Echoes of Hell

One entry caught Kyle's attention.

***Day 97

I have just returned from the fishing area at the beach where Marla and I spent time together, and I was given happy news.

Marla is pregnant.

I had told everyone that, until we get established here, the thought of producing offspring would have to wait, and she wanted to be alone with me to tell me, fearing I might be upset and didn't want the others to judge them unfavorably. She had taken me to our favorite spot on the shores of the ocean not ten miles from our settlement to give me the news.

I was ecstatic to say the least, and thanked all the gods in the universe that were listening that they saw fit to give me an heir.

I assured her that I was not upset by this, and would tell the others that perhaps now is the time to start increasing our numbers and become the mothers and fathers of a new race.

I will announce it tomorrow. ***

Kyle felt saddened by this.

Not only did Marla not have the chance to fully experience motherhood, her child never got the chance to fully experience life. Since neither accompanied Khan on board the Reliant, nor did he or his crew find anyone left down on Ceti Alpha VI, Kyle naturally assumed that they were dead.

He read further...

***Day 138

Our resident astronomer, Ling, has just finished his telescope. After months of melting and re-melting sand into glass and shaping it into a proper set of lenses, he announced his creation complete. Although we already had images of space stored away in Marla's tricorder, I didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm nor downplay his accomplishment.

He did provide us with insight about our star system, however. According to the records, this system contained six planets orbiting an orange star. Beyond the sixth world was an immense asteroid belt. But beyond that, little was known about the worlds, for they had been newly charted shortly before our arrival.

Through observation, Ling discovered that the two inner planets were little more than large asteroids with stellar orbits no longer than six months. The third looked very similar to Earth's moon Luna, though slightly larger, the fourth being its twin but much smaller.

What kindled Ling's excitement later on was that the sixth planet was finally coming into view. We could see it, a dim disk with the same coloring that of Mars, just coming over the horizon. Ling calculated that it was slightly farther away from us than Luna was from Earth, but after many hours, the planet seemed to be unmoving, still perched on the horizon line.

Before turning in for the night, Ling had postulated that the sixth planet was in a slower orbital path to our own by only a fraction and had a slightly longer orbital year. He suspected that it would pace us for a while and be in our skies for quite some time before our world passed it, disappearing from view until next year.***

Sixth planet? A world that looked like Mars? We didn't see any planet that looked like that when we approached the system, Kyle thought.

Once the Reliant got passed the asteroid belt, it was a clear shot all the way to Ceti Alpha VI; there was no Mars type planet, there or anywhere in the system.

He continued with the journal, hoping it would eventually give him some clue as to what Khan was talking about...

***Day 189

We were treated to a most wonderful display.

Ceti Alpha VI, high in the night sky and, according to Ling's best estimates, its closest approach to us, was bombarded with meteor strikes. Tiny ones to be sure, but it gave us a spectacular light show. Pinpricks of light danced and sparkled on its surface for about half an hour before waning, leaving dull orange dots glowing in the aftermath.

A spectacular sight...***

A meteor storm... could that be the answer?

Kyle continued... and was sickened by the next entry that proved to confirm his suspicions.

***Day 194 (delayed entry)

The reason there is a gap in my entries is because we were busy picking up the pieces after the disaster.

After the meteor storm, I was awakened by Joachim. He told me to come outside immediately. When I got outside my quarters, I was stunned.

Ceti Alpha VI was no longer in the sky.

Instead, there was an expanding haze of gas, dust, fire and debris. Ling was outside with his telescope and told me that he had seen what had happened... right before he lost sight in one of his eyes.

The planet had exploded, the blast happening on the unseen side of the world, its remains heading straight for us. The bright flash was instantly focused through Ling's telescope and must have burned his retina and optical nerve.

I ordered everyone to the Botany Bay, glad that I had the foresight to keep it intact just in case of an emergency. This definitely qualified as one, for right before I entered the ship I saw a strange shape in the sky. It looked almost like a wave.

