""Beneath the pressure of torments such as these, the feeble remnant of the good within me succumbed. Evil thoughts became my sole intimates-the darkest and most evil of thoughts.""
-Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat

Friday, July 15, 2011

The Other Side of Here by T.K. Millin


The purple sands of the planet dubbed, LBX One Nine, swirled around the spacecraft, Deep Space Voyager, as it descended on top the jagged peaks of the undiscovered world.

The hatch swung open and the crew stepped out onto the darkened landscape they’d only seen through the eye of a telescope, ten million light years away.  Ten million light years from the day before yesterday. 


“Holy Bejeezus,” Commander Blake said as he dropped to his knees.  “I was convinced Professor Finklestein was sending us off to our deaths with his black hole theory, but it worked!” He grasped a handful of sand and watched it follow the prevailing winds, “It actually worked!” He looked back at the crew, “Where’s Flight Engineer Huntley?” He shouted, seeing only three of his crew.

“He was standing here a second ago.” Crew Chief Jackson said looking around.  “Knowing that vain bastard he probably went back inside the craft to make sure his hair survived the journey.”    

The Commander motioned for Jackson to check the cabin before accepting Mission Specialist Ritter and Doc Wilson’s help in getting up. 


“Always giving orders, but never following them.”  Jackson mumbled as he walked back to the ship, “That will all change when I’m finally Commander.”

Commander Blake, Mission Specialist Ritter and Doc Wilson synchronized their GPS'; turned their face shields to night vision and spread out to search the surrounding area. The green glow cast from the night vision made the three moons hovering low on the horizon appear as ghoulish faces to the exploring crew. A crew who were about to embark on a journey from hell. 
"Is anyone out there?” Jake Huntley’s voice echoed back from the vast darkness. “Where am I?” He reached up and touched the back of his throbbing head. “Where’s my shield?” He said feeling something damp and cool against his touch. He engaged the emergency light switch on his suit and slowly drew his blood drenched hand into the light. 

A clacking noise approached him from behind. "Commander Blake, thank God you found me!” He turned and flashed the low beam of his emergency light into the surrounding void.

A rush of panic overcame Flight Engineer Huntley as he realized there would be no rescue, only death from the gnawing and gnashing of teeth. 

           *****

“James I’ve found something!” Mission Specialist Ritter shined her beam of light across the reflecting surface.  “It’s beautiful.”

“Don’t do anything, Ella.  I’m on the way!” Doc Wilson said tracking Ritter on his GPS. He walked up next to her and added his beam of light to hers.  “It’s a lake.”

“I know and isn’t it beautiful.”  

“Do you know what this means?”  Doc said.

“I know what it could mean.” She ran her gloved hand up and down the front of his suit.

“No Ella, it means there could be life here, and it also means there’s oxygen.”

“It also means we’re ten million light years away from our spouses.”  She took off her shield and undressed.  “Its perfect.” She said, walking into the lake.

Seeing her delicious curves reflecting off the ripples he couldn't help himself and joined her with his desire.

“We better get out and suit up before Commander Blake finds us like this.” His warm breath blew across her lips.

“He’ll never know, I’ve made sure of it.” She whispered into his ear. 

“What do you mean?”

“I turned the connections off to his PCD.” She smirked.

“You mean the Commander has no transmission on his personal communicator device?”

She nodded.

“Oh, I do love your devilish ways.” He said, hoping she’d again accept his invitation of pleasure.

“James, you are making me so hot.” 
   
“No, it’s you who are making me hot.” He said, watching the water explode with steam.

Suddenly, the lake bursted into flames, consuming Mission Specialist Ritter and Doc Wilson in their lustful embrace.

          *****
Commander Blake knew he broke the code of survival when he ordered his crew to spread out without being in pairs. He now found himself the same victim he always preached about to his underlings.

“Ritter, Wilson, come in this is your Commander of Lima Bravo X-ray One Niner,” Blake shouted into his PCD, “Damn it where are they?” He said, only seeing Crew Chief Jackson’s signal on his GPS. 

He followed the signal back to Deep Space Voyager and stepped inside only to find to his horror Jackson hanging upside down slowly being devoured by worms. 

“Holy Bejeezus!” 

“My apologies, but Jesus can’t hear you here.” The enraged voice said.   

“Who’s there?” Commander Blake shouted as he spun around. Getting no response he searched the empty cabin ignoring Jackson’s plea for help. “As Commander of LBX One Nine I demand you show yourself!”

A man stepped out from behind the central control station, a man Captain Stewart Blake hadn’t seen in 20 years. “Father?” 

The man smiled. “You can call me Father if you like.” He changed his warm welcoming smile into a face of raging fire. “But I prefer Lucifer.”

“Oh my God, we all died when we traveled ten million light years into space and are now in Hell!” 

“No, you all were very alive when you arrived in Hell and my minions have been waiting since the dawn of my creation to feast on live flesh.”

“God please, help me!” Commander Blake pleaded.

“There’s no need to cry out for your God.  He can’t help you here for when you crossed over from the other side you broke the rules.  This is my world and I choose who lives and who dies and I choose for you to live forever!”

“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”  Isaiah 66:24


Total Word Count: 1,000

6 comments:

  1. I'm never ever going on a deep space expedition. Ever.

    Very creepy story T.K.!

    Stacey

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  2. T.K. this is really good.
    I wasn't expecting the punch!
    it's got depth, it makes you think.
    and the definition of a great short story is a story that does make you think about what you've read.
    very good!

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  3. Stacey, thank you and I'm with you no deep space exploring me me! I find it hard enough to get on an airplane!
    Thank you for stopping by.

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  4. Carol, WOW what a nice comment coming from such a great writer as yourself. I often times wonder about what we would really find if we traveled through a black hole. If I were to, I hope I would find Heaven instead of what the crew of Deep Space Voyager found! Thank you for stopping by and glad you enjoyed.

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  5. Great story with a super surprise ending! Blaze likes very much. As we all know, I love stories about multi-universes and such, and black-holes are so tantalizing. Never knew Satan was involved, but it is a BLACK hole.

    Blaze

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  6. Thanks Blaze! I too love stories about parallel universes, black holes and other dimensions. We all are really just a small spec in the vast sea of the unknown. Thank you for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed!

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