Image
The Site by Jose Daniel Cabrera Peña
Words
Neal Ulen
When : Where
2051 : Earth / Indian Ocean
The ship was as old as a tomb, and just as quiet. In fact, it probably was a tomb but it might be days before the expedition would solve the enigma of cracking the hull in a safe manner in order to enter. Scans indicated the interior was not flooded, which was a miracle considering the hulk had been submerged in the Indian Ocean for almost 20,000 years. Painstaking research and preparation had led to this moment, and in a matter of hours, Kalki would be walking the corridors of an extraterrestrial ship that has been lost from its home for 200 centuries. The knowledge contained might be innumerable.
As he stood on the sandy rise surveying the decaying ship through the blue gloom, he watched members of the research team moving lights and equipment around the excavation site. The sound of his aqualung’s gurgling lulled him into a moment of reflection amidst the harried schedule. Something at the back of Kalki’s mind troubled him. It was like a subtle itch that couldn’t be scratched. Something about the discovery felt too convenient, too easy … almost pre-arranged.
What if this ship wasn’t lost? What if this ship wasn’t dormant? What if it was just patiently waiting for someone to come along and discover it?
.FIN.
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