Communications Failure
“Control, this is Dodge, can you read? Control, this is Dodge, can you read?”
He couldn’t understand it. It was just a simple little mission. Fly out, explore the moon, scan it to see if there were any resources worth mining or lifeforms worth talking to, fly back. Yet somehow his suit’s nav systems had gone berserk and his comms had died, and he wasn’t even sure what had gone wrong.
“Control? This is Dodge, can you read? Com check urgent, please.”
There was no response. He couldn’t even pick up his lander module now, which should’ve caught his signal and bounced it back to Control back home. If something had happened to the lander module, that meant he really was stuck on this lifeless rock, and he didn’t want to think of that just yet.
“Control, Control, this is Dodge, urgent com check required, come in please, over!”
He thought of retracing his steps. He’d come down the slope and into the canyon, but when he turned around the slope seemed much steeper than he remembered. Perhaps there was an easier way out at the far end of the canyon. He’d have to keep going. He took another few steps, rounded a corner, and stopped. Was that … metal?
“Control, I’m not sure you’re getting this, honestly I’m probably only doing this to occupy myself, but anyway I’m seeing something up ahead here, it looks like a structure of some form, perhaps a building or- no, it’s part of the canyon wall, I’m closer now and can see it more clearly. It looks like… a gateway, repeat, a metal gateway cut right into the moon’s rock here. Control, I really wish you’d pick up on the other end because I’m starting to get weirded out-”
He was interrupted by a burst of static and then a voice, hissing cold and ancient words.
Dinanzi a me non fuor cose create
se non etterne, e io etterna duro.
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate’.
“Control? Please tell me that was-”
There was a burst of thunder. The gateway opened. He couldn’t understand. There was no air on this moon, no sound; by definition a thunderstorm was impossible. Still he heard it, and operating on pure instinct he ran towards the gateway for shelter.
As he ducked inside it occurred to him that perhaps he should’ve run away from the ominous gateway emanating impossible thunder noises, and why had he run into it anyway, but it was too late.
The gateway slammed shut.
Forever.
This story inspired by ‘s prompt: write about a dirt path + weather, as well as an exchange on Notes yesterday with
about Dante’s Inferno in Space.
What!!!! What happened here! I have questions!
Um… you forgot to write the rest. Gonna need that, because this is so good.