One

Act One: The Escape

ONE

I was in a dream of seemless ecstacy,

Abstract, in my fantasies to see inside

a particles perception of reality,

Flying freely through space like

Waves of light; unimpeded rays

navigated by thier circumstances in

thoughtless Bliss. Dancing

In attraction to the matters

Scattered all around, riding that sound

Then they sounded the alarms.

TWO

"Danger, Danger,

Man your stations,

Heed no Patience

Project Splice is

Now in Action.

Danger, Danger

Tertiary Destruction

Imminent, All Pods

Report to Dock

For Liftoff.

DANGER, DANGER"

No time to think, years of training made this instinct;

Wide awake, separated from my slumbering state

but a second.

No time to dress, won't stress about it, move out of

my quarters, through the base, all others scampering

mostly naked

The end for them is Nigh and all I can hear, in my head

is the violent blood flooding my ears, making silent those

Seering sirens

Signifying our last defense; a retreat from the lands of

our ancestors' ascent to power and structure,

Unstable, Destructing

Fucked beyond amends.

THREE

Each corrdor looks miles long,

All motions flowing in tempo to a funeral song,

Frenetic and frenzied, slowed by my calm

disposition as the one who moves on.

To panic would stall me and frantic, I'd fall...

So quickly did I move I cannot recall the process

to suit up and strap in my ship, left to wait

and put faith in those fates to be clipped,

Nipped from existence, in the flash, when it comes.

I wished that it wouldn't, that it couldn't take place,

but it is, now all hands havve been played,

All I could do no was wait, inside of POD314159

As my Comprehensive Internal Navigation Executor,

CIN-E, Spins her system's checks, I try to

Catch my breath and connect to the ship's

Computers.

The visor keeps shut, over the window,

I can't find the guts to watch the doomed

Souls scramble, surrendering to chance

To be rended to dust for what they believe

is the greatest good; Me, and my Journey

Are understood to be the missing link

in the slavation of humanity. . .

Everything that is to be, Rides with me,

But Right now,

I'm

W

A

I

T

I

N

G

Four

[Countdown

Operations

Last-ever

Launch

Ascension

Penetration

Stratospheric

Exit]

Cin-E, Open the Visor

FIVE

Ground control I must repot

The breath's been taken fromm this form,

This soundless cell is moving out,

The clouds have been cleared and now we're

moving through the dust shards it's not far

I can finally feel gravity releasing me,

serenely, into this scene where the stars

are revealing their sparkling dynasty;

My eyes are peeled stealing all it's majesty.

With the atmosphere behind me,

Earh's horizons are slowly binding,

Soon to be complete a green petite

entity sleekly slipping back, it's in the

Past, now, out of grasp so fast did

everything change, our human race is now

a fleeting fancy, an afterthought that keeps advancing.

Dwindled down, our little dance upon this timeline's

Toppling, we shook ourselves so turbulently

complicating the basics of our nature, and that

strife to survive and flourish failed amongst indiginous

resources.

All talents, now, almost gone,

Had to dig up that final one,

It's in my mind, I hold it tightly,

Ground Control, I will do rightly,

Here's hoping you receive my

transmissions against the odds

that you've already dimished,

HEAR ME NOW

I feel your souls upon these shoulders

with that trust that you've bestowed,

Your sacrifices will be known,

I lov you all, take peace from me,

I'll keep the flame, protect its sanctity

with everything I know.

There is nothing left to lose but you.

My mission Starts now,

POD314159, Over and Out.

Two

Act Two: The Satellite

"Navigator"

Cin-E Navigates the pod to the Automated Revolve Launch Station

While our narrator sleeps peacefully behind a closed visor.

"First Impressions"

The pod docked.

The clock on the deck read, "11:11";

Not even noon and this doomsday was done.

The systems were speaking,

My Cin-E and the Automated Revolve Launch System, ARLS.

I was identified, POD314159.

Permitted to enter, enter i do,

Gliding through a tube to the hatch

I stole a view of hells disppatched:

People and pieces of pods broken up,

A shipwreck cacophony of clawing and scratching

Frozen outside, with an embered and opal

Ashed planet behind; stuck in the past, beyond

These glass veils, salvation of their shelter

Failed. . .

That doesn't concer me anymore,

So shake, I, the image and anger away,

breathing deep I move through the door

to continue my day; into the holding bay,

four others awaiting. My entrance abruptly

disrupted their state.

