"All systems green, ready when you are Ground Control."
Within the cramped confines of a sleek futuristic space craft, hung high above a blue and green planet, sat a single man in his early thirties. He was slightly below average height with dirty blonde hair that bordered on grey, wide shoulders that sagged slightly, and a face that looked twenty years older than his true age.
Around him the ship was a constant source of noise as power thrummed through the walls and monitors beeped rhythmically, their myriad lights cutting through the dim cabin.
While waiting for a reply his dull grey eyes roamed across the ship's interior, eventually reaching the centre of the long cabin where they settled on a round glass canister extending from the floor to the ceiling, its contents cracking and flowing like liquid despite their metallic appearance.
This was the heart of the ship – a chunk of exotic matter that tumbled to earth from the depths of space and made everything possible.
Magnetically suspended within the tube, the golf-ball-sized mass continued to twist and warp. Its ebony surface fracturing and sealing in a rhythmic cycle that revealed flashes of the chaotic purple energy writhing within it.
"All systems nominal. You are cleared to begin the test, and Morgan... good luck."
Drawn back to reality by the sound of a man's voice, garbled by static, Morgan began the startup sequence with practiced ease.
"Come on Johnny I don't need luck, you should know as well as I the care that went into this ship."
"So you've said, but my gut's telling me there's something we missed."
Despite the ever-present static, the unease in Johnny's voice was clear. Morgan had heard this concern before — his old friend had been expressing doubts for months now, unable to point to any specific flaw but insistent something was wrong.
So the test went on.
"Johnny, we've already established that a gut feeling isn't enough of a reason to call off what could very well be the start of a new age for humanity. Now, let's end this discussion, I have a job to do."
Reluctantly dropping the topic, the radio fell silent as Morgan completed his final checks.
The ship shuddered beneath him as the RCS thrusters ignited, and a holographic system projected two red reticles on the forward window. Grasping the control sticks, he nudged the ship into position, the reticles drifting closer until they snapped together and turned green
With a satisfying ding the ship came to a stop, the nose no longer aimed at the planet but instead to the left of the moon.
"Trajectory locked. Run me through the flight plan one more time Ground Control."
"Roger that. You're to accelerate to escape velocity before engaging the FTL engines. Once activated the ship will follow the preset route around the moon, returning to earth via the same path. Record any abnormalities and only intervene if something goes wrong. The ship will automatically disengage at the end of the route."
"Copy that. All systems go."
Taking a deep breath Morgan pressed down on the pedal beneath the control panel, the ship shuddering as it sped up.
Slowly at first but faster by the second, the ship pulled away from the distant planet. The force of the acceleration pushing Morgan deeper into his chair, till it peaked, the pedal flush to the floor. For five long minutes his breath came in short sharp gulps as he endured the strain on his body, only letting up on the throttle once he got to the needed speed.
"Escape velocity achieved, proceeding with step two."
Hesitantly, Morgan reached out to a covered switch set just at the edge of his reach. The switch – placed here deliberately so it couldn't accidentally be flipped – was the main control for the FTL engine this ship was built around.
When switched off the ship would control the same as a normal shuttle, with limited acceleration and a fuel based propulsion system.
But when it was switched on, the FTL engines took priority and overwrote the standard thrusters with an experimental energy system, that could in theory accelerate matter to light speed and beyond.
Opening the case protecting the switch, Morgan hesitated for a few seconds his hand trembling as it hung over the switch before he steadied himself and pushed the switch up in a single definitive motion.
In an instant the once gentle hum of the ship disappeared, replaced instead by an omnipresent buzz that rang quietly in his ears. At the same time, every light in the ship took on a purple hue as a new, more chaotic energy flooded the system.
"All readings are within the expected parameters, though I must note ringing in my ears – almost like tinnitus – that started when I activated the engine."
Morgan repositioned the microphone closer to his mouth, then scanned the nearby screens for anything out of place. Minutes passed as he waited in silence for a reply, yet only static hissed from the speakers. Frowning, he leant forward in his chair, eyes already focused on the communication monitor.
