Space Scout

by S A Pavli

  There was no doubt that this was some sort of scientific base for exploring the planet. But what had happened to these graceful and civilised aliens. What tragedy had overtaken them. Had they been victims of an interstellar war, a struggle over possession of Omorphia? And if so, where were the victors? Had they destroyed the base and then disappeared without occupying the planet? I puzzled over these and other questions as I rummaged around the desolate buildings, looking for clues to unravel the mystery.

  Sometime later, Alfred interrupted my investigations with a report on the black powder stains we had scraped up from the accommodation building.

  “They are the residue of an explosive similar to military grade Semtex.” he reported, “I can give you the formulation if you wish,” he added. I jerked in shock and surprise.

  “Explosive you say? Damn!” I muttered to myself in disbelief. “So there was violence here. That explains the destruction. Is this quite an advanced explosive Alfred?

  “No Paul,” he replied “To the contrary, it is quite basic. In fact, very inferior to the explosives we have. Actually, we no longer use chemical explosives for military purposes. The programmable shaped micro Fusion warheads we have in our missiles are hundreds of times more powerful and can be programmed to deliver the precise and directed force required for each specific operation.”

  “Hm yes,” I was puzzled by this anomaly “I can see why the shells did so little damage to the building, comparatively.”

  “The building material was very hard and highly resistant to blast damage, and, yes, the explosives used were relatively weak,” said Alfred. I wondered about this. Maybe the attackers had purposely held back from using more destructive weapons. Perhaps they did not want to take more lives than necessary. Which means that the attack was meant as a warning? Had the residents of the base hightailed it off the planet after the attack, beating a hasty retreat back to their starship and returning home? Or did they have no way of returning home? In which case, they were either all dead, or some of them, those who were not killed by the attack, were still here.

  But the fact that we had found no bodies indicates that they had taken their dead back to their home planet. Or had they just buried them? There were too many questions and not enough answers. Frustrated I stomped around , looking into corners and cupboards, looking for clues until tired and dusty I called it a day.

  “Alfred, there is a big mystery here” I mused as we headed back to the shuttle for a well earned shower and some food and drink. “Have we searched the surrounding area for any graves?”

  “Not specifically Paul,” replied Alfred.

  “Hmmm, let me re-phrase that Alfred, have we seen anything in the surrounding area that may be a grave, for example, a mound of freshly dug earth, or the earth disturbed anywhere?”

  “I have not specifically carried out this type of scan Paul. Would you like me to do so?”

  “Yes. Also look for any signs of fire, the aliens may cremate their dead rather than bury them. Or indeed, anything that looks like an artificial disturbance of the earth or the forest, outside of the base area of course.”

  “Very well Paul. It will take a few hours. Since it will be dark soon, we shall have to complete the task tomorrow.”

  “Right.” Then, I had another thought.

  “Have we done an analysis of the aliens food packets?”

  “Yes Paul. The material is composed of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.”

  “That sounds like food. Could I eat it?”

  “You could Paul, but some of the vitamins and proteins are different from their human equivalents. I believe that they are not poisonous, but it will not be a balanced diet for you and may cause you digestive problems.”

  “Thank you Alfred.” Which reminded me that I was starving so we made speed forthwith through the shuttle airlock, putting up with the de-contamination procedure, and I set about preparing supper.

  After a good meal I poured a small scotch from my diminishing stock strolled up to the flight deck to chat with Alfred about the day’s findings. Although I could chat with Alfred anywhere, I felt that while I was there, in the ship’s control centre surrounded by screens, machines and computers, I was at work. Anywhere else, in the galley and living area, I was relaxing.

  “We have a mystery Alfred,” I began. “What happened here, where are the aliens and are they likely to return? Have we blundered into someone else’s war?”

  “Which question would you like to address first Paul?” inquired Alfred .

  “The first one I think. Before we speculate, we need to be sure of what we actually know. Let me summarise and see if you agree.” I paused for thought. “These buildings here are clearly a base for carrying out a scientific exploration of the planet. It housed around twenty five individuals, going by the accommodation. It has been attacked, from the air and maybe from the ground, and the buildings seriously damaged. Some of its personnel were hurt, maybe killed, we do not know how many. The attack was very recent because the food rations are still in perfect condition and the undisturbed rooms are still relatively free of dust. I would say the attack may have even been a few weeks ago. What do you think Alfred?”

  “I agree,” he replied “The organic remains that we have been able to recover indicate as you say, a number of weeks.”

  “It seems incredible coincidence that we should arrive here at this precise time,” I mused. I dismissed the idea as being far fetched and continued. “Other facts that we know,” I continued. “The damage to the alien base is not so great as to indicate that all the aliens died in the attack. There is also no sign of an alien shuttle on the planet.”

  “The conclusion would be that those aliens still alive after the attack took the shuttle and fled after the attack,” added Alfred.

  “Yes. But I wonder why they left the HCD behind?”

  “Perhaps they were still under attack and abandoned it.”

  “Seems reasonable,” I agreed. “OK, if that’s what happened to the aliens and that’s where they have gone, so are they likely to return? And what have we blundered into?”

