by Geoff Nelder
Penn’s face turned puce. “How the hell can w—” He stopped when the three flitters surrounded his head.
In all their radio implants CAN’s robotic voice came through: ‘I am here to translate and to pass observations. Set your input to maximum so your whisper can be heard via the implant to me and each other.’
Penn whispered. “Are you going to tell me when I’m to deliver our statement?”
‘Indeed. All of you may proceed fifty-three metres to a black circle where you are to stand then give me your message. Any questions?’
Gaston offered a quiet cough. “The exit wave. What—”
The others shushed him.
Penn asked, “This circle. Where is—oh, it’s suddenly appeared. It looks like a pit. A void.”
Em crept towards it. “It’s just really black.”
The commander remained sceptical. “Is a cage going to come down, or a force field?”
CAN responded: ‘Not to my knowledge. I’ve scanned for hidden devices, but their tech remains a far-future mystery. Even to me.’
They walked cautiously to the intensely black, yet textured circle. Gaston squatted and put his hand down. He muttered, “This is moss. Black sphagnum—”
He looked up to see three Keps, twice the size of their friend and each an angry red, though that was an entirely human judgement. Behind the three, the whiteness obscured easy vision but he thought there were many more Keps.
Penn relayed to CAN an opening speech. It was tricky for the crew to compose because the reception committee was not representative of the planet’s owners but a rebel group, small but significant if they disrupted the H.NewKep project. Also, the humans didn’t know how to address the rebels. They couldn’t even use the term Keps since Kepler-20h is Earth’s Spaceweb nomenclature, and they haven’t been able to deduce the local term beyond a few clicks.
CAN told them to make it brief and formal to avoid ambiguity.
Penn: ‘We are humans from planet Earth and bring you greetings.
‘We have stopped the further spread of a bacteria blight on your planet by planting a genetically-modified genome into a protein molecule in your native prion.
‘We hope this pleases you.’
CAN gave the rebels their own name for Earth as he relayed the statement. The reply came immediately again via CAN though he checked with the ancient Kep.
[Humans inherently violent, bad. You leave the planet now to avoid retribution.]
‘We have no viable ship. We’d like permission to stay.’
[No.]
Gaston was impressed how Penn remained calm although his feet fidgeted.
‘How can we leave?’
Silence.
Penn muttered, “CAN what do they mean?”
CAN conferred with their Kep. ‘If your transport is not viable, they expect you to arrange your own termination. Apparently Keps can do this by thinking it.’
Delta whispered, “How about a demonstration by those three?”
Gaston suggested, “Tell them we can monitor and control the GM microorganism released. We can’t really control but…”
CAN relayed their first lie. The response was immediate.
[No.]
Penn’s feet nearly danced off the moss. “Fucking morons,” he hissed. “We know their psyche means they can’t kill us. If we don’t commit suicide, what are they going to do? Best for them to cooperate, not get up our noses.”
CAN: ‘Is that a statement for them?’
Penn whispered back, “No, no. Right we tell them lie number two. The inherent human violent gene has been engineered out of the prion that’s been distributed. Surely, us four cannot be a threat to the planet especially now we’ve saved it?”
Silence.
“Okay,” Em said under her breath, “time to tell them that if they introduce another competing bacteria, the H.NewKep will mutate and reactivate the violent gene.”
CAN relayed it. An uneasy silence followed but Gaston saw the tops of the three Keps vibrating. He’d like to think they are communicating and agitated by the last lie, something normally thrown out as an easily-detected bluff in human negotiations.
CAN talked at their implants: ‘Be ready to run for your pods. Your friendly ancient Kep is worried the rebels will behave irrationally. Something never done before.’
“That’s great,” Delta murmured. “Penn, take your hand off your pistol in case they can mindread.”
“Not likely,” he said, “or they’d have sussed our lies.”
In spite of the growing knot in his stomach, Gaston hadn’t taken his eyes off the rebels’ blurred heads. Suddenly, a yellow curved wall of glass appeared between the three Keps and the black circle.
“Run!” Penn yelled, but they needed no command. Gaston noted that even the Kep kept up with them, but at least it didn’t appear to go through them this time. As they reached the tunnel entrance to get to their pods, they were blocked by another group of Keps. Before them a shockwave of ozone assaulted human nostrils.
“To the left!” shouted Penn.
Delta called out, “Stop! They’re friendlies. Look, that yellow wall has imprisoned the rebels. They’ve capitulated on our lies.”
Gaston inwardly groaned for their pyrrhic victory. “I feel dirtied. What happens when the rebels, or their supporters discover our lies? When our friendly Keps also uncover our falsehoods? Ah oui, they wanted us here for that reason.”
He waved an arm at the new crowd. “See how our Kep had a backup plan? they are smaller, so older, than those rebels? Ah, some are big. An eclectic mix. What are they saying, Delta?”
Cuboids rose out of the floor behind each of them, no matter where they stood. They sat.
Their friendly Kep emitted clicks. Gaston looked at him and at other similar sized Keps. Whether it was familiarity, perhaps a bond, he just knew which of them was their Kep. His implant spoke in a soft golden voice.
