The Journey Outside Known Space

The Journey  Outside Known Space
written by John Appius Quill

The notebook on Augustus Taylor´s desk chirpped the high and low sound of a priority message. He opened his notebook and saw the message that read:

“This is a highest priority message from the guild, confirmation number 12020160430. Please confirm number with your corporate liaison right away.”

Augustus shut off his computer and strolled out his office leaving his hot coffee at his desk.

“What´s this high priority message Cris?” Augustus asked while staring at the hot coffee in front him.

“Listen Augie, I´d offer you a cup but you have to leave right away. Now come on and give me the numbers.” Crispus said making a come here motion with both hands as he spoke.

“All business today Cris.” Augustus said as he reached forward and typed in the confirmation code on Crispus´s notebook.

Crispus smiled and typed in his code. The word “ACCEPTED” flashed on the screen.

“OK, listen up Augie. You have to leave right away and hurry. Everything you need is already packed up in your shuttle. You need to pick up a very, very valuable cargo from an unstable, elliptical planet that is outside of known space. Your guide´s name is Cosmus and he´ll be waiting for you when you arrive.” Crispus said as his eyebrows arched upward.

*****

The shuttle dropped Augustus off on the planet surface in a clearing in the woods then took off. The landscape resembled a north American forest with blue-hued mountains in the distance.

“Welcome to the unstable, elliptical planet I call Booty.” Yelled a tall man to Augustus as he jogged toward him.

“I´m Augie. You must be my guide, Cosmus.” Said Augustus with a hand outstretched.

“Guide? Is that all they told you I was?” Cosmus said, ignoring Augustus´s hand as a smile slid up one side of his face.

A powerful tremor suddenly shook the ground and caused Augustus to drop his knapsack to steady himself. Another jolt caused everything to slid sideways as if one end of the forest had lifted. The trees bent in the same direction while their leaves floated sideways. Stones and earth slid along the ground like a flowing stream. This was no earthquake but a change in the direction of gravity.

Everything suddenly went back to normal. Augustus and Cosmus got up, dusted themselves off and fetched their bags some 50 meters away.

“We´d better get going. By foot is the safest way to travel. That path leads to the treasure.” Cosmus said pointing in the direction of a wide dirt road.

They jogged down the road until they felt far enough away from the landing site then slowed their pace to a walk.

“So how´d you get the assignment?” Cosmus asked looking Agustus up and down.

“It was plopped on my desk, so to speak. How about you Cosmus?” Agustus asked.

“They promised me booty, my friend.” Cosmus said straightening his neck and back as he spoke.

It was then that Augustus realized Cosmus was a good head taller than him with a powerful physique and probably military training.

“Do you know what it is?” Augustus asked while grabbing the straps of his knapsack.

“Nope. It could be a weapon, cargo or maybe just their lunch.” Cosmus answered. His eyes fixed on the road in front of them.

“Yeah, their ´lunch´.” Augustus said while wiping sweat from his forehead.

“We came a long way but you know, if we took the treasure, we would be rolling in credits until our last fart…Think about it Augie.” Cosmus said smirking.

“That´s a bad plan man.” Augustus said.

“Haven´t you ever taken a risk before?…Think about it Augie.” Cosmus said thrusting his face into the face of Augustus with eyes wide open.

They finally arrived at the dark entrance of a large structure made of earth and stone that resembled a mountain with its peak worn down and with an entrance that expelled a cool breeze every so often as if breathing.

“Wear these Augie.” Cosmus said while handing him a pair of sunglasses.

With the sunglasses on, the dark corridor light up in colors of red, green and purple with strange symbols on the walls that resembled heiroglyphics.

“So the treasure is this buried ship and I bet there´s no valuable cargo either.” Augustus said.

“This is Galatian technology so we need to fly this together. File this under the ´bootyless planet` trope, a place not worth visiting.” Cosmus said with a sigh.

(747 words) John Appius Quill ©2016
this is my microstory submission from May2016