The Traitor Among Us

Thragnar stood at the enormous control panel in Bay Twelve of the Interplanetary Space Station known as Station 3989. He adjusted the positioning knob by two degrees to the north and logged the directional changes on his digital clipboard before proceeding.

He whistled the familiar anthem of the Intergalactic Alliance and adjusted the temperature of the outlying wings of the station to an acceptable range for non-humanoid sentients.

That’ll do it, he thought, satisfied that the guests of honor would be comfortable in their quarters. Leaders from every influential planet in the Intergalactic Alliance were on board to discuss the recent peace treaty. Captain Richnock had harped on his crew to make certain every aspect of Station 3989 was perfect, down to the most minute detail.

Thragnar straightened his dark blue uniform collar and polished the gold buttons on his jacket, signifying his rank as Chief Operations Officer. He had spent many years rising through the ranks and was the first from his planet to attain such a high position, due to Ugrono’s long past of terror in the galaxy. Trust is earned through hard work and loyalty to the cause.

“Officer Thragnar,” Captain Richnock’s voice broke the silence as it poured out of Thragnar’s communicator hidden in his metallic visor. “Thragnar, come in.”

“Reporting, sir,” Thragnar replied. “Security in Bay Three is reporting an influx in gamma radiation, placing undue stress on the thermal core. Status report.”

“Nothing unusual on my readings,” Thragnar replied, glancing at the control panel monitor.

“That’s odd,” the Captain replied. “Report to Bay Three to investigate.”

“On my way, sir.”

“And Officer,” Captain Richnock continued, “time is of the essence.”

“Of course, sir. Over and out.”

Thragnar turned to inspect the control panel monitor one last time before departing towards Bay Three. Everything’s functioning as planned, he thought as he turned on his heel.

“Haliana,” he called out to the station’s virtual computer assistant, “initiate the Disaster Systems Protocol.”

“Disaster Systems Protocol, sir?” Haliana’s cool female voice responded through his communicator. “All systems are operational. Please confirm.”

“Confirmed.”

“Initializing,” Haliana responded. “Activation in ten seconds.”

The officer turned right at the entrance to the main hall, taking the shortest route to Bay Three. As soon as he crossed the threshold, a loud explosion sounded behind him, rocking the entire station. The blast threw him across the hall and into the floor-to-ceiling window. He watched several more explosions take place all over the complex as he slid down the glass. The hall turned red as the emergency lights flashed and smoke filled the station. He could hear people screaming and running as more explosions rocked the station from adjoining corridors.

I’ve got to get out of here! He stood to his feet, dizzy from his sudden impact with the window. Several people ran past him, some crying and some cursing. A distressed human mother ran by carrying her small toddler on her shoulders. He tried to direct her towards an emergency exit pod in Bay Six, but she didn’t hear him over the uproar.

I have to make it to Bay Six, he thought, spinning on his heel and running against the flow of panicked traffic. He stared out the massive window to his right as he ran towards the corridor containing Bay Six. The wing that housed the visitors’ quarters exploded, shifting the entire station a few degrees. Sentients fell in the hallway as the floor shook violently under their feet.

There’s a traitor among us. Thragnar thought as he stood back to his feet and weaved through the constant flow of terrified residents. He turned right at the next corridor crossing and ran as hard as he could. I have to make it to an escape pod! The universe has to know about this.

He rounded another corner as a massive explosion tore the hall in two, creating a vacuum that sucked a dozen or more passengers off their feet and into open space. Thragnar was fortunate enough to have gravity boosters attached to his boots that bought him a few seconds to find a titanium pipe to cling to. He hung on with every bit of energy he could muster as the hungry pit of deep space tried to swallow him.

“Thragnar!” Captain Richnock called out behind him. Thragnar contorted his head around the pipe and found the captain firmly planted behind one of the station’s containment shields.

“Captain!” he yelled, trying to be heard over the noise of metal being twisted and eaten away by the ravenous universe. “There’s a traitor among us!”

“Just hold on, Officer!” the Captain yelled in response.

