Suitable for readers age 15 and above

A few gruesome descriptions

Swirling Away
By Jerry A. Boggs
October 2010
What could shock you more than What could shock you more than
knowing you're going to die in just a knowing you're going to die in just a
few seconds? few seconds?
It was egan!s birt"day# and $avigator %asey Abernat"y was
depressed more t"an usual about "er daug"ter!s deat" two years
earlier. &oday egan would "ave been nine.
Standing in "er mag boots inside t"e spacecraft!s weig"tlessness#
Abernat"y suc'ed on a tube of cold co(ee t"at "ad all t"e )avor of
li*ue+ed cardboard. ,or maybe t"e tent" time since reac"ing space#
s"e +ngered t"e wide purple "ead-band s"e!d slipped on post-launc"
to ma'e sure "er brown s"oulder-lengt" "air . a lengt" t"at snubbed
company rules . would not )oat around into "er eyes. S"e padded
across t"e metal-plated dec' in less-t"an-graceful steps# from t"e
control room!s food-server nic"e bac' to "er nav station inside The
Raven. &"e craft was a new /art"-ars s"uttle fres" o( t"e ars 0ity
assembly line. S"e and test pilot &oby 1ewis were putting it t"roug" t"e
paces for t"eir employer 0reig"ton Astroline.
Abernat"y!s depression# "eart-ripping at any time# stabbed "er
"arder eac" time s"e reali2ed egan "ad died at "er "and. $ot
literally# but nearly so. S"e "ad been 'illed in a car cras" simply
because Abernat"y "ad been too impatient to reboot "er ve"icle!s
unresponsive guidance system. 3naccustomed to doing "er own
driving# Abernat"y "ad begun a turn 4ust a split-second too late on a
?
curve one mile from t"eir $ort" 0arolina "ome. &"e ve"icle bounce-
rolled down a steep emban'ment until it smas"ed into a "uge oa' tree.
Abernat"y incurred severe strains and a bro'en left s"oulder# but little
egan "ad been crus"ed under "er side of t"e car roof t"at ended up
closer to Abernat"y t"an egan was.
As a tribute and o(ering to "er daug"ter# Abernat"y "ad ca4oled t"e
&"e 5aven!s programmers# an agreeable if "arried bunc"# into
recon+guring t"e s"uttle!s computer system to respond to 6egan7
and spea' in egan!s voice . a tas' t"ey!d completed after compiling
a database of words from t"e volumes of Abernat"y!s audio and video
recordings of egan. A voice mimic8synt"esi2er +lled in t"e words
egan "ad never spo'en. 9"en t"e computer spo'e in seven-year-old
egan!s voice# Abernat"y could close "er eyes and easily picture "er
daug"ter alive and standing in front of "er.
But s"e soon reali2ed t"at t"e recon+guration "adn:t been
t"e wisest t"ing to do. ;earing egan!s voice didn!t serve as a tribute
and +ll "er wit" anticipated 4oy as muc" as worsen "er guilt and
depression.
A "uge lump too' up residence in "er t"roat# and welling tears
stung "er eyes. Swiping at t"e wetness wit" "er +ngers# s"e wis"ed to
<od t"is test-)ig"t would "urry up and end.
=ilot &oby 1ewis# a 50-is" pric'ly sort w"o predictably "ad sco(ed at
Abernat"y!s computer recon+guration# didn!t turn "is cold blue eyes
"er way as s"e strapped "erself in. >nstead# "e "unc"ed forward a bit
and fro2e# "is attention lasering on a read-out.
69e!re slowing?7
69"at@ How? egan? 9"y are we.7
6Aid you "ear t"at@7 1ewis loo'ed sidelong at "er. ;is face s"owed
no emotion eBcept for a twitc" in t"e pallid )es" below "is eyes.
6;ear w"a.@7
61isten?7
Abernat"y "eard it. ,aint at +rst# t"e noise *uic'ly grew. A memory
)as"ed before "er eyes. 9"en s"e was an 11-year-old# s"e often stood
at t"e rusty cyclone fence surrounding a 4un'yard near "er "ome and
watc"ed as t"e "uge compacting press )attened old cars before t"ey
were "auled o( to a recycling center for furt"er processing. &"at
sound# t"e "ard# brutal crunc"ing of metal# was w"at s"e now "eard
ec"oing t"roug"out t"e control room.
&"e instrument panel in front of "er got "er attention. A small
rectangular button t"at registered t"e "ealt" of t"e starboard t"ruster
"ad switc"ed from its steady green to )as"ing brig"t redC 9A5$>$<?
9A5$>$<?
60rap?7 S"e toggled a lever below a small screen# t"en recoiled.
6&"e nacelle?7 s"e s"outed in disbelief at t"e view provided by an
outside camera and lig"t. 6>t!s collapsing? ;ow!s t"at possible?7
6According to my s'in sensors#7 egan bro'e in wit" an uncanny
c"eeriness# 6t"e starboard t"ruster is malfunctioning. 9ill attempt to
repairD Attempt failed.7
6Eou mig"t also "ave noticed#7 said 1ewis# "is face now blotc"y
red and "is carotid artery visible on "is nec'# 6t"at we 4ust came to a
dead stop. ;ow!s t"at possible?7
6egan?7 yelled Abernat"y. 6;ail Ops wit" an SOS?7
6Sending SOSDSOS failed.7
Anot"er warning )as"ed neBt to t"e +rst. Abernat"y leaned and
)ipped anot"er lever. 6$ow t"e port nacelle!s collapsing? 9e "ave no
t"rusters? 1oo' . t"ey!reDfolding into the shuttle!7
egan droned "appilyC 6=ort t"ruster malfunctioning. 9ill attempt
to repairD. Attempt failed.7
6S"ut t"e "ell up# egan?7 snapped t"e pilot.
