Post by daniellcarter on Aug 21, 2010 13:07:13 GMT -5
I originally wrote this as a Flash Fiction submission so I was shooting for under 1000 words. =)
Journeyman 8
"This is Journeyman-8 log entry day 92." I sat back in my seat and tried to relax.
"It has now been over three months that I have manned this craft solo traveling nearly 200 years into the future. For the first time in history the speed of light has been broken and from what the readings on my control panel are telling me I should be able to see Earth in a matter of minutes. If this goes as planned I should be able to take the readings I need from Earth's orbit and begin my journey home. Commencing de-acceleration"
I began looking over my sensors but something was wrong. The astronomic readings made no sense. None of the constellations are showing correctly. I'm reading Earth but nothing else is right. I'll have to deal with this later. Earth is approaching.
In an attempt to continue my log I blurted out, "Is that Earth? My God it looks like it's glowing. There seems to be some sort of… aura, surrounding it. My readings don't show any signs of radiation or contamination yet… I cannot make out any cloud cover whatsoever. Oh my God! There are no continents, just one large landmass. I will have to confirm this again once I have established orbit but this can't be Earth."
"Beginning bio scans of the surface. I'm reading an atmosphere that would support life. That's strange, the atmosphere has absolutely no contaminates. If there's no pollution then there isn't likely any civilization…wait…scratch that. I'm seeing in the center of the continent what I believe to be possibly a brightly lit city. I am trying to bring a visual up on my viewer to confirm. Yes, it looks to be a city but I cannot get a close enough visual yet to confirm any inhabitants."
"Journeyman-8 do you copy?"
Who…
"Journeyman-8 do you copy? Please reply."
"This is Major Jason T Lewis of the Intercontinental Coalition. Who am I talking to?"
"We've been expecting you."
"I asked who am I speaking to?"
"Major Lewis let's just say I am responsible for bringing you home. You can call me Simon if that will help."
My heart was racing in my chest. I was never trained for contact with another species on a distant planet but what really worried me was the fact he said that they had been waiting for me. None of this felt right as the knot in my stomach tightened.
"I want you to listen closely Major Lewis. Your craft is going to start a decent into our atmosphere and land at one of our…facilities. Please do not panic but you are about to loose control for approximately 25 minutes."
The transmission went dead and just as he said, my craft started downward. I panicked. The Journeyman-8 was never created to reenter an atmosphere. I held on tight to my chair and awaited my death but it never came. After several minutes I realized that, whoever these people were, they had technology to keep me safe.
When I finally came to a complete stop I stepped out of Journeyman-8. I took a deep breath and hoped that they also had the technology to affect the pressure change in the capsule to their atmosphere. Thankfully I was right.
As I began surveying my surroundings I stumbled forward onto the landing platform. It was amazing. There were colors that I don't think that I had ever seen before decorating the gardens that surrounded me. Plants and flowers of all kinds made up of colors that I had never seen before lined the endless walkways and mazes of buildings in the distance.
The city was indescribable. I had never seen anything like it in my life. From what I could tell it was one large city that stretched for miles and everything shined so brightly that it was like seeing things clearly for the first time in my life. As if everything that I had seen prior in my life was somehow tainted or dulled in comparison.
My observations were interrupted as a large group of people approached. I had been expecting aliens like in a movie but instead they seemed to be human. The thirty or so of them looked like they were from all nationalities. Each one perfect. I don't mean that they were all beautiful and attractive, well yes they were that, but it was as if they were without flaw. Something about them glowed like the planet did.
The man leading the group walked directly up to me with a huge smile on his face and grabbed my hand to shake it. "Welcome Major Lewis."
I was still very apprehensive but there was something about everyone that was trust-able.
I replied, "Thank you, Simon was it?"
One of the men behind him laughed and asked, "Simon?"
Simon turned and answered, "I didn't know what to tell him at first John. Things must be very strange right now for him."
The two men talked as if I wasn't standing in front of them.
"Major Lewis," John began saying as he stepped forward, "Let me introduce myself. I am John and this man here is better known as Simon Peter. Do you know where you are?"
I almost fainted! Breath Jason, breath I told myself! I was surprised I could speak when I replied, "Heaven?"
They all smile at what I said.
Peter replied, "No Jason. You are standing just outside of the New Jerusalem. You see you traveled so far into the future that you missed Armageddon, our Lord's second coming and creation of the new Heavens and Earth."
I didn't understand what he was saying and I'm sure my look of confusion begged for clarification.
John stepped closer and said, "Dear man you have come to the end of time itself. No more clocks, no more crimes, pain, suffering. You have missed much but today is your day. The day that we all faced, eternity."
"What…do…you…mean?" I was trembling as a surge of awe and fear began to overwhelm me. The crowd of people separated creating an isle between them revealing a man walking toward me that shined brighter than the sun.
