Group 2

Asphyxiated
 Chapter 1
Come So Far
The year is 2254, humanity has colonized all planets in the solar system and is planning to
colonize even more that are in the observable universe. Due to space’s harsh environment,
only the fittest are selected to go on these missions.

" Must be fit, no medical conditions, no diseases, no allergies, must be a fast adapter, blah
blah blah…" He read the requirements of the missions out loud: " Hey, this pretty much
describes me! I should sign up for this thing!"

He went to the physical and met the requirements to go on the mission to colonize planets
with no life yet. " Fit body, I’d say" commented the doctor, " Mr Ep… Epaph… how do I
pronounce this? Oh! Epaphroditus!"

" Ahem, anyways, the day of your mission is the 6th of September." Exclaimed the doctor, "
You will be trained to adapt to the zero-gravity environment of space before you go on your
spaceship. Good luck."

After the physical, he went to his assigned dorm to look at it and put his belongings there. "
Huh, not like what I imagined, but I guess I’ll take it," Epaphroditus commented about the
dormitory room he received. A man in an orange jumpsuit entered his room " My name is
Adolph, I am your trainer before you go on your mission." He claimed, " Come with me, let’s
have your first course."

Epaphroditus went through a simulation of weightlessness with neutral buoyancy. He

practices in neutral buoyancy on how to move large objects, although some gravity can still
be felt, it is very minor.
 Chapter 2
Bid Farewell
And came the day of takeoff, the name of the spaceship Epaphroditus was on is named
Hermes, it is large and is said to be very fast. His family was present during the takeoff, he
went to say goodbye to them for one last time before taking off. When he finished walking
into the spaceship, he went straight to the communications room. A radio was sent:

-" Hermes, do you copy?" Said the radio in the communications room
-" Hermes is ready for takeoff." He replied
-" Ascending in three… two… one…" A countdown counted

And the Hermes took off, leaving the Earth. As the Hermes rocketed and left the Earth. As
the rocket ascended into space, the sensation of weightlessness also increased.

Epaphroditus finally has the chance to meet and socialize with his crew. Unlike previous
space missions done before, this one has a team of over 50 individuals from around the globe,
each carefully inspected and selected based on their competence and intelligence. The team is
diverse with people around the globe, each of them having different tapestries of knowledge
and experience. In the corridors of the spaceship, conversations and discussions were here
and there, Epaphroditus heard people talking about astrophysics, engineering, and more
topics that only those who look deep into a subject can understand. It is clear that the team
isn’t just trying to explore the vastness of space, but also humanity working together to make
space a utopia for humans.

Amidst the halls of the spaceship, he felt a sense of having a purpose. He wasn’t just an
individual on a spaceship, he was part of a mission that could change the world, and the
course of human history, and revolutionize cosmos exploration. As Hermes continues its
adventure into space, Epaphroditus can’t help but feel that he will take part in something
extraordinary. Surely nothing will go wrong… right?
 Chapter 3
Beginning of the end
Current position… somewhere. Current distance to destination… a…lot. Things were going
fine for the first few months, life support worked, and the hydroponic system was normal.
Some time on the way, the atmosphere alert woke Epaphroditus up in his cabin, stars were
visible, they must’ve gotten out of deep space. He wore his hazard suit as he had learned
from the drills then tried to communicate with the Hermes’ bridge but got no response. He
went out of his cabin and saw a few of his colleagues discussing something.

- " What’s this all about?" Epaphroditus said.

- " A question humans have been asking since the dawn of time." replied Meris, a
philosopher.
-" No!" Epaphroditus answered quickly " What’s happening to the ship? I heard an alarm,
shouldn’t you wear your hazard suits?"
- ‘Should’ is to refer to a probable event, or for obligation," Replied Octavian, a political
scientist, " you have not yet justified your authority to demand us such command."

" Had they been drinking?" Epaphroditus thought " No… they’re standing up fine."

" Let’s all go to the infirmary to get us all checked out," Epaphroditus said. They followed
him, but one of them stayed behind by the airlock. He went to check who it was, and it was
Murad, an astronomer.

-" This way please," Epaphroditus said and approached Murad.

-" It’s so big out there…" Murad murmured, staring through the porthole.
-" Yes, I do agree, let’s go to the infirmary, now." Epaphroditus said in a hurrying voice.
-" What if those stars are merely just projections?" Murad wondered " What if our mind just
made them fill up the environment of the vast space?"
-" They’re not…" Epaphroditus said
-" Or a hologram?" Murad exclaimed " Or some kind of technology we’re yet to discover?"
-" Space…?" Epaphroditus argued in a harsher voice this time, but still trying to maintain a
calm demeanor " What if space is a hologram?"
-" Could you prove it isn’t?" Murad asked
-" No…"
-" Could anyone in that matter?"
-" Yes."

Murad put his hands behind his back and walked around in circles. " Further investigation is
needed for this argument," Murad claimed. " Sure," Epaphroditus said " Maybe go outside
without a spacesuit and see if that’s enough research for you."
Murad listened and went into the airlock then depressurized it before Ephaphroditus could
stop him. He quickly died from lack of air on top of the freezing temperature of space, his
frozen body floated past the nearby window, and Epaphroditus stared in horror for a few
seconds.

