The Data Pod

[Gagagigo3]

Prologue

It was early in the morning when i realized that the savant computer finished its analyzes. I read trough the streams of data the scanner had spew out.
Suddenly i saw this word 'confirmed' doom up on the paper.
I rushed to the Command Center and showed it to Ben, head of the spaceport. After he read trough the data he immediately ordered to launch the SULV.

It was only moments later that a shockwave had gone trough the colony and a pillar of smoke arised in the distance. The SULV was launched.

Shortly after the launch they immediatly began taking the next SULV out of the storage facility.

[Gagagigo3]

Chapter 1: Data pods aho!

About an hour after the first shockwave the second got trough the colony, the second SULV was launched.

There seemed to be alot of calls from colonists who were a bit upset about the sudden launch of the SULVs. Those people yust trouble to much lately...

Im #106612, back on earth i would've been called Chris, but now its just a calling or code name. Its 30 years since we've escaped New Terra. There has been signes that a second but alot smaller starship did make it off New Terra in time. We can only know that it was Eden, but we havent found any trace of them since then. Some people think they followed us here.
Anyway, were constructing a new starship. High Command said its just for emergency purpose, for when we 'really need' it again. The one from New Terra ended similar like the Conestoga. But this time the core got hit by a meteor and repair would be to expensive, so they've retrieved all they could and let the remains crash on this new planet.
The SULV's they've yust launched housed data pods. While Plymouth was in hibernation aboard the starship, the ship launched several probes. Some of them had the destination 'Earth'. This morning the SAVANT computer finished analyses of one of the probes that reached Earth. THe other one hit the moon and, miraculously survived, but it unable to send any data but its tracking signal.
The planet were currently on is named New Terrax, and is geologically pretty stable. Weve housed ourself on some high ground, because 38% of the planet is covered in molten rock, 43% is uninhabitable and the rest is just alot of rocky ground. The good thing is that the surface is covered in water for 2%, we actually have a 'lake' or better said 'sea' near the colony. To bad the water is filled with toxic waste.

Im wondering if Eden would follow us here, i'm having the feeling it will just be a matter of time before we discover that.

[Gagagigo3]

Chapter 2: Earth equals Eden?

It has been 3 weeks since the SULVs have been launched. I was working on some new R-1000 Cooling Units. I didnt notice David to come into the garage.

"How are you doing on those cooling units?" he said.

I turned around and replyed "Im doing fine with those things, they weight a ton but thanks to those new robotic arms this job isnt that hard". I was wondering what he was doing in the garage anyway, as David normally works in the Advanced Lab.

David laughed "You should go see Ben over at the Spaceport. The data of the SULVs are back"

"What?!" I was wondering what came out of the data "Well, i should be going then, shouldn't i..."

David laughed again "You should hurry if i were you".

I runned to the spaceport, and when i got out of the elevator going up the launch tower i found Ben. I asked what news he got.

"Well, it seems Eden is back at Earth, and we have no idea what they would be doing there..." Ben's voice sounded shocked. The atmosphere in the launch tower was also a bit...wierd?

Anyway, Ben continued his story. "High Command wants a special force be sent to Earth to investigate the presence of Eden.

I was also wondering what Eden would be doing back at earth. Do they want to terraform it? Maybe they are searching for nuclear warheads...? Well it would remain a mystery as long as we dont investigate theyre presence.

I left the Launch Tower as there was no further interesting facts to uncover for myself. I returned to the garage, David was, oblivously, nowhere to be seen. The R-1000 Cooling Unit i was working on was still there, but there was something strange, i had the feeling something was different about it. I couldnt find anything strange, so i took my wrench and continued working on the Microwave Lynx.

[Gagagigo3]

Chapter 3: Earth Investigated

I finished working on the R-1000 Cooling unit, i was cleaning up when the speakers in the colony released a cracking noise.

"All colonists have to move to the nearest forum or recreation center immediately" The speakers hadnt been used for a long while, so the sound was full of cracking noises.

So, i went to the forum that was near the garage. I set down in a chair and waited for about 5 minutes. It was getting overcrowded in the forum. But it became quiet, i couldnt see who came in, but it was someone important.

It became quiet and the forum speakers activated with a peeping noise;"To all colonists of Plynouth, i have to announce that we are gathering volunteers to go back to Earth. Eden has returned to Earth, and we now want to go back aswell. All volunteers will be protected by the 3rd Combat Batallion."

After a door closing people began to talk, and the forum was drawing empty. I decided to stay to play some Chess with other colonists.

Later that day i decided to pay a visit to David in the Advanced Lab. When i got theyr the doors were locked shut. I guessed they were busy with another experiment or so.

That left me no choice to go to my residence. It was located on the north side of the colony. I lifted with an Evacuation Transport, it was heading there, from the garage i work, to collect volunteers next week.

