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The Scavenger of Mars #1
Jonas was taken aback. The words that "We are not alone in this universe" were reverberating in his mind. Moments ago, all he could think was his own survival but these words compelled him to think beyond it. He had only one mission before he embarked on the long journey of Cryonia, to salvage as much as he could to ensure food for himself for as long as possible, but this new development was too much to handle for him.
Slowly, he came out of his thoughts and observed the desk again. He asked himself, how will he follow the voice? There was nothing on the desk and all he could see was Dr K. Sullivan's name plate. He started to look for any clues which would lead him to his next action. It was like a piece of riddle to be solved, only there weren't much of any hints. He fondled with the knob that opened the tiny locker from where he took the note out. He tried to motion it to and fro but Nothing! He fiddled with locker door but Nothing!
He looked for any further clue but he couldn't find any.
Thereafter, his exhaustion grew up on him and his curiosity was overpowered with a strong need for rest. He lied down on the bed and within moments he was in the world of his dreams.

Jonas got up with a jolt as the cries of his mother in the dream shook him on bed. He sat on the bed panting. He was now habitual of the phenomenon. A PTSD fit on most of the mornings. Sleep was a luxury anyways only ensured for the rebel leaders in cave city of northern lowlands. As soon as he got out of the uneasiness, yesterday's developments dawned on him again. He was in a fix as to whether to salvage items as he came to do or to explore the note, Dr K. Sullivan and the words that "We are not alone in this universe".
He was still trying to decide when the red lights started blinking along with a nasty alarm and an automatic voice said "Battery Low" again and again. Jonas realised that due to absence of any running electricity, the emergency batteries must have drained out. He immediately wore his jumper and sealed it. As soon as he adjusted his helmet, the display in the helmet showed, he was left with only 50% air. He had been in such situations before so there wasn't much of a panic but he had to go out of that room.
As soon as he started to move out of the room, a slow tremor shook his surroundings. A part of the frame of the roof of that room came down and before he could stop he tripped and fell down towards the exit. While tripping, he tried to grab hold of the side wall where a chunk of the wallpaper got torned apart.
And there he saw a hidden vault. The tremors stopped after a while, a phenomenon which became more and more common after the terraforming activities started altering the natural balance of Mars. Jonas got up on his feet, checked if his jumper was not leaking from anywhere. No leaks! Jonas thanked heavens and looked towards the vault. He looked perplexed what to make of this tiny vault and why was it obscured behind the wallpaper.
Suddenly he took the note out which he had placed inside the side pocket on left sleeve of his jumper and his eyes went straight to the last X!@#%*. He pressed the arrow sign after which the special characters came on the vault screen. He typed X!@#%* and..... Nothing!
Jonas thought he must be delusional as to think that this thing can even work. He stood up to move out but stopped at the exit. He thought what if? He went back to the vault and turned the screen back to numbers and typed X12358 and Voilà! The vault opened and there it was, a disc looking like a miniature version of an ice hockey puck. He took the disc out and observed it cautiously. There was a small button on the top of that disc. He was puzzled, whether to press it or leave it. This time his survival instinct grew heavy over his curiosity and he moved out of the room pocketing the disc in his jumper.

© Tanha Musafir
To be continued....