Blip

by Brandon Harrison
(Westborough MA, USA)

Blip...Blip...Blip...The locator screen sounds rhythmically siren like a mechanical heart beat. Pulsing, Blip...Blip...Blip...

The Room silent as the land crew stared, large green back lit screen charted with white graph lines. A small bright circle pulsed in sync with the robotic beat. After a few moments passed the locator dot dropped, leaving a flat line of silence matching that of the souls in the room.

March 13, 2020. The first manned ship to head to Mars. The crew suited up, heading to the shuttle as the crowd shouted and clapped at this achievement. Five persons entered this iron home, headed to the red planet. This home becomes theirs for 245 days of flight. As the ship spewed exhaust and fire, the earth bounders applauded the shuttle, as if it would show a sign of gratitude...

The crew lived, breathed, and survived for the journey to the lifeless planet. The five astronauts had five families. Some with sons and daughters and others just a lover and their co-pilot. Their families waited for their return and earth waited for their landing. Day 245 approached as so did the ship to the planet. The shuttle landed, shooting dust up into the oxygen lacking atmosphere.

The door opened and the crew stepped onto the red clay, colored dust leaving their food prints on the surface of this untouched terrain. The true mission of this crew was to find extra-terrestrial life, to no avail. There were no aliens, no H.P Lovecratian, H.R Giger creatures roaming the planet. There was nothing but the bleach white skeletal remains of a human being.

Blip...Blip...Blip...Silence.