H.O.M.E. 1
by
Fin
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The words hung in the air.
No one in the stark military office of Space Command Central moved an inch.
All three men just stood there in silence.
Each waiting for someone else to say something next.
In the end, it was the one whom had last spoken, whom first began again.
"Aren't you going to say anything Dad?" questioned Lieutenant Commander Samuel Blade. The handsome blonde soldier could not hide the worry etched upon his face. It had taken all the courage the brave young man could muster to have uttered the words that had been inside him for so long.
But it was again silence that filled the room next however.
And it was only Samuel's younger brother, James, that spoke next.
"Dad? Say something," demanded Ensign James Blade hestitatingly. The cute 20 year old lad was unused to talking to his domineering father so. The brown haired boy quickly stole a look at his older brother, before turning back to face his only living parent.
Admiral Franklin Blade however did not turn from the large bay window of his office, continuing to stare out into the vastness of space, not saying a word. The man was notorious for being curt to his officers, but this was unusual even for him. These were his sons.
Yet still the admiral looked away from them both, his impassive features hidden behind his thick gray mustache, while his eyes searched the stars beyond.
"Dad! Answer me!" yelled Samuel Blade, finally losing his cool, raising his voice to the man whom he had feared his whole young life.
James breathed in audibly, scared by what his older brother, his hero, had just done....what he was continuing to do.
Eventually Admiral Franklin Blade spoke.
"You're going to miss the launch."
Silence once more.
Samuel just shook his head slowly, as tears began to stream down his youthful face. The Lieutenant Commander stood there a few more moments, perhaps hoping that his father may speak again.
But when his old man continued to just stand there, glaring out into the black emptiness in silence, the blonde soldier turned on his heel, and fled the room without saying another word.
"Sam!" called out James after him, but his older brother did not turn back.
"Dad! Stop him!" continued the youngest Blade beginning to break down into tears himself. "Dad!"
But Samuel Blade was gone, and the young man would not be returning.
Today was the launch of The Icarus Mission, and the lieutenant commander was one of three chosen elite officers to man the prestigious flight. A launch, not just to another world, but to another dimension entirely.
Nearly every soldier in the fleet had applied to be one of the crew. But it had been Lieutenant Commander Samuel Blade whom had stood above the rest, winning his seat in the cockpit, without even the slightest assistance of his famous war hero father. It was a tour of duty that would surely earn the young man his place in history.
Joining Sam on the flight was the mission leader, Captain Reginold Kyrce, along with the presiding science officer, Commander Wesley East. All three were to make the first manned mission to another universe, and with any luck, return home to ours once more safe and sound.
It had only been 3 months ago, that The Rift had been discovered, orbiting a binary star not far from the Local Cluster. A tear in the fabric of space-time itself, the anomoly emmitted distorted wavelengths of light that could only have been generated by passing through a wormhole into another dimension.
News of the discovery spread quickly through the human colonies.
Where did The Rift lead?
Whom had opened it?
Was it dangerous?
Next to nothing was known about what lay on the other side, and Space Command was taking absolutely no chances. It had chosen its best to venture into The Rift and return with news of the other dimension, what none of the probes could answer before their distorted transmissions were mysteriously ended.
The Icarus Mission had very clear orders.
Breach The Rift.
Survey the other universe.
Then return immediately with their data.
In total, the mission was to last less than 10 minutes.
10 minutes to journey to an entirely new dimension, then back again.
10 minutes to make history for all of mankind.
The leaders of the fleet had assembled on Space Command Central, a massive starship that served as an armed mobile base, in order to watch the launch of The Icarus Mission, and one of it's enormous hangars had been converted into an audience hall, complete with a viewscreen several stories tall, in order for everyone invited to see every last detail of the historic flight.
Sitting in the front row, was Admiral Franklin Blade, war hero of Sentinus IV. Beside him was his youngest son James. The two men sat through the launch ceremony in silence, neither talking to each other, or anyone else in the audience as speech after speech was given to thunderous applause. They certainly did not utter a word about what their son and brother, Samuel Blade, had revealed to them only a few minutes earlier. They would not have even known how, if they had tried.
The launch began just as planned, the specially designed spacecraft exiting one of the far hangars on Space Command Central without nary a glitch.
The Icarus then began it's acceleration, weaving between the binary stars at the center of the solar system, until it slingshotted directly toward The Rift at near light speed.
And then it was through!
The craft had entered The Rift successfully!
More applause! The clock had started!
James Blade looked at his father as the digital display on the screen began its ascent.
The boy was shocked to see the man sweating! He had never once seen the man nervous in all his life.
When the clock reached 10 minutes, James saw his father begin to fidget with his uniform.
When the clock reached 20 minutes, James saw a deadness creep into the older man's eyes.
When the clock reached 30 minutes, the audience hall was abuzz with murmurs.
What was going on?
Where was The Icarus?
Why had it not returned?
Some tried to address the admiral, but the man seemed lost to the world, continuing to stare at the viewscreen as it counted upwards unabated.
When the clock reached 40 minutes, there was finally a signal.
One short transmission.
The final broadcast from The Icarus.
"Mission Failure. Do not send rescue. Danger to Home, catastrophic."