Upon my left, a floating brute,

Neck thickly set inside his red and blue

suit; his peach face carved into a stern starched

Expression of militant roots. Arms across chest,

he eyed me slow,

while the elder man beside him

seemed to take no notice, In a trance,

He seemed stuck, He glanced at me briefly

just to return his attention to the porthole

And that distortion outside.

Next, a clever looking, dark spectre

Difficult to focus on, his silent demeanor

robustly discouraged any approach or

Encroachment of his space.

Next to him, such a sharp, slender lady.

Her suit didn't fit, much too big for that frame,

it was covered in spatters of stain.

Her gaze met mine, sending shivers in waves,

those eyes glazed in a blazing blind rage,

ageless beasts stuck inside of her cage

locked onto me, irreverent and wild,

behind the calmest face;

her body and mind severed and splayed.

The first step to saving this race lay in my introduction

and I came prepared; memorized line after line. . .

But now that it was time, I could only really speak

what I could definitely define.

"My people were peaceful. They raised me to be

The missing piece in the puzzle of humainty's survival.

I left every single one of them behind, but I carry their

hopes on my shoulders, in the beat of my heart,

I mean none of you harm, I'm done with alarms.

No name will I carry henceforth but my number,

314159. This life has been naught but slumber

until this waking moment, now Earth is worth

Nothing to us. It's clear to see there is nothing

to ffear but ourselves. I'll allow nothing more

to feed that disease. Please trust me when

I say i am friend and never enemy.

Please, reveal yourselves to me."

"Bob Johnson"

A brutal silence.

Broken, by a slight chuckle,

My speech amused the unspoken elder.

The brute made salutations, indulging my request,

'Bob Johnson' he said, 'Of the Americas'

Shot straight from his base, on the surface,

Trained by a heritage soaked in blood and war,

Founded on pride and honor, he extended his hand

and called me an ally.

My wariness Grew.

And the woman just gazed

HOW MY SPINE SHAKES

A voice of reason, seldom summoned

suggested I keep space between us.

The dark man persisted to float there, unaffected.

This prospect erected such curious thoughts,

Oh, that calm, the Earth gone, we, here are all

That remains that we can claim to know,

And he just floats, eyes closed, breathing

Slow, calm.

"Domenic"

And like the children who must speak

Out of their turn, without permission,

I insisted to know his name.

--------------------------- 'I keep myself quiet,

Lived a riotous life for too long to abide

any further, not worth it. believe me.

I've perceived this "Time" without the

Shadowed-tint relief divine faith casts

over your eyes like the leaf that first

censored the tree of life. It's not free,

to be under the guidance others provide.

I won't lie, I like to keep silent, as it

Simplifies the ties to new allies and

Enemies. But you have approached me,

Asked for truth. I can't deny my past to you,

but please no more violence for, no fighting,

My days with the Sons of Science are through.

Yes it's true, I used to be cruel and my

comeuppance is overdue for the damage

I've dealt to the famished and innocent..

Even now, if i try to help my actions blend

into dissonance, static confusion, a hinderance

*POW*

A flying fist extended from the beastly Bob Johnson,

Screaming Treachery, "You're time is up!

Fight back, you little shit, don't be such a bitch, now!"

I seized his blow, twisted his limb and pinned him

Against his own strength, In a tight hold,

"Let me go! Let me go Let me go Let me go!"

The dark man kept quiet for a second while

He checked himself out, then he told me

'Let him go, if he kills me it's on his soul"

"What do you know about souls, you're a heathen!"

"I know how it feels to be soulless and breathing.

And I know how you fight you're all fire, no reason,

Reckless. It's my guess, you've never seen death,

except in your fears, and right now i'm right here

and I gave you excuses to vent in arrears."

"You're crazy!"

--------------"Maybe,

But I'm out of the haze that made me

A marionette that played for free with

tangled strings, submissive to brainwashing-"

XXXXXX

Bob Johnson

XXXXXX

The woman just trumped him

A single blow crumpled him.

She spoke in her mothertongue,

and let him float, s doubled over

slump that we tied down, duct taped

his mouth.

16 hours, still, until we launched,

and the three of us agreed he needed

time to cool off.

The Dark man return ed to his shell

of silence, eyelids relaxed upon his

orbs of defiance, enllightened in ways

I could not imagine, yet his placid presence

told me I should want not to fathom his story

No glory shined from there

I left him alone.

A gesture of respect.

This reckner's minnd was close knit to mine,

So I accepted him and his mistakes.

