Ghost City

Book summary

In the wake of a groundbreaking discovery of alien DNA on meteorites, the United Earth Nations initiates a daring interstellar mission to uncover the truth. Captain Atina Morgan leads the expedition aboard The Mentor, but when the ship vanishes, the mystery deepens. Years later, her husband, Captain Rodger Davit, embarks on a perilous journey through cosmic forces, only to encounter a baffling structure known as the GHOST CITY. As Davit delves into the enigmatic city, the ultimate question arises: can they ever return home?

Excerpt from Ghost City

Our pulsating moon illuminated the North American continent with its silver color that our ancestors believed triggered the neurotic mind with periods of mania and giddiness. The celestial light washed over this prosperous continent with its own orange light emanating from the urban conurbations was being deflected to a graceful, white, delicate glowing. Something would now dissipate this tranquil moment as the super, sleek, jet-like spacecraft called the Protégée thrust with a thunderous force from the surface. This vessel had short wings and propelled into deep space with three fusion-powered exhausts on her tail. This vessel and a crew of four people, including their captain, Rodger Davit. His second in command was Scott Brooks. He was of African American descent and followed by a Hispanic Lucy Hernandez and her fiancé Steve Robertson. They wore futuristic uniforms which were white and bore an emblem which featured the globe and a ship not too different from their own. Davit was in his late forties now and it was five years since the disappearance of the Mentor. Scott was also in his forties while the sweethearts were in their mid-thirties. The Protégée’s bridge was about the size of a long room with seating and alcoves where the crew members worked from.

Davit appeared unhappy. He was diligently piloting the Protégé, however. He was pushing the relevant buttons on a small console, which was attached to the main control area, and this comprised two LCD monitors, two more consoles, and buttons. Davit and his crew were on a short-term rescue mission to find the ship’s predecessor and missing crew of the Mentor and her captain, his wife. Davit’s orders were to locate the Mentor and negotiate with whomever, their safe return to his custody.

“There’s some unusual activity going on out there, sir,” Lucy said to her captain after studying her monitor’s readings.

“Give me the details…” Davit said, sounding relaxed.

“It’s probably nothing.”

Lucy turned to her fiancé and said, “Darling, what is the hope we will find Captain Morgan’s ship considering it was on a mission to search for evidence of life beyond our solar system?”

Steve smiled. Her curious nature was one of the attributes to her which he was very fond of. “If we come close to finding out, well then, it’s worth our mission.”

He then placed his right hand on her right hand, and together they smiled at each other. “Don’t worry, honey. We will be back in time for our wedding.”

Scott smiled and turned to them both. “It’s good to see two lovebirds looking forward to their bright future together. My wife left me three years ago. Good job, we had no kids.”

Davit was not in the mood to being romantic or to be cheesy. “Scott, we have more important things on our minds right now instead of your trivia on the love lives of the crew. Are we ready to reach hyper-speed yet?”

“Just a few moments now, Captain,” he replied, knowing he had hit a raw nerve.

“Good. Steve. Let’s leave the personal stuff out of the ship, okay? So if all’s well, let’s do it!”

Steve was a little rattled by what his captain had just said. “With all due respect, Captain Davit, conversation among crew members is not a breach against regulations or taboo on this spacecraft…”

Davit was not happy with what he had just been told. He reasserted his authority. There had to be order, even on his ship. “Respectfully, I’m the captain and what I say goes, got it?”

Steve sighed after Lucy nudged him. He, too, knew there had to be order.

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir.”

Lucy broke the ever-so-cold ice that was shrouding unintentionally across the bridge. “Just one thing. How are we going to keep these white uniforms of ours clean?”

Davit saw what she was trying to do and played along with it. “Space may appear murky, but white has always been the color worn by all who went on missions like ours, and every mission, come to think of it.”

Steve interjected, “We are ready for hyperspeed now.”

The sleek, brand-new ship went into hyperspeed mode, and the distant planet Earth disappeared from the back window. Weeks passed, and the Protégé was now located just outside the Solar System. The murky space Davit talked about was putting things mildly. He was dreading the possibility of Scott or the two lovebirds pushing his wife’s disappearance. Over the last five years, Davit had developed tremendous self-control over Atina and her arrogance in not allowing him to be her second in command. All he could think of was telling her when he rescued her was, “I told you so.” It was like a leap of vengeance, and this fueled his every motivation.

He wouldn’t allow anything else to come to the surface, even though he was crazy about her. He was an expert in denying these powerful feelings for her from himself. He was slightly cognizant that if he delved deep enough, he would certainly have a nervous breakdown. He dared not do that.

Two hours had since passed, and Davit was relaxing in the ship’s cabin. This was a small room where the crew could have refreshments. He sat on a small orange-colored sofa. He heard the door signal, and he pushed a small gray button to allow his visitor inside. It was Scott, and it peeved him at his captain. “Captain Davit, if I may?” Scott said, as if he was going to explode any second now.