As I fell to my knees I heard Peter say, "Today, Major Jason Lewis, is your Judgment Day."
Journeyman 8
"This is Journeyman-8 log entry day 92." I sat back in my seat and tried to relax.
"It has now been over three months that I have manned this craft solo traveling nearly 200 years into the future. For the first time in history the speed of light has been broken and from what the readings on my control panel are telling me I should be able to see Earth in a matter of minutes. If this goes as planned I should be able to take the readings I need from Earth's orbit and begin my journey home. Commencing de-acceleration"
I began looking over my sensors but something was wrong. The astronomic readings made no sense. None of the constellations are showing correctly. I'm reading Earth but nothing else is right. I'll have to deal with this later. Earth is approaching.
In an attempt to continue my log I blurted out, "Is that Earth? My God it looks like it's glowing. There seems to be some sort of… aura, surrounding it. My readings don't show any signs of radiation or contamination yet… I cannot make out any cloud cover whatsoever. Oh my God! There are no continents, just one large landmass. I will have to confirm this again once I have established orbit but this can't be Earth."
"Beginning bio scans of the surface. I'm reading an atmosphere that would support life. That's strange, the atmosphere has absolutely no contaminates. If there's no pollution then there isn't likely any civilization…wait…scratch that. I'm seeing in the center of the continent what I believe to be possibly a brightly lit city. I am trying to bring a visual up on my viewer to confirm. Yes, it looks to be a city but I cannot get a close enough visual yet to confirm any inhabitants."
"Journeyman-8 do you copy?"
Who…
"Journeyman-8 do you copy? Please reply."
"This is Major Jason T Lewis of the Intercontinental Coalition. Who am I talking to?"
"We've been expecting you."
"I asked who am I speaking to?"
"Major Lewis let's just say I am responsible for bringing you home. You can call me Simon if that will help."
My heart was racing in my chest. I was never trained for contact with another species on a distant planet but what really worried me was the fact he said that they had been waiting for me. None of this felt right as the knot in my stomach tightened.
"I want you to listen closely Major Lewis. Your craft is going to start a decent into our atmosphere and land at one of our…facilities. Please do not panic but you are about to loose control for approximately 25 minutes."
The transmission went dead and just as he said, my craft started downward. I panicked. The Journeyman-8 was never created to reenter an atmosphere. I held on tight to my chair and awaited my death but it never came. After several minutes I realized that, whoever these people were, they had technology to keep me safe.
When I finally came to a complete stop I stepped out of Journeyman-8. I took a deep breath and hoped that they also had the technology to affect the pressure change in the capsule to their atmosphere. Thankfully I was right.
As I began surveying my surroundings I stumbled forward onto the landing platform. It was amazing. There were colors that I don't think that I had ever seen before decorating the gardens that surrounded me. Plants and flowers of all kinds made up of colors that I had never seen before lined the endless walkways and mazes of buildings in the distance.
The city was indescribable. I had never seen anything like it in my life. From what I could tell it was one large city that stretched for miles and everything shined so brightly that it was like seeing things clearly for the first time in my life. As if everything that I had seen prior in my life was somehow tainted or dulled in comparison.
My observations were interrupted as a large group of people approached. I had been expecting aliens like in a movie but instead they seemed to be human. The thirty or so of them looked like they were from all nationalities. Each one perfect. I don't mean that they were all beautiful and attractive, well yes they were that, but it was as if they were without flaw. Something about them glowed like the planet did.
The man leading the group walked directly up to me with a huge smile on his face and grabbed my hand to shake it. "Welcome Major Lewis."
I was still very apprehensive but there was something about everyone that was trust-able.
I replied, "Thank you, Simon was it?"
One of the men behind him laughed and asked, "Simon?"
Simon turned and answered, "I didn't know what to tell him at first John. Things must be very strange right now for him."
The two men talked as if I wasn't standing in front of them.
"Major Lewis," John began saying as he stepped forward, "Let me introduce myself. I am John and this man here is better known as Simon Peter. Do you know where you are?"
I almost fainted! Breath Jason, breath I told myself! I was surprised I could speak when I replied, "Heaven?"
They all smile at what I said.
Peter replied, "No Jason. You are standing just outside of the New Jerusalem. You see you traveled so far into the future that you missed Armageddon, our Lord's second coming and creation of the new Heavens and Earth."
I didn't understand what he was saying and I'm sure my look of confusion begged for clarification.
John stepped closer and said, "Dear man you have come to the end of time itself. No more clocks, no more crimes, pain, suffering. You have missed much but today is your day. The day that we all faced, eternity."
"What…do…you…mean?" I was trembling as a surge of awe and fear began to overwhelm me. The crowd of people separated creating an isle between them revealing a man walking toward me that shined brighter than the sun.
As I fell to my knees I heard Peter say, "Today, Major Jason Lewis, is your Judgment Day."
