The Icarian legacy: Brave Souls

by Kocho

  “Yes you are right sorry.”

  “But it seems that the conspiracy theorists will have a lot to talk about when they hear the news.”

  They both turned to Haler. He was looking at the ship and his face showed admiration. He was also smiling.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  He turned towards them.

  “Why? Oh dear major Rivers. Can’t you see it? For years people were first claiming about alien sightings and no one was taking them seriously. Then there were also the ones who claimed about this…that there was some ancient highly developed civilization that was on a higher level than even us today. And we all laughed at them and thought they were crazy. And what do we say now? First we are attacked and now we have humans on board a ship, a space ship that was built God knows when. I wonder who else will turn up being right. Our civilization has a lost past ladies and I think we just scratched the surface of it.”

  They both looked at him with surprise. And they both knew that he was right.

  While they spoke Jennings and Sergei joined Edward and they all observed the ship. And they were all watching the hangars. They knew that the Deadalus could land if needed. It had a landing gear that could support its weight. And now both Sergei and Jennings looked at Edward. As one of the designers of the ship he knew every piece of it intimately.

  “Do you think it can be done? Can we land inside it?”

  Edward thought for a second and looked at the schematics.

  “Yes we can. We will have to move really slow and use the thrusters carefully but we can do it. But you will have to be really careful commander. One mistake and…”

  “Yes I know Ed. I know. You go take your seats. I’ll inform the crew.”

  As Edward and Antonov drifted to their seats Jennings went to the command console.

  Linda watched him come. So did the rest of the command crew.

  “You want to go in don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And they think it can be done.”

  “They are sure. And so are we. We trained for this and we know how to do it.”

  “This is crazy sir. One mistake …”

  Jennings inhaled and looked at Linda. She was ten years his junior but she was also an excellent pilot. That is why she was chosen for the mission. Her green eyes met with his gray. And he knew that she wanted it just the same as he did. He gently touched her hand.

  “I know. But that ship there is why we came here. And if we can do it, it will be for the good of the mission. And we can do it. You can.”

  She just smiled and turned to the view screen. Then she turned to him.

  “Inform the crew to prepare.”

  Jennings just smiled and made the announcement. Several people were stunned but they all knew the benefit of the Deadalus being on board that alien ship.

  Ten minutes later with everyone strapped in and the crew on its positions the ships engines came on line. The ship lurched and started moving slowly towards its destination. As they approached the huge hangar bay they noticed that there was plenty of room. The huge hangar doors stood open. The ship moved slowly inside and Linda and everyone else worked carefully on the controls. As the passed the inner hangar they activated the reverse thrusters and extended the landing gear. The ship slowed and then it stopped in the mid of the hangar. It slowly glided to the surface and as it landed the magnetic landing gear was activated. As it was the ship lurched and settled.

  When it did everyone exhaled. The tension and the fear disappeared. They could see the shuttle just ahead and the amazed marines and astronauts.

  “Great job Linda.”

  She smiled.

  “Thank you sir, but it wasn’t all me. We all did a great job.”

  She unstrapped and slowly drifted out of the bridge. So did the rest of the crew. Everyone on Deadalus started preparing for what was about to come. The only ones that were going to stay on the ship were several engineers and the biologists that had to examine the bodies. Everyone else started preparing and putting on their space suits.

  Jennings looked at the crew as they prepared to exit the ship. They were all excited.

  He looked at the hangar outside. Deadalus filled a large portion of it but it still had a plenty of room. And from the looks of it, it seemed that humans built it. It was really breathtaking.

  After a second he too slowly drifted out of the bridge and went to prepare for exit. He wanted to see the huge ship just as well as everyone else.

  As he was preparing he noticed two of the biologists preparing as well. Dubois and Heller were going after one of the bodies the marines found. He could see the excitement on their faces. And he understood it. He could also see their nervousness. That was something that everyone felt. The discovery would surely have big implications back home. The fact that humans might have once in the past roamed the stars… it was fantastic and terrible at the same time. And he wondered if that kind of information should ever be released for the public.

  “Are you ready doctors?”

  The two biologists looked at him. Dr. Dubois was the one that answered.

  “Yes we are captain. We are a bit nervous but that is understandable under the circumstances I think you will agree. I mean we came looking for aliens and we seem to have found ancient humans.”

  Jennings smiled.

  “I understand doctor. And to be honest I’m afraid of what that kind of information will do back home.”

  From the look the scientists gave him he knew that they knew and feared the same thing.

  Dubois smiled and waved his hand.

  “That remains to be seen. First we have to confirm that they are truly human bodies. And it’s not our decision.”

  After this both scientists drifted in the other chamber and after the hatches were closed they exited the ship. Several minutes later Jennings followed them. When he came out he noticed that the biologists were gone and so were the two marines and most of the scientists. The two shuttle pilots were waiting for him and so were Linda and five other astronauts that with them were on the bridge.

