Mina has only been an Ensign Navigator on the interstellar cruiser, Queen Elizabeth VI, for two weeks, so everything is exciting and new. She counts herself lucky to have been assigned to the same ship as her little brother, Alistair, and she doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their posting. It’s an easy mission, a charter flight to Aurelia Prime to celebrate the primeversary of the discovery of Carbon Prime, the reason everyone can travel between the stars.
Yet something is not right and Mina senses the wrongness. That feeling is confirmed when one of the descendants of the pioneers who discovered the miracle fuel is found dead in her cabin, frozen to death by a coolant leak. At least, that is what their leaders are saying. Mina doesn’t believe it. It must be something to do with the strange, impenetrable vessel encased completely in Carbon Prime that has suddenly appeared in their path and is now shadowing them to Aurelia Prime?
No longer trusting the superiors who only seem interested in their glorious history, Mina and Alistair look to lower ranks to investigate what is really going on. Something is bad in the history of Aurelia Prime; something is missing from the official records. Can Mina find out what it is in time to save all on board the QE VI?
Mina has only been an Ensign Navigator on the interstellar cruiser, Queen Elizabeth VI, for two weeks, so everything is exciting and new. She counts herself lucky to have been assigned to the same ship as her little brother, Alistair, and she doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their posting. It’s an easy mission, a charter flight to Aurelia Prime to celebrate the primeversary of the discovery of Carbon Prime, the reason everyone can travel between the stars.
Yet something is not right and Mina senses the wrongness. That feeling is confirmed when one of the descendants of the pioneers who discovered the miracle fuel is found dead in her cabin, frozen to death by a coolant leak. At least, that is what their leaders are saying. Mina doesn’t believe it. It must be something to do with the strange, impenetrable vessel encased completely in Carbon Prime that has suddenly appeared in their path and is now shadowing them to Aurelia Prime?
No longer trusting the superiors who only seem interested in their glorious history, Mina and Alistair look to lower ranks to investigate what is really going on. Something is bad in the history of Aurelia Prime; something is missing from the official records. Can Mina find out what it is in time to save all on board the QE VI?
Find out in Dark Celebration, this thrilling science fiction horror mystery short story.