Expeditions of the Mantis

by Jim Henderson

  Ximon continued to Khemdu, “Can you tell us a bit about your glorious land?”

  Khemdu puffed up a bit, “Moharana is the richest and most powerful land on the planet. Our lands stretch from the Orones Sea to the Mountains of Morain. Our people are rich and happy. Our power //garble//. Your Republic would do well to seek //garble// with us.”

  Ximon, “It would seem so. I am glad we came here first.”

  Khemdu frowned a bit at that, “There is no need to go elsewhere. Other lands are poor, backward, or vicious. You will gain little but //garble// from them.”

  Ximon, “I see, and we will certainly keep that in mind. However, we must also seek a lost comrade. We are told their flyer crashed near here.” He pulled up a map on his tablet showing 1440’s coordinates.

  Khemdu was initially confused at the orientation and details of the map, but soon seemed to gain some understanding. He said, “That is the land of the Poka people. They are poor and few, but not overly dangerous. However, they are under //garble// of Verdigris. That land covets our power and seeks to exert power over all. You would do well to avoid them as they can be vicious, and they have stolen our //garble// to make many weapons.”

  Ximon, “Thank you for the warning. We will seek to avoid them and any trouble.”

  By that time, Peter returned with the box and sat it on the ground near Ximon.

  Ximon then said, “These are but small tokens of our esteem. Those who follow us will bear items more worthy of you and of trade between our peoples.” He then began to pull items out and offer them to Khemdu with great solemnity – a knife, a flashlight, a watch, some glow sticks, some nice pens, a KSF hat, a self-contained music player, a small model of the Mantis, and detailed star map poster.

  Khemdu received the gifts gratefully and his companions showed some excitement, but it did appear he had expected more. Nevertheless, he motioned to one of the servers and they brought forth a few items. Khemdu proffered these as if they were priceless. There was a very nice set of pottery bowls of different colors with very interesting designs, 4 blankets of some incredibly soft wool-like material, and a beautiful, hand-drawn map of Moharana.

  Ximon said, “We are humbled by your generosity and the beauty of these gifts. Our leaders will be sobered at such kindness.”

  They then just chatted for a while as best they could, with each member of the delegation and of the crew giving a short summary of their role and their lives. Khemdu and his delegation were obviously quite shocked when Raiza explained that she was made in a factory, followed by a similar story from Peter. They asked many questions about these robot, imitation people. It didn’t appear they’d heard of them before or at least not as something that truly existed.

  Khemdo started another line of questioning, “Captain, did you not say that Raiza was your wife? Yes, she’s a robot. Do all men in the Kremniy Republic take robots to wife?”

  Ximon, “Certainly not, it is very rare, indeed. We are a special case.”

  Khemdo appeared somewhat offended, “I can’t help but think this may reflect some kind of degeneracy that would anger //Garble//.”

  Khemdu, “//Garble//, I don’t believe we should leap to that conclusion.”

  Khemdo insisted, “The Old Ones would //garble// wrongness in it.”

  Ximon, “As I’ve said, it’s rare and not all accept it. However, I can see nothing degenerate in it. I love her and she loves me. We take care of one another. Is that not what love, or marriage, are?”

  Khemdu, “Certainly, though yours is //garble//.”

  Prema Pujari interjected, “Captain, do you know when we may expect additional visits from your Republic?”

  Ximon, “I can’t say for certain, but it will take some time for me to get back and report on your kindness. I think it likely you’ll have additional visits within a few months. Is there anything I should report that Moharana would be particularly interested in trading for?”

  Prema, “There are many things that would be treasured by us.”

  Kadgudia interjected, “We would welcome weapons to defend ourselves against some of our //Garble// neighbors.”

  Ximon, “Understood. I will so report.”

  Ximon, “I am afraid that our duty calls us elsewhere. With great regret, we must leave you.”

  Khemdu, “It has been an honor to meet you and most interesting to learn of you. We will look forward to additional peaceful visits from representatives of your Republic.”

  Ximon, “Thank you again for your hospitality.”

  They all said farewell and the crew headed back to Mantis.