“They have to know! The Alliance — the universe has to know!” Thragnar stared at his Captain with fear-filled eyes, certain that death was near. I can’t hold on much longer…

“HOLD ON, OFFICER!” Richnock screamed, veins protruding out of his graying temples. “THAT’S AN ORDER!”

“Captain,” Thragnar sent his thought through the telepathic network of the visor communicators, “make sure the universe knows what happened here today — don’t let my death be in vain.” His hands slipped from the cold titanium pipe and his body jerked backwards towards certain death, to float away into the depth of space without oxygen, without thermal regulation. I’ll be dead in approximately seventy seconds…an honorable death for my cause…my name will be recorded in history.

“No!” Captain Richnock yelled, slamming a small silver sphere onto his chest.

Suddenly, time stopped for a moment. Noise faded to silence, an explosion to the left of the hall slowed to a stop. Thragnar found himself suspended in mid-air, staring at his Captain behind the electric blue containment shield. Compassion emanated from the Captain’s expression and tears filled his eyes. He can’t handle one of his officers dying like this.

“Thragnar,” the Captain’s calm voice filled his mind. “It’s been my pleasure to watch you grow as a young recruit into a commanding officer. You’ve truly given me a new view on Ugrono society. Gone are the days of terror and thirst for war.” Tears streamed down the captain’s face and he raised an open palm towards his officer. “Peace be with you.”

Sound and motion snapped back into full speed just as suddenly as they had stopped, but Thragnar didn’t find himself floating off into the cold depths of space. Instead, he was standing safely behind the electric blue containment shield where his Captain had stood a moment before. He raised his hand to the shield and honored Captain Richnock with a salute of peace as he floated willingly to his death. He took my place to further peace in the Alliance…

“Haliana, reinforce containment shields on sector eleven.”

“Containment shields functioning at thirteen percent, Captain Thragnar,” Haliana’s cool voice responded.

I just became acting Captain of Station 3989…

“Repair shields,” Thragnar commanded.

“Repairing…”

I have to get to an escape pod. The universe has to know.*

“Containment shields repaired and functioning at ninety-eight percent.”

Suddenly, the electric blue shield protecting Thragnar disappeared and he ran down the empty corridor towards Bay Six. More explosions rocked the station, sending one of the exterior wings floating off into space.

“All visitor sectors are lost, Captain,” Haliana said. “The most recent was filled with leading sentients from each planet in the Alliance, sir.”

“Understood, Haliana.”

He rounded the corner of the hall leading to Bay Six. I have to make it in time. I have to reach the escape pod. They have to know.

“Haliana,” Thragnar began, “prepare escape pod H2 for departure.”

“Preparing for departure, Captain.”

Explosions had become so normal that his body was no longer affected by the rocking of the station. As he neared the sliding door for Bay Six, all power was lost in the sector, plunging him into total darkness.

“Haliana, direct all remaining power to Bay Six.”

“Override required, Captain.”

“Override all system protocols, Haliana.”

“Remaining power redirected to Bay Six, Captain. Escape pod H2 prepared for departure.”

Thragnar turned right as the door slid open to Bay Six. The large room contained massive titanium boxes full of supplies and was lined with small escape pods. One glass and metallic pod was illuminated and operational in the back corner. Another explosion rocked the station, this time signaling the Destruction Emergency Response System.

Thragnar used the retina scanner to open H2 and climbed inside. The automatic harnessing system fastened tightly around his body and the control panel came to life before him.

“Haliana, engage thrusters and plot course to Ugrono.”

“Thrusters engaging in three seconds. Course plotted, Captain.”

“Goodbye, Haliana.”

“Goodbye, Captain.”

The small, spherical pod taxied into outer space and sped off into the distance. Thragnar watched as the thermal core of the Interplanetary Space Station exploded, destroying the structure completely.

This will mean war. The universe will know my name. Captain Thragnar — the one responsible for the destruction of the Intergalactic Alliance. Thragnar: The Traitor Among Us.