The Journey of Atlantis- The Children of Earth

We Are Not Alone

Corporal Harris was scared clean out of his mind. His heart raced as much as his brain. What's going to happen now! After that thing broke his helmet, he had to get it off! Harris had seen enough horror science fiction movies before they left Earth to know, when an alien breaks your helmet, it is because it is trying to get at the meat inside! The next moment, he was still alive, but breathing the Searth air. People came to his aid immediately. However, the damage had already been done. The team helped him into the containment pod so he could be removed from the possible contaminated air and shuttled back to the Atlantis. Emergency drills was part of their training. Like most humans, Harris could not imagine that he would be the subject of this real emergency.

It was stupid, stupid, stupid to have picked up any life forms on the planet without consulting the science department. He had been observing them for weeks. Harris had nothing else to do. The trilobites, or scooters as the ground crew called them, seemed a docile and harmless creature. Maybe he triggered some self-defense mechanism or something from the scooter. No matter why it happened, Harris was in big trouble. He may wish he was dead.

Currently, it seemed they were about to dock with Atlantis. The transport had been kind enough to patch communications to his pod. Three people were tending the corporal and monitoring his vitals.

The EMT sergeant concerned about Harris's vitals strongly urged him, "Corporal, you really need to try to slow your breathing down."

Harris was practically gulping air. "Yes, Ma'am. I'm trying,"

"Well, try a little harder corporal! Your pH and electrolytes are sliding. You are going to be sick with acidosis if you don't slow down! Pick a spot and focus. Take slow, deep breaths. Take it easy and try to relax. You are in good hands. You are still alive, and you are doing well. Breathe a little slower now. That's it; a little slo-o-o-wer now. Good." After a few minutes she could see his readings were starting to turn around. "Feeling better corporal?"

"Yes, thank you, sergeant. I do feel better." Harris's brain raced faster than his heart now. He guessed that was a plus. He heard the unmistakable noises of the transport docking with Atlantis. The corporal's next leg of his journey was about to start. His three chaperones collected their gear and moved Harris to the ship's loading gate. Some more loud clanking and the gate opened, and his entourage became bigger. Harris could not see, but he could hear from his external microphone.

"How long was he exposed to the atmosphere?"

"Download his current vitals."

"Does he have any injuries?"

"The corporal's pod was decontaminated before loading aboard the transport, right?"

"Let's get him to the containment area."

It took about fifteen minutes to arrive at the containment area. Harris heard someone talking to the captain. Great! He had heard Captain Metcalfe a fair-minded individual but did not tolerate stupidity very well. The captain also sounded like the kind of man that did not like excuses. So, he knew he better be straight with him, and what punishment levied by his superiors would be tempered with the captain's assessment. Where were his superiors anyway?

His handlers wheeled him into a large room, and the pod tilted. Harris could at least see now! A person followed him into the room wearing an environmental suit very like the ones the ground crew used. It looked like he was going to be let out. Thank goodness! It had been an effort to keep down the claustrophobia. The person twiddled with the settings and WHOOSH! After some equalizing of pressures, his keeper motioned to step out of his coffin.