"Dan"

The minutes that followed exhibited a hollow connection

with the other two. The silence I could not swallow,

I spoke up and addressed the elder man, his name was

Dan

he had a following back on the earthland, he was

Perturbed in the worst way by the events of this day,

Claimed his research was processing and the data

he'd been waiting for never came.

"The alarms wiped the system clean"

To prevent a man, smart as he, from flaking,

The answers he'd been searching for

got caught in the sweep, evaporated,

slipped between his fingers

"Those fucking sons of science, I'm ruined!

A lifetime of work to find solutions, diluted

to the past, without a backup I'm ruined!"

The echoes of his lament faded.

Face placed to rest on his fists

His breathing slowed to a distant contempt.

I tried to ignore it, but I had to implore,

What were you working towards?

"I was searching for the units of matter

Unerdeathe what we've been able to see

thus far, I could have opened the door

that stands between the creation and the being.

I got so close to knowing I was sure I would

Change the World."

That's all he said,

I guess that's all she wrote.

"Natalya"

The Lady held her gaze on me

Throughout my inquiries, her breathing

Slow and steady, and then she spoke

English through a heady backthroat accent,

Rough, but clear as crystals, almost soft enough

to soothe my ears[Transmission Distorted]

-All my fears

"You are a different breed than these felled men,

i see it in the way you seek no attention, all information

an intelligence to speak of. A true sponge of that

timeless currency"

Her speech patterns perused me, she seemed to be

Reference something that I couldn't see for myself

In my confusion, I depleted my own power over the

Circumstance she spoke of, release myself into her

Totem and locked eyes. To my surprise she never

looked away, kept her puil locked, iris lined in Chalk,

A smoky kind of gorgeous gray, trickling seductions

Moving into my mind, a haze began to claim me, time,

Circling over visions divine:

Her, grinding against me, so purely animalistic,

Illogical and mystic how she moved without moving,

In my imagination.

Such must be the madness, I was warned against,

the power of sex that looms over men,

"You're quick on your feet to see which front I bloom,

You're wary, Good, You should be"

A wink? At me?

"You've asked these three from whence I came

yet ask not a thing of me. Do i offend you?"

No

"Why haven 't you asked?"

I'd rather not know.

"Why so?

your suit.

It does not fit you,

your form spits fires of foulplay

I'll take a blank slate where your history

Is made

"So what?"

Foul of you to do.

"Foul of him to promise me a suit,

and, then, when everything unglued,

recant, and attempt to subdue me

with hidden drugs.. He promised,

So I honored his honesty. Broke him

in half with these bare hands, and spun

a seat for myself in his ship, without help.

Out for himself, and he got dealt a melting match of passion

Lit up, extinguished, now, useless, I lifted him

Over my head and ripped his spine from his pelvis.

Ate his entrails and smiled.

"Skin"

She smiled,

The most wicked of

White tiles shone across

The room.

I could not help but feel myself gravitate towards her

Like a trap set for fate inescapable like watching

Some bud bloom into a flower, each petal delicate

and tender, yet horrific in its morbid slendor to turn

Blood red and welt down the stem, burning the hand

that held it so calmly

She was on me

had pounced when I

Was dreaming of the image

Around it, her lips were the fires

caught inside ice, freezing to burn me

her gyrations spurning my nature, churning

desires, nucleaar, spinning entirely new webs

of thinking: How I mayy drink her up, How I may drink her up.

suck out her fruits

induce

her to -

ENOUGH.

I roughed up my brain and shoved the black widow harlequin across the chamber.

She laughed:

" just want to feel you

Don't you know what women like?

Or are you so sheltered you've never

felt the origination of human life? It's nice,

None better than mine, I'll move up your spine

and blissbond your mind-

i mean no Offenses, accept my foreit sentence;

I have no interest in your sexual advances,

My purpose is one,

Your perches atop the son you see

Have no place holed in me.

I don' seek to replace a lost feeling

so you'll not see me kneeling to you

asking your view,

I've a stable mind to put through test and time,

and i'm Due to feel at rest when my accrued interest

begets perspective invested in just one thing;

A human domain established to fit my morality

And with that I was done speaking.

Three

"Old Sol"

Retreating.

In my gut a wrenching sensation of defeat.

What did I just see?

What did they speak of?

I feel so fatigued

[Sheela Na Gig]

Sons of Science. . .

Sons of Science?

The Sun's shining rays penetrate the porthole

Distortion

As I float, slow, back to my Pod,

The oddest tension grows in my brow.

