The Oceans of Mars Read online

  The Oceans of Emptiness

  Also by Tiffany Weems

  The Oceans of Tribulation

  The Oceans of Mars

  The Oceans of Emptiness

  The Oceans

  of Emptiness

  The Oceans of Tribulation, Book 2

  By

  Tiffany Weems

  SILVER LEAF BOOKS LLC

  HOLLISTON, MASSACHUSETTS

  THE OCEANS OF EMPTINESS

  Copyright © 2018 by Tiffany Weems

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations or persons, living or deceased, is entirely coincidental.

  Printed and bound in the United States. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web—without the express written consent of Silver Leaf Books, LLC.

  The Silver Leaf Books logo is a registered trademarks of Silver Leaf Books, LLC.

  All Silver Leaf Books characters, character names, and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of Silver Leaf Books, LLC.

  Cover Art by Gage Foltz.

  First printing September 2018

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  ISBN # 978-1-60975-211-8

  ISBN (eBook) # 978-1-60975-212-5

  LCCN # 2018946449

  Silver Leaf Books, LLC

  P.O. Box 6460

  Holliston, MA 01746

  +1-888-823-6450

  Visit our web site at www.SilverLeafBooks.com

  This book is dedicated to my parents,

  who have always supported my love of writing,

  and to my caring boyfriend, Tyler.

  The Oceans of Emptiness

  1

  Goodbye Mars

  They would pay. They would all pay. Especially her. She deserved everything that was coming to her. He would get off the planet again. It would happen.

  He crawled up the beach and turned over onto his back, staring up into the blistering, unforgiving sun. It dried away the water from what remained of his clothes. The hot sand dug into his skin, his back, his arms, his legs, anywhere that it could.

  He would survive. He had to because they all deserved to die. John would die. Thomas would die. And, of course, Patricia would die.

    

  Patricia hugged Thomas. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, I get it.” He pulled away. “You better not fail up there.”

  “We won’t. That’s if the ship makes it there.” Patricia laughed. “Tell the wife to take care. Where is she anyway?”

  “With Gerald. They’re helping to cultivate some new gardens. She’s just so happy to see a living planet again.” Thomas smiled. “We’re blessed.”

  “Yeah, well, wish them the best.”

  “I will.” He looked past Patricia. “Are you sure about this?”

  “As sure as I ever am.” Patricia shrugged. “We have plenty of repair items in a holtengoss.” Patricia looked at the ship, trying to find where they had hid the large matter manipulator that could hold so much more than it should have truly been capable of holding. She then looked back to Thomas. “And the best mechanics who would volunteer, of course.”

  “It definitely helps that families are going. No kids, no significant others; well, no one would volunteer.”

  “I think those from Earth would have anyway. Mars has never really felt like home.”

  He gave her a questioning look.

  “I asked John why we needed a shrink on the ship. That was his answer.”

  “Well he’s not wrong. It’s different, but we’re adjusting. What about you?”

  “Earth wasn’t much of a home. Not the last seven years of it anyway.”

  With a nod, Thomas crossed his arms in front of his chest. “How long will you be able to radio to us?”

  “The ship will have contact for a little while. Just before we jump. They said that’s the last communication we’ll have.”

  “Speaking of John, how’s he doing?”

  Patricia sighed. “He’s disappointed, but he’ll get over it. He’s getting what he wants. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t be going.”

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  “I guess that’s my cue.” She turned to the ship as the final stragglers were boarding. “John boarded hours ago. Said he wanted to get settled in before the riffraff boarded. Not his words, mine. He said it smarter.”

  “You better go.”

  Patricia nodded. Slowly, she moved toward the base to board. It would be the last time she would walk on solid ground for a while. She wanted to remember it, feel it. Normal gravity. Dirt and rocks beneath her feet. Someday, she would have to describe to her children what it was like.

  “Are you ready for this?”

  Patricia shook her head and looked at Xana. She must have waited to board until the last minute as well. “Not really. You?”

  “This is the biggest decision I have ever made in my life. I’m terrified.”

  “You didn’t have to volunteer,” Patricia said.

  Xana looked around. “I can’t stay here. Not now.”

  Patricia nodded. “I understand. I miss him too.”

  Xana smiled brightly. “To the future.” Then she sprinted up the steps, pushing past several people.

  Patricia walked up the steps much more slowly. As she entered the ship, she found three security officers with clipboards. She located the only free one of the three and approached him.

  “Name,” he said.

  “Patricia Meyer.” She craned her neck to get a glance at the tablet. He pulled it closer to his body.

  “You are on level six, with husband John Meyer. Room six-one-five.” Then he waved her toward the elevator.

