Avernus: Book One Read online

  AVERNUS

  © 2019 Steven Webb - All Rights Reserved.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  www.avernusawaits.com

  [email protected]

  Published in Arizona by The Unapologetic Voice House.

  www.theunapologeticvoicehouse.com

  ISBN 978-0-578-52167-1

  e-ISBN 978-0-578-53135-9

  Library of Congress 2019910000

  Cover Illustration by: Osvaldo Grundy/Hancock Media

  Interior Design by: Meredith Hancock/Hancock Media

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

  Tara Click (who knew that a birthday could bring one of the best friends I’ve ever had.) Meeting you, Tara Click, during the class photo because our birthdays being one day apart, led to one of the greatest friendships I’ve ever had. When I was going through one of the toughest times of my life you helped me push through. After I left the hospital you were there to take me home. And now to have you help me with this book just reminds me how much of a great friend you are.

  They say that after leaving high school you don’t stay friends with a majority of the people you’ve met. Chris Stein, you proved the opposite. After coming home from college it was as if I never left. Considering how crazy I was in high school this meant the world to me. You helped me achieve a peace of mind through the gym, and our having you to help me bounce ideas around for the book helped bring this project to fruition.

  Of course I could never forget my amazing friend Katherine Woolley. From dating my best friend in high school to now being one of my go-to friends, you always got my strange humor and never judged me. I’m so thankful that you were willing to read and comment on my first draft. I know it was rough but you stuck through it.

  Debra Jastrow, I know I haven’t known you long but I feel like we have been friends forever. I can always count on you for a smile on a hard day. You’re smile and positive energy is so infectious. Knowing you enjoyed my book helped reassure me that this wasn’t a waste of time. And I can’t forget that it’s because of you I was able to get this book published.

  Eva Rassmussen, you were the best coworker I could ever ask for. Work would have been boring without you. On top of that you’ve become like a second mom to me. I know it didn’t always seem like it but you opinions on my book really did get taken to heart.

  To the two best teachers I ever had. Mrs. Marianne Perry, and Mrs. Nancy Hushek. Without the two of you, I never would have succeeded in life. You both brought endless encouragement to me. Thank you.

  I would also like to give a shout out to all of my other friends for standing by me and just being wonderful friends. I wouldn’t give any of you up for the world. And to my family who have been a huge support through my life and this entire project. I can always count on you guys and love you all.

  Carrie Severson, thank you for guiding me through the final product, and helping me to get this book published. Here’s hoping for many more partnerships in the future.

  TAYLOR

  The room was large, with seating for three hundred, though this particular class hosted a mere thirty students all vying for doctorates in their respective field. With so few people in the room the smallest noise was amplified. Towards the back of the room one of the students shifted in her seat, causing the desk to rattle and creak. This slight movement was enough to startle the entire class. All attention shifted from the doctor to her. The lights, only half on, provided a clear view of each face yet kept any one person’s face from standing out. The same faces that Taylor would have committed to memory within a week and would be forgotten a month after the semester’s end.

  “Throughout the existence of humanity, a fascination with how life as we know it came to be has been on the forefront of our endeavours. Radical theories have been proposed by every culture throughout history in an attempt to explain this bizarre existence. We’ve looked at theories of aliens bringing humans to Earth and supreme beings creating life from nothing. Only recently in our existence have we begun to see the picture clearly. Evolution is the driving mechanism that has led every living thing to where they are today. Earth is riddled with creatures of all shapes and sizes, that have been molded by their environments to survive even the harshest of conditions. We know there are species that can survive the cold emptiness of space. We have studied animals and microorganisms thriving around thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean and bacteria living amongst the clouds. Yet for all our efforts only one planet has been found to support the complexities of life. There is only one way to understand this mystery; by studying how biology allows living beings to prosper where they shouldn’t.”

  Doctor Taylor Mantin found the lectures to be his favorite part of his job. Opening the minds of future generations to the possibilities that lay before them. He adjusted his glasses, scanned the room, and continued his speech. “As we delve into this semester I encourage you to ask questions. Challenge me.”

  Taylor woke up his laptop, revealing the days slideshow. “Now since we’re all here today let’s start with a simple question to get your minds working. Why do we perceive tardigrades to be, for all intents and purposes, indestructible” he stepped out from behind the podium and walked towards the front row. “Please take a few minutes to discuss among yourselves why you think this is.” Papers began shuffling, and chatter filled the air. This group of students portrayed a refreshing air of curiosity for the class. He made his way around listening to the discussions at hand. Teaching was about more than just lectures. The discussions he brought up were meant to help expand and broaden their views. The classroom was a lab used to test the capability of the mind rather than just fill it with random and easily forgettable facts.

  “Okay, let’s discuss what you came up with.” Taylor now stood in front of the screen. He pointed to a young lady three rows up. “Tell me what conclusions you came to.”

