Starship Genesis

by Linda M. Miller

  “Not bad for a Chair Force guy,” I think to myself. Ray and I already know how to jump from a plane. Of course, the training is merely precautionary. Leesa whiggs at the term parachute.

  “I thought we were landing the plane at an airport,” she says.

  “We are,” Sgt. Michaels tells her. “But its early spring down there and there’s lots of storms.”

  The bus is approaching Lackland and a C-17 flies over us. The bus nears the main gate and stops for check-in. Then it proceeds directly to the barracks.

  “Stow your gear and then come back to the bus. We’ll head over for some lunch and a briefing. We leave in 15 minutes. Don’t be late.” The four women head off with a female staff sergeant.

  “I think we just joined the Air Force, gals.” Leesa jokes. We enjoy a southwestern style lunch together. Then we’re joined by Cliff Gray. After lunch we move to a conference room. Sgt. Michaels welcomes everyone and begins to cover the itinerary to Peru.

  “The plane departs at 6:00 am sharp.” He states. “The first leg of our flight will take us to an airbase in Panama City. That’s an eight hour flight. I suggest you bring a good book. We will have a four hour layover there while they fuel the plane and you can stretch your legs.” From there we’ll fly on to San Luis, Peru. That’s about a five hour flight as well. We should arrive there by sunset. We’ll spend the first night at a staging camp in San Luis and depart at 05:00 in the morning by Humvee to the main base site.” Michaels has Leesa stand up and demonstrate to the crew how to put on a packed chute and where to pull the rip cord if we have to jump. He then instructs on how to steer the chute and avoid a tree. After that he shows us how to land.

  Michaels continues, “The weather appears to be amicable down there. The base camp is located in the lower mountains where the temperature is roughly between 50-60 degrees. But it does get cold at night. You’ll all be furnished tonight with Air Force Fatigues, hats, boots, gloves, etc. You’ll find your names stamped on them as well. We will be operating on military time at this point. That is, we rise at 05:00, military time. If you aren’t on the bus at 05:00, you will be left behind. I suggest you keep to the schedule. That is all.” Mark stands up again.

  “Cliff has arranged for us to go bowling tonight. Everyone is welcome. We’ll order pizza as well.”

  “Ahhh, last call for Pizza,” Hans wallows.

  “I am so ready to knock over some bowling pins. Alright!” Frank belts. Frank is a champion bowler in his home town. We split the crew into two teams. I take the women and Ray is in charge of the men. Surprisingly, Leesa gets a couple of strikes while Frank bowls a perfect 300. The men clean up on the scoring. Donna complains of blisters on her fingers and sits down to watch.

  “Pizza has arrived,” Mark calls out. Everyone migrates to the pizza. There also breadsticks and salad.

  We chat for 20 minutes. Then Ray challenges Frank to one more game because he has the second highest score. Frank humbly accepts the challenge but prevails as the standing champion.

  “Time to go back to the barracks, everyone. We’ll see you all bright and early on the bus at 05:00.”

  0:500

  Adrenaline is starting to kick in. It takes me an hour and a-half to fall asleep. Yet I surprisingly sleep soundly, considering the bed is a military bunk bed. I must have been tired. Sgt. Michaels wakes everyone up with an abrupt banging of a wrench on an overhead water pipe.

  “Everybody rise! It’s 05:00!” I sit up and wipe my eyes.

  “It’s been a while since I heard that. Haven’t missed it a bit.”

  “Yeah, sometimes I miss the military too, Matt,” Ray replies. Frank walks around like the “Living Dead.” Hans stumbles about trying to find a towel after he splashes water on his face.

  “Oh...water is cold. Feels gooooddd.”

  “What do you mean, Hans? It’s winter down here. Only 95 degrees outside.”

  “You should be down here in August,” Ray tells them. “It’s 115 degrees then. Like Peru.”

  “Yeah, back to the mosquitos. I’m loving it.” Hans adds.

  Everyone washes their faces and gets dressed. We each grab our gear and wander out to the bus. It’s still dark outside. Donna and the girls are running to the bus carrying last minute coffee and donuts. Sgt. Michaels does a roll call and seems satisfied.

  “Everyone is on board. Let’s go!!!”

  “I think I would like the Air Force.” Darren tells Peter. “But my parents wanted me to become a doctor.”

  “That’s really interesting. So how did you get interested in Archeology,” he asks.

  “I took a forensics class, and one of the girls in my class convinced me to try a field trip. It saved me.” he adds.

  “Well, I did try to join the military,” Peter says. “I went in for basic training in the army and I had an allergy to peanut butter. They gave me a medical discharge. How do you like that?”

  “Peanut butter. Poor excuse.” Darren answers. “So what’s that supposed to mean? Is someone going to shoot you with peanuts?”

  “They were down-sizing at the time. It was the perfect excuse. I knew a guy that broke his leg in training and they kept him.”