  As they walked, Elsbeth said, “Can you believe that arrogant little witch? I was about to rip her head off. I can’t believe that didn’t piss you off.”

  Ximon, “Oh, it certainly did. I just knew it would only make things worse if I rose to her attack.”

  Raiza, “I feel I must develop a compelling, logical response to that line of discussion. It is unjust, illogical, and unkind.”

  Ximon, “That, my dear, is the very definition of bigotry or prejudice.”

  Raiza, “How can we defeat it?”

  Ximon, “It’s been a struggle of humanity for eons. I don’t think we can directly defeat it. For us, I believe victory is in being happier than they could ever be.”

  Raiza, “Then I will continue in happiness.”

  Elsbeth said, “Are you proposing killing them with kindness?”

  Ximon, “Something like that, though I’m not sure we can actually kill them. Still, it’s worth a try.”

  They got back on Mantis, raised the ramp, and met briefly in the galley.

  Ximon, “I think ideally we should meet more of these nations, but I don’t think I have it in me. I’m tired and we still have a long trip back to Tixaya before us. Unless you object, let’s go check on 1440-E.”

  Elsbeth, “I agree – burning wreckage suddenly seems pleasant compared to ‘people’ like that viper back there.”

  Ximon, “OK then. Strap in and we’ll head for 1440’s coordinates.”

  Ximon took Mantis up to 10 kilometers for faster, unmolested travel to their destination.

  When they got to the 1440’s notional coordinates, it was the local morning and there was little cloud cover so they could see well. Ximon initiated a fairly tight orbit over the area and both he and Mantis scanned the area, with Raiza watching the data as well. But, after a frustrating couple of hours, they hadn’t detected any sign of 1440.

  Ximon gently lowered Mantis to 5000 meters and they again scanned the area.

  After about 15 minutes, Mantis said, “Captain, I’m getting a faint signal that could be a KSF ship beacon. Bearing 237.35.”

  Ximon headed that way, everyone watching intently.

  As they followed the bearing, the signal got stronger, though it wasn’t as strong as a beacon would normally be.

  In a few minutes, Ximon noted a long, dark gouge in the planet in a fairly mountainous area. It ended in a darkened area with some structures nearby.

  Ximon circled the area intently and went down a few thousand meters more.

  Mantis soon noted, “Captain, I believe that gouge leads to wreckage, quite possibly of a crash-landing survey craft.”

  Raiza, “I believe that is correct.”

  Ximon, “Roger, I see it. I’m going a bit lower.”

  He then called Elsbeth, “Could you join us if you’re not in the middle of something.”

  Elsbeth, “Sure, I just finished, though I won’t say what. On my way.”

  Elsbeth arrived a few minutes later, “So, what do you got?”

  Ximon, “I think we’ve found the wreckage, but it looks like there are some structures nearby, presumably buildings.”

  Then to Mantis, “Mantis, are there any signals originating from this area?”

  Mantis, “Very few and there are few energy signatures.”

  Ximon, “OK, then what I’m thinking is that we go into a circular descent and watch this area very carefull
y as we do so. If those buildings are occupied, the reaction of the occupants will tell us a great deal. If they run, we’ll check out the wreckage and get out. If they stay nearby, we’ll try to communicate. Mantis, do you have a breakdown on the local language?”

  Mantis, “Not completely as I have detected few local transmissions. However, if it is related to some languages detected nearby, I believe we can translate some basic communications.”

  Ximon, “Elsbeth, Peter, Raiza, go get on some basic body armor and side arms. Peter, please also grab a rifle. Raiza, when you’re dressed, please bring me some armor and a pistol.”

  Raiza, “Yes, Ximon.”

  Ximon, “Oh and Elsbeth, please grab one of those boxes of ‘trinkets’ that we could trade or give as an offering. Raiza, please bring a medkit, just in case.”

  Ximon descended slowly toward a substantial flat area a couple hundred meters from the structures and the wreckage, switching to maneuvering thrusters as they neared the ground.

