“Yeah, without understanding their sense of time and place, I don't want to overly speculate.” Huston was showering his light in one place now. Pausing as he considered it. The icy metal of his flashlight caused his fingers to tighten. He smiled at the cold. “Well, I should say they share enough of our sense of spatial relationships that they were able to effectively communicate a meeting place with us, but that may have somehow been their effort to communicate to us in a way we could understand.”
“I suppose maps are a pretty basic form of communication. Rudimentary maps at that.” Scott said, nodding in agreement. His light having came to rest on another section of the ceiling. “I don’t know about you, but size differentiation is the main thing that I’m picking up from these things. There’s always a sharp difference between large numbers of small ones, and then the bigger ones. Do you make anything of that?”
Huston stole his eyes from the ceiling to look at Scott.
“We don't know what the intention was behind these relief burns and we don't know who they were intended for. It's a bit abstract.” He looked back up. “It's not just a fixation on scale, though. Maybe you noticed before. I didn't bring it up because I wasn't quite sure about it, but they’re fixated on layers, too. Look at this relief burn. There's the image that's been burned into the raised material here, but look where the surface isn't a raised or blackened.”
Getting a chance to survey more of the drawings, Huston felt more comfortable discerning beyond the surface- though only enough to gather that they were more than he’d originally surmised. Ancient cave art on Earth had evolved from catalogs, hunting magic, and connection points to portray an explosion in man’s figurative and symbolic senses; findings demonstrated an appreciating sense of early man’s interpretation of a layered existence and layered world. Images anywhere from 20 to 32 thousand years old representing a sense of caves being places where matter and spirit blended, of journeys to the afterlife, of odd-contortions of man-beast creatures, and containing colors and orientations that drove at hidden, cryptic meanings. Figuring out what the relief burns were was beyond him, but he could start.
“Oh…” Scott crossed the space between them, trying to discern whatever Huston was seeing.
“Yeah,” Huston began, certainty mounting in his voice. “I'd guess that this is--” Huston rapidly swept the room with his eyes, Scott doing the same as a cacophony of echoing strides pinballed about the walls encircling them.
“There are a lot more of these things moving around us. What's the frenetic movement about?” Huston hurriedly continued.
“Hey, watch!” Scott’s warning came just as a Caver burst into the cavern and coiled to hurl itself at Huston.
“Stop stop stop!”
Huston quickly backed up with his left hand out, reaching for his knife with the other, but as he did a larger Caver stepped from an opening that hadn’t been there prior to smash the clawing, smaller being to the ground. The ferocity and strength of the clubbing sent a sickening crackle ringing against the walls.
Huston couldn’t do much more than stare at the lifeless body as he dimly registered that the larger being beckoned to Scott with pulsing lights from his forehead- or it seemed that way, given the way Scott’s face strobed in the darkness. Slowly, Huston turned to walk through the opening with Scott. The larger alien’s forearm dripped blood onto Huston’s shoes as he passed.
Chapter Five
The narrow crevice opened to an auditorium sized space beyond. It was eerily lit by a standing pool of bioluminescence extending beneath the slope of the farthest wall. Tendrils of glow crawled from the water along gouges in the floor to sprawl the breadth of the room, seemingly ensnaring him with each step he committed himself forward. He turned to look back at the entrance- their only known route out. He was beginning to feel the stirrings of suffocation. Scott carries himself forward with his usual assurance. The diplomat easily slipping into a well-worn facade. Beginning to turn back to continue behind him, the minister spotted a relief on either side of the opening. He moved closer, cautiously eyeing the large guards standing beneath them. Beginning to his left and bridging to the right of the doorway was burned the image of a sea of Caver beings, many with distinct deformities, washing over a huge Caver. A few had reached his head and torn it free, while a few others were- and Huston recoiled at the realization- feasting and/ or bathing in the spillage. He knew of historical civilizations and leaders who’d adorned their waiting and meeting rooms to be such pits of intimidation.
Scott was yards away now, faithfully sauntering toward a pair of the alien beings huddling at the edge of the cistern. Or maybe it was a spring. Regardless, it was only as Huston moved to join his friend’s side that he noticed the Cavers stationed along the perimeter of the space. He occasionally caught a reflection off the moistened bare back of one of them as it climbed the wall, disappearing into the darkened extremes of the rooms height. The room may have been as tall as it was wide, though the pool only illuminated a few body lengths up. He was tempted to flash his light on, but decided not to risk any more lives.
He stared up at the sound of scrabbles from some distance above. He’d much rather be visiting the scene from the comfort of thousands of years beyond its decline into ruins. Funny how many sites he’d visited and longed for the exact opposite.
“Huston, they await the king of men:” Scott said. He’d stopped walking to gauge the cavern as Huston had. Huston nodded and locked eyes with the CPO. The excitement of the moment electrified their faces. Together they closed the remaining distance.
Day 21- late afternoon
We’ve met with the Cavers. We’ve met with their queen.
The Cloud village was attacked by them last night, though there wasn’t any direct physical violence as far as I saw. After they’d left, I managed to contact Scott and he picked me up on his way to a meeting they’d propositioned at an encounter with Knux. Scott and I are back on the boat now and headed back to Port Wallace.
