    Fields of grass the color of amber stretch as far as the eyes can sea.


    In the distance is a large lumbering beast, thick protective scales covering its hide as its twin snouts pull up tufts of grass to stuff into its gaping maw.


    As the camera pulls back, a girl of about twenty years of age is looking in a mirror. She spins at the sound of someone knocking on her door, tears in her eyes.


    "Lily! It''s Founder''s Day!"


    He''s similar in age to the girl, but instead of sadness in his eyes, there is barely contained excitement The same instant that the words leave his mouth, his expression sobers.


    "Crap, I''m sorry, I wasn''t thinking."


    "It''s ok, I''ll see you at the ceremony."


    She assures the man before he hurries off. Turning back to the mirror, she absently reaches up and touches the faint scar on her brow, then steels her resolve.


    Not long after she stands among a large crowd of people, nearly all filled with joy and excitement, a sharp contrast to the sadness in her eyes.


    "You call me Founder, but that''s a title that rests heavy on my brow. A Founder is one who begins something, someone who sets history in motion. Our colony is young, yet I would argue that only a single person here can truly be called Founder. One person we can look at who embodies everything we aspire to become, every hope and dream we have for the future."


    There''s a short pause as the man lets his words sober the crowd.


    "Every colony has its traditions. Every colony has moments that define it. For us, that defining moment came before we even arrived on this new world. And it has become a symbol of all that we aspire to be. Our first colony ship, the one that was supposed to lay the ground work that would allow us to live here was struck by a rogue comet before entering the system. The results of which,. . . ."


    The man falters, his expression becoming haunted.


    "More than a thousand lives were lost that day, and a single life began. We know about the rogue comet because of the ship''s computer. We know the important parts because of Markel Woodward. He left a recording of his final hours. We all know the story, but I''m telling it again because it is a part of who we are."


    When the man''s eyes find Lily in the crowd, he smiles sadly to her, a smile that she returns with tears streaming down her face.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Markel is everything we aspire to be. His selflessness, his love, his sacrifice, everything he did in his final hours was to ensure a future for his daughter, to make sure that even once he was gone, that she could carry on in his place. He bright his daughter into this world even as his wife died. He traversed through a broken ship holding onto an impossible hope with no other goal than to ensure his daughter survived, knowing that he would never know her fate for sure. He might also be why none of us has ever had bacon."


    A sad sort of chuckle goes through the crowd.


    "Twenty years ago today, we first set foot on this world. Twenty years after our ill fated sister ship was to arrive. It has been hard, we''ve struggled and earned everything we have through blood sweat and tears. We''ve had more than our fair share of heartache, but through it all we''ve aspired to be something more. Markel never gave up, and we followed his example. We''ve created a statue in his honor, to be unveiled shortly, a declaration to ourselves that we will always aspire to protect and love those around us no matter the cost."


    A murmur of agreement goes through the crowd.


    "Lily Woodward was given the recording of her fathers final words on her 13th birthday. Well, plus about twenty years of cryosleep."


    The laughter is subdued, and those near Lily reach out to hug her and whisper words of comfort.


    "I talked with her at length the other day, asking her permission to share that recording with all of you. She cried a little, she laughed a little, and she agreed to share it with all of us."


    The Founder does something at his podium, then a new voice begins to speak. The voice is raw, punctuated by the chattering of teeth.


    "Hey baby girl. I''m sorry about the forehead. I didn''t realize it was that cold already. If it makes you feel any better, I think it tore me up worse than you. I hope you don''t end up with a scar. Your mother, Lana wanted to name you Lily, so I hope that whoever finds you honors that. I love you more than anything."


    There''s a soft wheeze, followed by a sort of swallowing sound before the chattering of teeth can be heard.


    "I wish I had all day to talk to you, but the computer says I''ll sort of fall asleep in a little while. I thought I''d tell you some stories. You know, the kind of thing every kid hates to hear their parents tell, like ''I was a kid too'' stuff, how we met, all of that kind of stuff. None of that got recorded in the personally logs, so the only way you''ll ever hear it is if I tell you now."


    For a little more than an hour he talks, telling stories that make people laugh, stories that make people cry, and stories that make those gathered hold their loved ones close. Toward the end, his voice has started to be hard to understand, and his words come slower.


    "I''m feeling pretty tired. Having a hard time thinking. I hope I didn''t forget anything important. Got a few more things to say. Find yourself a good man, someone who love you as much as I do. Tell him I''ll kick his ass if he ever makes you cry. Heh. Get married, love your husband, love your kids, that''s more important than anything. And be happy, smile, make sure the people around you know you love them. Live life without regrets and never forget to treasure the little moments."


    The sound of breathing, labored, can be heard for several long seconds before his voice returns.


    "Where was I? I might have nodded off for a second. Shit, I never found a diaper for you before I stuck you in the pod. Whoever finds you is going to hate me. I, . . . I''m feeling kind of tired. I think I''m going to take a little nap. Maybe I''ll remember a few more stories when I wake back up. Love you."


    The silence lingers, the breathing becoming shallow until silence reigns.


    "Love you too dad."


    END