*
Blearily Elim opened his eyes as a loud beeping noise woke him from sleep. Sitting up he realised he had fallen asleep studying, his pad next to him on his cot. It had been a week since he had found the system and he was halfway to the planet where the original signal came from. Over the past few days while he had relearned the landing procedures and refreshed his memory on colonisation and reviving his people in their stasis tubes. The computer had finished a complete scan of the system as well. The system was composed of 12 planets, two of which were in the habitable zone. Of those two both contained water meaning there was a strong likelihood of life on both planets. Elim had tried beaming signals to both planets ever since he had discovered the other in the hope he might hear something back. He still had receive no response, leading him to wonder if any one was still listening there.
Shuffling off the bed Elim stumbled over to the small status panel on the far wall of his bedroom. Bracing himself against the wall with one hand he peered at the screen to see two words.
“Incoming Transmission”
Elim’s eyes lit up, quickly he rushed out of his room and down the corridor to the bridge.
Sitting down in front of the main control panel he began playing the transmission, various visions of fantastic aliens and technology playing in his mind.
A face filled the screen, a face much like his own. To his shock Elim realised he was staring at a member of his own species.
“Greetings traveller and welcome to our system. My name is Mylon and I am the leader of our people here. I must admit it came to a shock for all of us that another lifeboat has found this place. We have been living here for well over fifteen thousand years, our civilisation has thrived and expanded to the second world I am sure your scanners have picked up. During one of the earlier exodus’ our people must have become separated and lost contact. We welcome you to rejoin your people, we have plenty of food and more than enough land to accommodate everyone on your ship. You are home. We have sent a ship to rendezvous with you and guide you in, it will reach you shortly.” The voice had a thick accent but it was still understandable. Elim could barely believe his ears.
Tears sprung into Elim’s eyes, trailing down his cheeks as images of this alien but still very similar civilisation, were displayed on the view screen following Mylon’s words. Cities, towns, lakes, beaches, families and children. All that he remembered of the old world he had lived on seemed to exist to some degree on this new planet. Elim thought of his people in the holding bay, those in stasis who were his friends and who would walk out, not into some dust bowl of a world that needed to be terraformed, but into a living, breathing land populated by their own people.
After his elation died down Elim quickly went back to his quarters to tidy himself up. It had been far too long since he had met another person and he had to admit to himself that he had let himself go a bit. Checking the remaining water supplies he decided he could afford a shower and got out a fresh uniform. An hour later Elim was cleaned up and ready to meet his people.
A few anxious hours passed of which Elim spent most of his time pacing the ship and trying to think of what he should say and how he should act. He rechecked himself in the mirror every few minutes and constantly tidied the ship.
Finally a transmission came through that the rendezvous ship had arrived and requested Elim to make sure his ship stayed still for docking. Running to the bridge Elim brought up the transmission and tried to message the ship back. Strangely the other ship did not communicate back. Ignoring this Elim rushed to the airlock at the opposite end of the ship to greet his guests.
Waiting in anticipation Elim stood there as he heard the other ship connect with his with a dull clang. A few minutes later he heard the pressurisation of air as the passage between the two ships was filled with gas.
Standing there Elim realised that in the next couple of minutes he would be reunited with his people, never having to travel the stars again.
The hatch swung open, Elim peered inside only to find a dense mist obscured his vision.
“Hello?” Elim asked after a few seconds of looking around.
Elim heard a dull bang and felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down he saw blood slowly leaking from a hole in his suit. Pressing his hand against it he looked up in shock as his knees began to buckle.
Two figures made their way through the hatch, one walked past him without a second glance, the other stood in front of him staring down dispassionately.
“Who? Why?” Elim whispered at the man in front of him as he felt his vision dim.
“We need your resources, I am sorry. There is no star here, no planet. Our ship emits a signal that fools your scanning system into seeing what we want. There is no hope my friend.” The man knelt down in front of Elim looking at him sadly. “For what it’s worth I am sorry Elim.”
Elim collapsed on the ground, watching as the man rose and walked past him towards the bridge his eyes closing as his life drifted away.
“Begin transferring the fuel, I’ll send a team over to dismantle the electronics.” The man who had spoke to him said to the other.
“What about the stasis pods?” The other asked.
“Jettison them with this one.” The man said, pointing at Elim’s body. “They have no value.”
The two left Elim dying on the ground as they walked towards the bridge to begin their grisly work. With the universe dying around them there was no room for mercy.
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