The screen – normally abuzz with incoming and outgoing messages – was now blank. All that remained was a transcript of his latest report with a buffering symbol spinning beside it.
'I'll need to tell Julie and her team about this. They were supposed to have tweaked the radios to work when the FTL engines are active weeks ago.'
Shrugging, he put the issue out of mind and switched the monitor to record only, before returning to his work.
Morgan reached out for the control sticks, his calloused hands wrapping around the rubber grips. His thumbs traced the identical red buttons built into both before settling firmly over them.
"Well, I guess this is it. Time to make history."
His hands trembled slightly as he steeled his nerves - it was the point of no return - either it worked or it'd be someone else's problem. With a final exaggerated exhale he pushed the twin buttons.
*Click*
Instantly the world in front of him shifted, a blue hue overtaking everything as the space between objects shrunk and grew brighter. Behind him, everything took on a red hue as they dimmed and grew distant.
Stuck in the middle, his ship retained its purple hue, even as a hazy afterimage settled over the cabin like a shadow made of light.
The moon swelled in the window, growing from a small speck to a sizeable sphere in seconds as the ship tore away from earth.
Locking the controls, Morgan tentatively raised his hand. It moved slowly, each movement sluggish as though he was pushing through syrup and not air. Light bled from his skin in pale streamers that hung in the air for a few seconds, mimicking his own motions, before dissipating
"Amazing... it seems my initial theory is correct. The field generated by the FTL engine works to perfectly negate its own acceleration."
Speaking aloud, his voice was distorted and distant, as though the words came from someone on the opposite end of a long field and not from his own mouth.
Still, even as he recorded his observations, the ship accelerated, reaching the moon within minutes. Curving around it in a wide arc, the craft tore through space at speeds that defied comprehension. It took less than a minute for Earth—now only an incredibly bright blue sphere amidst a backdrop of endless darkness—to swing back into view.
"The test is going well. All readings are within expected ranges, though the core power output is on the higher side. At this speed I should return to earth in under two minu- wait, what the hell is that!?"
Morgan stopped mid-report, his eyes wide in their sockets as he stared out at the void beyond his window. From the endless darkness, small motes of light appeared, each a different colour. Some of them pattered against the window like raindrops, others simply drifted through the hull as though it didn't exist.
Then, without warning, they stopped. Every particle hung suspended in the darkness, frozen mid-flight around his ship.
Curious, Morgan slowly reached toward a blue mote hovering just within arm's reach and tapped it gently.
The reaction was instant. With a clink his finger struck something impossibly small yet undeniably solid, sending it careening away through the void. The sound – like a nail tapped against a glass – rang throughout the cabin for a few seconds as the entire craft shuddered violently.
Gripping the armrest tight enough for his knuckles to turn white, Morgan felt a uncontrollable wave of nausea wash over him as the specks of light zipped away into the aether.
'Shit! Something's not right, I need to cut the engines!'
Desperately, he reached for the controls even as the ship lurched forward, his face deathly pale. Slammed back into his seat the sudden force caused him to retch, though nothing came out.
Tears streamed from his eyes as he clawed his hand along the console, the once simple motion seemingly impossible as weight of his own limbs hindered him.
Blinking through his clouded vision, Morgan noticed a faint apparition forming outside his window in the darkness. Again the ship shuddered – this time more violently than the first – as the emergency systems activated, dying the ship's interior in a violent red.
Slowly, the apparition took on more details, first shrinking till it roughly matched the size of his ship. Then details emerged, two defined wings – one on each side, a sleek aerodynamic hull that was eerily familiar, and a large window at the front that showed a warped human figure within.
Morgan's blood ran cold as realisation dawned on him, even through his fragmented thoughts he understood what he was seeing, and it scared him. That ship – it was his ship. A perfect replica that floated mere metres from him, and at the controls sat a pilot whose every movement was sickeningly familiar.
Because it was him.