Then the ground trembled beneath us, as if the whole planet was shaking itself apart. Marla was the last one that made it to the ship, half carrying someone injured by rocks and dirt being thrown around outside. The wave grew closer and I could see planetary debris rolling around inside it. The wave hit our world, knocking us to the decks.

The last thing I saw before closing the main hatch was three or four of my people trying to reach the ship, struggling against the tidal forces being inflicted upon Ceti Alpha V. Then they disappeared, swallowed up by the raging storm sweeping across the lands.

I'm tired now. I'll come back to this later. ***

"Oh, my God." That was all Kyle could say.

The explanation was plainly there in the writing.

Khan and his people didn't leave Ceti Alpha V... the planet they found him and the others on, the planet he and the crew of the Reliant was marooned on... was Ceti Alpha V.

To be precise, he thought... what was left of it.

The beautiful greens and browns of the continents, the deep blues of the oceans, and the swirling wisps of white cloud cover... all of it gone, replaced with the sickening dull yellows and putrid tans of the blowing sands.

No wonder we didn't notice a Mars-like planet; it was no longer there to be noticed.

The debris, most of it he guessed, must have been swept into the vast asteroid belt and, after years of drifting, was swallowed up by it. Anyone visiting this system wouldn't have known that the planetary debris had blended in with its system's asteroid belt, not leaving the slightest clue that there used to be a world in orbit nearby. And entering the system, no one would suspect that the next planet in orbit wasn't marking the edge of the planetary system, but was now.

"So... that was it," Kyle mumbled to himself.

He decided to check on Mr. Beech later to make sure he was all right. Being the Reliant's science officer, Commander Beech would no doubt come to the same conclusions about Ceti Alpha V, with or without conformation from Khan's journal, and if he had already, he was more than likely blaming himself for letting this get by him two days ago. Kyle would check in on him later and assure him that, if he was chiding himself for this understandable mistake, he might as well chide everyone on the bridge crew for making the same error and that it wasn't his fault.

Kyle reluctantly went back to the writing...

***Day 196

I have been busy for the past two days scouting the area around our settlement... or rather what's left of it. I will continue where I left off earlier.

Once everyone left alive was sealed inside the Botany Bay, we rode out the wave storm as best we could. Our vessel was old, but still sturdy enough to withstand the forces outside trying to destroy it. We would be safe. Making a head count, I found that we had lost eight people when the wave hit, among them Rodriguez, Octoro... and Ling.

After a full day of listening to the terrible winds that whipped around us, we ventured outside to assess the damage.

Most everything around us was burned away; trees, shrubs, grass, and most of the dwellings we had constructed. All the equipment left outside of the ship was either melted to the ground or was blown away by the force of the wave.

We thought sure we would see huge impact craters as a result of the debris hurling our way, but there was only one or two no more than three hundred meters across near us. Ada was working closely with Ling with his observations and learning about astronomy, and it was she that came up with an idea about what had happened... and what didn't happen.

Ada theorized that Ceti Alpha VI exploded, due to either a collision with a larger object than the ones we observed hitting the planet weeks ago or the ones that hit earlier did irreparable damage to the surface, causing a chain reaction to its core.

As to why we weren't directly affected worse than we were, she could only guess that either the system's asteroid belt managed to take hold of most of the planetary debris with its gravitational forces and steer it away from us, or the wave that hit us was indeed just that: a wave, a shockwave that managed to push this planet out of the way of the debris or at least most of it. Or, she supposed, perhaps a combination of both.

Regardless, judging from the amount of damage to our world... we have much work to do...***

***Day 197

It is starting to get warmer. Unusual, for though the planet's seasons are mild and this time of year (so I was told by Marla's tricorder records) is suppose to be cool. Is it because of what happened on the surface, the lands still burning and retaining heat, or is it something else?

I will ask Ada to look into it as best she can...***

***Day 198

It is still getting hotter.

Tomorrow, we will go to the ocean and assess the damage there. Everything that could be salvaged from outside has been taken inside the Botany Bay. I fear this world is not finished with us... not yet. ***

***Day 200

Half of our ocean is gone, evaporated by the heat of the shockwave. The temperature is continuing to climb and is not helping.