  The bus ride ends at the rear end of a C-17.

  MEET THE NATIVES OF PERU

  It’s a cold, sunny morning. The weather has raged for three days with snow up in the canyon and a cold wet rain here at the compound. Cassie is cooking eggs.

  “Do you think they’ll ever return, Korban?” Cassie asks. I know she misses having Deonna to talk to.

  “If they do return they’ll be stuck up there on the mountain and even in the cave they wouldn’t be able to survive that cold. I think they just decided to continue their exploration. They probably went up north somewhere.”

  “I think I know how Talon was feeling.” Noah confides. “We have three men and two women. Obviously, we were all going to pair off somehow. I think she just chose Talon. But Talon probably didn’t know how she felt about him. Especially since she’s been married once. I know that’s what I was thinking.”

  “Noah, we’ll probably meet the natives sooner or later. Maybe you’ll find a wife among them,” advises Cassie.

  “Don’t worry about me, Cass. I’m fine,” he replies. “The best man just won.”

  “I think it’s about time we tried to meet these people,” I reply. “They seem civilized. We can make them a gift of sea shells.”

  “We all three should go.” Noah advises.

  I was about to answer. But Cassie cries, “Korban, we have natives outside the wall.”

  I grab a translator and go up on the roof. Cassie stays out of site. Noah accompanies me.

  “Greetings, friends. Peace be unto you.”

  “And to you...” one of them replies. “We’ve never seen this dwelling on our hunts before. Are you new to the area?” he asks.

  “We’ve been here for a few months,” I reply. “If you’ve come in peace, I will let you come in. But you must leave your weapons outside.” I tell them.

  “Agreed, friend,” the native answers.

  Noah and I then go down to the gate. There are three in their party. But I believe the odds are still in our favor. I see no threat from men who hunt to provide food for themselves.

  “You have great skill, friend, to build a dwelling such as this. My people would be interested in how you built this so quickly.”

  “Let me introduce ourselves. I am Korban, this is my wife, Cassiopeia, and our brother Noah.”

  “I am Yoseph. This is my brother Cum and our friend Pax. Our village is about a day’s journey from here. We do not come up here very often this time of year when it snows. But we spotted smoke rising through the trees and feared we had enemies encamped preparing to attack us.”

  “So there are other villages in these parts,” I ask.

  “There are.” Yoseph replies. “The others broke off of our tribe many years ago because they felt that one of them should be King over our people. They tried to
enslave all of us to accommodate their living by burdening our people with tribute. I must ask...where do you come from friend?”

  “We are here by accident. We came in a ship of ten people and the ship crashed. We’ve struggled for the first few months. We chiseled the stones from the mountain up in the canyon and carried them down here stone by stone and built this. We would be interested in meeting your people and trading with them. It would be mutually beneficial. We could teach your people how to build dwellings such as this, and perhaps in turn, we can learn from you and trade for goods we need.”

  Yoseph smiles at me. “It would greatly please me and my people. You are welcomed to accompany us back to our village and we shall introduce you.” I look at both Noah and Cassie for their agreement. Noah is especially eager to go.

  “Cassie, I think you should come. I don’t want to leave you here alone.” I then turn towards Yoseph again and state, “Yoseph, there are two others of our party that are not here at this time. They went off exploring the area and have not returned yet. A man and a woman.”

  “We shall look forward to meeting them at a later time then. Come, pack a few things and return with us. We will dine tonight in our village.” We pack necessities and things to trade. I then secure the area, putting a lock on the gate we took from the ship. Yoseph orients us to his tribal customs along the journey.

  “Tell us about your people’s history, Yoseph. And we will tell you about ours.”

  “My people are not originally from this land,” Yoseph tells us. “We are Jaredites. Over 300 years ago, my people came here originally from a land way across the sea. We came in barges and were led by our God, Jehovah. He taught us how to build the barges.”

  “So your people know about the other continents?” Noah asks.

  “We do. This land is a promised land the Lord has set aside for those whom he leads here. You must have been brought here as well.” I look at Cassie and Noah.

  “We do believe in a God such as you. However, we were not looking to stay here in this land. We were hoping to return to our home land. That is not possible now. And we three may now be the only ones left of our people.”

  “That is sad, Korban. But look around you. My people till the ground and plant seeds. We raise sheep, goats, and cattle. This land is rich with fertile soil and beautiful. I hope you will stay and tarry with my people.”

  “Tell me Yoseph,” Noah asks, “Do you remember hearing about a paradisiacal garden with a man and a woman in it in your ancient history?”

  “You speak of the first parents on this earth. Adam and Eve. It is true that they first started out in the Garden of Eden. But Eve partook of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And they fell from the Grace of God. The earth has become cursed for their sakes. That is how man came to be on this earth. Surely, you are children of Adam and Eve, are you not?”