We’d carried a recording device into the caves with us, but it was damaged and shut off during an attack by one of the Cavers shortly before the meeting. I don’t exactly know what happened, or even if it was intentional. We were just about to enter their main chamber, or the chamber that they chose for the meeting, when one of them came out of a passageway to attack me. I only barely saw it thanks to Scott’s warning. It bound out of the shadows on all fours. I’d gotten sloppy with my flashlight and I think I may have startled it. Before it actually got to me, our escorts, the much larger Cavers, lept into action. They’re not exactly agile, but they were fast enough to stop the smaller one pretty well. None of them were armed. I still haven’t seen them use weapons yet - not sure if that’s just because of their seemingly low tech level, or a deliberate choice. When the littler one came flying, a bigger one got in front and smashed down with his giant front arm-like appendage, cracking open the back of the smaller ones head/neck area. It was… emphatic. To me it seemed like a statement of brutality and dominance. There wasn't reason for it to die. Part of me feels that it was my fault, but I can't think of anything I could've done to prompt that...or save it.
I know it wasn’t my fault, but if we weren’t here, if we hadn’t gone into the caves, if i’d turned off my light, it would still be alive. It’s just a micro but acute demonstration of the web of actions and reactions commenced here.
Huston pushed his notebook and pen into the top of his pack. Scott was slowing down now. They’d made it back to the calmer waters of the lake without saying much to each other-- deep in their own thoughts-- but Huston felt his friend was about done organizing himself. Scott sputtered the boat to a crawl and shut off its engine to set them silently afloat, save for the gentle splashes of water against the hull, the light cresting of tiny waves, and the wind’s cool twinkle over their bodies. He came over to sit beside Huston- giving him a playful shove as he pulled his comm unit.
“Gangotra,” He said into his mic. “Contact me on short-wave.”
“Ah, Scott.” Came back the metallic, british tones of Wallace’s artificially intelligent unit, though Huston knew it worked with Scott more than anyone else. “It is good to see you emerge from the cave unharmed. I trust that your meeting went well?”
“It wasn’t too bad. We got to see what I think is their inner workings. They have some impressive societal works, I have to hand it to them. For an early stage society.”
“You’d like this conversation archived for yourself?”
“Yes, please.” Scott answered. “We were able to observe a fairly spectacular display of their physical abilities when a small one tried to attack Huston and was rendered disabled. The brutality might've been meant for our sake as a demonstration of their physical capabilities, their seriousness, the threat they might pose. Beating on your chest and screaming real loud, and hope nobody calls your bluff. Or, it could’ve been a calculated move to unsettle us just before the meeting. The fact that they’re willing to kill for no real reason sending its own message in the process. Or, it has nothing to do with us. Instead an instance of breakdown in societal order, answered with brute force. Anyway, it seems like Julie was correct in her comments on the size variation by the way. The one that attacked us was noticeably scrawnier, shorter. Not all that much taller than a meter. And I think Knux was also right that walking bipedal isn’t exactly their natural preference.”
A long pause followed. It was clear that Gangotra intended only to listen.
“Before we were attacked, Huston was observing more of their paintings.” Scott finally continued. “They were epic scenes depicting what looked like war. We finally arrived to a massive atrium, now accompanied with a sizable escort of large cavers. Scurrying of movement echoed through the passageways and chamber as we got close - it was difficult to tell, but I think there was a swarm of smaller ones following us at a distance.”
“I’d love to clearly define what those smaller ones are. Them being a different social caste or a different species are two huge distinctions - or something else entirely.” Huston interrupted.
“I think that has to be a top priority once we break this to the colony.” Scott responded. “Do you have any updates?” He asked into the microphone.
“Three out of four autopsies from the patrol’s previous collection have been completed. All have suffered some decay, limiting insights.” Gangotra immediately answered.
“Anything we didn’t know?” The CPO asked.
“All appear to be of the swarmer variety. I could present the full technical presentation, if you wish -” Gangotra began before being swiftly cut off by Scott.
“Let’s keep it abridged for now.”
“All have a substantial genetic makeup in common. A common template. From there, all of them have a number of variances. It is speculated that these variances are genetic mutations. These mutations appear to generally be responsible for their altered appearance, odd forms and strained movement - although we would have to receive a full Caver subject to confirm this hypothesis. If our understandings and assumptions are correct, all are somewhat weak, and possess non-functioning sex organs.”
“Odd, to say the least.” Scott looked at Huston and raised his eyebrows.
“Science Officer Julie pointed out that it could be significant that these ‘swarmer’ types were left out, whereas we have not come across any of the ‘Caver’ varieties left outside in a similar manner”
“I don’t think I’m ready to authorize anything more than scouring for what’s left out there for us. How about armament?”
“Engineering has made progress in such tasks. Rapid armament and turret deployment protocols are in effect, and I independently confirmed the availability of orbital capabilities.” Gangotra replied.
Huston returned Scott’s raised brow and frowned.