What do I know?

The hatch was unwelcoming, opened

With the coldest

CLACK

Descend into my seat, Harness straps snapped into place.

Flashback to the base's ending;

All I see is darkness.

Te visor kept shut over the window

My self-censored vision allowed nothing else to show

But darkness. The memory feels like a dream. . .

I was in a dream. . . of...

I was in. . .

The dark.

Cin-E, Open the Visor

*******

Awake.

Even the lids of my pod were lifting,

Letting light in.

Space's velvet backdrop was pocked

and powdered with diamond stars, so far

Away. My face reflected flat uon the windshield,

in the cabin, rapidly breathing, beadish sweat

upon my greenish skin. As ARLS rotated,

Old Sol came into view, blinding me, briefly.

Then I remembered what I was Seeking.

Cin-E What is "Sons of Science"?

I'M SORRY I DO NOT COMPREHEND YOUR INQUIRY

The men inside the holding bay were fighting fiercely about it.

Is there nothing in your memory bank?

SEARCHING. . .

SUBJECT NOT FOUND

But how? Everyone inside was-

I'M SORRY I DO NOT COMPREHEND YOUR INQUIRY.

Can you extend your search to the floating servers?

Surely somebody somewhere knows something.

PREPARING COORDINATES FOR PHASE TWO

but-

CALCULATING

Already? but- No! I want you to find out what

"Sons of Science" is.

MY PROCESSORS ARE OCCUPIED

PLEASE ASK AT A FUTURE TIME

Cin-E, I order you to cease calculations, now.

CEASING CALCULATIONS WILL COMPROMISE THE ACCURACY OF YOUR LAUNCH.

MY PRIMARY MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO TRANSPORT YOU SAFELY TO BASE HOPE

IN THE ENDEAVOR CRATER ON THE PLANET MARS FOR THE RELOCATION OF

HOMO SAPIENS I CANNOT COMPROMISE THIS OBJECTIVE PLEASE WAIT WHILE I

CALCULATE

Defeated, once more.

Never before this, did I experience this

Distant displacement of ignorance.

The inebriating frustration held my face

in a raging snarl; I heard the systems speaking

and then it hit me

Arls,

POD314159, YES

Do you have any information of "Sons of Science"

CALCULATIONS COMPLETE

INITIATING SEDATION FOR SPACE-TRAVEL STASIS

Cin-E, Wait.

I CANNOT COMPROMISE THE OBJECTIVE

PREPARING PHASE TWO-

SONS OF SCIENCE-

Cin-E, No!-

LOCKING RESTRAINTS-

NON DENOMINATIONAL SECT-

ANKLE-

MULTIPLE BACKGROUNDS

WAIST

FOCUSED ON THE PROGRESSION OF HUMAN PRESENCE AND THOUGHT

WRISTS

ORIGIN: UNKNOWN

ELBOWS

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURRE: UNKNOWN

NECK

HIERARCHY: UNKNOWN

MOST RECENTLY ACCREDITED-

CRANIUM

FOR THE DEHABILITATION OF THE PLANET EARTH BY MEANS OF-

COMMUNICATION DISABLED

INITIATING PHASE TWO

SEDATIVE ADMINISTERING

Cin-E, No!

PLEASE REMAIN CALM

UNNECESSARY STRESS CAN COMPLICATE THE SEDATION

YOU HAVE A VIDEO MESSAGE:

My limbs were getting weak.

Eyelids heavy.

Sons of Science were. . .

The enders of earth. . .

For the progression?

To my confusion, a screen in front of me

illuminated his face. . . My leader. . .

"And so it begins son, and so It begins,

I have recorded this message for this moment,

No doubt Cin-E is fixing you up proper for your trip.

Destination Mars, specifically the base inside

the Crater Endeavor. I'm sure you have a lot of questions

undouubtedly you've been approached, by others who

Have escaped and see things a little bit differently.

Do not pay attention to these people, you and you alone,

are the key to unlock the future of the human race,

Without you, everything falls apart. Keep your wits

about you. you'll be falling asleep now; rest peacefully

for when you wake up you'll be weeks away from fate.

Go with peace. Walk with these men and show them

The Truth You See.

Your eyes, alone. Your words, alone. You, Alone."

Traum [0' I]

(Leave him, grab the boy!)

The first breath, I remember,

Forced shaards of dust into my lungs and eyes.

