A

AHORT STORY ON

JESKY

BY: BILAL AHMED SHAIK NRI-IT VIJAYAWADA

Jesky was first to be woken. He opened his eyes and pain shot through his brain, the cold harsh light of sick bay hurt his long unused orbs. The Autodocs feminine voice told him he was of optimal health but needed exercise to reawaken his dormant muscles. It also said the cold-sleep amnesia should wear off soon. Jesky swung his legs over the side and stepped off the exam table. He made his still blurred way to the bridge. He walked through the hard white light of the corridor and stepped onto the beltway, the field wrapped his body and whisked him the 20kms to the bridge in a second. Jesky stepped off and proceeded through the airlock onto the bridge. The empty chamber illuminated as he entered, a chair formed out of the floor, in the center, Jesky sat in the chair. A single tendril grew down from the ceiling and snaked to the back of his bald head and snicked into place at the base of his brainstem. His mind was immediately linked to the ship, displays, graphs, readouts, screens; numbers flooded his minds eye. Jesky asked ship the most absorbing of his questions. Where are we? When are we? Have you contacted Earth yet? The words were unspoken as ship was directly linked to Jeskys brain. Ship did pick up on the fear, the nervousness in Jesky though. I have some troubling information to share with you Captain Jesky, said Ship kindly, softly as if to ease into the news, we are in the Sol system; however a greater period of time has passed than originally thought. Jeskys gut lurched; he had felt wrong ever since being woken. Exactly how long Ship? he spoke with the authority he commanded. Tell me what you know spare me no sympathy, I need to understand our situation. We, myself included Sir, have somehow travelled for approximately 5.4 billion years. Ship paused, letting this have its effect on the Captain. Ship monitored Jeskys vitals for signs of physical distress. Jesky was checking Ships analysis of the data received. All systems were nominal, functioning as expected. The information was correct. He sat back in the chair and breathed deep breaths. Open the main view for me ship, let me see for myself what I assume to be the state of the Sol system. Jesky commanded, in no mood for defiance from his old friend. Ship sensed the tone and complied. Ship had parked them in orbit about Jupiter and even from here the swollen, angry, orange red mass of Sol was large in his eyes. The sun was larger than an Astronomical unit in diameter. Earth, Venus and Mercury were eaten by the very star that had birthed them. Mars was a cinder, a blackened crisp. Jesky wept. I have made contact with Titan, it took me a while to figure the language, but I have a back and forth happening Sir. Said Ship, enthusiastically. They have offered us sanctuary, they will treat us as refugees, give us a place of our own, land, a place to start new. We will be segregated form them however. Said Ship with unease, a little more cautiously. Exactly who have you contacted Ship are they not decedents of the human race? asked Jesky. No sir they are indigenous to Titan, humanity is gone, they have been extinct for over 3.5

billion years. said ship. Jesky rose from the chair and unplugged the wire. He walked from the bridge stepped on the beltway and returned to sickbay. He made the Autodoc give him a strong dose of tranquilizer and drifted to sleep. His last thought was that hed deal with this when he woke up.