"After Roswell" - A.H. Roberts (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📗

which is shaking violently. Sparkage and small surges escape from the generator's encasement. Some worry is causing me to hover my hand over the abort key. A voice urges me to cancel the transmission. A look at the meter the danger level it shows no change. I pull my hand to the side. My hearts our jumping, developing a bulging vein across my forehead. My excitement is stalled as my command screen alerts me to a disconnection from one of the towers. I type in a code to put the comm systems in stand-by mode. Power levels decrease, calming down the generator. A status report on the problem is a loose transponder. This dilemma needs to be address. Now I have to drive a distance to the faulting tower. A waste of time I can't afford to spare at this moment. Still the transponder needs to be fixed. A loose transponder could disrupt the signal or transmit a scambled message. Can't believe this is happening? I guess bad luck tends to follow you twice. Wish this particular event of bad luck save itself for another day. I remember the tower with the problem. I rush through that connection because of the event earlier that night. I knew to take my time. But just wanted to go home. These problems resemble a parasite that totally consumes me from within. I remain focus and pack up my tools. Bursting out the door. I throw the utility pack into the back of the truck. When starting the truck. Another problem emerges. Now the engine doesn't want to turn over. I pump the accelator and turn the ingnition. It shows no results. I wait a few minutes. I've ran into this problem on many occassions. I'm patient with the primitive machine. I turn the ignition again. A timid roaring sound from the engine. Few seconds after that, the truck finally starts. Shifting into gear. I stomp on the pedal, racing to the tower. I set my wristbrand indicator. I have only a hour tops to fix the problem. Because of my desperation. My alien instincts return. The limitations have been broken free. My abilities rise from their dormant hiding space. Huge amounts of adreneline build up. This energizes my mental attributes to solve complex situations. I need my powers if the rescue attempt is to succeed.
With my brakes pressed hard. I skid up to the tower. The gate is still open from before. Nobody has been out here to service yet. With the power box open. From the back of the truck. I grab my tools. Quick fling over my shoulder. Once at the power box. I reconnect the transponder. Hooking my wristband indicator to the device. I wait for a response from the comm systems. The reconnection is complete and fixing the problem was a waste of time. Should of double-checked that in the first place. Could of avoided this whole drive out here. Packing up my tools. I hop into my truck. Throwing my tools into the passenger seat. A look at my wristband indicator. I have plenty of time to make it back. Enough time to transmit the message. I insert the key and turn the ignition. Nothing happens. Thats all I need is more problems. Wasting more time. It seems the truck's alternator isn't pulling enough power to kick the engine over. I pump the pedal and turning the key doesn't work. So I calm down. Take a few minutes like last time. Being patient. I take another turn of the key. Hank's old beater of a truck no longer has any juice. Even a zap from my finger doesn't do the trick like before. I slam the wheel. This reveals the extent of my anger. As I continue to slam and thrash at the truck. I realize something now. That this is redemption. Ghost from my past. Who haunt me now in this time. Because at this very perdictiment. I'm losing all control of myself. Unable to think logically and clear-headed. I remember that person. That individual from long ago. He is the one who got himself stranded. Ruined the mission. Shatter all the hopes back on my homeworld. About the humans that dwell and call this place their own. But this is not like my true character and temperament. I can't let these mistakes from my past haunt me in the present. Or should this interfere with my future. I'm getting a extreme headache from the problems that continue to multiply infront of me. An invisible force is keeping me from being rescued. I come up with a solutions when such problems arise. Especially those that have kept me here. But the problems get worse. Built-up aggression bursts the truck's door wide open. I blitz toward the direction of my home. Speeds that surprised me. With pure amazement glazes over my eyes. I've grasp ahold of my alien attributes. My strength. At incredible velocity. That time remain at constant pace. Yet for me it utterly slowed down. Running at light speed, making up time that was lost. Even with all this power. An expirational event crawls through my body. Bent over and puking up liquid content. I can't keep it up. I'm tired and walk the rest of the way. Little less than thirty minutes till the message can be sent. I take a drink from the bucket above the well. With the craved thrist subsided. I walk and hold the cramps that have developed on the sides of my body. As finally make the short steps back. I take a sit at the command screen. It depicts the ship close to Earth's proximity. I click the screen. Type a sequence into the CPU. Which returns the power. Soon the generator blasts on, puffing slight smoke and electrical discharges. Power builds up to the desire level. Danger meters report small fluctations. I keep the systems running. As the start-up begins. I hestitate, trying to avoid another mistake. A small, faint whisper tingles my cortex. It speaks. But not directly. More like a thought. That I would hate myself. Soon my eyes become frozen. I such a decision that came infront me. Decisions that my crew would not disobey. No matter the outcome. But could of aborted the mission. Made a decision that cost the lives of my crew. I lost a dear friend because of it. I should gather more resources and wait. A smart decision to some. Is it possible to manage sticking around here any longer? No more time to waste. My mind is made up. I've had enough being stranded here. This ship is my only rescue plan. Its no longer a rescue. But a escape from a giant prison. Being my familar environment. Around familar faces. I take out a data disk from my pant's pocket. Inserting it into the CPU. I type in the proper codes and the message is transfer into the comm systems. Now I wait. There has to be a strong enough signal to transmit the message. Another sense tingles the insides of my brain. I'm nervous. As a habit forms. One that I don't recall. I bite my fingers. Time on the counter ticks away. Fifthteen minutes and counting.