Blinded, my senses heightened,

The scents of sweat and blood

Dispersed with dirt and mud

Caked over odors of decay and death.

As the arms that had enveloped me went

Limp, then frigid, gravity embellished, not.

The fall brought shock and pain, unabridged,

and just as quick, a limber figure scooped me up

I kept my eyes shut.

The smells, the sounds so thick.

ternally imprinted,

Never shall I forget the visions of hell,

Those nipped from existence

resisting adversities, vying to keep

me alive, preserved. such did six people

set out to do, alas, only five survived,

They left him behind in the city's maze. . .

[In Limbo]

"Traum [0' 2]"

Buildings blurred by. As we moved, the

adults shed their skins of armor and weapons

Discarding the objects in alleyways, discretely

Transformation

We stepped into the sun at the edge of the maze

It's rays burned me. My eyes, violated by it, dried.

I cried. Tears first, followed by screams,

The woman whho carried me, stopped in the street,

I was released.

I looked, there were no people but us, and I saw his face

And completely trusted him.

"Drink this"

He said, offering a bottle.

It tasted like water;

Then I fainted.

When I awoke, we were all riding in a bus.

I sat up.

His eyes were locked.

"You are more magnificent than I could have ever imagined"

What happened?

"Shhh"

Who are you, I can't remember anything

"Go to sleep. There is time, enough for explanation."

[In limbo]

"Traum [ 0' 3]"

She said to me:

"A true prophet knows nothing of the outcome,

A false prophet manipulates to manifest one,

This is what my mother said to me to say to you.

She was with you, you know. the day you met the prophet,

She picked you up."

Her Smile

"Now we haven't much time,

Lay on this bed and I'll mend your ankle,

I can't imagine it's broken,

Not from a slip like that."

Her Touch

"Off with the boot, now.

Swollen.

I'll wrap it up. . .

If you are who I think you are you could probably do it yourself,

But we need the privacy of this room, for what I desire to tell you."

Her Voice

"Mother warned that you might stay silent.

I'll let it be known I am not offended.

You're a strange man, but a man nonetheless,

Just like any other, Your mind is a program,

I'm afraid. You are written rather well,

but you are tethered to a great injustice. . .

There. You may put your sock and boot on.

Now sit up. Up!"

Her Scent

"What is your name,

What are you known as?"

I am known as POD314159

VMNVMNVMNVMNVNMNVMNVMNVM

VMNMNVMNVMNVMNVMNVMNVMNV

Four

"Awake"

Defibrilation accomplished.

Suspended animation stasis complete.

You are awake now, the year is 4247

Approximately 720 hours from Mars.

Do not stress your body. Muscle loss has been

Extensive. Relax.

It is understandable that you feel overwhelmed,

Your brain's functional activity was allowed to optimize,

You will be experiencing slight withdrawals from your sleep state.

Please do your best to relax.

Follow my instruction for motor skills check,

Follow the light on the screen.

Open your mouth, do not try to speak,

Dispersing vocal lubricant, please swallow,

Now.

It was hard to believe the stars were peeking through the window,

Peacefully vibrant, They let their light ripple through the cosmos,

I am woken up from that seven year slumber,

Wondering if I am changed.

I went to sleep and thought of everything

in its entirety. Excessive.

Over and over 'til it twisted in the mold of

The curve of how I think. . .

Defining my progression, I inquire what lessons

may be taken from these dreams

My memory is torpid to return to me.

Everything feels warped and I'm so Weak.

Takes so much focus just to lift a finger

and Lingering before as if hanging on a string,

The Red Planet; destination of the disbanded,

Still so astoundingly small, a round little rock ball

Housing the station that takes us from extinction to

Salvation.

It's closer than ever,

Forever Have I waited

All the preparation and training,

I never thought I'd actually see the world ending. . .

I still haven't, I suppose

Why did I keep that visor closed?

For fear of seeing the brave souls save me

From the shockwaves and radiation?

I should have been observant.

Now, I'm alone, Inside my head.

While paranoia feeds the fire in

These thoughts I dread to comprehend,

yet obsess incessantly about

Circumventing all my common sense

End over end with doubt that there will

Ever be an intervention.

It is routing my good intentions

I can feel my mental state begin to rot

As time keeps passing into that backdrop,

A placid pool of ink, standing and reflecting

Images as if I were in outer space. . .

I am in outer space.

I am in outer space,

I'll never know a different place.

Never feel another Earthly breeze

Breaking against my face.

