Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

The Expedition of the SX50 V2
By Derek T. Mansfield




As Russell and the crew of the expedition SX50 v2 awaited the signal from earth to land on mars they all discussed what they thought would happen. After all, the last time we tried sending a craft to mars the SX50 v1, the landing wasn’t very good and we lost 10 good astronauts that day. From where we were we could see the crater left by it and its nuclear reactor exploding.
“So what do we do if we don’t blow up from a crash landing?” Chris asked jokingly. “Be quiet you know you will just give everybody creeps about it if you talk like that.” I said. “All we can do is hope for the best boys and girls, nothing is a guarantee.” Mole said. Mole was probably the oldest of our group nobody really knew, but he was definitely mature a lot more of the time then any of us.
“Station control to SX50 repeat station control to SX50 over.” The voice came from the communicator on the computer. “Roger that, this is the crew of the SX50, are we clear for landing? Over.” We responded. “Roger that, bring her down but watch yourselves, we think there will be storms shortly so don’t be too slow.” The voice said. “Thanks for the heads up, SX50 out.” We finished up our set up for landing in a very short time, as we began our descent this planet that once felt so unreal suddenly felt real.
“Ah it feels so good to stretch outside of that god forsaken ship.” Sarah said. “Don’t we know it, its way too stuffy in there but these suits aren’t exactly loose either.” I said. “Just shut up and help set up this accursed so called base.” Mole said. “I can’t believe I gave up so much of my time just so I could stand on this big red rock.” Chris said with Erik agreeing. “Come on do you not understand how much of an honor this is, were the first humans to get onto this planet.” I said. “Exactly, and who knows maybe we’ll find something interesting under this planets useless exterior something that can live underground with its own atmosphere.” Sarah said.
“No it doesn’t; there’s way too much equipment out here and I don’t even have a That night there was a strong storm. When we finally got out we were almost completely buried in sand. “Well aren’t we just S O L this is just great.” I said. “This is going to be a pain; hopefully we can get something done before the next storm.” Chris said. Chris always complained but this time everyone was a little aggravated by the situation, but I thought Sarah would try to brighten the mood. “So Sarah what do you think of our little situation here?” I asked. “Oh um, well as long as we can get research done and stay alive we should be fine.” She replied.
We finished clearing everything up near the end of the day. So since Chris and Mole wouldn’t go with Sarah to check for anything the storm might’ve uncovered, I went. “So you really think we can find anything interesting?” I asked. “Well of course, maybe we can find some jewels or something that will be worth millions.” She responded chuckling a little at her joke. I laughed a little to “I’d rather find something more interesting, something like a piece of technology from a lost race.” I said losing track of where I was walking. I tripped over something; when I got up I grabbed it. It was like a handle grip but it was made of a metal I had never seen. “Well I think you got what you wanted Russ.” Sarah said smiling and inspecting the whatever-it-was just as much as I was. “Yah I guess so; now to find out what it does.” I said messing with it seeing if there was anything special with it. “I think we should head back, our signal to the ship is out and Mole and Chris might leave the ship and we could all get split up.” Sarah said almost sounding afraid of something.
When we got back to the ship there was a strange silence and some of the equipment was knocked over even some of the important equipment was left unattended. “This doesn’t look right.” Sarah said getting just a little closer to me. signal working to the ship” I said “That doesn’t look good, the communicator tower is shredded.” “Oh my god what’s happening, maybe Mole and Chris are inside at least and not somewhere looking like the communications tower.” Sarah said trying to keep herself from crying.
We took our time getting into the ship. We were so sure that they had to be in the ship because other then out foot steps there were none heading to or form the ship. Some of the ships power was disconnected so we had to go into the core and fix it. “So, who goes into the black flashing lights that’s very freaky, and who stays here and watches for anyone or anything and tells the one who’s in the dark when the power is on.’ I said as a metaphorical question. “You already know I’m not going into that dark area but I still call the big gun.” Sarah said. I laughed a little “that’s fine all I need is a pistol for anything that can come at me.” I said. So I headed down the dark corridor into the airlock. Just as the airlock door was going to open into the core, I saw something moving. “Sarah keep on your guard.” I said over the radio. Static was all I heard “Sarah can you hear me?” I asked over the radio. Bang, a grenade went off, but what was so bad that she used a grenade on it. “Russ get back here forget the power there’s hundreds of these…these things!” Sarah said over the radio in a panicked voice.
I always carry my rifle parts on me, I’ve mastered putting it together I had it together and working in about 30 seconds on the move and loaded up. As I opened the door to where I could see Sarah before, it was smashed in and crawling with about five or six of these creatures, but before I could even think of what they could be I put a bullet in each of their heads. “Sarah are you safe until I can get out the back exit, I’m not going to be able to get through all of these things.” I said. It took a few seconds “Yah I’m good for now they are backing off, or just waiting for reinforcements.” She said. I headed for the back exit not letting my guard down for one second. I opened the back door and there was a one of those creatures dead right there. I looked up and Mole had his finger on the trigger still. “Well I guess we know where you are, but where’s Chris and what happened?” I asked. “Chris is in the power core you probably saw him moving around in there when you were headed there, he should be done by now.” Mole said.
After we got back around to Sarah we weren’t sure of where she was, there were literally hundreds of those things dead and one that looked different but then we saw Sarah and she wasn’t shooting or even aiming at it. “Sarah is this one friendly or something?” I asked. No response, I aimed at the creature. “What ever you did or are doing to her stop or I will shoot you.” I said, Mole aimed at it as well. It looked at me and it felt like it was trying to get inside of my head. I shot it in the leg and Sarah snapped out of her trance. “Russ, Mole, don’t shoot it, it communicates telepathically” She said continuing with what she was saying “they have been hiding from the things we’ve been killing, they call them Surgers, and they call themselves the Lefites.” We lowered out weapons; my eyes caught the bullet still inside of its leg. Some things nobody knows about me, so I can communicate telepathically and blow up anything from an apple to a planet with the snap of my fingers not that big of a deal. “So Lefite, if we get you out of here safely and kill these things off can you actually help us with getting out of here, or are you technically damaged from them?” I asked the Lefite. “Ah so you can communicate as we can, yes we are much more advanced then you think, the Surgers are primitive killers.” It said.