I have decided to seal the Botany Bay with everyone inside for the duration of this oppressive heat wave. The atmospheric conditioners on board will keep everything and everyone cool for now. We are now making makeshift quarters out of parts of the animation containers on board.

My followers are praising me for my foresight in keeping the ship intact, rather than having it dismantled for its parts and material.

Was it foresight on my part, or just plain dumb luck? I wish I knew. ***

***Day 202

According to instruments, the temperature outside has stopped rising. It is now 95 degrees Fahrenheit and seemed to be holding.

I left the ship to check on conditions outside and saw the landscape had changed. It looked like a desert, with no vegetation or animals that could be seen and the ground baked and cracking.

In the distance, I saw a haze of some sort. At first I thought it was mist or vapor coming off the evaporating ocean, but the haze was an ugly color. A mixture of tan and ocher, much like the ground was now. I have no idea what it is, but one thing is sure: it was heading right for us. ***

***Day 209

For a week now, the wind has been howling against the hull, but seems to have died down a bit. We will check outside tomorrow. ***

***Day 210

The area that looked like a desert has now become one.

The wind has kicked up sandstorms all around us and is starting to bury the Botany Bay like an ancient tomb of Egypt.

Ada has finally come to the conclusion that the orbit of Ceti Alpha V has been shifted and moved slightly closer to the sun, causing a dramatic change in our climate. She suspects that the rest of our world is in the same condition as our region; she even doubts that there are any oceans left on the surface. If there is any water left on Ceti Alpha V, it would most likely be underground.

I pray that she is right. The moisture extractors and matter re-sequencers are still working to make water and foodstuffs, but for how long? Eventually, the power to operate them will run out, or their parts will wear out due to constant use.

We have enough water stored away for a few years, and I have ordered extra water made to be stored while the re-sequencers are still functioning. But more must be made... or found, and soon. ***

***Day 213

The phaser Chekov gave me was instrumental in finding water, and more. Since Ada theorized that any water left on our world would be underground, that's where we would search first.

We went to the very bottom of the Botany Bay and I cut away a section of the hull with the phaser. When we lifted it, we were ecstatic to see vegetation, untouched by the sand. The ship must have protected the bottom of the ravine it was sitting in and spared any life under her from the shock wave.

Even more exciting was when we found water. I figured that since there was still plant life thriving, there must be water keeping it alive. After cutting away more sections of the hull and revealing more greenery, I chose an area at the end of our new opening and started digging through the soil, vaporizing it with my phaser. After about five minutes, we saw reflections at the bottom of the hole.

We lowered a container down with cable (about fifteen feet) and heard a splash. We brought it back up and, sure enough, we were rewarded with a container filled with water. Checking it with Marla's tricorder, we found no pollutants in it; the water was safe to use. The news spread through the ship like lightning.

I rushed up to the bridge, our quarters, and told Marla the good news, letting her drink from the cup of water I brought from our new well. She thanked me by throwing it up; the morning sickness, I assumed. I simply laughed in delight and hugged her, telling her that everything was going to be all right.

I ordered a well to be built and some volunteered to start a garden with the remaining plant seeds we have stored away. Finally, we have a chance.

I kissed the phaser and bless Ensign Chekov, hoping the gods favored him in the future. ***

So, that's how they managed to stay alive, Kyle thought. Luck, indeed. He continued...

***Day 262 (delayed entry)

It seems Ceit Alpha V isn't done trying to defeat us, after all.

Because of the climate change, now only desert dwelling animals are able to survive, and those types are few and far between. We had the chance to meet one of them up close today.

It's about six inches in length, with a hard carapace consisting of folds along its back. It has twelve legs, two pincer-like mandibles at its head, and has small, yellowish eyes that it keeps closed, possibly due to it being light sensitive since it seems happy underground. It is vicious, but its offspring is far more dangerous.