  Patricia pushed past him and boarded the elevator with a few others. The door shut and the elevator began to rise. A woman with long legs and a short waist had called out for the third level. She stood in the corner, avoiding eye contact with Patricia. As if the floor were that interesting. Then two men with short buzz cuts said level five. They were deep in conversation about something one of them had snuck on board. Patricia was grateful when the doors opened on the sixth level and she was the first to depart.

  The floor was a bit smaller then what she was expecting, but it also made it easier to find her quarters that much more quickly. The outer wall was empty with the rooms for boarding situated just in the center of the egg shaped ship. She rounded the bend a bit further and saw John standing in the doorway, waiting for her.

  “I wondered when you would show up,” he said with a smile.

  “I would never leave you waiting forever. This floor’s a bit small.”

  “Officers’ quarters. We’re among the elite dear. Still plenty of rooms available.”

  “Not everyone’s checked in?”

  “Everyone’s on board if that is what you are asking. Just not everyone has come to the living quarters yet.” John looked past Patricia.

  She turned around to the room beside theirs. “Who are we rooming next to?”

  “The captain is on one side and the flight commander on the other.”

  “I heard that.”

  “What?”

  “The animosity behind that word. You can’t be bitter this entire trip.”

  “I saved a lot of lives. I think that should count for something.”

  “It does. Just not enough to make up for all the other things you’ve done.” Patricia put her arms around him. �
��You’re being ridiculous. If Capena thought he’d do a better job, then I trust their decision.”

  “You would.”

  “John, you should let this go. He’s probably a really great guy.”

  John leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “You can be the judge of that. Here he comes.”

  Patricia turned around with a smile on her face, ready to introduce herself to the man who was going to be responsible for their lives. Immediately, however, her face fell. He was nothing like what she expected. He was at least twice her age. His face was permanently resting in a scowl with lots of wrinkles. He sauntered through the hall, almost stomping with each footfall. “Hello,” Patricia said with an extended hand. “I’m Patricia.”

  “Yes. I am well aware,” he said ignoring her hand. “Patricia Meyer, shaper of the minds. Wife to John Meyer, lead flight commands system technician. Now if you don’t mind, I need to gather materials for my first address to this ship. We leave in fifteen minutes. Be prepared.” The captain pushed his way through the door to his room and emerged only minutes later with a tablet tucked under his arm. He stomped away to the elevator. Before he rounded the corner out of sight, he said, “I expect you, Mr. Meyer, on deck in five minutes. Lateness will not be tolerated.” Then the doors closed.

  “Okay, I recant my statement,” Patricia said. She turned to John. “We’re stuck on this ship with him for how long? We’re going to be lucky if I don’t kill him.”

  John laughed. “Maybe he’ll open up.”

  “I suppose he’s alone.”

  “Actually, he’s married.”

  Patricia and John began to walk through the hall toward the elevator. “You’re kidding me. Who would want to marry him?” Patricia glanced at the elevator to make sure no one was there. “She must be a saint.”

  “I haven’t met her yet. I couldn’t tell you.”

  Patricia sighed. “I suppose you need to get going. What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”

  “I think most personnel are meeting on the second level in the grand room for the take off. Maybe you should go mingle. Or you could check out your classroom.”

  “What level is that on again? I tried to memorize the ship’s schematics, but it got boring after a while.”

  “Level three has the school, eating area, and supply center. I think you’re one of five teachers for the students here.”

  “Should be interesting.” Patricia and John got into the elevator and began to ascend. Patricia got off on the third level and waved goodbye, knowing he needed to go up to the flight deck on level one.

  Level three was one of the larger levels. It was comprised of a large oval hallway, the center of which was the cafeteria. Along the outer wall section were the rooms for the school and the largest room, just to the left of the elevator, was the supply center. She ran her fingers along the wall, feeling the seamless transitions from wall to doors. Every time her fingers grazed the doors, they slid open and lights popped on within. Beside each room was a plaque with a name and an age range. At last, she came to her room. The plaque read Patricia Meyer: Ages 15-18.

  The door slid open and the lights turned on. Inside there was a place for her to work; a decent sized desk in the front of the room which had a tablet table top. In the center of the room was a podium where she would do her teaching. It was surrounded by two circles of connected desks which each had the same tablet table tops. There was a single gap in the circles made for her to get to the center.

  Running her fingers along the table top, the tablets came to life, demonstrating the core subjects and their subsidiary categories. Everything was far more than what she could have anticipated. Suddenly the realization of all that she was about to take on hit her. Not only was she about to leave the planet Mars, her second home, for the last time, but she had been entrusted with identifying the final strengths of every child that came to her room.

  Quickly, she turned off the desks and left the room. Her stomach dropped. Feeling the small lurch, she knew that they had taken off. She was missing the festivities, the mingling, the small talk, the wonderful boringness of it all.

