Flight Into The Unknown

Day One: After Launch1

The commander seems to be optimistic, poised as he is behind the control panel the look on his face is almost from a moving picture, the brave adventurer sitting on the brink of either disaster or legend, the world watching him from home, safe and secure, judging his every movement. The second in command seems jittery, but quickly takes his prescription bottle and one of the small blue pills disappears down his gullet. I question the choice of base control in the selection of their crewmen, but who am I, a super-intelligent scientifically tested monkey, Mr. Bingo, to say. I am simply here as a variant in an experiment, began before my creation. I do not know that they understand the extent of my intelligence, for I still lack the ability to speak. But I think my Pulitzer award winning article on the treatment of animals by science speaks for me.2

The stars are beautiful when seen through a pollution free medium. I am entranced, and crave bananas. The second in command seems to have noticed, and supplicates my need.3

All is well.4

Day Two5

We were struck by a rogue comet today, a small one to be sure, but one nonetheless. I watched from my cage as they hustled about, twisting knobs and dials and such things you would not understand. As I keep this journal, I see as they now sit, relaxing following the event, glad that there was no real damage to the ship. I feel them fools, for were they but simply more adept in the guiding of ships via astrological bodies, they would see that Orion is not as centered as he was before.6

The commander is in control, but the second-in-command seems to have forgotten his medication, and begins to talk to himself. Sorting the pens in the magnetic cups they keep on the control panels. Red in the front for one moment, and than he would switch voiced, and blue would become more forward. I shall keep a weathered eye on that chap.7

I fear for our journey, and try to relay the message, but I am instead handed a banana. The problem is still bearing over us like a violent husband; ready to thrash us soundly at the slightest mishap, but the golden delicious ambrosial fruit I hold distracts me. 8

For the moment alone, all is well.9

Day Three10

Oh what poor fools these men are to not heed the screeching warnings of Mr. Bingo! What vanities have they that they feel the howling of a super-intelligent simian is simply the cry for further bananas! They think themselves masters of what they have built, when truly it is the machine that has become master. They are but corpses in this floating metal coffin, lost in the vast emptiness they sought to master, such as the early sailors that were pulled into the great brine. The commander does his best to remain calm, and the second-in-command has little option, having taken a good portion of the medication at once, and is sedate, night comatose. I find that I am almost thankful for his over-self-medication, for he was beginning to sort my bananas by size one moment, and than by region of growth the next. I feel he has in the past had too much time on his hands in past times to study such things.11

These things would trouble me, for he is the one who gives me the bananas and is now out of reality, but I find that earlier when I was trying to warn them of the obvious course change we've taken, he gave me more than enough to last through the day.12

For a time, all is well.13

Day Four14

Captain's Log15

Mr. Bingo’s continuing cries for fruit we have brought with us is beginning to grate on my nerves, couples with my second in command's obvious fall into his psychosis. We had feared such things before launch, but thought we had planned properly. What fools we've been...16

The stars have begun to appear more foreign than our maps show, and I fear the comet that we had an unfortunate meeting with has pushed us more off course than I and my fellow crewmate originally calculated. With limited fuel for such a situation, we view other such options open to us... or rather I do. My second-in-command seems more concerned with attempting to sort the food packets by protein quality... and than food color...17

I worry for him.18

Mr. Bingo continues to howl.19

Day Five20

Captain's Log21

Our last efforts have failed, attempts to use the pull from nearby gravity wells to turn ourselves has proven nothing but our own inadequacy for this mission. Mr. Bingo seems to have calmed, almost as if he senses our recognition of our own hopelessness. 22

The path before us, once so bright and paved, has become dark and wild, metaphorically tangled with ivy and vines that has torn the wheels of our carriage in our journey through the woods. So lost are we on the journey to the other side. So hopelessly lost.23

My second-in-command has successfully sorted the hairs on his own head, finally having decided on left from right, and sports the nicest part this side of the cosmos. Am I perhaps feeling the beginning effects of some sort of cosmos-equivalent of cabin fever?24

I do not doubt. Mr. Bingo continues to be silent, simply pecking away at the specialized keyboard on his little computer. What thoughts through the beast's mind? Gibberish... no doubt... 25

Day Six26

Recordings from Belowdeck27

"Red blue red blue red blue red blue... blue red blue red blue red...."28

brief pause29

"No Paul, that is now how the sheep sort the wolves, we must always remember that before fall, cometh pride."30

A light humming begins here, ending shortly thereafter31

"Silly Reuben, perhaps you have forgotten the beginnings of the sandwich, and we shall learn from past mistakes."32

Electrical static33

"Blue red, blue red, blue red, blue red... blue... and red... Left right left right. Blue left, red right. Snap snap whee."34

The humming continues, fading as the figure leaves35

electrical static continues36

-Day Six37

Captain's Log38

The ships controls have become even more difficult and the navigation seems to be malfunctioning. The only good news is that I believe the second-in-command has come to his senses, having begun an inspection of all the ships sub-systems.39

Mr. Bingo has been increasingly morose of late.40

Day Six41

Bingo's Notes42

I feel in myself feeling the void in me, once filled by sweet sweet bananas, beginning to grow. The protein supplementary packs that they shove into my hands do not do my past ingestions any sort of credit. They are bland, and taste of badly burnt toast. The second-in-command is obviously completely mad, but I do not find any motivation to warn the commander. What has he done thus far, but further bungle the already bungled?43

All is going to the dogs, so to speak.44

Mr. Bingo is not pleased.45

Day Seven46

Captain's Log47

I feel myself a bigger fool than previous, having not seen the insanity of my second in command for what it was. I found him below, surrounded by wires pulled from the navigation sub-computers, perfectly separated into two piles. They were at one point different colors, but now are both stained by the blood of my fellow crewman.48

In the last notes he wrote in some semblance of sanity, I find he was attempting to sort his insides from his out, and executed his plan with a sharpened piece of Mr. Bingo’s cage. I do not know how to handle this situation; such things have not been accounted for in base control's book of operation.49

I will do what I can, but feel it shall only delay what the powers above have planned for me.50

Day Seven51

Bingo's Notes52

The day is now dark53

The other crewman fallen54

The commander weeps55

I find in boredom56

My mind wanders yet's empty57

I write in haiku58

Bananana59

Bananananana60

Oh how I crave thee61

Day Eight62

Captain's Log63

Sleep shall be the epitome of what peace I may find. The long days are filled with long periods of staring into nothing. I feel rest would be more productive. I hope that the ship crashes into a planet while I sleep, so that death comes quickly.64

Day Eight65

Bingo's Notes66

Bingo's cage is broke67

A bar taken from the lock68

I find such release69

The captain sleeps in peace70

So easy does the neck break71

Beneath bingo's hand72

Broken moon ahead73

Oh how it grows in my eyes74

I shall see death soon75

-end of all transmissions-76