  THE FERTILE CRESCENT OF ANCIENT EGYPT

  I’m impressed by the Land in the Nile Valley; although the people are not yet developed in their building skills and still dwell in tents. I have taught Nahor’s people how to make chisels and harden them. I will teach them how to cut and use stone for their buildings. Today, Nahor and I are on an expedition to cut limestone blocks like we did on the other continent. I teach them how to use a chisel instead of using a laser, since I do not want to interfere with their natural abilities to innovate. We then move the stones with boats, rollers, and horses. I’m also pleased to see horses on the land, just like we had on TerraNorre. Many things have gone right here, I contemplate regarding the Life Seeds. However, I’m often torn on what to believe the Life Seeds have produced on this planet, since life was already on the planet prior to the Life Seeds’ we placed. Again, I lay a foundation similar to the foundation I laid previously. This time I allow for a step-pyramid style.

  “This should allow the building to capture its own water supply and store it in wells below ground since we’re living in a desert.” I tell Nahor. Nahor has a large family and kindred around him. So labor has not been an issue. Besides, I know that once I coach them on building, they will further produce the rest themselves.

  “The pyramid is starting to take shape,” Nahor says.

  “It’s an impressive site, isn’t it?” It will be a large compound for Nahor and his kin. I’m in process of planning one for Deonna and our future children. At this point, we are resigned to stay and live our lives in this new land. With the rates time changes while going between the portal, of the ship, we’ve probably lost contact with Korban and the other two forever.

  It’s taken longer to complete the new compound. It has a large underground portion with different rooms covered by the soil to protect us from the sand storms and shelter for our water and food.

  Deonna comes in with a bouquet of flowers from the river.

  “Look Talon. Aren’t these beautiful? They’re called Tigre Lilies. They don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen on TerraNorre.”

  “I’m seeing a lot of things here we did not have on TerraNorre,” I answer. “I don’t know if something went wrong with the seeds, or if these developed here independently. It is a mystery to me.” An enormous sound that seems similar to a spaceship flies over the roof. I look at Deonna. People are screaming. I immediately get up and run outside to investigate. I’m stunned at what I see. It’s a ship just like the Genesis.

  I turn to Deonna. I don’t want to be rescued at this point. Deonna and I have come so far. Men exit the ship.

  “Definitely from TerraNorre,” as I expected. I approach them thinking it is a rescue ship. But the men pull weapons and start grabbing people from the crowd and dragging them into the ship. I can’t believe what I’m witnessing. I step forward.

  “You men from TerraNorre. What do you think you are doing?” I demand. “These people are peaceful.”

  “You know of TerraNorre?” one of the men asks.

  “We are from TerraNorre. Our ship crashed when we were planting Life Seeds here. Are you not here to rescue us?”

  “Sure, we’re here to rescue you. Where’s your ship?”

  “Our ship is over on the next continent,” I respond. “We came over here in a shuttle.”

  “We need all the help we can get to mine on Seth 12,” He answers.

  “Seth 12?” I haven’t heard of that. Apparently, time has passed even more than I thought. The men from TerraNorre then hasten to drag people into their ship.

  “You can’t take these people,” I scold them. “They’re free men.”

  “Don’t worry friend, we’ll leave some for you too.”

  “Talon,” Deonna screams. She too is being dragged off. I punch the thug who grabbed her and hold him by his shirt. I’m taller than he is. “This is my wife.” I scold him. “You can’t have her.”

  The man from the ship then backs away, and he quickly boards the ship empty-handed. The ship departs as quickly as it came. Deonna clings onto me, shocked and weeping.

  “What’s become of the people from TerraNorre? Why are they taking people and making them slaves?”

  “It seems that natural disasters like what happened on TerraNorre either bring out the best or the worst in all of us. In this case, it has brought out the worst,” I respond.

  “Talon, we have to warn Korban and the others. They need to know.” I look at her and hesitantly agree. But I don’t want to leave. She sees me hesitate and continues,

  “We can always come back, Talon. We don’t have to stay. They may want to come back with us.”

  “True.” I think. My biggest concern is that the other ship now knows our people are there and they will probably follow the rescue beacon looking for the crashed ship.

  I realize then, “We have to go back.”

  Nahor is trying to comfort his children. He looks up at Deonna and I.

  “You know these people from the big ship,” he asks. “Who are they? Why did they do this?”

  I approach Nahor. “You will always be my good friend, Nahor.
”

  “You saved most of us,” Nahor answers. “They would have taken all of us if you had not stood up against them. I am grateful to you Talon.”

  “Nahor, I should tell you more about where Deonna and I come from. Come, let us talk.” We walk into my dwelling. Nahor and his people are fearful of the ship’s return. But I’m determined to stand for these people and defend them and others on this world.

  “Nahor, Deonna and I are not from this world. Approximately two years ago we came here on a ship just like the one you saw come down. But we were not here to take any of your people away.”