The doppelganger worked away at the consoles, its mouth moving constantly as though it was narrating to an unseen audience. Morgan watched in horror as the double completed actions he had made only minutes prior, its gaze locked forward, completely oblivious to his presence.
'Wait… is that… me? No. That shouldn't be possible, not unless…'
The phantom lurched forward before he could finish his thought, passing through his ship like smoke through a screen it disappeared into the void, leaving darkness to reclaim the spot it once occupied.
'How could I have been so stupid! Of course this would happen, I went faster than light! I broke the universe and went backwards in time!'
Blood dripped from his eyes like tears as the ship shuddered violently, bolts coming loose en masse as it fell apart at the seams, the pressure on his body rendering him all but immobile. Suddenly a new alert flashed up on the cracked front window.
[Alert! Central Containment Unit Has Been Breached! Evacuate!]
'Fuck…'
A low wail, like a thousand tortured screams rung out from behind his chair, as the ship lurched forward even faster than before, the darkness in front shattering like a pane of glass.
Over and over, the ship burst through barriers that had no right to exist. Each impossible obstacle shattered like glass, the glittering fragments dragged into the ship's wake, where they formed an endless, chaotic kaleidoscope.
Behind him, the ship continued to emit sickening, unnatural sounds that defied comprehension. Morgan shuddered, he could only imagine what horrors were unfolding right behind him.
Without the containment system, the exotic element was free to touch the ship itself. And like a metallic cancer, it had begun to feed.
Morgan knew exactly what was happening behind him. In his experiments back on earth he had discovered the element's most unique property: it was able to subsume matter, converting it into more energy than should have been physically possible.
Once started it was nearly impossible to stop, it was a self-sustaining and exponential reaction that could consume an entire planet in days. Yet it was also this same reaction, as incredibly dangerous as it was, that promised infinite energy if used right.
Now, that promise had turned into a death sentence.
Pinned to his chair, bones creaking as the weight of his own flesh and blood threatened to crush him, Morgan's mind conjured vivid images of his demise. The exotic element would consume him, ripping him apart atom by atom as it grew, and nothing could stop it.
A shower of sparks tore him from his thoughts. The ship unravelled around him: screws and panels alike fell from the walls, sparks arcing between the airborne objects, small fires erupted across the ship as fuel lines ruptured, and the window – his only shield from the void – blossomed with spiderweb cracks.
'Is this really the end? This was meant to be the start of a new era. I'd run the numbers hundreds of times. Everything checked out. So why? Why is everything going wrong? Why must I die here?'
…
'NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!'
Despite the odds stacked against him, Morgan refused to give up, there had to be a solution.
With a herculean effort, he forced his hand to move, his muscles screamed in protest as adrenaline coursed through his veins thicker than blood. Then movement, at first his hand barely twitched – his index finger rising slightly – but slowly the rest of his hand followed, his nails carving bloody grooves into his thigh as he dragged his hand out of his lap.
His goal was clear, as his fingers inched ever closer to a small button built on the underside of his armrest – the emergency brake.
Through his dimming vision, Morgan saw the wall dissolve. Exotic matter oozed through the holes, forming thin vine-like tendrils that surged forward, branching in every direction as the main mass consumed whatever remained. With growing horror, he watched as a single tendril snaked along the ceiling above him, its tip descending as it reached for him like a starving beast.
Desperate and with his heart beating out of his chest, Morgan surged forth, reaching with all his might for the tantalizingly close brake.
*Crack**Crack*
A sharp crack rang out as his finger's buckled, blood dripping from the skin as pieces of bone pierced his flesh, but it was enough. His middle finger, slick with blood landed firmly on the indented button.
Without hesitation, he pushed down on his one lifeline with everything he had, his muscles screamed in protest as broken bones ground away at his nerves making his hand numb, but the button moved.
*Click*
'Yes! Success!'
A faint vibration travelled through his trembling finger as the brakes engaged. The ship's hum dimmed, then died.
For a single drawn out second only one sound disturbed the silent cabin: the sharp metallic crunch of the exotic element consuming his ship, its tendrils drawing ever closer.