  “Floor please,” the elevator said as the door closed.

  “Two,” Patricia answered. There was a soft hum as she travelled up to the second floor. The door opened and she was met with the same oval hallway with the same rooms, there were just different words on the plaques beside each door. Capena was definitely not known for their interior decorators. They should’ve asked Flora for help with that. At least it would have given the ship a little pizazz instead of the feel of a grey gloom. She circled around to the center room, the gathering room, where everyone who wanted to celebrate was already collected. They were moving around talking with other people, trying to get to know one another.

  Immediately as she entered, Patricia scanned the crowd and found Tuft in the corner. He was leaning against a wall, hands in his pockets, just staring blank faced out toward the center of the room.

  “Are you okay?” Patricia asked with a slight laugh after she had shoved her way through the crowded room to him.

  Tuft smiled. “Of course. Greatest thing ever.”

  There was something in his tone. “I don’t believe you. You’re nervous.”

  He shrugged. The smile dropped.

  “Why’d you volunteer if you didn’t want to be here?”

  “I want to be here. I do.” He gestured at the room. “Half of them are the Earth survivors. They’re my people.”

  “I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

  “I just ain’t ready for a trip into nothingness.”

  “Well it’s too late to get off. Guess you’re just going to have to stick it out.” She looked around as the chattering grew louder. “What job did you get saddled with?”

  “Got my letter last night. You are looking at the sanitation specialist for the ship. I got four people who report to me.”

  “That’s scary.” Patricia smirked. “They put bots on the ship, did they really need personnel to do that stuff too?”

  “That’s the job they gave me. I get the third shift when everyone else is supposed to be asleep.”

  “That shouldn’t be too bad.”

  “I heard you’re gonna be teaching.”

  “Yeah. Scary isn’t it? I get to shape the minds of the future of a planet we’re about to colonize. Think of the power I have.”

  “You’re gonna be an awesome teacher.”

  “I hope so.” She scanned the crowd again. “I wonder how many students I’ll have. It looks like most of the kids are pretty young.”

  “Think of it this way, if you ain’t got no students then you’re free to do whatever you want until they get old enough.”

  “I don’t think it works that way.” Patricia shrugged. “Wish it did though.”

  “Where’s John?”

  Patricia rolled her eyes. “The captain requested all officers be in the control room for the launch. Speaking of which, have you met him yet?”

  “Who? The captain?”

  “Yeah.”

  Tuft shook his head.

  “He’s something else.”

  “You can handle him.” Tuft waved to someone behind Patricia.

  She turned around to see Xana coming up fast. “This is exciting, isn’t it?” The smile on her face was far too large.

  “Yeah. I guess. Shouldn’t you be up on the first level with the other officers?”

  Her smile faltered slightly. “Oh, you haven’t heard. I was not given Chief of Medical Operations. It went to Filonius.” She did a soft wobble of her head as she said his name in a mocking tone. “I’m not technically an officer. Second in charge. But it’s fine.”

  “Are you sure? I mean I could kill Filonius for you. It’d be easy. Just leave him in space. Without a body, they couldn’t possibly convict me of the crime.”

  “This entire ship is nothing but cameras. The bots record everything and store it internally. I doubt not having a body w
ould make much of a difference.” Xana laughed. “Really, I’m fine. He had the qualifications for the position and was born and raised in Capena. I’m from Juno. Not exactly a great selling point.”

  “They shouldn’t have appointed all Capena people as the officers. It’s like they don’t trust anyone else.” Patricia crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “Can you blame them?” Xana gestured with wide arms. “They built all this in hopes that mankind could stretch themselves beyond our solar system to colonize a world far away. They’re just trying to protect something they worked so incredibly hard on.”

  Patricia rolled her eyes. “Have you met the captain?”

  “I take it you have.” Xana smirked. “Captain Zeith Creighton is an acquired taste. He’ll grow on you.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Xana opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a loud ping.

  “Attention crew, we have left the Mars atmosphere and begun our journey.” The voice filled the room. Anyone who had been talking was silent as they listened. Patricia didn’t recognize who was speaking, but it definitely wasn’t the captain. “The estimated distance to our new home is approximately seventeen light years away. As we leave the solar system we will make our jump into our ultimate speed. Job assignments should have been distributed. If you are unable to perform your duties or have not received news of your assignment, you can speak with any of the leaders on board. All assignments will begin in just a few hours with the second shift. Until then, congratulations. Celebrate and enjoy this momentous occasion.” There was another ping.

  Slowly the room filled with conversations once more.

  “Who was that?” Patricia asked.

  Xana gave a quizzical look. “I think it was the navigator, Barney Ellis. Why he was chosen to do the cast off speech, I don’t know.”

  “Why didn’t the captain do it?”