Ever experienced being alone? I have. Since 11 years. And am still experiencing it. The first time I’ve travelled in a spacecraft. 5 expert crew members along with me. What could go wrong? Nothing. Well, everything went wrong. EVERYTHING. I don’t exactly remember what it was, but I do know that it was all because of me.
PAST
I was in charge of the engine room. I remember… I had gone down the engine room, for routine maintenance. I was checking the ship’s power systems. Something went wrong there. I did something I shouldn’t have done. I don’t remember what exactly I did, or why I did, but it was a mistake, a big one. And then there was an explosion.
The lights went out. The captain called me over the radio to ask what was going on. All of the other crew members were locked in the sleeping cabin. They were behind the transparent door of the sleeping cabin, meant to act as a security barrier. It was unbreakable.
Suddenly, there was a static, a very loud one. They tried to open the door, but the door had been affected by the explosion. The door refused to open. The oxygen recycler was also damaged due to the explosion. After a few minutes, I saw the 5 crew members lying dead on the floor.
PRESENT
Communications are totally broken, there’s no way I can get them working again. Navigation is down, the ship can’t tell me where I am. I don’t know how far the nearest space station is. Supplies should last another 2 years.
Tonight, I pray to the white Teapot floating in space.
O benevolent Teapot, you’ve ignored all my prayers until now, but please answer my prayers tonight.
I’m not praying that I get rescued, since I’ve prayed for that with no result.
I’m not praying that you fix the spacecraft, you’ve shown you can’t do that, either.
I’m not even praying that I hear someone speak something on the radio.
I’m praying for something really small, so you can’t refuse me.
I’m praying that I hear the static, just like the one I heard on the day of the explosion.
That’s all.
Praise tea.
Good night.
NEXT DAY
I simply can’t believe it, the Teapot answers small prayers after all. I finally heard the static. It was exactly the same as it was on the day of the explosion. The static lasted for four hours. Suddenly, about a few minutes later, there was a voice. A man’s voice. He said, “Hello? We are receiving signals from… we don’t know”.
The next moment, he suddenly started yelling “OH GOD, HELP, PLEASE HELP, SOMEBODY. This is the crew of a rescue ship... we’re here to rescue the spacecraft ALBATROSS. I am Captain Phillips...”
“WHAT??? ARE YOU SERIOUS???” I screamed with excitement. The name of our spacecraft was ALBATROSS. Somebody had come to rescue me! “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, I AM READY TO BE YOUR SLAVE WHOLE LIFE,” I yelled with delight, forgetting that they can’t hear what I’m saying over the radio.
He continued “Please stop, music’s flooding our channels. Please, someone’s deliberately flooding our channels.” He said again, this time with a very loud voice “What’s going on, please, who’s doing this?” Again, “Stop it! Whoever’s doing this, please!’ And then the screaming stopped.
Then the music stopped. The man sighed. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
Then again, high-pitched yells. Loud screams. They screamed until their lungs drained, and then screamed some more. Then one by one, the screams fell silent. I heard the gentle thump of the Cargo Ship Titus crew, sinking to the floor, dead. Then there was nothing. Not one sound.
I kept fiddling the ship’s controls, but I could hear nothing. No static, no human voice...