THE SIGNAL

BY: NAZMUS SAKIB

No Way!

Jeromme exclaimed in utter disbelief.

How come the ship's computer receives a signal in this remote part of the galaxy and yet the computer is unable to decipher it!

Jeromme left the base station two months ago. It was too easy to convince the officer at the base station of planet Auriora that he intended to explore the planets those are listed in the official galactic map. There are hundreds of them and there are also thousands of uncharted regions and planets in this part of galaxy.

He was about set his direction towards a particular region of space but he could not mention that to the officer. There are many reasons and most important reason of those is that nobody is allowed to travel or explore uncharted region of space unless he has a valid authenticity which he don't have.

For about fifteen days, he was wondering within the charted region, landed on some planets. He was just trying to showing off that he was out there to explore the part of the galaxy to find out resources for doing trade. That is usual. Many of the Aurioran and people from other planets are exploring these authorized regions of galaxy often to make some fortune.

Though, the region is expanding as the authority updating the galactic map regularly including new planets. That is why he had to hurry. If in no time this particular region included in the official galactic map, it will be crowded with fortune hunters, traders and individual space explorers. And he couldn't let that happen as this will cost him his life time dream.

Nevertheless, as soon as he left the base station, he knew that the authority will track his route for a certain period only to be sure that he is like the others. A fortune hunter, looking for something in these planets with which, he could do some trading and could earn his living. So he had to make them believe what they wanted to believe. Once he had done so and when he was sure that the authority wasn't tracking him anymore, he punched the particular co-ordinates into his ships computer and asked to set the ship's course. His escape from the charted region will not be noticed until next two weeks and he needs only one week to finish his search. Then, if luck favors, he will return to his last position without alarming the base station and will return to the Auriora with tons of materials for doing trade. Even he could have enough fortune to buy his own planet.

So, here he is. Computer is showing that this is the right place as per the co-ordinates he punched manually. 

But the signal!

There shouldn't be any signal.

Is anybody else out there? Does his family secret revealed to some outsider?

That is not possible. The secret was hidden in their family archive for more than two hundred years. There must have some other explanation to this mysterious signal.

He must resolve that first before approaching towards the planet visible remarkably in his ship's visiplate, the planet he thinks where he should go to end his life's quest.

Actually this part of the galaxy wasn't unexplored at all though no one knows that. One of Jeromme's forefathers came here almost two hundred years ago with the help of an ancient space ship and crews. His forefather was the Galactic Governmental Space Carrier Pilot. In those days, during when the Galactic Government was getting its shape, these Space Carriers were in service to carry valuable minerals, resources, foods, and livestock's to the habitat planets under United Planetary States. That was his last journey and carrying most valuable cargos of his entire career.  After delivering the cargo he was carrying in his ship to the Capital Planet, he was about to retire. As a legendary Space Carrier pilot his earnings were handsome with which he could have lived a decent life in the Capital Planet. And needless to mention that the pension he would have got was enough for his future generation. But he was a man of dream, a brave and ambitious man. He dreamt about to buy his own planet where he could have started his own dynasty, where his future generation could live forever.

And then, during his last journey, he took the decision of a life time. He decided that this ship he was piloting with a huge fortune, with his dream, won't reach its predetermined destination. Instead he will take it away. He will take this ship for his own sake and his future generation. It was not that difficult to induce the crew members. So, he broke out from the usual space route, cut off the communication with the central communication system and headed towards the unknown region of the galaxy. He knew that he will be persuaded. Within the next few days the Law Enforcers Ships will be crowding the area where he had seen last and from there they will start track him down. He knew that, he couldn't survive in the space for long as in those days; the ancient space ships were not equipped with all the facilities to stay alive for a long time in the space. But that mattered neither to him nor to his fellow crews. He just wanted to hide the fortune of the ship somewhere and then to surrender to the authority. Of course he had no plan to tell the authority the whereabouts of the ship except his family to discover the ship again at a later time.

But fortune always did not favor the brave whereas he was the bravest. His broke out of the chain and escaping with the ship is still a legend. While escaping, he entered in such a region of the space which was still unknown to the human. He lost in the midst of the galaxy. His ship engines collapsed suddenly forfeiting his chance of return. May be he had seen his men to die before his very eyes. But he had nothing to do. May be at the last minute when he too was taking his last breathe he sent the last signal secretly to his son living at the Capital Planet.

But no one actually knows what happened. How could a legendary pilot like him lost in space when he was not too far from the usual galactic trade route and from the habitat planets? It remains an unsolved mystery to date.  

Jeromme's feeling tired.

Past seven hours, he has been trying to understand the meaning of the signal the ship's computer is receiving. But it seems useless that how much he tried all resulted in a big nothing. How come an advanced space ship computer is unable to decipher a signal?

