Kyla's Diary - Chapter 1: The Incident
“I have lived most of my life in space. Helios is my home, but I’m an earthling.”
I was only 22 when we departed. It was extremely difficult to be selected for the Seeder Project, but I had been preparing for the selection process for as long as I could remember. I chose the right classes and learned everything I needed, but the number of applicants was staggering, and the competition brutal.
In the end, it was a combination of doing the right things and a little bit of luck.
I was assigned to the communications unit within the Navigation Arc. Before the reorganization, we just called it the Command Crew.
Back then, we received a daily communication package. You have to understand what that meant to those who left loved ones on Earth. Every day, a new package would arrive with mission-related information, but it also included news and personal messages. It was what everyone really waited for.
After a couple of years, the packages were sent weekly. Then they moved to a monthly schedule.
Receiving personal messages became more difficult because communication took longer and packages were limited in size, so a lottery system was established on Earth.
Only five personal messages per package. If you were a lucky recipient, your name was added to another lottery held on Helios. For us, transmission was costlier, so only two people could respond.
When I turned 50, messages already took about six months to arrive and another six months for our replies to return to Earth. I remember that year clearly because I was one of the lucky ones who received a message. It was from my brother. He used the expensive deep-space channel to let me know that I was getting old. I miss him.
This was the last time I received a message. A couple of years later, personal messages were removed from the packages to keep them small and improve transmission.
Everyone knew it would get worse every year. We had an internal joke in the communications unit: we would be the first job on Helios to become obsolete.
I was 85 when we received the bad news that Ra had been canceled. The Seeder 3 vessel would never depart. After that, we only received three more messages from Earth. From prior packages, we already knew about the social and political changes happening, but we could never have imagined how far they would go.
The last two messages arrived only months apart. It would take two years to get an answer to either one. That kind of waiting takes a toll no one anticipated.
“Evaluate all your options to change your trajectory and immediately map the area for rogue planetary objects.”
We were still debating how to respond when the last message arrived.
“The Seeder Project has been canceled. Central Command will shut down its operation next month.”
How do you recover from something like that? How do you respond?
I have lived most of my life in space. Helios is my home, but I’m an earthling. People expected someone like me to support returning to Earth. We did not. Unexpectedly, it was only those born on Helios who wanted to turn back.
It started as small protests. Then strikes. Until one day, almost half of the crew did not show up at their posts.
That day, a group started gathering outside the communication room in the Work Ring. A dozen at first. Then it grew until it became a crowd of about 30 people.
The Captain called an emergency meeting with the three members of the Council. As originally designed, one member was elected among all the people. The second member was the Director of the Data and Information Office. Finally, me, a rotating member representing the elders.
During the meeting, the elected member suggested sending the Regulation Bureau to guard the communications room. Director Sullivan disagreed. She argued that it would escalate the issue even further. I agreed with her.
Captain Acosta sent them anyway. All six were armed with their stun canes and pneumatic pistols.
The weapons were never meant to kill anyone. They were designed to incapacitate, to avoid damaging the ship.
The Director oversaw the Data Integrity Unit, the only other armed group aboard Helios. She dispatched them as intermediaries, hoping to de-escalate the situation.
Both would regret their decisions.
The protesters filled the corridor with calls to turn back, to abandon the mission and return to Earth.
The Regulation Bureau approached from one side, trying to protect the entrance to the communication room.
From the other side, a counterprotest advanced, voices rising in support of the mission. “We go forward. It is our destiny!”
The Data Integrity officers were stationed between the two groups.
The whole thing was transmitted to the Council chamber.
This was the darkest day in the history of Helios: the Incident. The first time violence overtook reason aboard.
“This is a good place to stop,” said Instructor Mendez. “We still have some time for questions. Anyone?”
The silence in the classroom turned into a commotion. Multiple hands shot up. Kyla almost jumped out of her seat. Nia was already waving.
“Miss Brooks,” he said, pointing at Nia.
“Did we have enough fuel to return to Earth?”
“I’m not an expert in navigation and propulsion,” Instructor Mendez replied, “but I’ll answer as best as I can. A ship like Helios is designed to accelerate and burn almost all its fuel at the beginning of the mission. When we received the message, returning was impossible. Even if fuel had not been an issue, changing course and returning would have taken centuries.”
“The rotating instructor from the Navigation Arc will probably do a better job explaining this.” Instructor Mendez paused. “This month we have the First Officer visiting. This would be an excellent question to ask.”
“Mr. Darrow,” he added, pointing at Julian.
“What’s the name of the story? Can we continue reading it?” he asked.
“Of course. It’s called ‘2338: How We Got Here,’ by Henry Solariam. You can ask your Logminter. It’s part of the content library.”
A beep interrupted, signaling the lunch break.
“After the break, I’ll have a surprise for you,” he said louder as the students prepared to leave for lunch.
Kyla waited for Darius until he finished organizing his desk. She leaned closer, lowering her voice.
“I can’t believe Julian wasted a question on something so trivial… He is a showoff.”
“You love the guy,” Darius replied.
Kyla dismissed the comment. “I didn’t get to ask my question. I don’t understand why anyone would want to go back. We have everything we need on Helios.”
“I don’t know, maybe they were scared,” Darius said.
They walked in silence for a moment.
“What do you think the surprise will be?” Kyla asked.
“Knowing Instructor Mendez, it’s probably a project or an assignment… something along those lines,” Darius said.
“Let’s hurry up. Taro and Nia are probably waiting for us.” They quickened their pace to join them.
Thanks for reading Kyla’s Diary, a novel from the Theogenic Universe. New chapters will be published weekly. Subscribe to continue the journey aboard Helios.