  “It seems that we have a ship to see gentlemen. Shall we?”

  Through the mike he heard their chuckles as they followed him. They slowly entered the hallways and started following the footsteps the marines took.

  Fillip slowly moved at the head of his group. They were moving through a large hallway that was obviously leading to some place important. On the other decks they noticed the elevators or what looked like elevators but couldn’t use them because the ship had no power. So they had to use the stairs to go from one deck to the other. It was far slower but it also gave them a better look at the ships interior. As they moved they noticed several doors on both sides of the hallway. The soldiers slowly and carefully moved in and stepped in the first room.

  It was obvious that it was a crew quarter.

  Eight beds were attached to the walls, two on each wall one on top of the other. A small table and chairs stood in the middle of the room. They noticed the worn blankets and sheets that were drifting through the room. At some time in the past before gravity was turned off they must have been well arranged on the beds. And as they watched the room one of the marines took what looked like pictures. They were still recognizable even after all this time. And if ever in the past there was any doubt in their minds about the nature of the builders of this ship now it disappeared completely. The picture showed a beautiful blond haired woman. From the looks she appeared to be somewhere between twenty and thirty years of age. She was dressed in a blue uniform and had several strange decorations that seemed to indicate her rank. One other picture showed seven other people together with her. There were two other women and five men. Both pictures were taken in this room. The people on the pictures looked confident and were smiling. It was obvious that the picture was taken long before whatever bad thing happened to them changed them. And they knew that from the third picture they saw. The woman and two of the men were standing alone on the t
able this time. And on the table they noticed, what unmistakably must have been the dog tags of the other five people. Their faces this time were serious and they seemed exhausted. They had a look that every soldier who has been in a war and lost someone he knew had. And the marines and Fillip recognized it. On the bottom of the picture a letter was attached. It was written in a strange language.

  “Leave it Michaels. I think they earned their peace.”

  The marine just nodded and let the pictures drift again. The marines slowly exited the room and continued forward. As they checked the rest of the rooms they found the same things. It was obvious that this were crew quarters.

  “Beta team to leader, we have human confirmation. I repeat we have confirmation of their identity.”

  “Confirmation acknowledged beta leader. Every team has it now.”

  “You found the quarters?”

  “Yes that and pictures.”

  “Ok beta signing out, continuing the search.”

  “Acknowledge.”

  There was no need to talk anymore. All teams continued their search through the ship and they carefully watched not to disturb the peace of the quarters of the former crew. They didn’t know who they were but they could see their pain and the sacrifice they made. They didn’t know what war they fought in that distant past but never the less they respected their last remains. It was the least they could do.

  “I wonder who they were. What they thought.”

  Fillip exhaled.

  “We all do Edgars. We all do.”

  As they reached the end of the hallway they climbed the short steps that lead to another short one and then entered what could only be the bridge. It was a vast room filled with consoles and screens. And as they watched it reminded them of the command rooms of navy ships. It had more consoles but the layout was very similar.

  “I guess we found the bridge.”

  “It sure seems like it Michaels.”

  Fillip turned and contacted the rest of the teams.

  “Alpha do you read me.”

  “Yes Beta.”

  “We found the bridge Alpha. I say again we found the bridge.”

  “Good news colonel. Stay there. I’ll inform the rest of the teams and we’ll come to you.”

  “Yes sir.”

  There was a smile on the other end of the line.

  “You know you outrank me colonel. “

  “Not on this mission major.”

  “Whatever you say sir, see you soon...Alpha leader out.”

  As the talk finished Fillip noticed that the rest of the marines were watching him carefully. It was obvious they all knew his rank. And he wasn’t surprised. He knew at least two of them from his missions while he was commanding the Macedonian contingent attached to the NATO forces. And Ellis was one of them.

  “Ok let’s see what we can find while we wait for them. But don’t touch anything.”

  “Yes colonel.”

  The comment came from all four marines. And after that came the chuckles. He smiled as well.

  “We have an officer doing a grunts work on this mission sir. Sorry but it is a little funny. Especially knowing what you did.”

  “The past doesn’t matter Michaels.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Michaels smiled and then started examining the room. So did the rest of the team. They all noticed the large windows. It was obvious that the armor plating was shielding the bridge but that when the ship was not engaged or when it had its shields on line the plating was retracted. After several minutes they heard the rest of the teams approaching. Ellis was the first one to enter.

  He carried his rifle in one hand and walked relaxed. So did the others.

  “Major.”

  “Colonel...It seems you made a good find. From the look so far the ship looks well preserved. Who knows maybe the scientists can activate it.”

  “That would surely ease our search. It will take a lot more men than we have to search the entire ship properly.”

  “Yes it would Fillip.”