In the following days we got the gear we could fit onto the buggy we had and all the ammo and weapons that were powerful eventually we had to ditch the buggy. We killed more of the Surgers then I could keep track of, we got close to a crater and the Lefite told me something. “I am the last of the ancient race of the Lefites all the others are new descendants and are willing to give technology to the Surgers to live, so if you can allow us to fix your ship we can fit the last of us on it and the Surge will be stuck on this accursed planet forever.” He said. “How about we kill off some of the traitors when we catch them to show we aren’t joking around.” I said. “No no, we can’t do that we’ve tried torturing them for examples but that never works.” He replied.
We got into the city and all of us were amazed at the technology they had, we had to wait a few minutes for the security to keep from firing on us and still fire on the Surgers. “Wow, this is amazing!” Sarah Exclaimed. “Well I think we all forgot about Chris.” Mole said. Quickly The Ancient told me what happened “Your friend is in our intensive care we retrieved him with our matter-transporters, but they only bring things here, but he will be fine.” “Don’t worry about him these guys got him he’s safe.” I said. Mole and Sarah were confused, they looked at each other and Sarah asked “How do you even know that? When I talked to this guy he said with us they had to put us into a trance to communicate.” I waited a little bit before I said anything. “Well as you all know my background is a blur to most people and nobody knows what I can do, how it all started was about 100 years ago when one of the Lefite ancients came to my family for protection and then when she left our family line was given some “gifts”.”
Chris was good as new in only a few days and we headed out with a repair crew and some super guns, but I stuck with my custom rifle. “So first I get mauled by aliens now they’re helping us with our ship so we can all get off the planet?!” Chris said frustrated. “So you are a descendant of the Svior clan the protectors of the Ancient Mectia?” The Ancient asked me. “Yes that I would be, so what is your name, if I may ask?” I asked. “I am Martka son of Mectia.” He said. “Well I’m glad we could help you survive, after all you saved me and my friends.” I said.
We left much quicker then we thought possible and it took us a long time to get to earth but we almost didn’t make it. There was one ship that was left on the planet that had been given to the Surgers by a traitor of the newer races. They were determined enough to stop us that they ignored that we were near earth and we both landed on the moon. It was quite easy to kill small groups of them charging at us, but they had guns also after about a two day war between them and us, we checked the ship and killed off the last few of them. We did a grounding check on the other ship and took off back for earth; we had to keep secret everything about our previous selves. The Lefites gave us all the gifts the old ancients gave me and my family line, and gave us one extra. The gift to choose our lifespan and be reborn as we choose. The Lifetes left and landed on the moon again and took the other ship for supplies and more space. Sarah, Mole, Chris, and Me split up but stayed in contact for many years until we finally had to meet again with the renewal of the war between the Lefites and the Surgers.
We left much quicker then we thought possible and it took us a long time to get to earth but we almost didn’t make it. There was one ship that was left on the planet that had been given to the Surgers by a traitor of the newer races. They were determined enough to stop us that they ignored that we were near earth and we both landed on the moon. It was quite easy to kill small groups of them charging at us, but they had guns also after about a two day war between them and us, we checked the ship and killed off the last few of them. We did a grounding check on the other ship and took off back for earth; we had to keep secret everything about our previous selves. The Lefites gave us all the gifts the old ancients gave me and my family line, and gave us one extra. The gift to choose our lifespan and be reborn as we choose. The Lifetes left and landed on the moon again and took the other ship for supplies and more space. Sarah, Mole, Chris, and Me split up but stayed in contact for many years until we finally had to meet again with the renewal of the war between the Lefites and the Surgers.