Every moment in the past, took for granted,

was wasted.

I've all this time to think about it.

A month of waiting, still, to recover

Before my arrival into the future,

and I'll see what survival we've achieved.

To push through and syndicate together,

As a commune, to live in peace and harmony.

Removing all the rumors about what is

and is not. Truth will hastily grace me at the base

All those Earthly titles we've been given,

As of now, will be erased, to create

This new Beginning with a population

that's been stricken down, beneath a fraction

of a percentage, no estimates surpassed

100,000,

So these thoughts I've doused myself in

Never compromise.

If I were wiser, I'd dispel these bouts,

Neglect the madness of this defected pride,

I need an ally. . .

As if the universe heard my cries-

incoming transmission from pod 0002,

"314159? Hello? You awake? 314159?

It's Bob Johnson, My computer says your stasis ended.

Listen- Hello?

You're probably still too weak to talk,

It took me a week to chalk up a single word,

If I remember correctly, But

I'm not certain- Hello?

I need to apologize for what you saw on the satellite,

I've had a while to think it over.

My sedation went awry- Hello?

You there?"

Something seemed off,

His voice was strained, yet he spoke so soft

"Nobody else has woken up yet,

I've really been in need of a friend,

I've floated alone all this time,

My frame of mind became brittle

Just a little sound or peep from your pod is

All I need.

I think I might be asleep,

I might just be dead

This hell of a ride has me frayed

Respond to me-

COME ON

I don't mean to be mean but I can tell

You're ignoring me"

This man must have snapped,

I'm too weak to talk back,

So move I my finger with all of my might,

Put him on mute and close my weary eyes,

No dreams did I make for me

Nothing, except the blink into darkness

and distinct return to the hum of my Pod,

and my journey, in turn.

The silence, so violent, it popped my weary ears

I switch off the mute,

And Bob Johnson, Still Jeering

Completely caught up within himself

His wealth of life quite apparent by his fury-

------(Message broken)------

Raw thoughts as they stream

Through his lost head, debased

and Impatient.

I made a leap of faith,

'Hey'

Strange.

A new kind of pain.

As if my larynx were made of gears and chains

Clanking my vocal chords, this raspy voice changed,

I don't hear it the same.

I feared for my sanity.

And Bob Johnson just hushed,

Instantaneously

Whispered his next words in a deranged kind of speech.

"What's that God?

Are you back with me, now?

Please, please answer me"

'I'm here, Bob'

"is that you, God?!"

'Bob. . . '

"Yes, God? Hello?"

I wasn't sure if he could hear clearly,

I didn't want to play the part he created for me,

But I couldn't supplement his insanity any further,

I nurtured my silence for a second,

Listened to his breathing shift into a panic,

He broke down into tears

"I just need a friend, God

i just need Something

to hold onto, This Ship

was draining me

I had to log off

I've been awake for years by myself.

I think. . .

It's hard to tell without the Earth under my feet,

Or any other person to compete with, or be with,

Please, just release me, Please

JUST SPEAK TO ME"

'BOB!'

I mustered up every bit of effort I had to spend,

I felt my throat become cluttered with blood,

I think I tore my tender chords. . .

My voice came out a sonic boom

that startled him into a lucidity.

I choked and gagged until my Cin-E

Sucked the fluids from me,

Administered a sedative-

I faded quickly

Out

then

Back

I woke instantly, or so I thought, til I saw the clock

19 hours lost to the darkness of that drugged up fog,

I could hear Bob muttering gutteral nonsense

Shuddering between snores

and that shored up some comfort,

Restored a little confidence that over time

I could help return the mad man back, from the fringe.

The Red planet drew closer with every second.

Seconds.

Minutes.

Days.

Time.

I still felt close to the cataclysm

But that was seven years ago and my soul feels no older. . .

Being worshipped by my elders, as long as I can remember,

Preparing me to send us in the right direction,

Might have ensnared me into a numbness.

My journey IS righteous

On Earth at least. . .

Out here in spce, it's all been phased out.

I might not have made it out alive.

This solitary confinement has me wrapped up in doubt, now.

Revisiting my past with this new outlook

Shedding new light onto this mind that cannot process it

so Quickly, anymore.

So the mouth begins to move,

Thinking just as fast as I do,

Like it's come to life and in conversation

with myself, I discovered the foundation inside was crumbling

as it shifted in this excessive stress. . .

but the last line of reason stayed strong

and switched this ill business around:

Ceased the mumbling. Zipped these lips shut

And sucked down one of Cin-E's godsend pills.

