Liam Hark: The Fifth Ring

[Altemuller]

Geryon III had five rings.

 

It was a bad day for rain, in fact, it has been raining all week. In actual fact, it shouldn't be raining at all. The USS Zephyr has been traversing the fifth ring for a week now yet it has been lashed by an unending pour of rain. The raindrops struck against the hull and could be heard from inside the ship. It would have been a soothing sound if it wasn't so unnatural. And it drove him mad. 

 

He was in charge of figuring out how it was possible. The most viable theory he could come up with was that the ‘’rain’’ contained some unknown alloy and combined with the fifth ring’s peculiar magnetic field it produced an effect similar to, well, rain. He was not happy with that theory. It failed to explain how the rain went through their shields or how it produced so much noise but he was content it did not seem to damage the hull.

 

An explanation would have to wait until he figured out how to write his report without sounding like a madman. At least it wasn't the winds of the fourth ring. Or the earthquakes of the third. Or even the ocean of the second ring. He laughed, all of this was nothing compared to the first- he stopped that train of thought. They all agreed not to talk about the first ring.

 

No matter, this was the last ring. Soon they would clear it and fly far, far away from this planet. And then he would never have to speak or even think of this place ever again. A flash of lighting drew his attention as it lit the inside of his quarters. He turned his gaze to the window. Through the drops of rain that stained it, the surface of Geryon III could still be seen clearly. Its green clouds moving and morphing, playing tricks with his mind. Just one more ring, Just one more, he told himself.

 

His combadge offered a brief respite from the sound of constant rain. ‘’Lieutenant Hark, report to the bridge’’. ‘’On my way’’. He put his coffee mug to his lips only to find it empty. Disappointed, he headed for the bridge.

 

‘’You look terrible Liam’’. Said the Captain, looking equally terrible with a tired grin. 

‘’I have no excuses sir’’ Liam replied and walked closer to him. ‘’Although my shower stopped working 2 rings ago’’.

The Captain nodded and rubbed his eyes. ‘’At least you still have lights, I need to see you in my ready room’’

 

The Captain moved a pile of padds out of his office so he could see Liam more clearly. ‘’What are we going to tell them Liam?’’

‘’You’re asking me, David?’’ After the third ring the remaining crew was already on a first name basis. At least in private.

‘’You’re the science officer. You don't expect me to describe, what did you call it again, the ‘’alternating subspace eddy’’ to a Starfleet committee do you?’’ He let the padd he used to read the description fall to the desk with little care.

‘’Oh is that what we’re calling the Angel with the Burning Spear now David? You’re really going to use my theory from 4 rings ago?’’

‘’Not so loud!’’ the Captain said firmly yet with a hushed voice. ‘’I can still hear it, Liam. If I don't make it through this ring you are taking command of the Zephyr’’

‘’But Captain’’ he protested.

‘’Oh it's ‘’Captain’’ now is it Liam? Listen, you need to take those people home. Don't wait. As soon as we make it out, send a distress signal in every frequency there is. Promise me Liam’’

 

Liam Hark was too tired to protest any more. He nodded and drank the water David poured for him in a glass. Water and bread. The only things the replicators could make right now. He savored each sip.

 

The journey and the surface and through the rings was perilous. Simply flying away from the planet was impossible. They devised a plan that seemed to work so far. They would fly through the entire length of each ring until they detected a spot where the gravitational anomaly was weaker. They would cross that spot at warp speed and end up in the next ring. Each jump came at a cost. Each jump caused irreparable damage to the ship.

 

The ready room was lit by the red lights of the associated alert level. ‘’It’s time Liam, it was an honour. I will wait here’’. Lieutenant Hark put his glass down and nodded. He knew what happened to the people who could hear the Angel when they crossed a ring. ‘’Goodbye David.’’

 

He sat in the Captain's chair. No one protested or batted an eye. The Captain must have briefed the remaining bridge crew beforehand. At least in the end he was foresighted. Maybe this could all have been avoided if the Captain stopped hunting Oouraldian tales of the Angel with the burning spear or maybe if he listened to his first officer’s warnings about entering the planet’s orbit. Maybe, maybe. But it did not matter now. The crew was well versed in the procedure for the jump at this point. They were already in their positions the moment the red alert sounded. He looked into the tired eyes of the helmsman who was waiting for his command.

 

‘’Warp 4, engage’’

 

He gripped his chair as the ship shook violently. He closed his eyes to shield them from the slashes of light that accompanied the crossing. 

 

‘’Jump successful’’, said the helmsman. Liam rubbed his eyes and wiped his tears. He steeled himself for the inevitable. He waited, holding his breath for the scans to complete and for the helmsman to tell him what he already knew.

 

Geryon III had six rings.

[Vedic Koleth]

Nice post! Real "Year of Hell" vibes.

[Jo Marshall]

Our winning entry for 2023! Well done!

https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=File:Badge-_2023_Writing_Challenge_Elite.png

 

[Jo Marshall]

We had some dedicated feedback for this from one of the judges: 

Quote

''The Fifth Ring' was unique - I loved how the rain on the hull of the starship was described and how unsettling it was to the character. The premise of the rings and escaping the planet was not something I've seen/heard before and this story left me wanting to read more about the exploits of this particular crew.