With the engines cut, the ship was carried forward by its momentum. Around it the void shimmered, motes of light appearing as tears opened through the space, bleeding light into the endless darkness as it fell apart.
Then, he was falling.
The void was there one moment, gone the next.
Fire erupted across the hull, as it fell back into reality above a strange earth-like planet. Large continents took up a fraction of its colossal surface, between them oceans spread as far as the eye could as they glimmered in deep blue hues. Dense clouds rushed up to meet him as his ship punched through the atmosphere and plummeted towards the ground.
'Fuck… I'm… not out… yet'
Morgan shook his head violently as he tried to focus, every thought was like dragging himself through molasses, but the nightmare wasn't over yet.
Broken fingers, slick with blood, closed around the control sticks before wrenching backwards. The ship responded with a violent shudder as it went careening to the side – the left wing flying by the red hot window.
His gaze locked on the broken controls and faulty readouts, Morgan failed to notice as a jagged piece of metal tore off the wall and went hurtling straight for him.
Reality seemed to grind to a halt as white hot pain bloomed across his back. Metal gave way to fabric, which gave way to flesh as the spear like piece of debris burrowed through his chair.
He felt each heartbeat drag on forever, felt the jagged metal shard pierce through flesh, then muscle, then bone. He felt the cold rough surface of the metal grind against his spine as it effortlessly separated his ribs.
The seconds dragged into hours as the cold metal tore through his heart like a javelin.
Time resumed with a jolt as Morgan looked down, his face a mix of disbelief, shock and horror as his gaze landed on the piece of metal protruding from his chest. Blood poured from the wound like water from a tap, soaking the once silvery metal with a crimson coat as his heart beat its last.
Grasping futilely at the foreign object, Morgan tried desperately to pry to from his chest even as his hands grew weak and his vision dulled.
'No… not… like this… I don't… want… to… go…'
His eyes, once vigilant and full of life dimmed and slid shut, a last empty breath rattling from his mouth as his hands fell limp in his lap.
And then – nothing.
*********************
Elsewhere, in a barren rocky field, a lone man stood hunched over working the unyielding clay soil. Years of hunger had carved him into something skeletal, with hands that looked too weak to even hold his tools, yet he continued with mechanical precision, each swing of his hoe landed exactly where it was needed despite the tremors that ran through his limbs.
*Crack* *Boom!*
Suddenly, the sharp sound of thunder rippled across the arid hills causing the man to turn his sunken eyes to the sky. Yet instead of rain all he saw was fire as the sky itself was torn asunder.
From the jagged wound a massive object plummeted earthward wreathed in a coat of flames that licked hungrily at its surface. In its wake, glass-like shards of varying colours joined chunks of flaming metal as they burst in every direction, scattering the fire across the land.
Idly, the man wondered why he didn't see any sort of trail, he'd seen many meteor showers in his life and behind all of them was a trail of fire. However, as the object rapidly grew, it became clear why he wasn't seeing a trail.
The meteor roared overhead, the shockwave slamming him to the ground as it drew ever closer to the surface. Ears ringing, eyes hazy he pushed himself to his knees in time to spot the object disappear beneath the tree line.
A second ticked by, then two as he waited for something to happen.
Then, the earth convulsed, a massive tremor ran the ground as a colossal shockwave exploded out of the forest. Grass, bushes, and even small trees were flattened as the impact spread outwards. It smashed into the malnourished man with the force of a runaway car and sent him hurtling across the field.
By the time he recovered from the blow, dust choked the air and a large plume of smoke rose above the canopy, the dry underbrush acting as the perfect fuel to spread the growing inferno
However, he focused on neither the smoke nor the flames, his eyes locked instead on an immaterial screen that hovered just in front of him, its blue borders glimmering with ethereal power as words carved themselves in elegant fonts onto it.
Despite never learning to read, he understood the message. The words grafted their meaning into his mind like they'd done so many times before.
It was a message from his god, simple, and absolute.
[THE STARMAN HAS FALLEN]