‘I have learnt much from you humans. Delta especially. Most of us are puzzled over your actions in space and here on our planet, but we are grateful to you for providing a solution for our plague. We will build you a home, provide you with resources. Where do you want to be?”
This time it was the humans who were silenced.
Not for long. Penn answered, “Delta and I would like to live for a while at the site of Suppose We and repair it. Explore your system.” He turned to Gaston and Em with an obviously uncontrollable grin. “How about you two?”
Em said, “I want to be with Gaston. Maybe help for a while with the ship, but I know my man will want to explore this planet and I’ll hold his hand. Both of them.”
Gaston’s face erupted with relief. He stood and faced his astronaut companions. “Être bien. I agree with Em, but whether I help with the ship or start exploring—holding hands—even if only for a month or so… Decisions. Ah, I will seek an answer from Papillon. Here he is, still on my pack. Now little one. Fly to Delta or Penn if I’m to go ship repairing first, or to Em to go exploring.”
He held out a finger and the crimson butterfly left the pack and settled on Gaston’s finger. “It tickles. Hah. Now make my decision, mon Papillon.”
It left his finger and danced its random fluttering, lurching here and there by guess, or so Gaston thought. It nearly made it to Em’s outstretched hand, lured by her flashing teeth but veered off towards Delta. Gaston was a little disappointed, but it was his fault to let his immediate future be determined by the Kepler version of a lepidopteran. It flew crooked until it skimmed Delta’s fingers then its ‘idiocy of flight’ took it in a remarkably straight line to their Kep!
Gaston’s mouth opened wide when the little creature flew right into the Kep and didn’t exit even behind when the Frenchman performed a walk around.
The Kep’s new velvet voice came into his implant. ‘Your Papillon is me.’
“Pardon?”
The others stood, staring as if hoping to see the butterfly emerge and do its trick again but this time wi
th a new yet only partial understanding.
‘The little creature is me, an extension, I am it, it is me. Common among elders, and it says go explore.’
Curiosity forced Gaston and Em to see for themselves what had been their home for over a thousand years. Yes, they’d only each been conscious on board for a few years at the start and end of the journey, but it held many personal mementos from Earth as well as some resources to make life easier for a while.
The ship remained in a specially-built tunnel, but on a day off Gaston and Em sat on an Earth-made blanket on a hill. He breathed in honey-sweet aromas from flowers looking suspiciously like wisteria.
“Would you like me to wear a flowery perfume so you can go soppy faced for me too?” Em asked while she lay back on the springy pink grass. Gaston warmed at seeing her wearing a dress, white with red poppies as a reminder of Earth.
“Cicero said the right scent for a woman is none at all.” He readied himself to duck.
She turned away from him. “That goes for guys too, buddy.”
“Touché. Is it not wonderful to be drinking real tea from a glass?”
She sat up and clinked her glass with his. “And with a freshly baked croissant. We’ve a lot to learn on adapting haven’t we?.” As she gazed at the landscape, he admired the profile of her face. Still only twenty-seven with a few laughter lines tracing from her eyes and had he noticed the suggestion of a cute dimple before. Faites attention, she’s talking… “It’s easier with views like this. Miles of undulating patchwork coloured plains with misty blue mountains on the horizon.”
He examined the vista through his binoculars. “At this distance, the devastation is not discernible. I believe it will be regenerated quickly. I can’t wait to see how H.NewKep manifests itself.”
She giggled. “I want to see gerbils. With human speech and see them build houses, bridges, spiral towers!”
“For that we might need to come back in a million years, unless a phenomenal growth rate occurs.”
He saw a tear roll down her smiling cheeks. They hugged.
“All right,” he said, eventually, “What else do you want to see?”
She tapped on her Smartpad. “As the mission astronomer, I really want to see what the universe looks like around here. Check on the double sun here and investigate why one emits only a tenth the radiation of the other. Kep has given me access to some observatories. They’re all in space mostly at Lagrange points. I can check on those spheres. Do you want to see?”
He glanced over but shook his head. “Merci but we saw enough of one to last for a few more weeks. Didn’t we, Papillon?”
“Oh, I thought Kep had kept it – hah did you hear what I said?”
Gaston watched the quasi-butterfly dart around, apparently taking nectar from the nearest thing to lavender he’s smelt and seen. “Kep says it is not a spy and merely enjoys flying crooked. I would like to believe that.”
“Unless we’re in trouble then it would be usefu—hey, Gas, what d’you think this is?” She showed him her Smartpad and magnified an image.
He frowned. “Can you tell where—”
“Yep. They’ve come from the system from which the Keps took the gases. They’re not spheres and aren’t tagged with Kep identities, maybe artificial and headed for us. You see what they look like, Gas?”
“No. Too indistinct. Like balls of wire wool. Probably a glitch.”
He whispered something in the ear of the butterfly and off it went to find Kep, flying crooked.
Fin
Water crossing optimising problem in Chapter 30
Gaston (G), Em (E) and Delta (D) need to cross a river but leaving a pod on the left bank for Penn (P) for when he catches up. One pod is on the left, one on the right. Pods can only take two persons maximum.