  Ximon also watched the structures as he landed and reported to the crew. Well, there are some kind of people up there and they ain’t scattering. They’ve come out of those structures to watch. I count about 2 dozen, humanoid but not details yet.

  Mantis set down smoothly and shut down primary engines, allowing the dust to settle.

  Ximon targeted the auto-cannon on the roofline of the nearest building and directed, “Mantis, I’ve picked an aim point for the cannon. If I signal you, fire short bursts at that point until I tell you to stop.”

  “But, captain, is that target of significance?”

  “No, idea, but I think they’ll get the idea.”

  “Understood.”

  Ximon, “… and please continue monitoring around us and let us know if anyone else approaches the area.”

  Ximon and the crew gathered in the galley and made sure they were ready. Each wore light body armor, primarily a bullet proof vest and a light helmet. All had radio links on their helmet so they could communicate. Ximon and Raiza just wore pistols, while Elsbeth and Peter both carried rifles. Peter also carried a box filled with various trinkets, clothes, and ration packs.

  Ximon, “Ok, let’s do this. Our goal is to keep them calm and get them to agree to let us check out the ship without going crazy.”

  Mantis lowered the ramp and crew descended and walked toward the structures. About 20 individuals stood together near the structures. As the crew approached, they could see the people resembled those in Mandinga. However, these people were yet shorter and broader than those in Mandinga and more generally hirsute. Most wore some kind of pants, under a knee length robe or jacket. The clothes looked fairly primitive and Ximon saw no technology in evidence. A few carried staves with bells or decorations on the end, but there were no clear weapons. They stared at the crew impassively.

  Ximon spoke and Raiza translated.

  Ximon, “Greetings. We come from the sky in peace. I am Ximon. May I ask your name.”

  A short native with a long, scraggly beard did the talking, “We are the caretakers. I Kinipak, the //garble//. Welcome.”

  Ximon, “Kinipak, we are honored. May I ask what you are caretakers of?”

  Kinipak, “We are caretakers of the graveyard of the beast of the sky. Has your//garble// also come here to die?”

  Ximon was a bit alarmed at this and Elsbeth looked real edgy.

  Ximon, “No, Kinipak, we have come to visit our dead brother and pay our respects” and he motioned toward the crash.

  Kinipak, “I see. The flyers also came to visit the dead one. You are welcome if you don’t disturb his rest.”

  Ximon, “The flyers?”

  Kinipak, “Certainly one flyer knows another, though their ships are large, slow, and float upon the air like a //garble//.”

  Elsbeth chimed in on their private circuit, “Sounds like some of the higher tech folks came and checked the wreck. They may have already stripped anything interesting.”

  Ximon responded to the crew, “Roger, but let’s go see.”

  Ximon then spoke to Kinipak, “We bring an offering to the dead one and to the caretakers.” He motioned Peter forward and he laid down the box solemnly.

  Kinipak, “Your offering is appreciated. Nutaaq will accompany you to the dead one.”

  Ximon, “Thank you, Kinipak. Your caretaking is honored.”

  At this Kinipak just lowered his head and the others stood motionless. Then a fairly tall native carrying a large stave stepped forward and walked silently toward the wreckage.

  Ximon and the crew followed quietly.

  As they walked, Ximon spoke quietly to the crew on their comm links, “Assuming we find a way in, let’s go in, look for bodies and see if we can retrieve any logs. I’m guessing they don’t want us digging around at length. Act respectful. If the guy doesn’t like what we’re doing, I guess we’ll deal with that.”

  The wreckage was clearly an Explorer-class survey craft, but it had crashed pretty hard and was clearly unsalvageable.

  Ximon added, “Also, watch for any sign that might indicate why she went down. Everyone, roll video.”

  They approached the ship from the right rear and most of the airlocks were either buried or destroyed. However, the rear cargo hatch door hung ajar, leaving a sizable opening.

  Nutaaq stood expectantly, waiting to see what they’d do. However, he didn’t protest when they climbed through the cargo hatch and followed them closely.

  The crew all activated headlamps on their helmets and Ximon gave a flashlight to Nutaaq and turned it on for him. He seemed fascinated and appreciative at that.