6Aon!t tal' to my dau.7 Abernat"y c"ec'ed "erself# breat"ed in# let
"er anger drain. &"ey "ardly needed to be at eac" ot"er!s t"roat.
6> would li'e to t"in'#7 1ewis said in a tig"t voice# 6t"at t"is craft is
so screwed up structurally t"at some"ow ars! gravity.7
6$o no no? /ven if ars! gravity were strong as Jupiter!s# it wouldn!t
do t"is.7
6Aon!t patroni2e me# Abernat"y. >!m well aware of t"e e(ects of
gravity.7
etal groaned and screec"ed# t"e din rising to a near-deafening
pitc". &"e control room began to vibrate under t"eir feet. Blac' smo'e
drifted in# +rst in tendrils# t"en in billows all around t"em. &"e smell of
burnt wiring and "ydraulic )uid assailed t"eir nostrils. >n t"e over"ead
panels# a series of electrical spar'ings sent small globes of +re
s"owering down over t"em# burning )es" w"ere t"eir )ig"t suits gave
no cover.
Abernat"y unbuc'led# scrambled out of "er seat# t"en crouc"ed#
clinging to t"e arm rest. S"e glanced wildly about in t"e smo'e-+lling
control room# desperately trying to ma'e sense of it all. $o clues to t"e
insanity were to be seen. And no escape route.
6egan? 9"at is going on.?7 s"e screamed# "er voice c"o'ing o(.
6ultiple systems malfunctioning#7 egan replied wit" a giggle t"at
Abernat"y barely "eard. 69ill attempt to repairD.
Attempt failed.7 egan set o( t"e over"ead red emergency )as"er and
t"e ear-splitting two-tone 'laBon. 6>!m afraid t"e s"uttle must be
abandoned.7
60"rist?7 said 1ewis# coug"ing# still in "is seat. >n t"e decreasing
visibility# Abernat"y could discern t"at "is eyes were darting from one
instrument to anot"er. A diagnostic monitor# level wit" "is "ead# began
to )ic'er as green data feeds rapidly rolled up. &"en in a spasm of
blin'ing and )uttering# t"e monitor went blac' as coal. 6&"e w"ole
s"uttle. 9e gotta get out? >t!s . imploding?7
6All systems failing across t"e board#7 said egan sweetly#
6including egan. 9ill attempt toD.7
>n one violent motion# t"e ceiling of t"e control room s"uddered#
t"en dropped 12 inc"es# and t"e )oor surged upward# slamming t"em
up against t"e lowered ceiling li'e rag dolls.
>n agony# t"ey struggled in t"e weig"tlessness to position t"eir feet
and re-anc"or t"emselves somew"ere# anyw"ere# and gain control.
Anot"er violent spasm of t"e s"uttle# and a "uge# 4agged# roug"ly
triangular opening appeared in t"e "ull near t"e control console.
Abernat"y glimpsed t"e blac'ness of space. >nstantly# t"e air and
every ob4ect not secured to walls and consoles . papers# laptops#
remnants of a recently eaten meal . were cannon-balled t"roug" t"e
opening. Abernat"y and 1ewis# t"eir arms )ailing and grabbing#
followed as if )ung by a catapult. A s"arp ragged edge of t"e breac"
sliced open Abernat"y!s upper arm. &"e snag set "er slowly swirling#
li'e a bi2arre ballerina# as s"e plunged out into t"e void. &"e blood
erupting from "er arm encircled "er and fro2e so *uic'ly t"at "ad t"ere
been air# s"e would "ave "eard t"e soft tin'ling of delicate wineglasses
s"attering. S"e made a desperate# soundless attempt to scream.
>nstantly# t"e saliva on "er tongue boiled o(.
$ot yet lifeless# s"e could see t"e receding Raven wit" eac" turn of
"er bloating body# as if viewing it in a series of p"otograp"s. &"e
s"uttle "ad folded onto itself several times and was now a blac' and
silver# beac"-ball-si2ed clump from w"ic" streams of smo'e belc"ed.
Abernat"y!s 4oints# because s"e "ad in e(ect been "eaved in one
second from t"e bottom of an ocean to its surface# were 4ac'-
"ammered by t"e bends. 9it"out atmosp"eric pressure# t"e blood in
"er veins and arteries boiled as s"e simultaneously began to *uic'-
free2e on t"e outside.
>n t"e seconds of living t"at remained# t"oug" "er lungs screamed
for air and "er entire body t"robbed in unbearable pain# Abernat"y
tried to focus on ars# t"e sun# and t"e stars gently w"irling around
"er# t"eir lig"t dim and blurred t"roug" "er iced pupils. &"e near-
absolute-2ero cold dulled "er pain. S"e suddenly felt relief# an almost
eup"oric calm. S"e t"oug"t# 6>!m free at last. >!ll never again "ave to
grieve over my precious egan.7
Swirling away toward ars# s"e caug"t one last s"oc'ing sig"t
w"en s"e again turned bac' toward t"e s"uttle. =er"aps one 'ilometer
on t"e ot"er side of t"e smoldering s"uttle -- "er eBperience "elped
"er 4udge t"e distance -- was t"e answer to The Raven's self-
destructionC &"e sun-lit underside of a motionless# city-si2ed alien craft
e*uipped wit" w"at appeared to be row upon row of "uge turrets
girding a massive bow t"at was pointed straig"t toward /art".
______________________
Photo Credits
Mars: Astronomy Now Magazine
Frightened Abernathy: defunct Imagination Sci-Fi Mag, une !"#$, %& '
See also my futuristic sci-+ novella# 61ast Journey.7