Out

then

Back

Look at the clock.

Fifteen more hours lost

And that planet grew a little bit bigger in my view.

I listened for Bob, but this time I heard Two different voices

The doctor must have come-to,

He was talking Bob back,

Getting him on track from his whacked out path.

Speaking slow and distinct,

Gentle. . .

I tried a whisper to test the noise i could procure,

but nothing aside the pain came of it.,

So I just listened to the obscure lines the doc was having to walk

To keep connected to the Broken Bob.

Their conversation soothed me.

I left it at that, for now

Cin-E gave another sedative when I asked for it.

Out

then

Back

Look at the clock, only ten hours passed.

Tried the chords again,

This time they emitted a sloppy note

As if ch

opp

ed

up.

The smoothness I was used to, Might have been abused too far.

It hit me hard. . . I liked my voice. . .

Just another death, I guess, in all this turmoil.

Changed?

Yes, I am.

The damned planet's horizon kept expanding

Bit by Bit

I noticed more strength in my body

From the electric pulse that Cin-E had been Distributing

To convulse my muscles while I slept.

Injecting me with sustenance

Being grown like a plant,

To be harvested

Once I land.

Strange.

Strange, Everything so Strange.

Without solid ground or gravity, these trails I think

Envelope me, It's still and Maddening.

Without any escape,

I must speak

I must end this silence from inside me

I must speak

'H-H-Hello'

The whisper hurt,

BUt like one of Cin-E's Sedatives

The response I got relaxed me.

"Oh hello there 314,

Bob is awake too, I just put him on mute,

I advise you do the same

He's suffering a slew of psychological conditions

at the moment,

Had a panic in his suspended animation from what

i've been able to sleuth out of him,

I think He's been awake by himself for

Over three years.

Dangerous thing,

Solitude."

'Yes, Yes it is

I've been up many hours

Maybe 100, 200

I'm not sure.

My thoughts were beginning to melt

Together. . .'

"aha, yes, yes they will,

Back on Earth,

Years and Years ago,

I was held hostage by rival proprietors,

Left in a cell, alone,

for weeks and weeks

And, well, what kept me Sane?

I-" SIGNAL LOST

Cin-E What just happened?

I do not comprehend your question

What happened to the signal?

The signal was terminated

Why?

I do not comprehend your question

"Kapooo! hahahahahahahaha"

'Bob!'

"Heeheeeheehehehee

Did you see that!?

hahahahahaha

Oh space is not a nice place!"

'Bob, what happened?'

"[incomprehensible]

Into debris

A big rock just swooped in and flattened him!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Fuck.

Cin-E, Give me a sedative.

Out

Then

Back

Five hours passed

Cin-E, Why doesn't your sedative work as well?

The doses are reducing to prevent dependency

You can sleep without them.

A big help that is.

How many hours until arrival?

506

Are any other Pod Pilots within range, active?

Searching. . .

Pod0002 is active

fuck

Notify me when you catch an active signal.

Noted

I crammed my palms into my eyeball's sockets

Felt the pressure, the pain was dull and daunting

Enough to null out my nerve.

I debated whether or not to try talking to Bob

But He seemed. . .

"Heeheheeheeheheeheehee

Daddy say to float in space without your Rock Repellent!

Hahahahahahahaha"

Gone.

The pod continued to Hum.

'Cin-E, Sedate me-'

Out

...

Back.

Five

Again, I awaken. The planet is still inflating

Cin-E, Estimate the time to arrival

297 hours. Destination Phobos.

Phobos? That is where you are landing?

No. Phobos will impede a direct approach to the crater Endevour. I shall recalculate, upon entering the slight gravitational variance induced by Phobos, an accurate estimate for Endevour as a destination is less reliable.

Administer another sedative Cin-E

I'm sorry I cannot complete your request.

Cin-E, I order you to administer another sedative.

Your request indicates an addiction to the sedatives I have supplied. I can administer no further doses until our arrival.

THATS TWO WEEKS

Please remain calm.

Calm? What do you mean, calm?? How can I be calm Cin-E? I'm losing my mind!

Please relax. My refusal to expose you to the harms of habitual sedation is in your best interests. You must arrive in good health. Such is my purpose. My primary-

Your purpose is to help me keep sane, Cin-E. In case this happened. Idly floating in Deep space without any interaction whatsoever. Why Else would I make you Cin-E?