One of my people, Nicholas, was tending to the garden when he suddenly shrieked in pain, holding the side of his head. We all rushed down, and found him just standing in the middle of the vegetables with a trickle of blood running down the side of his head.

I told him to approach me and explain what had happened; he did, very robot-like and told me that something had crawled into his ear, almost matter-of-factly. He pointed to the area where he was lying down in the garden to shore up the edge of the hull where sand started to seep in.

I saw the creature trying to burrow back into the sand and I grabbed it. It tried to bite me as I showed it to him and asked if this was what attacked him. He blandly shook his head and pointed to the folds on its back. I peered inside and saw eel-like little versions of the creature, its offspring.

Ella, one of our remaining medics, looked into his ear and saw nothing except a slime trail coating his ear canal. Marla ran her tricorder over him and found that the eel had burrowed through his eardrum and had wrapped itself around the spinal cord connection just under the cerebral cortex.

For days, he just listlessly followed commands no matter how ridiculous they sounded. The medics determined that a side effect of the eel's intrusion was to render its victim extremely susceptible to hypnotic suggestion.

I told him to rest and ordered my people to use caution when tending the garden or venturing outside.

***Day 267

Nicholas is dead.

He was screaming insanely when we found him in his quarters. After a few minutes, he simply collapsed and died. We bagged his body and placed it in a separate store room. ***

***Day 282

Five more have become hosts for these eels.

More of them are starting to burrow their way into the ship, looking for suitable hosts for their young. They are quite tenacious; the little ones hide under the leaves of our garden plants and wait for someone to brush up against them, cling to their clothes, and slowly crawl up to their victims' heads, sneaking through their hair until they reach the ear.

I may have to close off our garden until we can combat these invaders. ***

***Day 286

We heard a scratching sound coming from the store room where Nicholas's body was put. I put away the irrational thought that it was somehow Nicholas or one of the others we placed in there, still alive. I opened the store room and saw a nightmare.

The eel that had killed Nicholas had grown to adulthood and chewed its way out of his head and out of the body bag. I crushed it under my boot when it scurried passed me.

I told Joachim to bring me my phaser so I could vaporize the remaining bodies inside. ***

***Day 308

I've had to destroy eleven more of my people infected by the eels.

This must stop.

I have ordered the remainder of our garden food picked and stored away, and told everyone to fill as many empty containers with water as was available. We've sealed off the entire compartment, cutting ourselves off from our food and water source.

Marla is terrified; I have to admit that I am concerned, myself. ***

***Day 311 (delayed entry)

I have just destroyed the body of my beloved wife, Marla... ***

Oh, my God; not her! Not like that!

Kyle started to cry at the thought of the beautiful lieutenant being ravaged by one of those creatures... and the thought of Khan having to dispose of her body. And the child, their unborn child...

He forced himself to read on...

*** ...One of the eels managed to hide itself under a leaf of the flower plant Marla kept in our quarters, the one she was using as a model for one of her paintings. It must have taken all night for the eel to crawl off the plant, down the table, and make its way onto our bed. I found Marla in a trance with dried blood on her face the next morning.

Not wanting her to go through the agony of madness in the end, I told her to rest, and while she was asleep, I aimed the phaser at her and fired, vaporizing her... and our child.

Everyone came running up when they heard me howl in rage, and tearfully mourned with me when I told them what had happened.

I cried myself to sleep that night.

I told the others the next day that, while we sleep, we are to use filter masks to breathe through in case the eels can get inside a body other than using an ear, and to use earplugs whenever necessary. ***

***Day 313

Joachim had come up with a plan to get water from our well.

Wearing protective suits, he and two others would cut a hole through the deck and crawl down into the sealed off garden section. There they would wrap and secure panels around the well, extending up to the deck above. The eels were everywhere down there, but they didn't seem to be very efficient climbers when it came to the walls of the hull; their clawed legs couldn't grip the smooth metal.

I told Joachim that he and the others didn't have to do this and that we could find another way, but they were determined to see the job done... even after they were affected, for the eels had managed to eat their way through the suits and let loose their young.