Propagation

Naval Ark Star Ship (NASS) Demeter

Personal Log: Ridley S. Meadows. Agricultural Engineer. Spacedate: 02.03.2420. NASS Demeter.

Some people say that they don’t dream in stasis. The asteroid belt miners for one. They told me so on my last night before I boarded the Ark ship. They said they just went into the cryo tube and then in the blink of an eye woke up and went to work. However, they only had two years in cryo sleep… Maybe that wasn’t enough time to dream? Also, those ore miners didn’t travel on an interstellar ship. We on the other hand were traveling for 140 years to get to Aphaea.

I dreamed though— I dreamed of the rusty steam locomotive that my daughter and I used to explore. Its once black paint peeling into graying ash and floating away into the hazy breeze of autumn. The once great train, a symbol of a bygone era. It had been one of my last happy memories with her.

So, I dreamed of it over and over. I dreamed until I wanted it to stop. I saw that locomotive lopsided and derailed. My daughter, wearing her favorite red hair bow, disappeared into the cab as a growing silhouette appeared in my periphery, staring at me. Filling me with unnerving dread. And then I dreamed no longer.

Personal Log: Naomi Shaw. Captain. Spacedate: 02.04.2420. NASS Demeter.

We all made it. Everyone’s come out of stasis healthy and accounted for. After the initial bout of nausea, the new colonists of Aphaea are ravenous with a very healthy appetite. Especially some of my female crew. Including myself. It’s odd. I don’t think I’ve ever been this peckish after a cryo sleep before…

However, it is of no matter. We’re about to touch the Demeter down on our new planet. I hope it is as lovely as our scans have reported. The ship has been designed to be taken apart— a reusable town, as it were. This will help us build our new civilization on Aphaea. The Ark is truly a symbol of rebirth.

Personal Log: Quention Wyrick. Chief Medical Officer. Spacedate: 04.23.2420. Aphaea, colony.

I’m forced to continue conducting clinicals on the ship until such a time when houses, roads, and other such infrastructure can be built.

A majority of the women are sick. Virtually none of the men so far seem to be affected. They complain of nausea, missed periods, heartburn, constipation, and fatigue. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that all these women were— but it’s impossible. These women were in stasis. Not just that, every single colonist had had a physical before boarding. I did it myself. I would have known. The colonists wouldn’t have been allowed into Cryo Bay in that condition. It would’ve been highly dangerous.

There must be a viral anomaly on Aphaea that I and the rest of the Bridge crew didn’t pick up on from the scans. An alien virus, or perhaps parasite, from Aphaea’s water? I would never tell my patients this, but how thrilling! What advancements in medical science await! I’m thinking nomination for 2421 Tiros. Give or take a few years for my discovery to make it back to Earth.

I must re-examine the entire colony and have the team run diagnostics on the water again. If that fails to illuminate then we move on to test the food that has been recently planted. I don’t believe these affected women have anything life-changing happening to them. No serious complaints have occurred. No diarrhea, skin rashes, or abdominal pain. Nothing hazardous, just a minor inconvenience in their routines. It’ll pass soon.

Personal Log: Ridley S. Meadows. Agricultural Engineer. Spacedate: 04.28.2420. Aphaea, colony.

Some people say they can’t tell. I can. I’m pregnant. I feel the exact same as when I was pregnant with my daughter. My breasts are swollen and tender. I’ve been nauseous and am now puking whenever I smell even the slightest hint of something unsavory— and at just random times throughout the day. Most of my colleagues have never been pregnant. Hell, most of the women I work with don’t even want to start families. The only thing they elected to bring to the Aphaea colony was their academic standing and job expertise. None of these women seem to realize what is happening to them. The flu, one said— denial, I say… because how could they? How could WE?

I— I just can’t believe it. It’s literally impossible. I haven’t been intimate with a man in three years. Not since my daughter died. Not since my ex-husband and I could no longer stand to be in the same room as each other.