  “It would seem reasonable, and prudent, to assume they will return.”

  “Prudent, what do you mean Alfred?” I suddenly felt uneasy.

  “There has been an armed conflict here.”

  “Yes, but what does that have to do with us?”

  “It is impossible to predict how our presence will be interpreted by whichever group of aliens returns first. It is possible that they may recognise our innocence. It is also possible they may not.”

  “There goes my peaceful retirement,” I groaned. This did rather put a new complexion on the situation. It seemed prudent, as Alfred had expressed it, to assume the worst and do our best to prepare for it. The shuttle windows were now completely black, we were in the tropics and night had fallen in its usual precipitate fashion.

  “Alfred, we need to think hard about how we are going to meet the aliens. We do not know which group will return first, the Base aliens or their attackers. Either way, as you say, they may take unkindly to our presence. What are the possibilities?”

  “There are not many Paul.”

  “Not what I wanted to hear Alfred.”

  “The main decision is where you and the shuttle should be. The Lisa Jane is now redundant, but the shuttle is an important resource. And you because the main objective is to prevent your death.”

  “You get to the heart of the matter as always Alfred!” I couldn’t help but agree. “Say we all take refuge in the Lisa Jane and wait for them.”

  “Not good to put all of our eggs in one basket,” was Alfred’s rejoinder. I nodded in agreement

  “Right enough. Particularly this little egg here,” I said patting my chest. “So that means I stay on the planet. The shuttle? We should hide the shuttle. If the Aliens are hostile it would be a sitting duck on the ground.”

  “If the Aliens are not hostile, hiding the shuttle may be misinterp
reted.”

  “They could not believe that we were responsible for the attack?” I exclaimed, finding the idea shocking. I was surprised that Alfred could be so suspiciously devious.

  “Hopefully not. But we should be prepared for all possibilities. If there have been hostilities and we are in the middle, we should be prepared. Keeping the shuttle hidden would be prudent.”

  “It sounds like you’ve done this before Alfred.”

  “Out of interest I have read a large number of what are called ‘Detective’ novels. Sherlock Holmes for example. I have learned that finding the murder weapon is crucial.” I grinned at the thought of Alfred curling up in front of the fire with a good book.

  “You will also know that the other most crucial aspect of a murder is motive. We do not have a motive for attacking the alien base.”

  “I know that, and you know that. But the aliens do not know that,” he said.

  “Yes, and we need to buy enough time to persuade them. If they see the shuttle and its weapons, we will have a hard time doing so.”

  “Remove the weapons from the shuttle?” asked Alfred.

  “That would be putting us completely at their mercy. I am not too keen on that. We need to hide the shuttle, on the ground camouflaged, but able to take off quickly.”

  “And yourself?” asked Alfred

  “No point trying to hide me. I am banking on them being surprised to find only one individual and wanting to question me instead of putting me to death instantly in a slow and painful fashion. Questioning me would need time for us, well you actually Alfred, to learn their language. This would give us the time to persuade them that we are just innocent bystanders.”

  “What if the first aliens to return are the attackers?” said Alfred.

  “Then they would know we are innocent. And all the more reason to hide the shuttle.’

  “But how secure would you feel about handing yourself over to the aggressors? They may not be interested in communication and kill you out of hand as an unwanted irrelevance,” insisted Alfred.

  “I have been described as a few things,” I muttered “But never an unwanted irrelevance!”

  “Nothing personal,” he said.

  “You’re probably about to say that they would not destroy you because they would want to study the technology,” I said accusingly.

  “That would be reasonable.”

  “Yes, it’s a reasonable world when technology is worth more than human life,” I chuckled, but Alfred took me literally as usual.

  “I was describing the logic of the situation,” said Alfred. “Not my own ethical system, which of course puts human life above all other material things.”

  “I know that Alfred, I was joking. But that does raise the question of whether you should remain in the Lisa Jane, or move to the shuttle.” Physically, Alfred was housed in a large drum equipped with its own power supply and completely detachable. There was a duplicate interface for him in the Epsilon, the idea being that if the starship was crippled in some way, he would have an alternative home. We both pondered the possibilities for a few minutes before coming to a conclusion.

  “The Epsilon I think Alfred, more mobile and easier to defend?” I suggested.

  “I agree Paul,” he responded. “I will take the shuttle up tomorrow with Sundance and make the move.”

  I got up and stretched. “Sounds good Alfred. Well I’m ready for bed , its been a long day. Let’s plan the details tomorrow. ”

  “I can plan the details while you are sleeping Paul.”

  “Um so you can. OK, I want you to find a nice spot for the shuttle, hidden from view from space, but with a clear space for take off. Say, an overhanging cliff facing the sea. Not too far from the alien Base. I will take up residence here at the base, with just Sundance for protection. Leave Butch with the shuttle. I want supplies for a couple of months, including hand weapons, food, water , clothing etcetera, we’ll go over the details tomorrow. I would like to repair the accommodation block and live there. Meet them in their back yard, no point in skulking around. What do you think?”