“Material support can drop within 8 hours’ notice, while fire support can currently be ready on 10 hours’ notice. If you reconsider current policy on personnel readiness, fire support can be available on 3 hours’ notice.” Gangotra continued. “Julie is currently in active collaboration with the engineering team to calibrate small arms to the swarmers’ dynamics.”
The minister frowned deeply and looked away from Scott and bowed his head to peer intently at the floor, his eyes shut.
“Eyes in the sky?” Scott said, looking over the surrounding canopy toward the colony’s airspace.
“Nearing full deployment.” Gangotra answered. “However, I should note: this rate of material rollout was not anticipated. My estimates suggest that terrestrial miners should be deployed within the next three weeks to avoid potential stores depletion.”
“All sounds acceptable.” He paused. “Update me on the rest when i’m back. After the attack, we arrived to the massive atrium, led to a Caver standing amidst a ring of a dozen other Cavers. I think this is the first time we’ve actually seen Cavers decorated in something. They weren’t exactly wearing full clothing, but they were wearing decorative half-shirt shoulder cloaks. It was, more or less, a stare down for the first few minutes. We introduced ourselves to them, but they didn’t reciprocate.”
“I thought they wanted us to go first. I’m not sure if that was something I picked up on, or just a guess. Maybe a feeling from those Clouds there.” Huston added to the report.
“Right. Our presentation was pretty basic - essentially what we had our team show them before. Once it was done, their queen flashed a blue, and then red light - like a spotlight - on us. No indication what that was supposed to mean. The entire leadership group stepped forward and projected their display. It was a series of basically slides - rudimentary images similar to their cave paintings. They showed a map, colored to show territory - claiming that our colony is in their territory. They also showed a picture of some of our security team hunting, a loosely accurate representation of one of our weapons, and then a Caver with that weapon. I think they’re demanding a technology transfer.”
“Would you--” Huston began.
“Not a chance in hell of that happening.” Scott interrupted.
“How then do you plan to respond?” Gangotra said into the brief silence.
“Well, at this point, I think the cavers are full of it. Staging that little attack… I’m aware that I may be too readily painting the actions of these aliens into my expectations based on what I know humans to do… but that little attack felt like the cherry on top to me. It was too perfect. Bring us down into this dingy cave, make lots of scary noises, play-act an attack without ever actually touching us in the process.”
“It is surprising that you went at all.” The AI bot responded.
“I think we had to go. Can’t brush off alien attempts to communicate, and we can’t default to a relationship of hostility and suspicion.”
“Fair observations”
“The attack and the territory issue raises some troubling implications, however. I think they’re testing us. Not committing to violence, not committing to any demands, but seeing if they can provoke a reaction through hinting at it….” Scott watched a flock of small colorful birds fly overhead. “I don’t think it’s anything that we didn’t conceive as realistically possible. It might not be ideal, or at least it would be easiest for me, if we didn’t have any sentient potential competition, but this is not a hostile environment.”
“Your thoughts on the Clouds?” Huston asked.
“The added presence of the Clouds complicates the situation further, but I would not call it a security matter at this present juncture.”
“I do not see another logical stance.” Gangotra agreed.
“I wish I knew more about them. If they actually are just hyper-violent. If pre-modern human civilization is any indication, we should be wary. Just has to be one step at a time. You know Gangotra, this almost feels normal. You more or less filling in for Wallace.”
“Oh. Thank you. I believe that is a compliment?”
“Most certainly is.”
“Alright. I g
enuinely to get going. I’m going to fill in the rest of the colony on what’s been happening. I’m not going to talk about the attack, the potential territory issue, or any of the autopsy stuff. You’ll see in the notes I’ll upload either tonight or tomorrow morning.” He added, turning to Huston. “But they need to know the basics. Otherwise it’s an uncontainable secret that they genuinely should be aware of.”
The other end went silent. Scott clipped his mobile unit back into place and stood up. He put his hand on Huston’s shoulder for a moment before moving to turn the boat’s engines back on.
“I think I need to go back to the Clouds, only briefly, I want to see if they can offer any clarity on this. Can you let me off ahead here.” Huston said, pointing to the spot he’d been picked up that morning.
Scott didn’t answer for a few seconds. Huston imagined he was weighing the value of that against his desire that the minister return to the colony.
“Sure. It’s time to tell everyone, though. I will do that tonight. See if you can figure anything out and get back by morning?” He finished. It wasn’t exactly a question, but it wasn’t an order either.
“Thanks.” Huston replied as he picked up his pack. “Yeah, ok. I'll be back by then. Not expecting to learn anything, but gotta try. You did a good job in there, man.”
Scott reached out to warmly shake the hand Huston extended.
“I am the bed-pal of the lioness, Huston.”
“I don't know what that means.”
“You do.”
Chapter Six
Rain pattered and drizzled through the make-shift thatching over his head. He looked down toward his tent, where he’d been woken by the Caver attack a couple nights before- punctuating the rain-washed soundscape with the satisfying crackle of a chocolate wrapper. Breaking off a piece, he took a bite before crumpling the wrapper and lodging it into his pocket.
Still Human- Planet G Page 6