[Chapter 10] Popeye the Astronaut Man

Now that Popeye has entered the public domain, I am writing a science-fiction story starring the sailor in an entirely new adventure. This story will be told over the next thirteen weeks exclusively available to members. If you’re not a member, now’s a great time to join.

I plan to self-publish the entire work this summer. In the meantime, here’s Chapter Ten: The Enemy Within.

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The icy wind whipped across the desolate landscape as Popeye and the rest of the crew worked to establish their makeshift base camp a mile away from the shuttle. They wanted to keep the shuttle hidden on a small spit of land surrounded by icebergs while they dragged out critical equipment to the middle of the tundra.

They erected a prefabricated shelter. Its shimmering surface reflected the eerie green light from the clouds overhead of the Ropoda sky. Lieutenant Felica's fingers were busy tapping on her portable datapad, working feverishly to analyze the strange radio frequency emanating from the planet's core.

Popeye, his muscles aching from hauling equipment, paused to catch his breath. He glanced at the lieutenant and admired her focused determination. She was a whiz with technology, a valuable asset of the team.

"Any progress with your fancy gizmos, Lieutenant?" he asked, his voice crackling over the comms.

"I'm getting closer," she answered without looking up from her console. "The frequency is complex, but I'm starting to detect patterns. I think I can isolate its source."

"Sounds like good news then," Popeye grinned naively.