-" What if that is a hologram too?" replied Meris when she saw Murad’s petrified body. -"
Possible" Jalə, a biologist, agreed " Let’s run the experiment again and check for anomalies."
-" What the actual-" Epaphroditus shouted " Something is VERY wrong with you guys, you
WILL need to come with me to the infirmary."
-" And who are you?" Ezekiel, an engineer asked " The captain? Huh?"
-" No?" Epaphroditus said " Why would I be… Yeah, why not, I’m the captain."

They exchanged confused glances at each other, looked at Epaphroditus up and down, then
saluted and said in accord " Sir, it is an honor to meet you."

-" ...So can we go to the infirmary now?" Said Epaphroditus

-" All in your command, sir." They said in harmony
 Chapter 4
What’s the diagnosis, doc?
The infirmary was filled with light and medical machinery, and most of the room was
occupied by medical supplies. Epaphroditus saw the head surgeon, Julania. Thankfully, she
was wearing a hazard suit.

-" There’s something wrong with the crew" Epaphroditus said

-" I know already." Julania replied
-" Got any diagnosis, doc?" Epaphroditus asked
-" Must be a contagion, or hypoxia, or something…" Julania answered
-" I saw these three in the corridors" Epaphroditus showed Julania the colleagues " There
were four originally."
-" Oxygen is fine, mustn’t have been hypoxia" Julania examined the three colleagues "
Reflexes fine."
-" Found any issues?" Epaphroditus questioned
-" Nurse, fetch some bananas" Julania commanded

The nurse, named Rodgjerd, gave Julania some bananas and fed each of them one. Julania
handed Epaphroditus the bananas " One in the morning, one in the evening, they’ll be fine."

-" Potassium… deficiency?" Epaphroditus was confused

-" No, they’re just hungry" Julania replied
-" WHAT IN THE ACTUAL-" Epaphroditus shouted, " I JUST SAW ONE OF THEM
LAUNCH THEMSELVES OUT ONTO SPACE!"

When Epaphroditus looked closely, he saw that her right hand didn’t have a glove on. "
Look…" Epaphroditus sighed and said in a bored voice " You’ve been exposed to this…
contagion or some kind of leak, gas leakage."
Julania nodded, " It seems so, we will have to switch to emergency protocols."
-" ...So what do I do?"
-" Go out the corridor."
-" Yes?" Epaphroditus said
-" Go all around the spaceship"
-" Yes?" Epaphroditus said
-" Inspect every corner of all rooms"
-" Yes?" Epaphroditus said
- " Fetch as many bananas as possible."
-" You know what? I’m out of here" Epaphroditus said and rushed out
 Chapter 5
Mastermind of all
Epaphroditus ran into the communications room and tried to communicate with the Hermes’
bridge. Lo and behold, he got a signal from it.

-" Hello, is anyone or anything there?" Said the other side

-" Yes, who are you? What are you?" Asked Epaphroditus
-" I shall refrain from fulfilling said inquiries"
-" Can you at least tell me who you are?"
-" I am the Sovereign"
-" That sounds like the name of an edgy creepypasta" Epaphroditus commented
-" Shush, mortal! I command you to take off your hazard suit this instant!" the Sovereign
said harshly
-" Yeah… I’m not falling for that." Epaphroditus said as he rolled his eyes
-" Do it now or you will face the will of God!" the Sovereign said in a booming voice
-" No, just no."
-" I SHALL MAKE YOU EXPOSED TO MY GAS"
-" What gas?"
-" The leaked gas, you ask? It forces exposed individuals to comply with every order made,
regardless of whether or not it’s logical, regardless if it makes sense. It comes with a handful
of consequential side effects."
-" Yeah, I wouldn’t like to be exposed to tha-"

Right after Epaphroditus refused, alarms started blaring, the Sovereign sent out hundreds of
sentient battle mechanisms made by the hard work of several engineers named the M.E.C.Hs,
short for Military Engineered Combat Hardware. The M.E.C.Hs were rapidly approaching
Epaphroditus’ position and crushed anyone in its way, the Hermes turned from a colonial
spaceship to a battlefield painted red. Some people not exposed to the gas tried to fight back,
but they were made resistant to every weapon that has been developed ever. Epaphroditus
knew he wouldn’t survive anyway, so he made the last resort… Epaphroditus quickly rushed
into the pilot’s cabin and made the Hermes dive nose-first into the nearest planet.

But before Epaphroditus could touch the control panel of the spaceship, one of the M.E.C.Hs
lifted him up and squeezed his throat. " Can’t… Breathe…" Epaphroditus stuttered and died
of suffocation. The Sovereign also shut off all ventilation systems, all of the people not killed
by the M.E.C.Hs died from asphyxiation as carbon dioxide fills up the spaceship slowly. The
colonization mission has failed, maybe not everything has a good ending.
The Sovereign didn’t shut off the ventilation systems for the place he was in - the bridge, so
he survived through the oxygen deprivation of the ship. Now no one was there to stop him, he
ejected all the corpses and went to the pilot’s cabin to make his way to Earth…

End of the told story