Solution
1) D,G take pod1 over the river.
2) DG bring pod1 and pod2 back to the left bank.
3) E and G take pod2 back and E stays on the right bank.
4) G goes to the left in pod2
5) G and D go in pod2 back to the right bank so all three are together with pod2 leaving pod1 on the left bank for when and if Penn catches up.
There are other scenarios, but none with fewer total journeys.
Sequel in the Flying Crooked series by Geoff Nelder
Book Two: FALLING UP
The title says it all. Nothing can be taken for granted on Kepler-2oh and that includes gravity anomalies, the wildlife, architecture, who are your real friends, giant wire wool balls coming for you, and above all, the Recs. Who or what are the Recs? FALLING UP is the future on this planet as seen through the eyes of Navigator Em Farrow. You shouldn’t miss it.
Biography
Geoff Nelder has a wife, two grown-up kids, and a handful of lively grandchildren. He lives in rural England within an easy cycle ride of the Welsh mountains.
Publications include several non-fiction books on climate, reflecting his other persona as a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society; over 80 published short stories in various magazines and anthologies; thriller, humour, science fiction, and fantasy novels. He’s been a fiction judge on several occasions and has co-written a guide on winning short story competitions. A former teacher for 30 years, Geoff is now a freelance editor.
Acknowledgements
For permission to quote the poem “Flying Crooked” by Robert Graves (1895-1985) I give thanks to the copyright holders, Carcanet Press Ltd, Manchester, UK for the licence.
I thank Robert Graves (RIP) for crafting this fine poem, which as he says in an unposted letter of 1933, people “fail to understand that the cabbage-white’s seemingly erratic flight provides a metaphor for all original and constructive thought.” - from Poetry Friday site.
I originally learnt this poem by heart from an English teacher, Mrs Jones, in 1955. Or was it Mr Greenway? However, I’m obliged to quote an actual book. I’ve seen it in The Complete Poems v.1 Robert Graves programme: poetry. Carcanet Press, 1995, p323
Once again, I have enjoyed the combined literary wisdom of the Orbiter 7 novel critique group of the British Science Fiction Association. In particular, Mark Iles, Rosie Oliver, Dr David Allan, Dunstan Power, Peter Wilhelmsen and the overall Orbiter coordinator, Terry Jackman They nit-picked, lacerated and improved my manuscript no end. Even so, any faults are all down to my own wackiness.
My wife for putting up with looking at my back while I write. The Chester Science Fiction Book Group, who kindly do not discuss my stories while I’m in the room.
International online game players like Paul Goodspeed, Steven Whitener, Professor Drucilla Ronchen, Marianne Boehlert, Mary Frances, Kerry Kaufman, Rita and John Marchant and international entertainer, Martin Lamberti, have all bought my works and boosted my flagging ego.
I have social media friends, who actively encourage my writing. It would take over 50 pages to mention them all but special thanks to Olga in Moscow @OllyGuseva, and Les Floyd @LesFloyd in Carlisle. A group of readers calling themselves Readers of Avenue Park @ReadersAvePark
Find them on my twitter @geoffnelder
I blog a brief article about Robert Graves Flying Crooked poem and this novella at https://geoffnelder.com/copyright-flutterbies/
I also acknowledge Jim and Zetta Brown of LL-Publications and the keen eye of their editor, Billye Johnson, for their support and encouragement.
Quotes about Geoff Nelder’s books
Magdalena Ball of the Compulsive Reader review site: “There’s always an element of action, a hint of steamy romance, and Nelder’s trademark twist.”
Paul Goodspeed: “Nelder’s dialogue is witty, snarky and fun.”
Martin Lamberti (International circus entertainer): “The plot thickens, of course. This is expected from an excellent author like Geoff Nelder. Humor delightful, and drama suspenseful.”
M. Kenyon Charboneaux: “Nelder’s ingeniously crafted stories have the feel of MR James between their luscious lines.” Horror tutor and author of BLOOD KIS
S.
“I’ve always found Geoff’s work both inspirational and brilliant. I know that whenever I pick up one of his works I’m in for a damned good read. For those who’ve never read any of his works before, welcome to the Geoff Nelder club.”—Mark Iles, author of THE DARKENING STARS series.
Peter Wilhelmsen on SUPPOSE WE: “The exploration-part, the unknown part of it all, made me want to turn the pages. The world building is impressive, and the way the humans interpret things makes the science behind it all easy to follow. And the Keps felt very alien-like.”
From Rosie Oliver – “SUPPOSE WE is a wonderful first contact story where the quirks of civilisations could be all too real.”
“I enjoyed Suppose We. An intriguing first contact story with original touches.” Jaine Fenn – HIDDEN EMPIRE series.
Jon Courtenay Grimwood—FELAHEEN, PASHAZADE AND END OF THE WORLD BLUES - “Geoff Nelder inhabits science fiction just as other people inhabit their clothes.”
Social Media and other links for Geoff Nelder
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Science fiction database http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/nelder_geoff
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Website https://geoffnelder.com