On the command screen a symbol bleeps on the star map. I command the telescopic optical device toward the open field of space. Very carefully the I track the symbol. Soon the optical device pieces together the image directly to the screen. Scans reveal my hutch. They are pirateers. It seems to be the right size. In the image I can see distinctive details about the ship. Logos on the side of the ship portrays their clan or tribe. While reviewing the image. I hear something in the right corner. Near the command screen. Its the Frequency receiver. Its making noise, picking up communication from the ship. Its fuzz with rough static. So the comm chatter has no reasonable content. Eyes back at the command screen. A morse code has been received. I cipher the code through the system to piece together the message. In short time the code completes the deciper process. They are ready to receive a message from the user. Really wanted to wait a little longer. But I start the transmission with a press of a command key. As the process begins. I see a brief electronical disturbance on the command screen. A small short in systems. Were the screen fizzed out, but return back to normal. It could be that the message contains too much data? Instead of aborting the process and recalculate my attempt at another transmission. I decide to ignore that thinking inside my mind. So onto my other alternative. To type in a sequence that will increase power. Now the antenna is broadcasting the message in bits of intel. Ten minutes remain before they leave orbit. It will take twenty minutes for a actual response from the ship. My CPU has to transfer the message. Process it through the systems. Then I can obtain the information. This message I've sent out is somewhat simple. It contains race, a short statement, and value. These pirateers can make a choice to land or leave with the intel in hand. A silent alarm appears on the command screen. Its showing the danger level. Its peak over mid range. I realize the system is slightly heating up. I leave the screen. Hunch over, near the generator's system control. Its showing some instablity. But it seems to be holding itself together. So I continue with the supervision of the comm systems. I'm beginning to like the fact everything is in full swing. It keeps me onboard with the current objective. That this is the night I finally leave Earth. I perform another check on the level indicators. All levels are spiking just little over from the last time I checked. Which still doesn't deter me from aborting the transmission. Small sparkage lights up from behind me. That flash of light scared me and still I continue watching the comm systems. Several for flashes of sparks turn me around in my chair. Then from behind the generator is acting up. As if a electrified beast was trapped inside. Desperate to escape. Just like me. I take another look at the meters. A suspenseful moment keeps me temporarly locked on the meter. As the needle holds itself back from the danger zone. While watching the needle I'm broken from attraction. I hear an alert from the command screen. It reveals that I'm being scanned by the ship in space. Their sending out small signals, revealing my location. The pirateers are trying to receive the message from me. I type another sequence. Which is uploaded into the CPU. I've finish the transmission procedure. A string of the repeating message is programmed. The antenna is working as the message is being relayed. Right now the system is intact performing in prime operation. I might be able to preserve this equipment? I'm watching the command screen. When in the reflection of the screen. A arch of electrical current develops from behind. Something is going wrong. Terribly wrong. Maybe I should have aborted?
The electrical beast I mention earlier. Well it has finally escaped from its cage. A crack in the generator has open up. Its causing the power to flux out of control. Eyes back on the command screen. Power levels have now crossed the danger zone. Entire system overload is happening. Sequence after sequence is typed into the CPU. In efforts to shut the system down. CPU Malfunction: Shutting off User. All that random typing of different sequences. It has blocked me from any further action. I bang and smash the command board, creating more problems. Now the command screen has blacked out. Status reports and system controls have disappear infront of me. Without the screen. I have no indication of signal reception. The comm systems