Gateway on the moon

 

“If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

I stood at the edge of the crater looking down at the bottomless hole, the moon was a fascinating place to be but what it holds is much worse. Part of a collective that finally decided to explore the moon in its entirety. We had planned routes and sites to explore, what we did not expect was something in the moon did not want us there.

On the first mission everything went as expected and this led to more missions from the new space bridge, this was where we would launch all missions from. Media and the public were now looking at all flights to space with suspicion so by moving materials and personnel using supply trips we were able to shift the view. The new space bridge was billed as a multi-nation station where scientists would be allowed to use the zero gravity and untamed environment to research many points of advancement. I was one of the explorers who were tasked to explore the moon and find a viable place set up a base.

The third mission was to the dark side of the moon, there we would be able to set up a base using a small nuclear reactor for power. The extreme cold would help in reevaluating the core to work at an optimum rate, the trip to the moon was uneventful as was the landing. The first set of exploratory missions were allowed us to marvel at the lunar surface and landscape, the craters were full of samples of different types of meteors and there we found more new elements that would help us advance our knowledge. It was on the sixth mission that we came upon a large hole in the shadows, here we stood at the edge of a massive hole that was calculated to be 4 miles in diameter. It was deep and the drone sent using a tether system found caves on the sides of the hole.

The council decided against exploring the hole at the time, we did not have the resources to go any further. I was part of a small team that wanted to go down but knew that we needed to use a landing ship instead of a lift. We set up a base at a pre-planned site and it took us 4 years before the place was finished, and the public had no clue. We found water and other minerals on the moon but what really challenged us was the constant threat of a meteor crashing on the base. We built the base on the side of a cliff with a heavy slab of rock on top, because of the low gravity on the moon we were able to move materials like the massive rock easily. Life on the moon was interesting but what made it unnerving was the loneliness, we were only 12 of us and life here did not make it any easier.

There were sounds of something tapping on the walls at odd hours and the cameras that monitored the surface always registering something moving but when checked nothing was found. I had set up an observation camera at the hole and it showed movement, the object moved too fast for it have a form. For days we registered movement but none of it was conclusive, the frustration was building in the team. Hawkins, a fellow researcher, decided to change the type of camera to a high speed one that was ordered with the supply run. Once we received it, Hawkins set it up along side the original one to see what we can really capture.

A few more days passed before the cameras did finally capture something and what we saw brought more fear than anything, the object flying in and out of the hole was shaped like an elongated pyramid. A sort of pencil head kind of object that moved faster than anything we had, it was black in colour but had a kind of reflective coating. We tried to get even more footage to send to HQ and the more we got the worse everyone was feeling about it, there were images where we could see it had gun like parts on it. This thing was like a fighter ship that could be moving around us or the Moon was sort of a battleship for these things.

HQ reviewed the footage we sent and they excited, I could hear our team leader pleading with them not to move too fast but it seemed they wanted to capture that ship. They sent fighter pilots in experimental space flight ships to try and enter the hole to find the base. I asked the leader, Dr. Vlodmir, if I could try and send the drones down before the pilots got there. He was sceptical but knew that this would be our only chance to explore the place before the military took over the base and the entire exploratory mission on the moon.

I took the new drones and a couple of fellow scientists to the hole where we set up the control centre next to the cameras and began to prepare the drones for the explorations. I was distracted with the equipment when Joan shook my shoulder for my attention, I turned to find her pointing at something, looking at what she pointing to I saw it. The alien ship was hovering over the hole and it was turned to us, it remained there suspended in space. I just stood there staring up at the ship, Joan was the same but Markus took the opportunity to take a video of the ship. It hung there for a few minutes, no lights flashing or anything to indicate what it was doing, finally it slowly turned towards the hole and like an arrow shot down into the hole. We were thrilled by the video we got but a sense of renewed sense of discovery came upon us. We sent out the drones to see what was down there, at first we just saw the caves like before but as we got deeper I began observe the rough terrain give way to a smooth surface on the side.

The signal began to breakup like there was something scrambling the signal, I tried to signal the drones to return but it did not go through and we lost them. I returned to the base to review the footage with the rest of the team and when analysed, no one wanted to remain on the moon. The smooth surface was actually metal walls, what was in the hole could easily be a base of some kind. The hole, or what we called it, could be a hanger entrance and exit. Vlodmir looked at everything we brought back and just sat there staring at the image of the ship.

“It looks like a smaller version of the Black Knight, I was on a space flight once and due to a navigation error found our flight path fly close to the ship. I think it saw us get close, I managed to get a proper look before it flew away. That thing could be another one like it. Whatever is down there we better not disturb them.”

The ship from the station arrived, they also were escorted by 3 other fighter class flyers that were to explore the hole. I told Vlodmir about my apprehensions and he nodded but informed me that we were now under detention. It seems that what we found was what they wanted, the hole was a gateway to a base or something like it and they wanted access to it. The team wanted to protest by Vlodmir raised his hand and told them that if we protested then we stood to be executed on site, the high committee wanted full control and if we raised our voices then we were considered traitors. I stood there with a rueful smile and watched the team enter the dinner hall, they stood there with guns in hand waiting for someone to raise their voices. None spoke but stood there and stared at the blank faces of the enforces, a couple of people wearing light space suits walked in with a smile on their faces in hopes to look normal.

“Fellow scientists, we are at the cusp of a great discovery. Please let me extend my hand in thanks for helping humanity cross the great frontier to allow us to cross the great expanses we have only admired for so long.”