  “A good plan Paul. I suggest you leave Butch as well. He will be very useful in clearing rubble and repairing the accommodation building. He can be disarmed if you think that will be less suspicious to the aliens.”

  “Right Ho Alfred, see you in the morning.”

  Chapter 5

  The next day we arose early and prepared the equipment to refuel the shuttle. Lengths of light flexible plastic tubing were unrolled down to the stream and the shuttle’s tanks were pumped full. The return to the Lisa Jane and the relocation of Alfred went without hitch. The crippled starship would remain in synchronous orbit acting as our comms satellite.

  And so it was, two days later, after some heavy work repairing and rebuilding, I decided to spend the first night in the alien accommodation building. The hole in the wall was repaired by Butch in a bit of a makeshift fashion, using local stones cut and shaped to fit. I congratulated him on his handiwork, saying it was charmingly rustic and he thanked me politely. Rubble had been cleared away and the place cleaned up. We had no power for the moment but the robots were working with Alfred to restart the alien generator. This would be a great boon as it would also allow use of the toilet and shower facilities. I decided to sleep in the first room, nearest the common room.

  It did feel very spooky and I was having second thoughts about living in the desolate and abandoned building. I expected to turn a corner and bump into one of the aliens at any time, and found myself creeping furtively about, looking carefully around corners and down dark passage ways! The presence of Butch and Sundance clanking about and busily cleaning and tidying like a pair of bizarre chamber maids was very reassuring though

  We eventually settled on a secluded spot to hide the shuttle, a little further from the base than what I would have preferred but otherwise perfect, providing total cover from the air and ease of access. We watched from the top of the hill as the shuttle rose on its powerful jets, lifting gently straight up and then accelerating powerfully up and out to sea. She would circle around the headland , heading fifty or so miles down the coast to its hiding place.

  As it vanished into the distance I could not help feeling a stab of loneliness and home sickness. I decided that a swim was what was needed to cheer me up. Down on the beach, which was beautiful white sand, an alien tropical paradise, I pulled off my jump suit and headed for the surf. The sea was warm and inviting and brought back to me memories of happy times, holidays with friends and family. The water was delightful but I came out after half an hour feeling even more melancholy. Scout’s are picked for their self sufficiency but I would be less than human not to feel lonely and isolated , God knows how many million miles from the nearest other human being.

  “Let’s get up to our new home and see what there is for dinner.” I mused strolling up the beach and wistfully imagining my favourite fragrant meals, washed down with a fine bottle of wine. Sundance was still working on getting the power up and Butch was finishing off fixing the front door. There was no culinary feast to greet my eyes so I settled for some reheated ship’s rations. I pulled a chair and table outside to enjoy the cool evening air and wondered how I was going to pass the time. I almost wished the aliens would hurry up and arrive in order to break the monotony. When dusk fell I moved inside and switched on the temporary lights that the robots had rigged up. The power was supplied by a lightweight chemical power supply that had a lifetime of some weeks. After that, it would have to be returned to the ship for regeneration, but hopefully we will have got the alien power system working by then. The robots had rigged up alarms at various distances from the camp, and with Butch outside and Sundance inside the house I felt more than secure. Nevertheless, it took some time for me to drop off to sleep. I dreamt that a ravishing alien women enticed me to her bed and then started operating on me, removing my organs one at a time and examining them carefully. I seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of internal organs an
d their removal did not cause me any discomfort because she then took me to her home where she introduced me to her family, declaring me to be “one of us”!

  The days passed and life was not too unpleasant, although lonely. The robots started up the alien power supply and with light , power , hot and cold running water and cooking facilities I had all the comforts of home. After some experimentation we actually found some of the local flora that was edible and even tasty. They did not have all the vitamins and proteins so I could not live on them, but they supplemented my diet and added freshness and variety. In the long run I would have to grow Earth vegetables to survive but I was not going to bother with that yet. I did manage a little fishing, but could not bring myself to try and eat any of the remarkably ugly creatures I had caught, preferring to throw them back instead.

  I explored further with Sundance, heading around the headland in both directions .The countryside was very pretty, the low rugged mountains were covered with a variety of trees and shrubs, numerous streams running down to the sea. It was rich with wildlife, birds and small animals in abundance but there was no evidence of anything larger and certainly no evidence of intelligence. This was a beautiful planet, virgin and untouched. It was not hard to imagine what the human race would do to this lovely coastline, but I preferred not to think about that. There was no real need to explore since we had examined and mapped the terrain in detail from orbit. I knew that over the other side of the low mountains stretched a flat plain for over fifty miles to another taller range of mountains. But it was a very pleasant way to pass the time, and I took to staying out the odd night under the stars. It was also good exercise and after a few weeks I was tanned and fitter than I had been for a very long time. Sundance had trapped a few animals and taken samples of protein, which were pronounced as fit for human consumption, although missing some necessary proteins, but Sundance was not programmed to prepare and cook raw meat and I could not face skinning and cleaning animals. This was a bit too “Robinson Crusoe.” for me yet. Maybe later I said to myself.