  “What now?”

  Ellis smiled at the last question.

  “Now we wait for the scientists and astronauts to come. Then we take a break. The crazy bastards actually put the Deadalus in the hangar.”

  That comment made every marine to look up.

  “That is… impressive and really stupid.”

  “I agree colonel but nothing can be done now about that. And it sure makes things easier.”

  “Yes it does.”

  After this they both relaxed and sat down on the chairs. As they did that the rest of the marines did the same. Their job was finished. Now was the time for the rest of the teams from Deadalus to do their job.

  “Wonder who they fought colonel.”

  “Who knows major? But I wonder to. I wonder to.”

  Both men went silent after this and let their thoughts occupy their minds. The rest of the marines carefully let them be and continued silently looking at the ships bridge and wonder quietly about its creators.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jennings looked at Dr. Dubois. The face of the French doctor looked excited. So did the face of Dr. Heller.

  And the paper he was holding in his hand was the reason for it. Two hours ago the two doctors with the help of several marines brought back two bodies, one male and one female. And then together with the rest of the scientists they started examining them. And the results looked surprising and fascinating.

  “They are human captain. They are definitely human. There are some differences with us but they are human and they came from this world, or better said some of their ancestors came from here.”

  Jennings looked at the report written on the paper and then at the two doctors.

  “What do you mean some of their ancestors?”

  Dubois looked at Heller. She smiled and started the explanation.

  “Steven you know about Homo sapiens and Homo erectus our ancestors.”

  The captain nodded with his head.

  “But first about their origin. They have ancestors, probably very distant ancestors that came from this world. And when I say distant I mean like the first humanoid form of ancestors that appeared on Earth.”

  The captain looked surprised at them.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We don’t exactly know how it happened they might have been taken and developed on another world, we just don’t know. But we know that they are direct descendants because they have a mix in their genes from several human species that developed throughout human history as well as Homo sapiens and Homo erectus. Actually they have them all. And they also have that same ancestral gen that the geneticists discovered several years ago that every living being on Earth has in its genome.”

  “You mean the cell that confirmed Darwin’s theory. I remember the study and that research. What was the name of that biochemist Douglas or something…?”

  Dubois smiled.

  “Douglas Theobald and yes it did confirm Darwin’s theory and this research and this genes are definite proof for his theory. And for that theory that mankind had a common ancestor in the distant past.”

  “So they came from Earth.”

  “Not this people here but their ancestors… yes they did.”

  “The people here yes they are humans but from the composition of their bones they came from a world with a slightly higher gravity than Earth. Can’t tell you exactly how higher but they definitely came from such a world. And they are definitely, sorry were, on a higher level of development. There are some genetic changes in both of them that humanity still hasn’t reached and we probably won’t reach for at least several centuries.”

  “What differences?”

  “Well for starters they had much longer life spans at least two times as long as the ones we have today maybe even longer and they definitely had cures for many diseases we still have trouble with. They were on a much higher level of development than us.”

  “Well it doesn’t tak
e a genetic test to see that one doc. I mean just look at the ship outside and that is more than enough.”

  “Yes sorry.”

  After this they all went quiet everyone thinking of something. The captain broke the silence first.

  “Did you find out how long they are dead and how they died?”

  Dr. Heller looked with a face that showed that she was expecting that question for quite some time.

  He smiled as he saw her.

  “Sorry but with all the information i saw and had in my hands I forgot.”

  “It’s ok captain. Yes we did. They died from massive trauma the male on his chest and head and the women from several shrapnel wounds that pierced vital organs. From the injuries their death was quick. I don’t know what kind of a battle they were in but i don’t know of a weapon in our arsenal that can inflict that kind of wounds. As for the time of their deaths we can place it around twelve thousand years ago. Give or take couple of years.”

  “Jesus. That long?”

  “Yes.”

  The captain considered the report for several seconds and then turned to the biochemist and the genetic doctor. They both knew what that look meant and unstrapped from the chairs. As they did that they slowly drifted upwards in the zero g.

  As they did that, the captain smiled.

  “Thank you gentlemen i believe you want to see the ship to. You can do that now. And after I discuss this with the rest of the crew I think I will join you.”

  Dubois nodded with his head and he and Dr. Heller slowly drifted out of the room.

  Jennings though for a second and then he to exited the room and went on to inform the crew on the bridge and the military officers. Most of the marines were back on the Deadalus. Just the six of them were still on the bridge of the large alien ship.

  The briefing was short and forty minutes later, he together with Linda, Edward and several more scientists entered the large bridge of what they called the capital ship.

  A smile came to his face as he saw the frenetic movements of more than twenty scientists and engineers on the bridge. And seeing the calm soldiers that were gathered in front of him it really looked funny. While the scientists were moving around the soldiers just stood and watched them.