Jeromme don't believe in alien's theory. He firmly believes that, like other human of this era, that there are no unknown species out there in the space hiding beyond the human eyes and very advanced technology. This kind of thought was very ancient and now a day's preaching about any unknown species or alien other than the species and lives originated from the planet Earth is complete nonsense.

And yet, he has been spending hours after hours in front of the computer to decipher the signal which experienced people like him have never seen also.   

Most terrible things of all is that the signal is coming from the planet in front of him, where he thinks, not thinks but he is certain that the fortune of his forefather is waiting for him.

Jeromme took a deep breath to let the anxiety out of his mind and body. Then he was back to the work, started all over again to understand the meaning of the signal. He doesn't believe that there are any signals that he or his computer couldn't understand. It may take time but he will decipher the code definitely. He dismissed the thought of somebody else being on that planet long ago. Actually he is afraid to think that somebody or something else is already on that planet before him. But the reality is different; otherwise he would not have received that signal.

He labored another three hours without losing his concentration for a single moment. His fingers were dancing over the keyboard and control buttons like a busy bee. At the same time he was also monitoring the data about the planet gathered by the detection antenna. There was nothing unusual. No sign of life though the planet's environment is suitable for breathing and living.

Finally he decided to take a break for today. He is trying to return as soon as possible but it is not like that he doesn't have time. Instead, he has enough time remaining. And if he can't return on time he has a plan B too. So, in the next morning, having some rest, with fresh mind he will start again. If he cannot find out the meaning of the signal by tomorrow, then by the day after tomorrow, he will approach nearer to the planet and will land on surface to explore for the treasure his forefather left for him.

With that decision made, Jeromme felt relieved. He stood up and stretched his body, hands and legs. Then insert some instruction into the computer, adjust some controls and left towards his sleeping berth to have dinner and some sleep.

But he did realized that the computer had not received the instruction he inserted rather it has been doing something like it is being controlled by something or someone else from outside!

The room is plunged into darkness.

But it is not Jeromme's habit to sleep in complete darkness. He remembered that he turned on the soft light before he went into the bed.

He closed his eyes and concentrate instantly to understand the surroundings. He could hear the usual humming sound of ship's engines. No problems there, he thought. But no light he could see any where in his sleeping berth. He is feeling tensed. Some alarm is shouting inside his head. Why there are no lights!

He wanted to rise from his bed, but a part of his self is telling him to not to be worried instead take a deep sleep. At the same time the other part of his self is telling that something terrible is happened or happening.

He felt a sudden urge to rush into the ships control room which is next to his sleeping berth.

But he found it difficult to rise from the bed. But it seems that, somehow or something unknown, soaking his all strength, prohibiting him from rising from the bed and to rush into the control room immediately.

With almost an inhuman effort he rose from the bed, sat there for a few minutes to gather his thought. To mingle again the divided parts of his own self. And then, as he is walking in his dream, he started towards the control room.  

There are lights everywhere. The control room is fully illuminated by the lights from the keyboards and control buttons. But all are shining steadily, no blinking or flashing. This is unusual.

He is standing there, in the middle of the room. He already came out from the dreamy baffle. His head is clear now. A clear picture of the situation is slowly framing up in his mind. Now he knows what that signal was and at the same time he also realized that can't do anything. He can feel the existence of an unknown supreme power inside the room which forced him to turn around to face the screen of the visiplate.

As soon as Jeromme reached here and received the signal for the first time, he inserted clear instruction into the computer to maintain a certain distance from the planet's orbit. All that time the planet was visible in the visiplate screen like a small disk at the centre. But now as he has been looking at the screen with sheer dismay, he could see that the planet almost engulfed the entire screen. That means the ship had moved and approached much nearer to the planet. The ship is now out of his control and the ship is now controlled by something powerful unknown till then to him.  Jeromme does not bother with that as now he knows what is happening.

On the computer screen, there is a live image of a human dressed in some ancient outfit. It is a man at his early sixty. Good looking, well build and eliminating some kind of power that even Jeromme can feel without any problem. Jerrome knows who this man is. This is his forefather, died more than two hundred years ago leaving a huge fortune for him in this barren planet. The man's eyes are fixed instantly on Jeromme's face and Jeromme can't move his eyes as he is hypnotized. The man's eyes are calling him, commanding him to land on the surface of the planet immediately.

Jeromme just stared back impassively, helplessly as he understood everything clearly. Now he knows what happened to his forefather and his ship. Now he realized what is going to happen to him and his ship.

The planet itself is a cosmic species and alive and probably after more than two hundred years it has found something to eat again.