  She sat fidgeting in her chair, pencil clicking against the desk. “Well I brought up the fact that they can produce large amounts of offspring both sexually and asexually. This means that even if some are lost the population can regenerate quickly.”

  As if he knew what she was going to say before she spoke, he already had a response. “I like where you are going with that. That is absolutely correct. It also means that any defects can easily be bred out. Who else has an answer they would like to share?” A hand shot up directly in front of him. “Ah yes. This eager gentleman. What’s your name?”

  “Terri.”

  “Well Terri, why don’t you share what you came up with.”

  “I was thinking that their ability to survive in space helped contribute to the classification of near indestructible.”

  “Now we’re getting to the root of it. These little suckers have the ability to enter cryptobiosis, while floating in the vacuum of space. They have the ability to dehydrate themselves reducing the need to feed. They also produce a protein that protects their DNA from radiation. This means that should nuclear war ever break out tardigrades would be able to survive.”

  As if the Universe itself was in on some joke, a loud boom shook the walls of the classroom. “Well either we just had a nuclear war break out or the more likely option is an experiment gone awry.” The fire alarm let out it’s irritating response. “Looks like the latter. Everyone feel free to head home and we’ll pick this discussion up tomorrow. No point in you guys standing outside in the snow.”

  The classroom emptied of students as Taylor packed his laptop up and threw on his jacket; the blari
ng squeal of the alarm ringing out around him. He headed out of the lecture hall. A blast of icy air struck his face sending a chill down his body. The cold air fogged up his glasses as he stepped outside. Damn glasses he thought taking them off and removing the moisture from his lenses. The snow crunched under his boots. As he made his way across the campus, a ray of sun broke through the light gray clouds that covered the sky. It’s like a false hope of warmth. Despite being cold he loved being outside in the snow. There was a quietness that it brought with it that seemed to calm the world, with the exception of the alarm coming from behind the door. The trees were covered in fresh powder leaving snow free patch marks under the shade of the branches. The path towards his lab was half shoveled to expose a thin sheet of smoothed ice. Either side of the path was littered with footprints of people who found it easier to track along than struggle across the ice. This was Taylor’s same thought.

  By the time he reached his lab, the snow was caked onto his pants and encompassed his shoes. The door scraped against the ice coming to a stop half way upon its pivot. Taylor entered the long hall and headed towards his lab. An after image remained on the floor comprised of small muddy puddles that vaguely resembled the shoes that created them. His steps echoed through the hall. There was no sign of anyone to be seen or heard. The keys chimed out as he removed them from his pocket and opened the door to his lab. In side the bulbs flickered before springing to life. The roaches, and mice scurried through their cages in search of shelter. His notes were spread out across the table, a mess but somehow organized in his mind. Directly in front of him his office door sat open which came across as odd. He peeked his head inside the office. A small figure laid curled up on the couch gently snoring. Brunette hair covered her face. Shoes and a lab coat sat in the chair. Gently, and with the intent of a parent waking their child, he placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke softly, “Carrie, wakie wakie, eggs and bakie.”

  The figure rolled over. Her soft brown eyes barely open. “Sorry it got so late and I wanted to avoid the storm.” she shifted her body weight, throwing her feet off the couch to propel her up right.

  Taylor handed her the shoes she had left in the chair. “No worries. How did the lab tests go last night?”

  “No unexpected results from the mice.” Carrie stood up and threw on her lab coat, missing the first two buttonholes. “The control group and test group B for the cockroaches are standard. However…”

  She walked over to the windowless door connected to the lab and turned the handle. As she opened it the light shone with the brightness of midday. Large Terrariums lined the walls, and a shelf that divided up the room. On the left sat the mice and on the right cockroaches. The ones in the middle of the room were currently unused. “Tank eighteen B.”

  “Everything looks normal,” he bent over to have a closer look. The log at the front of the cage suddenly shifted and dozens of full size cockroaches streamed out followed by hundreds of hatchlings. “Holy shit! The combination of shortened light cycles and substance HF seems to have triggered a large scale increase despite the cold temperatures.”

  “Already recorded and the observational write up is on your desk,” Carrie said seeming to have read Taylor’s mind.

  “Well than it seems you’ve done all the leg work for me,” he continued staring at the unbelievable results. His mind unable to fully grasp that such an impact could be achieved.

  “Head on home. You’ve got the rest of the day off.”

  His voice infused with tones of giddiness. It took everything he had not to jump from exhilaration. He heard the door leading out of the lab open. A blur of white fur caught his attention. It quickly scurried across Taylor’s foot and into the lab. The figure, which he failed to recognize at first, was one of the mice rushing for the door. “Quick don’t let it out.”

  “Let what out?” Her response came too late. It had made it past her and into the hall.

  “You head home and leave it to me,” he rushed past her and down the hall and around the corner.