“Please, Scott, call me Rodger when we’re not on the Bridge.”

Scott didn’t really want Davit’s permission to speak. He was going to say this anyway. “If I can be as candid and frank as you, sir. I must point out that putting our crew at ease is one of the essential policies under captaincy, with all due respect.” Davit rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

“What exactly are you referring to, Commander Brooks?”

“Not allowing us to converse freely. This mission is probably one of the riskier space missions the United Earth Nations have ever undertaken. If the crew is nervous about saying the wrong thing or letting something inappropriate slip, then it compromises their faith and esteem for their captain, thus putting our assignment in jeopardy.”

“The crew trusts me, Commander. Do you trust me?”

“I can’t believe you have to ask me that question. I revere you, sir. But—”

“You think I’m putting my personal feelings before the good of the crew and mission?”

Scott didn’t answer him. Davit was now becoming increasingly livid. “What is it when I try to do what’s right? First Atina, now you. I know what I’m doing here!”

“Yes, Captain, I guess you do. It’s just your attitude towards authority, more so the chain of command.”

“What?!” Davit laughed.

“You don’t respect your subordinates, and you cannot be totally open with your superiors!”

“We’re on a life-and-death mission, and you’re more or less telling me I have to babysit my crew?”

“I understand the imperative of this mission, as do Lucy and Steve. Just try some humility for a change!”

Davit took a moment of reflection. Scott had hit a raw nerve, and he was remembering what Atina once said to him. “Maybe you’re right. You’re not the first person who has said that to me. I know I can be arrogant. Atina didn’t want me on the Mentor because of that fact. What do you suggest, Scott?”

Scott smiled, and Davit relaxed a little. The two men were old friends, and they each told each other the brutal truth occasionally. They showed mutual respect for each other, even though they gave the impression that they were just colleagues.

Scott was trying to sleep in his quarters. These were short rooms with a bed and a wardrobe. There was only one tiny window on the port side. Lighting was soft, and this dimness didn’t put the commander in any great ease. He became jaded because of this mission, and he was now a very great distance away from Earth. There was one sensation that he could not get out of his system, and it was bothering him so. It was the way he spoke to the captain earlier. His anguish wasn’t because he thought he was out of line; it was because he shouldn’t have had to say it. He was believing Davit was going to compromise the entire mission.

Scott clapped his hands once, and the soft light dimmed to darkness. He closed his tired eyes and fell asleep. He was dreaming, or at least he thought it was a dream. Scott could see a gigantic pair of gray wings flapping at high-speed intervals. The noise they made was raucous, against loud cries from what sounded like coming from children or inferior animals, or a mixture of both. The wings appeared disgusting, as he could see large, thick green veins running through them. He couldn’t see the bird’s body, just the end of the wings moving with purpose. All this seemed evil to Scott. He thought it was supernatural but with evil themes. He tried to wake up because God knows he was perspiring and frightened, but he couldn’t. The wings spread out, revealing the bird’s body, which was large and had an exoskeleton. Then its head turned around, and it revealed its crooked beak, which opened and silence came out, ending all the cries. Scott woke up screaming, and he clapped his hands twice. The light came on, and he poured himself a large glass of mineral water from a long silver thermos. He drank it down in one go and also wiped his face with a blue hand towel. Suddenly, he felt somnolent and hit the bed flat down.

He awoke the next morning with no recollection of his dream during the night. The only thing on his mind was how Captain Davit would interact with him and his crew today. He couldn’t remember his ominous dream.

Davit was feeling a little more casual, and as he looked around the bridge, his feelings of ease calmed the rest of his crew members. Apologies were easy for him. If he knew he was wrong, then he was the first to admit it. “I must apologize for my manner yesterday. Knowing you all firsthand and by your background, all of you are some of the most professional and finest crew a captain could ever have been assigned to. I am very grateful for you all taking part in this mission. So please, speak freely to each other or to me,” he said to everyone on his bridge.

It surprised Scott at his captain’s candor. He thought Davit was not an easygoing man. He turned to Steve and asked, “So, this is where the fun begins?”

Steve simpered a quick smile. The smile was not out of acknowledgment of what he had just heard but more annoyance. “Scott, you call this fun?”

“Sure, I do. We’re exploring the galaxy, and we could find all kinds of great things!”

“Or terrible things. Besides, our mission is only just beyond the Solar System.”

Davit heard them both and decided not to intervene. He just sighed and turned to Lucy. “Get me the Mentor’s last known trajectory.”

Lucy was feeling annoyed with Steve because of the way he was speaking to Scott. She was about to say something until Davit nudged her on the arm. She began tapping the buttons on her console. They displayed on the LCD monitor a schematic of the Mentor on the screen. “Captain, I’m sending you the relevant data to your console.”