This was one of the reasons I had elected to leave Earth and travel light-years away to another planet. To leave everything I’ve known behind, to leave her behind—

Personal Log: Quention Wyrick. Chief Medical Officer. Spacedate: 05.01.2420. Aphaea, colony.

The fetuses are human. I’m disappointed— devastated actually. The diagnostics of the water and fauna yielded a matching deviation from our approaching scans, however still within parameters. A new species, a hybrid between biologies would’ve been far more interesting. But, unfortunately, the blood work from the affected female crew members came back human. Why couldn’t something more… dramatic have happened?

Personal Log: Naomi Shaw. Captain. Spacedate: 05.02.2420. Aphaea, colony.

I am obsolete. I serve no more purpose on this colony than a chicken with an egg. How dare the council tell me, The Captain of the NASS DEMETER, to calm down. I WILL NOT BE CALM. I will not sacrifice these women’s autonomy. We cannot compromise on this.

They tell me I am no longer in command and that since we have now landed on Aphaea I am just a citizen like the rest of the colonists. That I have no authority anymore. I am seething with every fiber of my being. We will see what they make of it at the council meeting tomorrow.

Meeting Minutes of the Aphaea Council, transcribed by Argus Caz. Spacedate: 05.03.2420.

Thirteenth Aphaea Colonist Council meeting. Location: NASS Demeter’s food court. Committee agendas of ordnance, consumption, and health and safety shall be opened for discussion. Present: All members. Absent: none.

Councilman Amnon Hebron called the meeting to order at 3:35pm. Councilmembers Taylor Ironside, Amanda Steele, Quention Wyrick, and Mara Wealdwine.

Councilman Amnon welcomed those who had come to the thirteenth organized meeting and introduced the members and recognized their efforts building the colony. Councilwoman Amanda began reciting the ordnance agenda—
                                                                             …

—And finally, Councilman Amnon called for discussion of health and safety and partially outlined the planned agenda when Captain Shaw of the NASS Demeter interrupted him.

“I think all of us have had quite an earful, Councilman. What I want to know is, who in the bloody hell did it? And what is going to be done to him!”

“Here here!” and “Make him pay,” and “Get it out of me! We want justice!” could be heard from the citizen members.

Councilman Amnon answered Captain Shaw.

“Citizen Shaw, me,” he gestured towards himself and the other Councilmembers, “and the Aphaea Councilmembers believe that it is crucial we bravely pioneer through our settlement goals and morals that we accorded before leaving our ruined Earth. It is crucial to rely on the accords for the greater benefit of our growing utopia. Because wasn’t that what we, as a like-minded group, intended? To leave and travel through the stars to a new world and begin anew? Wasn’t it our goal to grow? Our path is set on a new generation. And though this has occurred— and yes— it is a terrible violation. It is still our goal as colonists to propagate— or I mean, expand on our new world. Was not that the point of the NASS Demeter to begin with? We Councilmembers unanimously agreed that if we start out like this, in this violence— this witch-hunt as it were, we will never become the Aphaea, the world that believes in—”

Captain Shaw interrupted Councilman Amnon again.

“How dare you and the council shield who’s responsible! How dare you try to tell us that violence hasn’t already been done! I know Doctor Wyrick has taken DNA samples. Wyrick might not answer to me anymore, I cannot order him to tell me, but so help me if this Council doesn’t mete out justice, then we will find the person responsible and do it ourselves.”

Councilman Amnon rose from his seat and responded.

“Captain! This is not the way we should be starting our new lives! Can’t you all be happy in the knowledge that you will be delivering the first generation of Aphaeans into the world? This has always been our mission—”

The citizen members all rose from their seats and began hurling threats at the Councilmembers.

Citizen Ridley S. Meadows threw an object at Councilman Amnon, which cut his temple and caused bleeding. The room became disorderly and chaotic.

No more meeting notes were able to be transcribed.