Andrew J. Morgan's Blog: Aspiration Keeps Me Alive, page 3

A Thank-You And An Announcement

It feels like an age ago when I posted the first chapter of NEW DAWN. It probably was. And now it’s finished.

I want to start this post by saying thank you to everyone who joined me on the journey from the very beginnings of NEW DAWN, for the comments, well-wishes and advice given by all of you to make NEW DAWNwhat it is today. As much as an experience as it was for Jake on board the Athena, it has been for me in writing it, and it wouldn’t be what it is today without all your input, so than...

Chapter 44

‘Is that all of it?’ the man, grey-haired and slouch-shouldered, asked from behind his desk. A fan whirled above, fluttering his combover gently.

‘That’s all, sir.’

‘And where was this document found?’

‘In the wreckage, sir. It looks like the late Jake Brooks had expected to crash-land because he’d taken great care in protecting it.’

‘I see. Perhaps we need to bring Peter Ash in and ask him a few questions.’

‘I’ll get right on it, sir.’

The young officer left, and the grey-haired chief sat ba...

Chapter 43

It took me a couple of hours to shift both Emily’s and Sophia’s body out onto the planet’s surface. I used Emily’s helmet; it didn’t fit very well—in fact my nose squidged up against the front element—but I only needed it for a short while. The roaring storm had rendered the sky completely black, and I was only able to see a few feet into the whirling sand with my torch. It was all I needed, though, and I placed the bodies down and said a few words before I shut the airlock behind for good. I...

Chapter 42

‘You really can’t resist getting involved, can you?’ Emily said, pressing her boot harder into my chest. I was beginning to get feeling back into my extremities, and I realised to my horror that the defibrillator had gone flying from my hands.

‘Wha . . . why . . . ?’ I managed to say, my own voice sounding distant to me. I had to find that defibrillator, and I reached around blindly for it with little success.

‘Lost something?’ Emily asked, putting on a faux-sweet voice. ‘Perhaps you’re looki...

Chapter 41

From what I could tell, it had buried itself into the sand, but not by much. It generally looked intact. It was something of a miracle, and in my weakened, tired state there was something almost omniscient about it, like I was meant to find it, like it was meant to be here for me, waiting.

It was smaller than the Athena, by quite some margin. There was no trailer, either. It wasn’t like any kind of long-distance ship I’d ever seen, more like a low Earth orbit shuttle. Would it have really wor...

Chapter 40

It was like I was in a dream, dream that had reached it waking peak and had come tumbling down around me. I had realised the dream was reality, and now that dream could no longer sustain itself. I was in my cave, but I was no longer alone; the cry of billions of voices landed at my ears, each one more powerful than the last, each one an individual that had something to say. I knew I was responsible, I knew that somehow what I had to do would not only change me but would change everything with...

Chapter 39

For every step I took forward, the great writhing wall of dust tried to push me back two. Jason, fuelled by whatever frenetic energy that powered him, forced his way onwards, leaving me trailing but just about able to keep up. Sophia had dropped back from me, but I could still just about see her. The Athena, however, was long gone.

The wind roared louder, yet still Jason marched confidently on. We could’ve been walking in circles and I’d have been none the wiser, the strain of the blast and t...

Chapter 38

When Emily arrived with our last tube, I almost cried with happiness. The lights, useless as they were in the storm, only appeared a few metres from us, Emily presumably driving more from the screens than from looking forwards. I’d been sat with Sophia against the mound, still enough to let a film of dust gather on my helmet. I wiped it off and stood waving like a madman to the oncoming vehicle. I was so relieved that I’d forgotten the tension between me, Jason and Emily, a relief that wavere...

Chapter 37

I hated Jason. I hated Emily. But most of all I hated myself for letting it get to me so much. After all, hadn’t I said to myself that I had no idea what it was that attracted me to Emily in the first place, that it was probably some kind of defensive mechanism, some need for companionship and protection in this time of need? After all, Emily was a medical professional, a typical caring type who could look after and mother me until I was safely back home, where the infatuation would probably...

Chapter 36

We sank into a routine that was more akin to a stupor, shifting, drilling, placing, filling, rinse, repeat. When Emily brought our next stasis tube, we spoke little, except for an urgent reminder from her that we needed to make up for the time eaten up by the fast-moving storm, which seemed to be growing hourly. She seemed genuinely concerned, and very keen to hurry back to the Athena to get the next tube. I thought perhaps she might be acting like that to avoid me, but given our situation, i...