I entered my room and activated my computer. I studied some of the data of recent developments on the new engines and explosive charges.

[Gagagigo3]

Chapter 4: Leaving them behind

It was something like a week later, i decided to go as a volunteer to Earth, im wondering what Earth was like now. And i want to get revenge on Eden, as they killed my parents back on New Terra.

Its not very crowded at the assembly station near my residence, but that could be because the North side of the colony is very rocky and hard to build, but the landscape was so beautifull even High Command lives here now.

Anyway, the doors from the backhall opened. Some 20 person walked there, we received medical checks. From the 20 people 15 got passed, we settled ourself in the evacuation transport for a 10 minute trip. We moved up the hill to the spaceport.

After exiting the evacuation transport, about 100 people gathered. Someone was speaking trough a megaphone "Move on, cmon people, move to the front as much as possible."

We entered a hall. There were some tables for people to say goodbye to theyre families. Not that there were much people who still had a family.

After receiving instructions we boarded the SULV's in groups of 25. I was in the last SULV. After 60 minutes it was my turn. I stepped into the elevator of the launch tower.

In the Starport COmmand Tower i saw Ben and David standing, the saw me and waved to me. I answered by waving back. 5 minutes later i was onboard the SULV and ready to take off.

I heard the countdown going, 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...a shockwave hit me, it was the sign the engines turned on succesfully, a smooth shock told me and the passengers that the docking clamps had released and moments later gravity began to drift away.

Space...once again. We docked with the starship and followed instructions, most of the others already took place in theyre cryo pods, i also took place. Moments later the hatch closed and sleep overwhelmed me.

[Gagagigo3]

Chapter 5: Crash Landing

I waked up, i felt dizzy. THe hatch opened and someone checked my eyes with something very bright, it hurted my eyes.

A few minutes later i felt much better and saw most people were already awake. I looked on a monitor and saw earth...



Another man joined me and was stunned. He seemingly didnt expect it to be this worse.

We talked, we had to wait anyway because the computers were tracking the Phoenix Module.

The man was named John, he was 30 years old, and had nothing left since New Terra. He was a technician for vehicles but after the automatisation on New Terrax.
We liked each other, that was for sure. He liked to tell jokes, i liked to laugh. We seemed to be in the same group.

Someone called everyone to gather at the landing pods. John spontaniously said "Well, it seems it time to land on Earth and face Eden".

I entered something that looked like an RLV, Plymouth only had the one they stole from Eden, but it seems they somehow managed to reproduce it in a short period of time. I was lucky to sit down next to John. "It'l be a hard landing, i just heard Earth still has atmosphere and water, but almost no live anymore."
I replied "I think i can live with that" i was happy to be back anyway.

We had to fasten our seatbelts, 2 over our shoulders, on on our stomach, and then 2 from our shoulders, crossing each other and then being fastened on the chair near the sides of our body.
I almost couldnt move as we had to sit in a 'special' position.

We launched from the starship, i felt it how we entered orbit, there were no windows to look trough. After a few seconds a shockwave got trough the landing pod. It began to shake like...well something very worse.

Shockwaves hit the ship all the time. Someone shouted "Is this the meaning of a soft landing?!!!" and it got replied with "No!". I couldt see who it was as i was tied up to my chin, at least that was how it felt.

Bang! Something broke of the landing pod, or something hit it...the lights fell out.

Someone shouted from the cockpit "Its EDEN! I think theyre shooting us!"

Not short after the computer said "System failure:Taking over functions:Emergency power enabled"

Red lights began to light the room.

Another shockwave, was it really Eden that was shooting us?

Lights fell out again...and more shockwaves. The savant computer took care of the ship, nothing could go possibly go wrong.

SAVANT "Impact in 5000"

"4000"

The countdown was something you could hear above all the noice.

"3000"

It was a peeping noice that counted as we headed towards the surface of Earth.

"2000"

Not much to go anymore.

"1900"

"1800" Reverse thrusters malfunctioning.

"1700" Emergency thrusters activated.

"1600"

"1500"

"1400" Anti-Shockwave systems activated.

"1300" Checking systems.

"1200"

The computer continues doing its work. At 500 the last shockwave got trough the ship. People began to calm. What did just happen?

Savant "Emergency parachute enabled. Estimated time to landing 1 minute.

That minute took almost a century to most people. The last shockwave was the last one. We strapped of our seatbelts, some people had to 'empty theyre stomach'. Some outside, some still in the pod.

I found John, but he looked troubled. I asked "Whats wrong?"

John answered "Dont you see it? The extraction vehicle is all wrecked up."

I looked to the pod and saw the vehicle being taken out, but there were  cracks all over it, now i looked to the pod and i would've called it a close call. There was this huge crack in the side in the heatshield. We couldve been burned away in less then a second...