Anna Combe
Stories (2)
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The dark side of Europa
Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. It is day 2,191 on board the Nova, our mission is to reach Europa. Europa is one of Jupiter's moons. Due to its abundant liquid water, energy and the right chemical elements it is one of the best places in the solar system to seek present day life beyond our Earth. According to leading scientists Earth will be uninhabitable in 30 years. We are the second mission to go out in hopes of finding a viable option for habitation. We have set our sights on Europa as a possible option, but it does not come without caveats. Everyone knows that the surface of Europa is protected from the radiation emitted by Jupiter but there is still some radioactive activity on its surface, however underneath its crust is a living ocean. All of us are cautiously optimistic moving forward with the mission. I am the lead biochemist in charge of testing soil samples from Europa hoping to find organisms that will provide a better picture of Europa's atmosphere. There is a team of 5 of us working together to understand Europa's atmosphere, soil, and chemical compositions. Our work will determine if Europa works as our new home. This journey is being led by Captain Ryne, a former army general. There is a strong military presence on the Nova, which makes this feel more like a military operation than a discovery one.
By Anna Combe3 years ago in Fiction
Train of Secrets
I wake up enveloped in an unnatural darkness. My head hurts, it feels like someone is taking a jack hammer to it, my mouth is dry, it makes my tongue feel like sandpaper. I start feeling around. I am in a box of some sort. It feels like a coffin, my claustrophobia kicks into high gear, I feel like I am running out of air fast. I try to push the lid off giving it a kick, it's not budging. I kick harder, it moves a crack. This is not where I am dying today, I kick one more time, the lid finally gives way. I push it off and emerge as if I have just been birthed. I take a deep primordial breath.
By Anna Combe3 years ago in Fiction