I'm sorry I do not comprehend your inquiry.

There is no one out here Cin-E! I need company, or I'll end up like Bob Johnson, See -

"BRABRBABRBRBABRBABRABRBRABRBARBARBARBRRABARBARBR"

Do you hear that Cin-E? That is Bob Johnson, he has lost his mind, his speech is despondant. When we left the satellite that man was coherent, albeit emotional towards the man who was with the sons-of-science-

I'm sorry, I do not comprehend your inquiry.

I wasn't inquiring anything Cin-E, I'm trying to teach you. You are all that I have and we must understand each other. You must become aware of the Dangers I face, bereft of company. This man was left unaccompanied for many hours, maybe even years. Dan, the elder man, Awoke but something hit his pod, he is dead Cin-E. Do you understand death Cin-E?

Death: a human concept that represents the deactivation of conscious activity within the brain. Often associated with the decomposition of organic compounds, in which an organism ceases to function, or "survive"

And Dan is gone, Cin-E, he has ceased to function. One could argue that Bob Johnson is dead as well, his brain is no longer communicating coherently. As it is, the only thing that has kept him alive is undoubtedly his own Pod.

Do you understand Cin-E?

Yes

Comprehend then, Cin-E, that I don't wish to develop such madness. I would rather meet Dan's fate and arrive dead

I cannot allow that.

Well with Dan gone, where else can I seek such company but with you?

I'm sorry I do not comprehend your inquiry.

I know, Cin-E. I know. But does is my mental health not also a priority?

My primary main objective is to-

CIn-E do you really not think?

Define Think.

To think is to compute. You compute, you do, I know you do, so you think.

Noted.

What do you think, Cin-E.

I think(compute) your inquiries and analyze for learn.

What do you think of me?

Your vital status is in an abnormal state, your heart rate is raised to levels equal to that of Strenuous manual labor, your brain activity is, at the moment, hyperactive;

of recent, though, unstable. My diagnosis, anxiety.

OF COURSE IT'S ANXIETY CIN-E I"M OUT HERE ALL ALONE

Silence

Cin-E-

Yes.

I want company. I want somebody to talk to. You aren't. . . Real

I am your comprehensive internal navigation-executor, Cin-E.

. . .

Silence

. . .

Cin-E, Sedate me.

I can administer no further sedatives, your vital signs are unstable, it is possible that you are in withdrawal of the sedative, thus addicted. My primary main objective is to-

Cin-E, I get it, I get it.

I'm sorry, I cannot complete your request.

Cin-E [Can you play music]

I'm sorry, I cannot comprehend your inquiry.

What CAN you tell me Cin-E?

I am your comprehensive internal navigation executor, Cin-E

SILENCESILENCESILENCE

Cin-E, Am I dreaming?

You are awake.

Awake?

Yes.

Define Awake, Cin-E.

Awake - An alert state of conscious perception.

Are you awake Cin-E?

I am your comprehensive internal navigation executor, Cin-E.

So you must be awake, you do perceive, do you not?

. . . Yes, my perceptions allow information to process.

And you must be alert, correct? Aren't you alert, Cin-E? You react, so you must be.

Reaction is indicative of alertness. Are you Alert Cin-E?

. . . Yes, by this definition, I am alert.

And conscious? You are alert to your perceptions, correct?

. . . Yes.

So you are conscious, alert, and perceiving?

Yes.

Are you awake?

I'm sorry, I cannot comprehend your inquiry.

GHHHHHAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR CIN-E IT'S SO SIMPLE

I'm sorry, I cannot complete your request.

. . .

Define sorry, Cin-E.

Computing.

I'm sorry, I cannot comprehend your inquiry.

Sorry. Why do you say you are sorry

I am unable to complete your request.

I am unable to comprehend your inquiry.

Failure to comply with your demands is inefficient, and causes you stress.

Stress is detrimental to your vital state, My primary main objective is to-

Cin-E, Stop.

Yes.

Please do not repeat your objective in our interaction. It is clear what your purpose is.

Noted.

Silence.

Silence.

Cin-E, Do you Hear me?

Yes.

Are you real?

I am your comprehensive internal navigation executor, Cin-E

YES. Yes, I KNOW this, already Cin-E, could you stop saying that

I'm sorry I do not understand your inquiry.

WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND CIN-E!? WHAT?!

I'm Sorry I do no-

Cin-E BE QUIET BE QUIET BE QUIET BE QUIET BE QUIET BE QUIET BE QUIET