  As they got into the ship, some areas were clearly destroyed or unreachable.

  They started to split up to investigate different areas, but Nutaaq protested. He motioned emphatically with his hands as if he was compressing a ball of dough or something and said, “Be one!”

  So, they stayed together.

  They looked in engineering. Everything was pretty heavily damaged, but Elsbeth tried to access some of the ‘black box’ logs. Ximon saw what she was doing and drew Nutaaq’s attention with some queries, just in case he didn’t like what they were doing.

  They then looked at the remnants of the cargo hold, with crushed crates strewn about. They looked at the crates for signs of what they carried but saw nothing interesting.

  Nutaaq motioned to a small side room, “Here lies one.”

  Ximon looked in and there saw the torn remnants of a dead crewman.

  Ximon signaled Raiza, “Try to subtly get a tissue sample.”

  They each looked one by one. The dead man was laid out respectfully and had clearly died in the crash but not in this room. They tried to distract Nutaaq as Raiza looked and got a sample. Nutaaq stared a bit suspiciously but said nothing.

  As they searched what they could of the ship, Elsbeth tried to gather any system data she could, but most of the computer cores were inaccessible and it didn’t seem that Nutaaq would appreciate them trying to break other areas open.

  When they came to the bridge, the area was far too damaged to enter. They could only look in through a small opening where the door had been. In the destroyed remnants or the bridge, they saw two more bodies, dead in their harnesses. They each reached in respectfully and Raiza was able to get a hair sample from one of them.

  They generally looked around but had gotten everything they reasonably could.

  Ximon said, “Nutaaq, we grieve for our dead brother and thank you for your guidance.”

  With that, he silently led them off the ship. As they excited, Elsbeth peered intently at an area on the left rear of hull and drew Ximon’s attention to it – possible damage that might have caused their crash.

  They walked silently back to the cluster of buildings and the entire group still stood their motionlessly.

  Ximon spoke again to Kinipak, “We grieve for our brother and thank you for letting us visit him.”

  Kinipak, “It is good to grieve with the dead. They can //ga
rble, garble// much.”

  Ximon wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that but offered Kinipak two things. One was a 3D printed model of an Explorer class survey craft (much like 1440-E that he’d had Mantis prepare.

  Ximon, “This is a model of what the dead flyer looked like in life, that you may remember him as he was.”

  Kinipak took this reverently and Ximon then gave him a flashlight and showed him how to turn it on saying, “That this may help you be a light in the darkness.”

  Kinipak said, “We thank you for your //garble//, but now we should let the dead rest.”

  Ximon took that as a dismissal and he led the crew quietly back to the ship. The locals didn’t move or make a sound until the crew was back in Mantis.

  Elsbeth broke the silence, “Well, that was kind of creepy. Nothing like some graveyard guards to lift your spirits, eh?”

  Raiza said, “I believe they just honor a dead thing they don’t understand.”

  Elsbeth, “Oh, clearly, but what the heck to they get out of it?”

  Ximon, “Hard to say, but maybe they’ve gotten more from it than we saw and maybe they enjoy the offerings that visitors bring.”

  Elsbeth, “Whatever, but it’s not a job I’d sign up for.”

  Ximon, “Me either, but to each his own.”

  As he took off, Ximon used the external lights to send a friendly signal to the natives. They seemed to enjoy that since some of them broke out of their reserve to point and stare.

  Ximon announced to the crew, “OK everyone, strap in. I’m taking her up and heading to a jump point out of here. As we do so, Elsbeth and Peter, try to get anything you can from the logs you tried to access. Raiza, try to run the samples you got and compare to any information our mission had about the crew. Mantis, please piece together all the video we captured and try to create a map based on the languages you detected. ETA 18 hours to jump.”

  They heard more radio chatter as they left the atmosphere and headed toward the jump point, but very little broke out of the atmosphere so the radio seemed to go dead once they got a short distance from the planet. They detected no other traffic of any kind.

  After a few hours of travel Elsbeth joined Ximon on the bridge.