  The mouse was losing ground. He reached his hand out readying himself to close the gap. Without warning, his foot hit a puddle, launching him into the air. The ground stopped him with a thud. He stared at the ceiling motionless while cold water soaked through his clothes. “Ugh” he moaned. Trying to catch his breath. Upon regaining his footing and standing back up he noticed the trail of wet patches along the floor. “Stupid janitor.” His eyes once again caught sight of the mouse. It sat outside the door to the department heads office. He walked towards it hoping it would remain in place. The pain in his back was distracting him from the task at hand. Finally the mouse was within distance. As if accepting its fate, the mouse sat still allowing him to close his hands around it.

  “Taylor please come in,” a voice from behind the door said.

  One glance into the room brought sight of an old friend of Taylor’s sitting in the office talking with Shay the head of the biology department, a briefcase containing a stack of documents sat on the desk between them. The Official NASA logo on the guest’s jacket meant business not pleasure. In a blur the man leapt out of the chair sending the briefcase flying.

  “Frank what the hell brings you all the way home” he asked in excitement. Forgetting the mouse in his hand, Taylor embraced his childhood friend.

  “Always the hugger.” Frank said, the wind being squeezed out of him. His glasses nearly falling off his face but were held in place by his large nose. “How’ve you been?”

  “It’s going great. I was actually planning to call you. I’m suppose to be getting an engagement ring for Megan soon.” Taylor still sat in disbelief that Frank was actually here.

  “Congrats Curly. On that note you’ll want to plan the wedding in the next year.”

  “I don’t even know how long it’s been since I heard that nickname.” Taylor’s curly hair earned him that nickname in elementary school and Frank apparently never forgot it. “What do you mean within the year?”

  Shay jumped in, “Actually that’s got something to do with the conversation we were just having. But first could you put the mouse in the cage over there?” Taylor knew the routine. The cage had been brought into the office because of Taylor. Mice from his lab were constantly escaping, and since he wasn’t in his lab much, once caught the mice were brought to the department head.

  The cage clicked shut with the mouse inside. Taylor turned and faced his friend. “So what are you two conspiring about behind my back?”

  “As you know NASA has been working to send a manned mission to Mars.” Frank handed a stack of papers from his briefcase marked classified. “What you don’t know is that scientists believe they have discovered a possible hotbed for bacterial activity.”

  “You mean they think they found life on Mars?”

  “Exactly. But we can’t know for sure unless we send a group up to collect samples. I put your name in as one of the candidates. You’ve been accepted. The only problem is you have to go through training in the next year”

  Shay said leaning forward. “That’s why we’ve been talking. I agreed to let you go on paid leave for the training and the mission as an extension of your research.”

  He sat down in shock. “Wow I can’t believe it. This is every kids dream. I would need time to check with Megan. Plus who would take over my lab and class for me?”

  “I was going to offer your position to your intern, if you think she’s up to the challenge.”

  he sat in astonishment. “I have no words. It’s just… I mean … Holy Shit.”

  “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Take some time, look over the information and get back to me.” Frank closed his suitcase and started to head out.

  “If you’re in town tonight would you like to come over for dinner? Maybe explain things in more detail. Meet Megan?”

  “I would love to but I have to visit another recruit tonight. If you agree to come out, we can catch up in Florida.”

  “I’ll call you once I�
�ve decided.” Taylor watched Frank leave. He grabbed the papers and headed for the door.

  Shay stopped him. “If you need to talk this over let me know. Oh and don’t forget your mouse.”

  The whole trip back was a blur. His mind spun in circles trying to figure out how to explain this to Megan. I don’t understand why I’m so nervous about telling her. I know she would tell me to jump on this opportunity. His nerves were making him jittery. News this big could not be taken lightly. What if she doesn’t want to join me? What if NASA decides to change their minds? No I’ve got this. Without even noticing, he found himself back in the lab, the mouse still struggling to escape his hand. He placed it in a temporary cage and sat down. With the lab quiet he began reading over the documents.

  The cover had the NASA Logo Printed on it. Below it the words Mission: Phoenix VII. A Giant red Classified was stamped across the page along with the date January 12th 2056. He flipped open the document and began reading:

  On March 15th 2024 an unmanned probe discovered a pocket of methane gas located at the base of a crater on the surface of Mars. The Crater F114, or Gorgon Crater, has shown signs of water. Researchers believe the Crater was formed when a comet struck the surface of the planet. It is unknown at this time whether the methane was produced by the Comet or life forms already living on the planet. Mission Phoenix VII will rely upon a specialized Spaceship designed for multiple trips to and from Mars. It will feature state of the art equipment to determine the possibility of life on Mars. Until the mission is complete we request, under penalty of perjury, that no details contained within this file are to be discussed without permission from NASA.

  Taylor flipped through the pages, amazed at all the information. The possibility of finding life on another planet was stunning, but to be one of the few people to be given the chance to possibly study it was unfathomable. Realizing he manage to read away the afternoon, he gathered the documents and fought his way through the slush to his car.