Arun made a sound of clearing his throat, “may I be given permission to speak?”

The enforcers aimed towards him and the speaker immediately pointed his index finger down and then waved it away, he turned to look at the men then told them to leave. He face was filled with rage I could see, but it was towards the enforcers and not us. He turned to us again but with a moderate expression and raised his hand towards Arun, “please let me apologise for their actions. I asked to come and oversee exploration of the large access way but the leaders wanted conquest. I know we have no idea what is down there so rather than jumping into the lion’s mouth with guns I requested we observe longer so we can find a way to communicate. Greed is the true cancer here, those men are here to keep you from accessing your equipment but I will allow you, please Dr.”

“Arun, its Dr. Arun, I was going to ask what will we be doing while those soldiers loiter our base and probably break everything.”

He man laughed and the lady behind him also smiled, she took a step forward and spoke “I am Dr. Roth, let me assure you this. Those overgrown children will be confined to their ship while we all remain here to observe them doom us all. I really would like it if could just follow what Dr. Jung recommended but as he said greed is what will end us all. Those 3 fighters you saw will be descending down the access port and will try and explore whatever is down there to report directly to the council and not us, which is fine but we will be able to see what they are seeing. Let me assure you, we are just like you but make no mistake those men outside will kill us all if we give them reason.”

I was confused in thinking they would be the ones giving directions, turns out they were sent because the council was divided on what to do and they were the loudest and needed to removed before the voices left the station. I did not warm up to them and majority of the team were of the same mind, Vlodmir had no choice but cooperate with them. He was no sure how to move forward but did what he knew best and showed them around the place and tried to squeeze more info, I was back at me observation workstation and could see there was no activity there. The flyers lifted off and were near the hole, they remained there as if unsure what to do.

Dr. Roth joined me at my station as did some of the crew, we stood there watching the feeds. Finally one moved forward and began to descend in to the hole, the other 2 followed behind. We watched as they descended out of the range of the camera and Dr. Roth moved forward and logged into a terminal that gave her access to the flyer feeds. She turned and placed a finger on her lips as though we were doing something we should not, a couple of the others smiled but remained still. The mood was tense as we watched the feed of the flyers making their way down, the rough surface of the moon soon gave way to a smoother kind of material we thought was metal. Turns out the surface was a kind of stone, as they got deeper the feed began to falter and I could hear them complaining that their flyers were experiencing electrical issues.

One of the flyers began to turn its nose down wards and we saw only black then in a blink the feed died, the other pilots were in a panic stating that the flyer just vanished and they were loosing control. The panicked screams were hear and just like the first they blinked out. Dr. Roth remained where she was and I could see that Dr. Jung was with us now, no one spoke.

After a while we heard crackling on the voice feeds of a pilot, he was stating something but we could not hear him clearly. I tried to clean the audio but it was too degraded, another burst came through and this time I captured something.

“.....we... I repea.... another.... tem... alie... uck!”

We had no idea what to do next, Dr. Jung wanted to saying something but chose not to speak. Then a rumbling sound came from under us, the ground began to shake. I held on to the table while the rest held on to what they could find. I changed the feed back to the hole and that was when I saw it. A massive object was coming through the hole, it looked like a larger version of the dark knight satellite and it was exiting the whole. The large display did not do it justice but we were transfixed at the sight of the long ship exiting the hole. There was a burst of communication from the ship of the enforcers and just like that they lifted off.

“And just like that the rats run back to their holes, no doubt the council will try and blame us or come up with a story but we may have poked the cosmic hornet’s nest. Whatever happens we my be the first to see what we are up against.” Vlodmir spoke.

“Hardly doctor, I think that ship will probably make its way to Earth, you and your team only explored that gateway. I know for a fact they have been observing us longer than we care to admit and how they managed to build such a portal, for lack of a better term, on the moon is quite mind boggling. Lets see where it goes.” Dr. Jung spoke.

We watched as the ship exited the gateway and turned towards Earth, it was estimated to be 3 and half miles high and more than 12 miles long, it was a mother ship and we just pissed whoever was inside off. It began its flight to Earth, I thought about my family back on Earth and hoped that the council would do the more intelligent thing and try to speak before firing. The others spoke of the same thing, a hail from the station came through and it was the lead scientist.

“Station Columbus, can you hear me?”

“This is Station Columbus, I am Dr. Vlodmir, please continue.”

“Doctor, good to hear from you. I see the council is currently hiding in their offices avoiding the massive object moving towards us. Can you please tell me what it is, I need to find a way to advise the rest of the teams here and on the surface what to do.”

Vlodmir told him what he could and informed him of what the council had done to cause this, the person laughed at this saying it was what he had expected. He asked us to keep all communications open and let them know what was happening here as they will try and inform us the same.

We had no view of the ship making its way to Earth so I volunteered to go outside and try to set up a larger camera array to help us see what was happening and also send out some orbiting drones to make sure we did not loose contact, I was joined by our communications expert Julia and technical guy Heath. We checked the area around us before we exited the station and it was clear, getting all the equipment ready we opened the doors. Outside in the absolute silence I looked up at the stars and the massive ship moving purposefully towards our home and wondered who could be inside that ship.

Exiting the airlock with some equipment I walked to a small hill and set the equipment down, I turned to find to my horror small light dots flying towards our station. They were from the alien ship. My radio burst to life, it was Joan and she was telling me of the flying objects, I informed her that I could see them. I knew now that whatever was in that ship might not be so friendly after all.